check out "The Bibel Project" on youtube, it's very helpful to understand most all things about the bible, history, characters, etc. It's full of easy to understand visuals, good for an overview of the bible and concepts, they even break down each individual book of the bible.
Craig try this, Study small sections at a time to start out, and use a Strongs Concordance to look up the true meaning of the words, then use a note pad to write down the verses, the number of the word in the Strongs, and the meaning, it seems to be really helpful to me. before you know it you'll have a note pad full of studies from the Word of God that you can read over and over if you need too, that way you can study the same thing a lot easier to keep it fresh in your mind, plus it always seems to stick with you more when you write it down. I hope this helps you it really helped me, I have probably 20 note pads almost all full of studies I've done over many years. Stay in the Word!
This is what I can share with you about the Nicolaitans. In Revelation 2:6, it first speaks of their deeds, which the Lord says He hates. What they were doing was lording over Gods flock. Jesus Christ is the head of the church, but they were ruling the church, and the Lord says He hates that.
As for their doctrine, it speaks of that in Revelation 2:15. Before, we saw the works (or deeds) of the Nicolaitans. Now he's saying that inside this church, they hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. The Lord repeats Himself.
Now it's interesting about the doctrine of Balaam. I'll just give you a summary heading for this. It's when someone puts a stumblingblock in front of God's people for either monetary or worldly purposes.
What happened was Balac, the king of Moab, he came to Balaam because Balaam was a prophet. And he said would you put a curse on this group of people that are heading our way because we've heard about them.
This is the children of Israel. So would you put a curse on them? Well, eventually Balaam had to come and say you can't put a curse on them because they're blessed by God.
But I'll tell you what you can do. You can bring God's judgment on them if you send the Moabite women out to seduce them and cause them to commit sexual immorality. For that, God will judge them.
And so that's exactly what he did. Balaam gave him council as to what to do. Balaam says I can't do anything because God has blessed these people.
And the reason why he did it was because he wanted the money that was offered to him to put a curse on the children of Israel.
So Balac gave him some money. And he emerged as a false prophet, and he wanted to do things for money.
So a stumblingblock was cast before the children of Israel to get them to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication.
And also, the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which again, is lording it over the people, which thing the Lord hates.
Hi Jag. This is a very sad indictment against a Church that was vibrant for the Lord & had a great love for the saints ( Ephesians 1:15,16). Now about thirty years later, Jesus speaks to the Apostle John from Heaven, that the Church at Ephesus which was once well commended by Paul & recognized by the Lord ( Revelation 2:2,3), had given way to a lifeless orthodoxy in belief, in service & in love for each other.
When a Church degenerates to such a state, Jesus feels the pain as when a spouse becomes unfaithful & looks aside to other suitors. But the Lord is gracious to allow them to reconsider their backsliding, repent & return to their first love. Even though there may have been individual believers that were true & faithful to the Lord (Who was their first love: 1 John 4:19), when those who ought to have been keen to arrest any departure from their relationship to Jesus have been negligent, then the Church as a whole will be judged & the faithful would do well to depart from their midst, finding food for their souls elsewhere.
Well said dear Ronald. These messages from Jesus to those churches in Asia Minor may serve as examples to the leaders of churches or to churches as a whole or to any individual believer. Some believe it is a historical account of the Church from the beggining to the end. Maybe, maybe not. Nobody can be sure about that.
Love for God and our brethren must always be the motive behind any work in our spiritual lives. If that love diminishes or goes away because love for somebody/something else comes first then there is always the danger to fall away from God's way. People say, and it is right, that all people eventually follow their hearts. But God says our heart is corrupted. It is God's Word that ensures a successful life not our likenesses or loves. That is why Jesus asks us not to love a father, mother, son, daughter, even our own lives more than him (a decision we must renew every day in our lives). If we don't then we may not make it to the end, somewhere we may turn a turn. So it is not so much that God is a jealous God but He knows this is the way for us to secure a victorious ending. Personally I wish I could love God like Paul did. GBU
Thanks for pointing that out, that makes clearer understanding. I agree angel is a messenger and could point to the leader, elder, or pastor, because all the letters are addressed unto/to the angel of the church of, and I do not think Jesus would be sending a heavenly angel a letter.
