Ephesus

Paul labored there. He subsequently ordained Timothy superintending overseer or bishop there: probably his charge was but of a temporary nature. John, towards the close of his life, took it as the center from which he superintended the province. Ephesus was the principal city of Asia Minor, with a population of about 250,000. It was wealthy and cosmopolitan. Trade passed through it by land and water; it bustled with commercial life. Ephesus could also boast of having one of the seven wonders of the ancient world: the temple of Diana (or Artemis, as she was called by the Greeks), the great mother G-ddess. Ancient descriptions of the temple, as well as its depiction on ancient coins, testify to the architectural grandeur of the building. Standing on a platform measuring more than one hundred thousand square feet (twice the size of an American football field), the temple itself consisted of one hundred columns. Each was a monolith of marble fifty-five feet in height, and the eighteen at each end were sculptured. The internal ornamentation was of extraordinary splendor, adorned by works for art created by famous Greek artists. From all parts of the Mediterranean world tourists and devotees came to view and to worship in the great temple.
It is to this church at Ephesus that John is writing in the 90s when the second generation of believers makes up the congregation. To this church the heavenly G-d says: “I know your works, that you cannot tolerate evildoer’s and tested the apostles,” (v. 2).
[Rev2:2] 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:
[Complemented the real believers for testing those claiming to be real Jewish apostles, and were not and rejecting them as imposters and liars. The test including keeping G-d’s Law and opposing evil.
I know thy works - expressing His omniscience. Not merely "thy professions, desires, good resolutions" (14:13, end). I know indicates that Y’Shua knows the special circumstances of all the seven churches. Thy labour - Two oldest manuscripts omit "thy"; one supports it. The Greek means "labor unto weariness." Patience - persevering endurance. Bear - evil men are a burden which the Ephesian Church regarded as intolerable. We are to "bear (the same Greek, Galatians 6:2) one another's burdens" in the case of weak brethren; but not to bear false brethren. Tried - by experiment; not the Greek for "test," as 1 John 4:1. The apostolical churches had the miraculous gift of discerning spirits. Compare Acts 20:28-30, wherein Paul presciently warned the Ephesian elders of the coming false teachers, as also in writing to Timothy at Ephesus. Say they are apostles - probably Judaizers. "Ye did not permit those having evil doctrine to sow their seed among you, but closed your ears."]
[3] And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
[Borne . . . patience - The oldest manuscripts transpose these words. Then translate as Greek, "persevering endurance . . . borne." "Thou hast borne" My reproach, but "thou canst not bear the evil" . And . . . hast laboured, and hast not fainted - The two oldest manuscripts and oldest versions read, "and . . . hast not labored," omitting "and hast fainted." The difficulty that transcribers by English Version reading tried to prevent was the seeming disagreement, "I know thy labor . . . and thou hast not labored." But what is meant is, "Thou hast not been wearied out with labor."]
[4] Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
[Somewhat . . . because - Translate, "I have against thee (this) that". It is not a mere somewhat"; it is everything. How characteristic of our gracious L-rd, that He puts foremost all He can find to approve, and only after this notes the shortcomings! The Ephesians had made a good start. They had weeded out those who were spreading ideas that did not ring true according to the apostolic faith. But the weeding out process had been achieved at a high cost. The love for Y’Shua they had at first and grown clod: also the love they used to have for other believers was replaced by suspicions of unsound teaching.Left thy first love - to Messiah. Compare 1 Timothy 5:12, "cast off their first faith." See the Ephesians' first love, Ephesians 1:15. This epistle was written under Domitian, when thirty years had elapsed since Paul had written his Epistle to them. Their warmth of love had given place to a lifeless accepted belief. Compare Paul's view of faith so called without love, 1 Corinthians 13:2.]
[5] Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
[Whence - from what a height. Do the first works - the works which flowed from thy first love. Not merely "feel thy first feelings," but do works flowing from the same principle as formerly, "faith which worketh by love." I will come - Greek, I am coming" in special judgment on thee. Quickly - omitted in two oldest manuscripts, Vulgate and Coptic versions: supported by one oldest manuscript. Remove thy candlestick out of his place - I will take away the Church from Ephesus and remove it elsewhere. "It is removal of the candlestick, not loss of the candle, which is threatened here; judgment for some, but that very judgment the occasion of mercy for others. So it has been. The seat of the Church has been changed, but the Church itself survives. What the East has lost, the West has gained. One who lately visited Ephesus found only three Messiahians there, and these so ignorant as scarcely to have heard the names of St. Paul or St. John".]
[6] But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
[Part of this rebuke was directed toward libertinism or the deeds of the Nicolaitans as it was called, is thought to be a sect of the Gnostics, who participated in pagan doctrines and practices concerning the community of wives and involving adultery, fornication, and the eating of meats offered to idols. Many early Messiahian writers spoke concerning them including Irenaeus, Clemens, Alexandrinus, Augustine and Tertullian. Scholars are divided as to (Deacons or seven) called on to serve the early church in Acts 6:5. Many believe this is the same Nicholas, some say this group derived its name from the word Nicola - meaning let us eat together; referring to their practice taken from paganism of eating and frolicking in sexual pleasures pointing to the practices of idolatry in Isa. 23:13 “let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall die.” This was similar to the doctrine of Balaam and Jezebel of Thyatira in 2:14-15,20. The doctrine of the Nicolaitans attempted to establish a compromise with the pagan society of the Graeco-Roman world that surrounded them reasoning with the pagan dualistic theology that the body was evil and nothing that the redeemed spirit did effected them. A believer therefore, could do whatever he desired with his body because it had little or no importance. The spirit, on the other hand, was the recipient of grace causing many to live unG-dly lives with their bodies. They thought the body must be abused and that the flesh should be buffeted to be kept under control, this sect did not last long, but it has remnants in some believers today.]