Full-Proof Ministries

A friend and I were recently discussing an alarming statistic that I’ve heard from too many sources and too many times to disregard as some baseless or sensationalist stat.  It generally reads along these lines: “75-80% of Christian youth will walk away from/lose their faith in their first year of college.”

Having examined my faith in the past for weaknesses was what caused me to launch Full-Proof Ministries as a venue of support to others who were seeking the truth.  Obviously, if the outcome was Full-Proof Ministries, you already know the conclsuion of my dig.  My search for truth more than substantiated my once blind faith so overwhelmingly, I could not believe I had not been introduced to apologetics earlier in my life.  The fact is, I cannot believe how many people accept blindly the things that need not be accepted blindly!  Hebrews 11:1, as we’ve said in earlier posts does not require us to take a blind leap.  Let’s use the Biblical definition of faith:  The substance of things hoped for and the conviction, or evidence of things not seen.” [emphasis mine]  Sure, without faith, it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6), but that is a far cry from asking us to accept things blindly.  God has given us so much more sure a foundation than that!

This post is a plea to parents: Don’t accept the stats as the status quo any longer.  It is entirely unacceptable that we have raised our children to have such a loose grasp on their faith – what it is and why it is – that it has slipped from their grip at the first real opposition to it.  The problem, I believe, is two-fold.  First, parents are ignorant themselves of the answers to some of the tougher questions.  It’s something that they either don’t need because they’re faith feels sure or they’ve never been challenged by a skeptic so they’ve never had any reason to look into it.  So the first problem is ignorance.  The second problem, and even more egregious, is laziness.  Some parents are aware of the challenges to their faith, but use “faith” as the cover-all answer to any question that could possibly arise.  They then pass this on to their kids as the best way to defend their beliefs.  This is quite honestly the WORST way to answer the questions.  ”I don’t know” or “I don’t fully understand myself” would be far better choices.  But they should only be temporary answers until the hard work of reading and research yields better answers.  Ignorance and Laziness are not only embarrassing reasons for our children to be abandoning their faith, they are both treatable!  We don’t have to accept them!  This problem is analogous to perhaps a quack doctor who knows there is a cure for an ailing child, but because it would take any effort on his part, he chooses to let this otherwise treatable condition turn terminal….all the while, the answer is in a book just across the room.   What parent would stand for that???  Yet we are no more careful with the spiritual condition of our children?  How can this be?

We have go to begin the treatment process.  Obviously before something can be treated it has to be recognized.  I hope this post has helped you with the recognition part.  It may not be easy, but it is necessary to begin treatment…NOW.  It is time to stem the tide of atheism that is consuming our children at an alarming rate.  I know you wouldn’t allow your child to be so mistreated by a doctor as to let them die of something you knew was curable. Well, it’s time to act.  Parents, you are the doctor in the analogy.  You can allow your children to get sicker and sicker until it’s beyond your control to treat and they walk away from their faith forever.  Or you could “walk across the room” and find the answer.  Maybe you don’t feel comfortable dealing with some of the questions that are raised.  Maybe you feel like you, too, might be susceptible to abandoning your faith if you were to examine it more closely.  If that’s the case, then find some third party that could help – a pastor, teacher, elder – that has experience with these issues.  If you don’t have those resources available to you or would be uncomfortable in seeking their help, please contact Full-Proof and allow us to help you and/or your child who is struggling to hold on to their faith.  Whatever you do, inaction is the only wrong action.  Your child’s eternal destiny is at stake.

Joe and I have been talking a lot lately about the importance of reading sections of Scripture (paragraphs or more) instead of single verses – or even multiple verses that are still ripped from their larger context.  This post will aim to demonstrate a real-world example of why not to read just a verse (or in this case, even 3 verses.)