It is clearer that part of the letter is to the angel/pastor if there were no repentance the leader would lose his position, and the lampstand would be taken which is the light that comes from Jesus. It could even be like Matt. 24:50-51, just a thought.
I see the letter was addressed to the angel/pastor, but I feel it was also for the congregation, the Church, by what Jesus said; "He who has an ear let him hear" and "To him that overcometh". This is directed to anyone male or female, singular or plural, even to us today.
Thanks again for your knowledge of the Greek language.
Jesus didn't address the whole congregation but only the angel(pastor) of it. In greek the word "thy" (or in modern English "you") is singular not plural. The message is specifically for his spiritual condition not for his congregation's. GBU
The letter to Ephesus starts with commendable words and then Jesus said He had something against them, they left their first love. My understanding is all they were doing had turned into a job, a habit, or a duty. First in terms of priority, what is most important, what they were doing was without the Love for Jesus, loveless labor. We can get into a routine and lose the light and become noneffective if we are not in a relationship with Jesus and deceive ourselves. It becomes me instead of Him.
I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
Continuing my comments, I should also say that since Revelation 2:5 is doctrinal in nature, then it would help you to study Paul's epistle to the Ephesians. It is rich in strength for the Christian, not only in the spiritual power it offers, (the gifts), but in the humility it promotes in using it. In fact Paul, in 3:8 coined a new Greek word to describe himself. He took the Greek superlative and attached to it the Greek comparative (Elakistoteros) to express to the Ephesians that he was "'Less than the least' of all the saints." All of our shirt tails should be popping in the breeze trying to match that.
In order to get to the heart of the meaning of Revelation 2:5, one must consider the context. Revelation 2:11 relates something extremely vital to understanding the exact meaning. Bible preservation is a vitally important doctrine of Christianity, not of the original manuscripts themselves, but of the God-inspired original text. Not just wispy bodies of thoughts and ideas, but the very words and meaning. That, God's perfect Word, is what God arbitrarily preserves through the human generations ( Mark 13:31, Psalm 12:6,7, John 12:48, and others), which God has identified as the KJV for the past four centuries. Note carefully that John becomes an amanuensis to the glorified Jesus Christ. The words John wrote were dictated by Jesus. They are His direct Words to these churches. Contextually, we can easily see that the Lord's Words are doctrinal in nature. Salvation is not by "works," so Jesus is saying that, over time, the saints of the Ephesian church had drifted into some wayward error. This isn't hard to believe, for virtually all the original churches had waned in doctrine in various degrees by the end of the first century. Therefore, it is vital to obey 2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to show thyself approved unto God.rightly dividing the Word of truth."
In revelation 2:5, Instruction is given to the church in Ephesus. It starts off by saying "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen," Secondly, "and repent," and thirdly, "repeat the first work." So go back to the beginning in your approach to the things of Christ.
Repentance means to make a decision for change. So, he says if you've lost the Lord as your number one priority, go back to the beginning and start over. You better evaluate where you stand. Repent. Repeat the first works in your surrender to Christ. Obviously it was not true repentance.
And then in this same verse, we see the condemnation: He says or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove the lampstand out of its place, except you repent. The church at Ephesus was destroyed. There is no church in Ephesus, nor anywhere near Ephesus. They did not repent!
The next church is the church of Smyrna. This is one of only two churches without rebuke. They are told of the persecution to come; and to remain faithful unto death. Related to this is in verse 11 which is stated later in Revelation; where overcomers are said not to suffer from the second death ( Rev. 20:6 etal). It is notable that they are humbled but shall be exalted (i.e. are rich verse 9). This is the opposite of the Laodicean church at the end of Revelation 3 where they are in reality poor; blind; naked etc. instead of having no needs with many material riches.
Verses 12 to 16 talk of Pergamos. This church; sadly had idolotry (verse 14) and LITERALLY was where (in part of Turkey) where Satan's seat; and pagan worship was located.d Unlike Ephesus the Nicolaitans were tolerated (they are said to be the follower of someone with that name and/or saw nothing wrong with the flesh involved in sins of sensuality if the spirit wasn't involved; a sort of Gnosticism. Jesus warns that He will fight against "them" if they don't repent. This shows that those promulgating false teachings should be purged out among them by the rest of the church.
