Revelation 2:1-7

Amplified Bible

Message to Ephesus

2 “To the angel (divine messenger) of the church in ^[a]Ephesus write:

“These are the words of the One who holds [firmly] the seven stars [which are the angels or messengers of the seven churches] in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands (the seven churches):

²‘I know ^[b]your deeds and your toil, and your patient endurance, and that you cannot tolerate those who are evil, and have tested and critically appraised those who call themselves apostles (special messengers, personally chosen representatives, of Christ), and [in fact] are not, and have found them to be liars and impostors; ³and [I know that] you [who believe] are enduring patiently and are bearing up for My name’s sake, and that you have not grown weary [of being faithful to the truth]. ⁴But I have this [charge] against you, that you have left your first love [you have lost the depth of love that you first had for Me]. ⁵So remember the heights from which you have fallen, and repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, your sinful behavior—seek God’s will] and do the works you did at first [when you first knew Me]; otherwise, I will visit you and remove your lampstand (the church, its impact) from its place—unless you repent. ⁶Yet you have this [to your credit], that you hate the works and corrupt teachings of the ^[c]Nicolaitans [that mislead and delude the people], which I also hate. ⁷He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who ^[d]overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God], I will grant [the privilege] to eat [the fruit] from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.’^(A)

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Footnotes

Revelation 2:1 Ephesus, the largest city in Roman-controlled Asia Minor, developed into a major trade center because of its access to the Aegean Sea. It was the primary center for the worship of the goddess Artemis (Diana). The Temple of Artemis, the largest building in ancient times, was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The open-air theatre in Ephesus could accommodate 25,000 spectators and was used for both drama and gladiatorial combat.
Revelation 2:2 Here through 3:18, “your” and “you” are in the singular, referring to the angel of each church. Much of what is said is rebuke and admonishment, so if the angels are heavenly beings, they may serve in some way as representatives of the sinful people in their churches. Jewish tradition maintained that every nation and individual has a guardian angel, and that when God is about to punish a nation, He first punishes its angel. There is even a story of Michael, the guardian angel of Israel, being rebuked by God for the sins committed in the time of Ezekiel. So the original readers of Revelation might have assumed that the angels here are the guardian angels of the individual churches, sharing responsibility for the actions of the members.
Revelation 2:6 There is scant information about the cult of the Nicolaitans, but it appears they adopted a syncretistic worship, combining Christianity and idolatry. They may have held heretical views similar to those mentioned in vv 14 and 20.
Revelation 2:7 The definition of one who overcomes is recorded in 1 John 5:5.