Ephesians 5:22-24 says:

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

It was perhaps this very passage that sparked a conversation at work a couple weeks ago about how archaic the Biblical model for marriage and family is.  The individual referencing this Biblical concept was uneasy with wives being told to be submissive to their husbands in a seemingly subordinate role.  With todays emphasis on equality, it is no wonder that their feathers were a bit ruffled at the thought of it.  Would God really ask that women submit themselves to their husbands as some sort of “lesser” being?

And thus we are introduced to one example of the importance of reading larger sections of Scripture.  [Enter, stage right: CONTEXT]  If divorced from the rest of the passage, these verses seem to be saying that women are subordinate and on an unequal playing field.  However, if we keep reading, we find this not to be the message at all and that the Scriptural mandate for husbands is even stronger.

Ephesians 5:25-29 says:

Husbands are commanded to love their wives…and not just with some Hallmark holiday sort of love, but with the type of love that drove Christ to willingly lay down His life for His Church.  One of the truths that is often neglected and can only be inferred here – that Christ was not only willing to give His life up in death for His Church, but gave Himself in life for His Church.  My father drove this principle home to me several years ago when I was attempting to understand the kind of love that would cause someone to be willing to die for another.  I was floored that Christ would die for such an unworthy world of people.  My father told me what was even more amazing is that He came here to live for us.  Before He could be a perfect sacrifice, He had to live the perfect life…for us!  His entire existence in human form was dedicated to redeeming sinners and presenting His Church as holy and blameless.  So, husbands – we are not only to be willing to die for our wives as Christ did for the church, but also to live for our wives, cherishing them as Christ did the Church.  All of a sudden, submitting to one’s husband doesn’t seem all that bad!  Not if the husband you’re submitting to is committed to the responsibility laid out in this passage anyway!

Just as you would never dream of opening a letter from a dear friend and reading only one line of it, we ought not treat God’s Word with that sort of disrespect.  Obviously we cannot hope to read the whole thing in one sitting, but we need to understand the sections we do have time to read in light of their greater context.  This will keep us from gross misunderstandings of the bits and pieces we come across in our daily readings and will give us a greater appreciation for the continuity and uniformity of the larger message of the Bible.

I had a big talk from my heart this week with the Tuesday night group that meets at my house. One of the things I emphasized with them was to not be afraid to ask themselves tough questions. This is something that I’ve learned to do in the last decade.

There is nothing to fear from tough questions. Let me give an example:

“Am I legalistic or being legalistic about something(s)?”

Have you ever run into a Christian that claims they are legalistic? You know, I never have – not once. I am never legalistic (at least that is what I think) but I can always point to someone or some church that is.

You know what I also tend to see myself and many, if not most, others do? If the question is presented, or the point is suggested, that we are legalistic, then we quickly dismiss it.

“No, I’m definitely not legalistic.”

Why are we so quick to dismiss the idea? Probably because of pride. I don’t want to admit that I’m legalistic about anything.

“The Independent Baptists down the street, now they are legalistic. Me? No, I’m not. They only allow the King James and their women must wear skirts.”

I’ve heard it said that most people in prisons don’t think they’re that bad. They can always point to someone else who is worse. Now, I’ve never done prison ministry and I’ve not interacted with prison inmates, but that’s the pattern I see with myself. Are you prone to be like that? Do you claim instantly that you are not legalistic because you can point to others who are?

Here’s my key question for today –

What do you have to lose by facing the tough questions?

Don’t quickly dismiss the questions. Take the time to ponder them.

What if I am not legalistic? Then I have no reason to fear pondering the question. I can examine it and conclude, “you know what — I honestly don’t think I struggle with this.”

But what if I am legalistic? Then don’t I need to ponder that question? How can I ever escape it if I never face the possibility head on that I might be legalistic?

Here’s another question to think about. If legalism is only a problem with a few extreme fundamentalist churches, then why did God address it so much in the New Testament? I think he addressed it so much because I think that most of us struggle with it more than we think we do or are willing to admit. I can easily say I’m not legalistic because I don’t add works to salvation. A lot of Christians have that simple of a definition. But legalism isn’t only about justification, we can also be legalistic about our sanctification.