The last part of the chapter discusses Thyatira. There is much commendation; with the one issue being this woman Jezebel; teaching and seducing with fornication and idolotry. Those who wouldn't repent would be cast into "great tribulation" (v. 22). As to killing her children that could be symbolic; as well as the fornication. There is certainly a warning to us today if it truly means that we will be left behind in the Tribulation for such activities; although the context would seem to indicate the body being destroyed so the soul could be saved much as seen in 1 Cor. 5:5. In any case it certainly wakes us up to the fact once again that blatant sins and practices can still crop up in otherwise Biblically sound churches. Satan probably tries to incur maximum damage by such tactics.
I hope you don't get offended by my regular interventions in your posts. My aim is not to argue but to give a slight different view to some points
In Rev 2-3 Jesus is not addressed generally to the people of those churches but specifically to the angels (the pastors) of them. The pastors are the ones who are held responsible for the spiritual condition of the church they serve. So Jesus gives warnings to them about doing their ministry properly or not
Jesus says to the pastor of Ephesus that he has fallen from his first love. Love to whom? The obvious answer is to God. But 1 John 4:20-21 says "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also"
So a pastor that has not so much love for God, then he has not so much love for the members of the church he serves either. And how is that shown outwardly? By his works. He has non. And what love is? A fruit of the Holly Spirit. And if we lack in love it means that we have come to a stop in our spiritual life and we actually go backwards
So Jesus warns that pastor that He will remove his candlestick, that is Jesus is going to take away that church from that pastor. (And then what? He will give it to somebody else who is going to serve the sheep properly)
And that is a warning to all pastors. They are held responsible for the condition of their flock of sheep given to them by Jesus. Are they going to be like the good shepherd that Jesus is or not? Do they work the 10,5,1 talent given to them?
Will they be like Saul the first king or like David? It is the same with all the other pastors in those 7 churches
Rev 3:3 " Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee"
It is noteworthy that the first church of Ephesus; which also was the only church that had an Epistle written about it was the only one that was threatened to have "its candlestick removed"(verse 5) since they ha LEFT their first love. ALL other things were done correctly; and some things even commendable still. There are two conclusions to be made here. First; that having Agape love toward God and no doubt the brethren is always a top priority and command and renders a church useless more than any other transgressions; provided a remnant of faithful people still exist. The second conclusion is that the later churches could signify either going into the seven year Tribulation itself (for those not walking right with God or not true believers such as in 3:22); or as in the case of Smyrna; a major test or tribulation before that (verse 10). It appears that in some of these other churches that persecution was able to test their faith and endurance; strengthening their growth. Such an option didn't appear as a remedy for the Ephesians; perhaps because they would act like those Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 13:3. We need to take pause here that we don't make any work; even in obeying His will somehow separate from our love of God; or first love (verse 4). Again; the exhortation in verse 7 is much like the other addresses to churches; there is an individual call (whoever overcomes); as individual remnant believers of the visible church are truly of the invisible church; and there is some idea here that we may be called away from corporate fellowship if indeed serious issues develop which dissolve or destroy a church.
For one reason or another ALL of these original churches in Asia Minor (Turkey area) are long gone there; although their story as all scripture is applicable to us today.
Hi Dennis , I'm not exactly sure what you are talking about but I think I agree . Anyone who tries to use notes from someone else or cheat sheets as you call them is only cheating themselves out of reading the most awesome book written by our Lord God Himself ! How foolish would that be ! Very !
This is what I can share with you about the Nicolaitans. In Revelation 2:6, it first speaks of their deeds, which the Lord says He hates. What they were doing was lording over Gods flock. Jesus Christ is the head of the church, but they were ruling the church, and the Lord says He hates that.
As for their doctrine, it speaks of that in Revelation 2:15. Before, we saw the works (or deeds) of the Nicolaitans. Now he's saying that inside this church, they hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. The Lord repeats Himself.
Now it's interesting about the doctrine of Balaam. I'll just give you a summary heading for this. It's when someone puts a stumblingblock in front of God's people for either monetary or worldly purposes.
What happened was Balac, the king of Moab, he came to Balaam because Balaam was a prophet. And he said would you put a curse on this group of people that are heading our way because we've heard about them.
This is the children of Israel. So would you put a curse on them? Well, eventually Balaam had to come and say you can't put a curse on them because they're blessed by God.
