Some years ago, I had the privilege of visiting Turkey. A Turkish man and one of his family members were going to do a business trip to Turkey so they invited me to go with them. I gladly accepted the invitation with one request that I would be allowed to spend a day in Ephesus. We were staying in Smyrna, the present-day port city of Izmir.
One clouded, cold rainy morning I took a Taxi to Ephesus. Ephesus was prominent in the Greco-Roman world because of its prime port location and its famous Temple of Artemis famous for its temple to the goddess Artemis (Diana of Ephesus), which was designated one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Now only a single column remains from the Temple of Artemis. The city is mentioned several times in the New Testament. The Apostle Paul wrote the Book of Ephesians to Christians here. According to the Book of Acts, Paul lived and worked in Ephesus for nearly three years and also visited the city during his missionary journeys. The Apostle John also lived in the city
I spent my full day touring in and around the ancient city of Ephesus. The city is totally in ruins. The ruins give a vivid sense of what the city looked like during New Testament times, from colonnaded streets, marketplaces, and temples to bathhouses and even public toilets. One of Ephesus’ best-known sites is the Library of Celsus, which once contained around 12,000 scrolls.
Every site is well-marked and documented so you can read about what once existed where there are now only stone pillars and boulders. I spent considerable time in the 24,000-seater outdoor theatre with incredibly good acoustics. No need for an expensive sound system. There is a platform where tourists stand and talk to each other or others read from the scriptures and you can hear their conversations clearly from every row and seat in the theatre.
I went and sat on a rock where the school of Tyrannus was. A lecture hall owned by Tyrannus. This is where Paul reasoned daily for two years with the believers. Paul would rent the hall every afternoon and teach from there. The Western Text of the Greek New Testament indicates that Paul had use of the lecture hall from 11 am to 4 pm the time when most Ephesians were resting. From here Paul trained most of his missionaries because in the two years he lectured here all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of Jesus Christ. I believe many churches were planted from this venue.
Acts 19: 8 And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God. 9 But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. 10 And this continued for two years so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews, and Greeks.
All seven Churches mentioned in Revelation are in Turkey. The letter that was written to the church in Ephesus particularly interested me. The day I sat in that once great city at the school of Tyrannus I asked the question. “What was the meaning of, you have left your first love”?
Revelation 2 “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: 2 “I know your works, your labour, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have laboured for My name’s sake and have not become weary. 4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. 6 But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”’
Firstly, the seven golden lampstands are the seven churches to which the letters in Revelation are written.
To Ephesus, he writes, “I know your works, your labour, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them, liars; But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate”.
Nicolas the leader had first been a ‘pagan. Some think Nicolas is the same man who appears to convert to Christianity in Acts 6:5 Pagans were of the world; they were of those who were born or Paganism which had its root in the pre-Abrahamic religions of Balaam. They taught the doctrine of Balaam. In their doctrines, they taught a mixture of the Occult, Judaism, and Christianity – all at the same time. Two major issues were related to the Nicolaitans, sexual immorality and the worship of idols.
Now the church could not bear evil, they tested and found false apostles to be liars. They hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans. Nevertheless, God told them that they had lost their first love.
While I sat there in Ephesus, I saw it. A prosperous port city, Paul trains church leaders and missionaries in this city they become a powerful church, protecting their doctrine. That is, it. The doctrine has become important. Instead of loving God and people, the institution has more value. Something like our churches today. The name of the institution or church becomes important. The sinner can bring disrepute to the brand so throw the sinner and his sin out.
Luke 15 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying: 4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.
What is the first commandment?
Matthew 22:34-40 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
In Luke 15 the loss of the sheep is the shepherd’s loss. He leaves the 99 to find the one. For many of us, the amount of people has become the most important. Our success is based on how large our congregation is. We must protect the masses from the damage one person can bring to the whole. There are many good arguments why? Probably one of the best is because we might suffer a loss of income if the masses accuse us of eating with the sinner. The sinner may bring disrepute to our name.
“You have lost your first love,” God says to the Ephesian church.
We have at times taught that first love is the passion we had when we were first converted. I was born again when I was seven years old. Mainly because I had a lot of fear in my life and the Child Evangelist said if hide under Jesus’ wings like chickens under a mother hen’s wings, we will be safe from the Devil’s attacks. I immediately gave my heart to Jesus but did not have an immense love for God at that time. My understanding and love for God grew as I got older.
In Ephesus that day I realized First love is actually the one whom I love first. Joined to God being my first love I will love others as I love God my Father.
1 Corinthians 6:17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
1 John 4:7-8 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”
Has not God covered all my sins? I have brought disrepute to His name through my sin, but He gave His Only Son to cover my sin. What a tremendous cost.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
God is now creating a new reality on earth, a people that is heavenly but that walks on earth. God is doing a new thing. Very old but new for us. I believe the manifest sons of Romans 8 are those who have been perfected in love.
1 John 4:17-18 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
LOVE! is the key. I believe there are two emotions that control the world and everyone in the world. Love and Fear. Where there is love there can be no fear. Where there is fear there can be no love
When we love because God has done something for us or we love others because of what they can do for us then we are mere children, we love out of childish, immature love. Imperfect love. Many immature believers, the little “children” of God, profess to love God out of selfish motives!
As the sons of God in Christ are manifest, they are identified by how they love Jesus Christ for WHO HE IS and not because of the blessings and benefits received from Him.
When Jesus hung on the cross His attention was not on how badly He was suffering. Nor did he hold it against or have any offense to those who nailed Him to the cross. He never said, I forgive them but knew they needed the Father’s forgiveness.
Luke 23:34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots.
His mind is for those who have nailed Him to the cross and for His bride-to-be.
John 19:26-27 When Jesus, therefore, saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.
When you read John’s Gospel you will find that the disciple Jesus Loved, the beloved disciple, never has a name. We all assume it is John. Maybe so. But I like to think that this disciple identifies with the church. Each and every member of the Church. We are His beloved. Jesus said, behold your mother. Who is our mother?
Galatians 4:23 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, 24 which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar— 25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children— 26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27 For it is written:
Revelation 3:12 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.
Revelation 21:2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
The Bride of Christ is not a physical city of gold and stones and streets and gates. The bride of Christ is a people, a spiritual people in union with Christ. John says that this city is prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. He introduces this glorious city as a bride brought to a relationship with her bridegroom. A bride is one who is deeply in love with her bridegroom, submitted and joined in the intimate union of that love.
Ephesians 5:30-32 For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Revelation 19:6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the[d] Lord God Omnipotent reigns! 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”
Many believers entertain the mistaken notion that the marriage of the Lamb portrayed in chapter nineteen of Revelation can only take place after Jesus has physically come back to earth. We are now members of His body His bride. So, when Jesus says, “Behold your mother” He is admonishing the beloved to love their mother, the church the Body of Christ. The beloved took his mother home. We take Christ home in our lives and love His Church.
John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another.”
Our first Love is, God our Father and His body His bride. Not as we love ourselves but as the New Commandment given by Jesus, to love one another like Jesus has loved each one of us.
You are loved and very worthy. I love you.