And that’s where I think most Christians can fall into the trap of legalism. That’s what the book of Galatians deals with: not justification legalism, but sanctification legalism.

So face the questions head on. Don’t quickly dismiss them. You can only harm yourself in doing so.

A Good friend of mine is fond of saying, “Never read a Bible verse.[i]”  Now, this friend, also being a good Christian and solid student of God’s Word, certainly doesn’t mean not to ever read even one verse, but not to read only one verse.  He says this primarily in reference to protecting the greater context from which that verse is pulled from being lost.  Often, if we just read one verse, we are at risk of twisting that verse into whatever clever thing we would like for it to say, rather than accepting the counsel of God’s Word as it was intended to be understood.  The end result of clipping individual verses is at best a goofy interpretation and at worst the start of a new cult!  You would never dream of receiving a letter in the mail from a friend and only choosing one line out of the middle of it to read, would you?  You would miss the larger message that was intended if you did so.  Let’s not do that to God’s Word.

Recently on Facebook, I challenged my friends and family to visit a website that features over 60 reading plans, catering to all types of readers – from the heavy readers who want to read the Bible multiple times in a year, to the devotional reader who is looking for some motivation/inspiration for the day.  The important thing is that you find a plan that you’ll be faithful to continue in every day.  It won’t do you any good to try to bite off more than you can chew right off the bat – that just usually ends in disappointment. As soon as the New Year motivation has worn off, you’ll find yourself several days behind and will either give up altogether or find your Bible-reading a burden, rather than a blessing.  Find a plan based on the amount of time you know you can and WILL dedicate yourself to every day and get started!  It’s only the 6^th of January so it’s not too late to get started and still finish a plan by the end of the year.

So, to pull this all together:  Don’t read [just] a verse for a couple reasons.  First of all, we don’t want to be guilty of mishandling or misreading God’s Word.  He only wrote one book so we want to get it right!  Secondly, God deserves more of our time and dedication than to just read a snippet here or a snippet there.  Regular, daily reading for our spiritual life is like water and sunlight to a plant.  We simply can’t continue to grow without it!  Finally, the more you read and learn, the more you’ll find yourself wanting to continue to read and learn.  The hardest part of any discipline or subject is orientation.  Once you get the main things figured out, the rest gets that much easier.  So quit reading this blog article and grab your Bible!

2 Thessalonians 3:13 – As for you, brothers [and sisters], do not grow weary in doing good.

Just a couple weeks ago I was on my way to work when I stopped at the gas station to fill up. I knew I was no more than a couple trips back and forth before I’d be out of gas and I didn’t want to risk having to stop on the way home in the morning – when it was bound to be twenty degrees colder. More than that, I would have just gotten off a twelve to thirteen hour shift and at that point would want nothing more than to go to sleep. As I finished pumping the gas and replaced the nozzle, I noticed out of the corner of my eye an elderly woman approaching my vehicle. There were a lot of people coming and going so I payed no attention until she made more obvious eye contact in an effort to get my attention. I smiled in that “Can I help you?” sort of way (not certain I truly meant it as I was running late for work already). At that point she made her request: “Could you jump my car?” Though uncertain, she believed her car to be stalled due to a dead battery, which in turn was due to the fact that she left several accessories on while she rested at the gas station from a long drive.