But I'll tell you what you can do. You can bring God's judgment on them if you send the Moabite women out to seduce them and cause them to commit sexual immorality. For that, God will judge them.
And so that's exactly what he did. Balaam gave him council as to what to do. Balaam says I can't do anything because God has blessed these people.
And the reason why he did it was because he wanted the money that was offered to him to put a curse on the children of Israel.
So Balac gave him some money. And he emerged as a false prophet, and he wanted to do things for money.
So a stumblingblock was cast before the children of Israel to get them to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication.
And also, the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which again, is lording it over the people, which thing the Lord hates.
When a Church degenerates to such a state, Jesus feels the pain as when a spouse becomes unfaithful & looks aside to other suitors. But the Lord is gracious to allow them to reconsider their backsliding, repent & return to their first love. Even though there may have been individual believers that were true & faithful to the Lord (Who was their first love: 1 John 4:19), when those who ought to have been keen to arrest any departure from their relationship to Jesus have been negligent, then the Church as a whole will be judged & the faithful would do well to depart from their midst, finding food for their souls elsewhere.
What is first love refereed to by the Lord?
Love for God and our brethren must always be the motive behind any work in our spiritual lives. If that love diminishes or goes away because love for somebody/something else comes first then there is always the danger to fall away from God's way. People say, and it is right, that all people eventually follow their hearts. But God says our heart is corrupted. It is God's Word that ensures a successful life not our likenesses or loves. That is why Jesus asks us not to love a father, mother, son, daughter, even our own lives more than him (a decision we must renew every day in our lives). If we don't then we may not make it to the end, somewhere we may turn a turn. So it is not so much that God is a jealous God but He knows this is the way for us to secure a victorious ending. Personally I wish I could love God like Paul did. GBU
Thanks for pointing that out, that makes clearer understanding. I agree angel is a messenger and could point to the leader, elder, or pastor, because all the letters are addressed unto/to the angel of the church of, and I do not think Jesus would be sending a heavenly angel a letter.
It is clearer that part of the letter is to the angel/pastor if there were no repentance the leader would lose his position, and the lampstand would be taken which is the light that comes from Jesus. It could even be like Matt. 24:50-51, just a thought.
I see the letter was addressed to the angel/pastor, but I feel it was also for the congregation, the Church, by what Jesus said; "He who has an ear let him hear" and "To him that overcometh". This is directed to anyone male or female, singular or plural, even to us today.
Thanks again for your knowledge of the Greek language.
God bless,
RLW
Jesus didn't address the whole congregation but only the angel(pastor) of it. In greek the word "thy" (or in modern English "you") is singular not plural. The message is specifically for his spiritual condition not for his congregation's. GBU
The letter to Ephesus starts with commendable words and then Jesus said He had something against them, they left their first love. My understanding is all they were doing had turned into a job, a habit, or a duty. First in terms of priority, what is most important, what they were doing was without the Love for Jesus, loveless labor. We can get into a routine and lose the light and become noneffective if we are not in a relationship with Jesus and deceive ourselves. It becomes me instead of Him.
God bless,
RLW
What is it?
Continuing my comments, I should also say that since Revelation 2:5 is doctrinal in nature, then it would help you to study Paul's epistle to the Ephesians. It is rich in strength for the Christian, not only in the spiritual power it offers, (the gifts), but in the humility it promotes in using it. In fact Paul, in 3:8 coined a new Greek word to describe himself. He took the Greek superlative and attached to it the Greek comparative (Elakistoteros) to express to the Ephesians that he was "'Less than the least' of all the saints." All of our shirt tails should be popping in the breeze trying to match that.
In order to get to the heart of the meaning of Revelation 2:5, one must consider the context. Revelation 2:11 relates something extremely vital to understanding the exact meaning. Bible preservation is a vitally important doctrine of Christianity, not of the original manuscripts themselves, but of the God-inspired original text. Not just wispy bodies of thoughts and ideas, but the very words and meaning. That, God's perfect Word, is what God arbitrarily preserves through the human generations ( Mark 13:31, Psalm 12:6,7, John 12:48, and others), which God has identified as the KJV for the past four centuries. Note carefully that John becomes an amanuensis to the glorified Jesus Christ. The words John wrote were dictated by Jesus. They are His direct Words to these churches. Contextually, we can easily see that the Lord's Words are doctrinal in nature. Salvation is not by "works," so Jesus is saying that, over time, the saints of the Ephesian church had drifted into some wayward error. This isn't hard to believe, for virtually all the original churches had waned in doctrine in various degrees by the end of the first century. Therefore, it is vital to obey 2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to show thyself approved unto God.rightly dividing the Word of truth."
