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In Acts 20:17-38, Paul spoke for the last time to the leaders of the church of Ephesus. He warned them that he expected certain men to come there soon. Those men would try to teach wrong things to the Christians there. Paul emphasised strongly that those men, and their ideas, were very dangerous.
John wrote the Book of Revelation several years later. By that time, those men had been to Ephesus, but they had little effect on the church there. Perhaps because Paul had warned so strongly, the church leaders were able to deal with those men.
It seems that the church there became very cautious and strict about its beliefs. They refused to accept any teacher who did not agree completely with Paul’s message. They were very anxious that no evil person should ever teach in their church.
The church members worked very hard to do God’s work in Ephesus. The leaders would not allow the members to become lazy; God’s work is important. They helped weak and ill people; they gave to poor people.
The Christians there had many troubles but they remained strong. When people opposed them, they stood firm in their beliefs. They were confident about their beliefs. They were not afraid to suffer for what is right.
The strict attitudes of the church leaders probably helped the members to be strong about these things. However, perhaps the same attitudes caused them to neglect the most important quality for a Christian: love (1 Corinthians chapter 13). All that they did was good; but they did it for the wrong reasons. Their love for God and for each other, which originally had been strong, was now very weak.
Amos 1:1-3:15
Revelation 2:1-17
Psalm 129:1-8
Proverbs 29:19-20
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New Testament: Revelation 2:1-17
Summary: To the Church in Ephesus, Smyrna and Pergamum
“No trouble can be worse for a Christian than something that affects his relationship with God” ~ usefulbible.com
“‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. ~ Revelation 2:2-4
Revelation chapter 2
- 2:1 – Christ’s letter to Ephesus
- 2:2-3 – Ephesus: the loyal church that lost its love for God
- 2:4 – The importance of love
- 2:5 – Why Christians may need to repent
- 2:6 – About the Nicolaitans
- 2:7 – A promise to Christians who overcome
- 2:8 – Christ’s letter to Smyrna
- 2:9 – Smyrna: true wealth
- 2:10 – The promise of the crown of life
- 2:11 – The second death
- 2:12 – Christ’s letter to Pergamum
- 2:13 – Pergamum: the place where Satan ruled
- 2:14 – About Balaam
- 2:15-16 – God’s word will act in judgement to separate people
- 2:17 – Christ’s promise to the Christians at Pergamum
- 2:18-19 – Christ’s letter to Thyatira
- 2:20 – Thyatira: Jezebel and the wrong things that she taught
- 2:21 – An opportunity to repent
- 2:22 – A judgement against people who are not loyal to God
- 2:23 – God’s judgement is against people who do evil acts
- 2:24 – ‘The deep things of Satan’
- 2:25 – Remain loyal to God
- 2:26 – Christians should do the things that God wants
- 2:27 – The rule of God’s people
- 2:28 – The morning star
- 2:29 – What it means to ‘hear’ God’s message
Overview: Revelation 1-11 – Click Here
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