At this point you may be wondering what the big deal is – I helped an old lady get her car started. And you’d be right…if I were writing to tell you that the big deal was the help I offered. The big deal in fact was the hesitation I felt before telling this kind lady that I would help her. The big deal was that while I preach and teach basic Bible principles to those around me, putting them into practice is often another thing entirely. I was so wrapped up in the ME ME ME of my situation – possibly being late to work, the fact that I was only wearing a light jacket and it was around 25 degrees out, etc., that I almost wanted to think of a reason why I couldn’t help her. I was almost relieved to tell her that I had no jumper cables in my car (which was true). It was at that point that I was reminded of the grim reality of our fallen human nature. Even though I’d been brought up in a home that taught Bible basics like “do not grow weary in doing good,” my default was to look for an out. Quite ashamed of myself, I made the decision that, late for work or not, I was going to try to help this lady. I didn’t have jumper cables, but that didn’t mean someone else at the station wouldn’t. Though no one around us seemed to have any (or so they said), a gas station attendant was kind enough to let me borrow a set that the store had for sale. Within minutes, we had this kind old lady’s car running again. A look of relief quickly replaced the nervous and slightly panicked look she had worn from the time our paths crossed. We said our goodbyes and I was once again on my way to work. And would you believe it…I made it to work on time and even got a decent parking spot. No more than fifteen minutes were required of my time in order to render the aid this woman sought so desperately.

Here’s the point – with all of life’s distractions, we need to be mindful of why we’re here in the first place. Our priorities, if not checked, will get so out of whack that we’ll confuse our loyalty to some nebulous “organization” we are employed by as being more important than the real flesh and blood life of another human being. Are we first employees who happen to be Christians or are we first and foremost Christians who happen to be employed somewhere? Obviously the question was rhetorical…you know the answer. Now here’s where the rubber meets the road – while the answer to a simple question like that is obvious, would your actions on a regular basis reflect your knowledge of the answer? Would it be as obvious to someone watching you that you supposedly had those priorities? Make an effort to align your priorities with God’s…and never grow weary of doing good.

We need to be very careful in how we respond to things like this, particularly as Christians.  One thing we must not do is make personal attacks on Stephen Hawking.  To do so is not logical and I believe is a sinful response also.

What we must do is allow all ideas to be tested and follow what survives the tests.  If the claims of Christianity pass the tests, then we should be Christians.  If ideas exclusive to Christianity pass the tests, such as what Hawking is claiming, then we should follow those.  We should always follow the truth and not be afraid to allow our ideas to be tested.

I read the following at http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=11542128 . . .

“Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing,” writes Hawking. “Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists why we exist.”

Let’s critique Hawking’s statement rather than critique Hawking, the man.  Assuming the quote is taken in context, Hawking claims “the universe can and will create itself from nothing.”  In order for something to be created, it must not exist.  In order to create, something must exist to do the creating.  Therefore, for the universe to create itself, the universe must both exist and not exist at the same time.  This is a violation of the law of non-contradiction, a basic foundational concept.  So it is safe to dismiss the idea from Hawking.

The city of Smyrna (its Church is addressed in Revelation 2:8-11) was, in many ways, like Ephesus.  They were wealthy and influential enough to compete with Ephesus and Pergamum for the title “First in Asia,” and, as William Barclay notes, if it were “inevitable that Ephesus should come first in the list of the seven churches, it was but natural that Smyrna its great rival should second.”  In addition to its wealth and influence, Smyrna was Asia’s most beautiful city, so much so that men would one day call her the Ornament of Asia.  But outward appearance and earthly influence is about where the similarities end.  Before discussing the letter to the church at Smyrna in the above referenced passage, some background information on the city itself is in order.