In revelation 2:5, Instruction is given to the church in Ephesus. It starts off by saying "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen," Secondly, "and repent," and thirdly, "repeat the first work." So go back to the beginning in your approach to the things of Christ.
Repentance means to make a decision for change. So, he says if you've lost the Lord as your number one priority, go back to the beginning and start over. You better evaluate where you stand. Repent. Repeat the first works in your surrender to Christ. Obviously it was not true repentance.
And then in this same verse, we see the condemnation: He says or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove the lampstand out of its place, except you repent. The church at Ephesus was destroyed. There is no church in Ephesus, nor anywhere near Ephesus. They did not repent!
Could it be Revelation 2:19, Thy works "charity "? listed 1st,
Also 1st Works old testament? Deuteronomy 26,
Hopefully these are helpful
Thanks
The next church is the church of Smyrna. This is one of only two churches without rebuke. They are told of the persecution to come; and to remain faithful unto death. Related to this is in verse 11 which is stated later in Revelation; where overcomers are said not to suffer from the second death ( Rev. 20:6 etal). It is notable that they are humbled but shall be exalted (i.e. are rich verse 9). This is the opposite of the Laodicean church at the end of Revelation 3 where they are in reality poor; blind; naked etc. instead of having no needs with many material riches.
Verses 12 to 16 talk of Pergamos. This church; sadly had idolotry (verse 14) and LITERALLY was where (in part of Turkey) where Satan's seat; and pagan worship was located.d Unlike Ephesus the Nicolaitans were tolerated (they are said to be the follower of someone with that name and/or saw nothing wrong with the flesh involved in sins of sensuality if the spirit wasn't involved; a sort of Gnosticism. Jesus warns that He will fight against "them" if they don't repent. This shows that those promulgating false teachings should be purged out among them by the rest of the church.
The last part of the chapter discusses Thyatira. There is much commendation; with the one issue being this woman Jezebel; teaching and seducing with fornication and idolotry. Those who wouldn't repent would be cast into "great tribulation" (v. 22). As to killing her children that could be symbolic; as well as the fornication. There is certainly a warning to us today if it truly means that we will be left behind in the Tribulation for such activities; although the context would seem to indicate the body being destroyed so the soul could be saved much as seen in 1 Cor. 5:5. In any case it certainly wakes us up to the fact once again that blatant sins and practices can still crop up in otherwise Biblically sound churches. Satan probably tries to incur maximum damage by such tactics.
I hope you don't get offended by my regular interventions in your posts. My aim is not to argue but to give a slight different view to some points
In Rev 2-3 Jesus is not addressed generally to the people of those churches but specifically to the angels (the pastors) of them. The pastors are the ones who are held responsible for the spiritual condition of the church they serve. So Jesus gives warnings to them about doing their ministry properly or not
Jesus says to the pastor of Ephesus that he has fallen from his first love. Love to whom? The obvious answer is to God. But 1 John 4:20-21 says "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also"
So a pastor that has not so much love for God, then he has not so much love for the members of the church he serves either. And how is that shown outwardly? By his works. He has non. And what love is? A fruit of the Holly Spirit. And if we lack in love it means that we have come to a stop in our spiritual life and we actually go backwards
So Jesus warns that pastor that He will remove his candlestick, that is Jesus is going to take away that church from that pastor. (And then what? He will give it to somebody else who is going to serve the sheep properly)
And that is a warning to all pastors. They are held responsible for the condition of their flock of sheep given to them by Jesus. Are they going to be like the good shepherd that Jesus is or not? Do they work the 10,5,1 talent given to them?
Will they be like Saul the first king or like David? It is the same with all the other pastors in those 7 churches
Rev 3:3 " Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee"
GBU
For one reason or another ALL of these original churches in Asia Minor (Turkey area) are long gone there; although their story as all scripture is applicable to us today.