The city of Smyrna was founded around the 11th century BC by one of the four ancient Greek tribes known as the Aeolians. The city was not long under the control of the Aeolians when another Greek tribe, the Ionians, took her over. As an Ionian city, Smyrna thrived, particularly from its prominent location along major trade routes. But eventually, Ionian Smyrna met opposition from Lydia. Though they were able to withstand the attacks of Gyges , they did not fare as well against Alyattes II , who was later able to conquer and sack the city. Consequently, Smyrna lost its political identity, but did not completely cease to exist.  As evidenced by both an inscription and a fragment of the 4^th century, but their greatness was now a thing of the past. Smyrna would enter into a period of mere existence (a sort of life-through-death experience) until Alexander the Great (356–323 BC) purposed to rebuild the city. Ultimately it would not be Alexander, but his successors who would actually carry out this task. Antigonus (316—301 BC) and Lysimachus (301 BC—281 BC) bore this responsibility and receive credit not only for Smyrna’s rebuilding, but also her expansion and fortification. Hellenistic (Greek) control of Smyrna lasted until about 197 BC when ties were cut with Pergamum in favor of seeking alliance with Rome. To accomplish this alliance, Smyrna created the cult of Rome, which was affective enough that by 195 BC, deification of Rome had begun, starting with the goddess Roma . Sixty years later, Smyrna would come under complete control of Rome as the greater region became the Roman Province of Asia, with Pergamum as its capital.

The structure of the letter again follows that typical structure we have outlined in the two previous posts, with only slight deviation:

1. A Title for the Risen Christ

2. Praise of the Church

3. Rebuke / Criticism of the Church

4. Solution to the Problem Faced by the Church

5. Penalty for Disobedience

6. A Promise for those who overcome

7. A General Admonition

In this letter, we find one important distinction – numbers three and five are strangely absent.  The Risen Christ offered the church at Smyrna no rebuke and made no threats against them should they disregard His admonition!  What an incredible thing to be true of a church!

As the letter opens, Christ refers to Himself as the First and the Last, Who died and came to life. The first portion of this title – The First and the Last – is important for a couple of reasons, both of which pertain not only to the particular church being addressed, but to the entire body of Christ.  The reason is this:  it speaks to the very first doctrine that is attacked by cults and false teachers – the deity of Christ.  Allow me to explain the doctrine’s relevance here.  This “First and Last” title has been used once already in the Apocalypse.  Flip back in your Bible, or simply mouse over this reference to Revelation 1:17-18.  We find the exact same title being used here in chapter two.  The problem this creates for those who would deny the deity of Christ is that the first reference is to God the Father, while the title here is used to describe the Son.  Be sure to grasp the full weight of that connection – Jesus Christ is using the very same language to describe His eternality that is used of the Father.  If in fact Christ was only a creation of the Father, then He would certainly not be co-eternal with the Father.  The pronouncement here, however, claims just that for the Son, dealing a fatal blow to the false notion that Christ was anything less than divine.

The second application of this title is that it speaks to the supremacy of the Risen Christ over earthly circumstances – even the most severe of earthly circumstances.  This is a principal that can be seen in the other letters as well.  Persecuted and struggling churches are exhorted to look beyond their circumstances to the greater spiritual truth that God has been and still is sovereign even in those troubling times.  In Smyrna’s case, it had to do with a specific, short-term, but severe persecution.  Even the Smyrnian church was to look beyond their circumstances and recognize Jesus as the First and Last.

The second title used to describe the Risen Christ is the One who died and came to life.  The meaning of this phrase might be more literally expressed as the One who “lived through death.”  Christ was the sacrifice, depicted in Hebrews, to end all sacrifices.  He was to die and be buried, but not without the expectation of a subsequent resurrection - predicted before his crucifixion and accomplished just three days later.  Though the body Jesus inhabited truly died, the Son of God remained, through that physical death.  He literally lived through death.

We now transition to the praise portion of the letter to Smyrna and one thing we are immediately struck with is how few words are actually spent to do so. This is certainly not to indicate that there is little good to be said.  Rather, it is the complete absence of any criticism of the church which speaks her loudest and clearest praise.  Christ contrasts (vv. 9) their earthly poverty and tribulation with their spiritual wealth.  Though they had little of this world’s goods, they were rich in the things that mattered.  All too often the opposite state of affairs exists in churches today.

The Smyrnian church was encouraged not to fear what they were about to suffer at the hands of the “Synagogue of Satan” – those who called themselves Jews, but were only so outwardly.  Being exhorted not to fear, however, was a clear implication that what was about to happen was a very fearful thing.  Indeed, they were about to be “thrown into prison,” which was almost certainly just a precursor to their impending execution.  Verse ten makes this very clear as Christ exhorts them to be faithful unto death, the highest earthly price one could be asked to pay.

This earthly suffering was not without its heavenly reward, however.  The Risen Christ offers to those faithful ones a crown of life.  As is often the case with the seven letters, we see again the physical contrasted with and superseded by the spiritual.  An earthly life stands to be lost while a heavenly (and far superior) life stands to be gained.  The only way for the Smyrnian church to overcome in their time of testing was to shift their focus from the temporary here and now to the eternal prize to be won – the crown of life promised in verse ten.

Our struggles in the modern, western church pale in comparison to those of the Smyrnians.  They had their lives threatened; we at most have our popularity threatened.  They persevered through slander and ridicule; we often compromise when our image is at stake.  They were physically poor, but spiritually rich; we have much of the world’s wealth, but have failed to store up treasures in heaven.  It’s hard to truly grasp the gravity of the Smyrnian call to stand strong when we can only imagine what it would be like to face the difficulties they faced.  But the call is the same nonetheless both for individual Christians today and the congregations we belong to.

So what will it be?  Will you run when the going gets tough?  Will you cave when the pressure is on?  Will you placate and politic when it’s unpopular or even dangerous to persevere? When you’re called to put everything on the line for Christ….will you be Standing with Smyrna?

Feel Free to use the Resources below for personal study or teaching on the Book of Revelation:
Blank Chart for filling out the attributes of the 7 churches
Same Chart with Answers
Map of the seven churches of Asia
Dr. Thomas Constable’s Commentary on Revelation
Dr. Bob Utley’s Commentary on Revelation

After doing a little studying of the seven letters, it’s easy to understand why Ephesus would have been the first addressed.  Geographically, politically, religiously, and demographically, it stood preeminent among the rest.  While we don’t know for sure that this is why Ephesus is addressed first, it seems a likely conclusion.

A general structure is set up in the letter to Ephesus that will be followed pretty closely with the next six.  This pattern is as follows:

1. A Title for the Risen Christ

2. Praise of the Church

3. Rebuke / Criticism of the Church

4. Solution to the Problem Faced by the Church

5. Penalty for Disobedience

6. A Promise for those who Overcome

7. A General Admonition

With only one exception, all titles for the Risen Christ come from chapter one.  In this particular letter, Christ is referred to as “[He] who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.” (Rev. 2:1).  This title comes from Revelation 1:16 and is explained just 4 verses later.  The seven stars are said to be the angels of the seven churches and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

In verses two and three of chapter two we see the praise offered to the Ephesian church.  They are said to have worked, toiled, patiently endured.  Christ goes on to say that the Ephesians cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, finding them to be false.  They had been bearing up for Christ’s name’s sake and had not grown weary.  Later, in verse six, we find it said of them that they “hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans,” a group of false-teachers misleading the people.  All in all, this sounds like a pretty healthy church – intolerant of error, hard working, discerning.  So what was the problem?

Verse four brings us their downfall.  Christ says of the Ephesian church that they had abandoned the love they had at first.  There are two schools of thought as to the object of the love they had lost.  Some commentators see this as the love they once had for Christ.  Others would refer you to Ephesians 1:15 as grounds to interpret this as love for one another.  I would submit the the latter (love for each other) is a natural byproduct of a love for Christ – like two streams issuing from a single fountain.  However adept they were at combating false teaching at this time, they had ceased doing so with the same motivation they had at first – whether love for Christ or for each other.  From the founding of the church at Ephesus around AD 52, they had battled with unorthodox teachings creeping into their congregations.  We see examples of this in Ephesians 4:14, both of Paul’s letters to Timothy, possibly in 1 John, and now here in Revelation 2:2,6.  Slowly, but surely they seem to have found a method for dealing decisively and effectively with the poison of false teaching, but orthodoxy for the sake of orthodoxy had become their motivation and the process was mechanical and empty.

But their rebuke came coupled with a remedy to the new problem they were made aware of.  Christ gives them in the first part of verse five a three part solution – Remember, Repent,  Do.

1. Remember – they are exhorted to remember the place from which they had fallen.  Often it is easy to forget how far we have fallen until we look at where we started.  Many of us have experienced the cycle of coming to the cross in amazement of what Jesus has done for us.  We are thrilled to tell others about His work on the cross and its accomplishment in our lives.  We are motivated to show the same love to others that our Lord had shown to us.  But after a while, time has a way of dulling the initial excitement.  We continue to go through the motions, but only for the sake of saving face or being “religious.”  We may be experiencing the exact same problem as the Ephesians in that orthodoxy has become our motivation, feeding on the pride of being right rather than the love that would compel us to share God’s truth with others.

2. The Ephesian church is next exhorted to repent.  Repentance will never come without realizing we have something to repent of. Ephesus is made plainly aware of their problem, commanded to remember the distance they had fallen, and are now told to repent.  Repentance doesn’t come easy for most of us – it involves admitting we were wrong about something.  It becomes especially difficult when we are supposed to repent of doing the right thing, but for wrong reasons.  Never is sin more easily justified than when it can be made to “look good” on the outside.  Often we find comfort in the motions when the love that ought to drive the motions is gone.  Never does the Christian life mean less or become less effective, however, than when we are motivated by looking right or playing the part.  Christ wanted them first to recognize that there was a problem (Remember) and then repent of it.

3. Do.  The Ephesians’ final word of instruction to turn this thing around was to do the works they did at first.  Since love was the motivation of the works they did at first, whatever the actual works were, had to be better than the ones they were currently performing without love.  We are not told specifically what they were, but we do know that they lie in stark contrast to the “works” that the church is currently doing.

If, we are told, the Ephesian church failed to do what the Lord told them to do to correct the problem, the penalty would be severe.  They are told that if they fail, Christ will remove their lampstand from its place.  You may remember that the lampstand was a symbol for the church.  You see, the lampstand itself was not the light, it was only privileged for a time to hold the light.  We, as the body of Christ, have nothing in and of ourselves worth sharing.  We can offer no life-transforming truth apart from that which was imparted to us.  Our jobs as individual Christians and collectively as the body of Christ is to shine the light of the Gospel to a dark and dying world.  Like I said, we are privileged to be used by God, but that is no inherent right.  The Ephesians were told that their lampstand would be removed if they did not correct their problem.  You see, God is not in any way dependent on us to accomplish His will.  While He is gracious enough to allow us to be a part of His plans, they will come to fruition with or without our cooperation.  Ephesus had been given their ultimatum.  The consequences of their decision would be severe and lasting.

The general admonition given in every one of the letters (though some receive it in a slightly different order) is for “He who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  There are a couple of interesting points to be made from this phrase that we will see in all seven letters.  The first, and I believe the more obvious of the two, is that each of the churches seem to be given direction to read each others’ mail!  All of the churches were not only to learn from their own particular situation, but also from the trials or triumphs of those surrounding congregations.  Second, I think it is crucial to see the individual aspect of this admonition – let him who has an ear to hear, not let the church who has an ear.  While collectively we form the whole body of Christ, our responsibility as an individual is no lessened by the corporate aspect of these letters.  Even if your entire church seems to be headed in the wrong direction, you have the individual responsibility of heeding the Spirit’s warnings.  It may prove to be a lonely road you end up walking, but you are to walk it nonetheless.  We will all be judged one day as individuals; there will be no discount for the price of “corporate” sins.

Ending on a positive note, the Lord promise the conquerors in Ephesus that heed His warning (verse 7) that He will grant them to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.  While we can only speculate as to the exact interpretation of this phrase, this and all the following letters seem to emphasize a contrast between the physical world and the spiritual world as if to remind us that our focus should be on heavenly things and we should place far less emphasis on the here and now.  This mention of the tree of life is possibly a reference to the return of the Edenic state in which the world was originally created, and that state to which it would eventually return, when Christ takes His seat on His eternal throne.  Whatever the exact implications of this promise are, we certainly want to be a part of it!

So learn what you can from the letter to the church at Ephesus.  Do the right things, yes, but first make sure that the underlying motivation for doing so is love – love for Christ and love for one another.  If you find yourself just going through the motions, stop.  Take a step back and recognize it for what it is – cold, lifeless, mechanical.  Remember the point at which you first embraced the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the thrill it gave you to serve Him simply because you loved Him.  Realize the distance you’ve fallen and repent.  Decide at that point that you will no longer seek to just look the part, but to be wholly devoted to Christ and to others.  Only when you’ve done these things, is it possible for your to do again the things you did at first.  Ephesus was a real, historic church with real problems.  That first century church is no longer here, but its problems are.  Let’s learn from their mistakes.

Though most, if not all commentators agree that the 7 letters of Revelation 2 and 3 were written to literal churches in the first century, we modern Christians could learn much from the struggles they faced and the problems they were exhorted to overcome.  It comes as no surprise that these passages are the most frequently preached in all of the Apocalypse.

I’m currently teaching through the book of Revelation to a group of teenagers in the area.  It would be impressive enough if these teens were just to come faithfully to any Bible study, but at this particular study, Joe and I are asking them to tackle subjects that many adults would rather avoid.  I’ve already mentioned that I’m teaching through Revelation.  On alternate weeks, Joe is teaching through a course on logic.  Like I said, it’s an impressive thing that they continue to come week after week to learn to rightly divide God’s Word.  Joe has obviously done a good job with them.

Anyway, back to the matter at hand.  I am going to start a series of posts on the seven churches we just covered, with points of application for each.  Every one of them offers something we can learn from – whether it is something to emulate or something to avoid.  It would be good to try to relate each of the items addressed to both the current climate of Evangelicalism in general, and to us (individuals) in particular.  I, for one, know that I struggle with many of the same issues these first century churches dealt with.

Before I do so, however, I want to give you a chance to “chew” on the passage yourself.  The Holy Spirit’s guidance far outweighs any insight I may have and is better than any commentary.  The passage, again, is Revelation 2:1-3:22 (though it would be helpful to read Revelation 1:1-20 as well since it sets the stage for the seven letters.)  Just mouse over the highlighted text and it will pop up on your screen in the English Standard Version.  For now, here’s a sneak peak at the upcoming posts for the 7 churches:

1.  Error-Free in Ephesus
2.  Standing in Smyrna
3.  Placating in Pergamum
4.  Thoughtless in Thyatira
5.  Sleeping on the Job in Sardis
6.  Faultless in Philadelphia
7.  Lukewarm in Laodicea

Each letter follows a similar structure wherein the Risen Christ is given a portrayal or description that unmistakably refers to His deity – most of them coming from titles used of God in chapter one.  Next, the church addressed is given praise for something they have done well (all but two receive some sort of praise).  The commendation is followed by a rebuke (two are excluded from rebuke).  The church is then given a solution to the situation they are facing, a consequence of disobedience and a promise for over-comers.  All the letters include the exhortation “He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  It is noteworthy that although each letter was addressed to a specific church, each of the churches is invited to read the others’ mail!  The idea here is probably that each church could learn from the mistakes of the others even if they were at the time innocent of any of the particular problems of the others.

We’ll include links to some helpful resources as they become available to help you get the most out of your study of the seven churches.

Blank Chart for filling out the attributes of the 7 churches / Same Chart with Answers

Map of the seven churches of Asia