DISPENSATION OF THE EPHESIAN CHURCH

The Dispensation to Which the Church Belongs

This Includes the Name, its Meaning, and the General Condition

The Name of the Church is Ephesus Which Means "desirable." This is the adjective with which a Greek youth described the maiden of his choice.

This was a church which realized that it owed its continued existence to the upholding power of Christ.

This church was basking in the light shining from the Son of God who stood in the midst of the churches.

And this covers the period of the Apostolic Church from 30 A.D. to 100 A.D. This particular message is written just as the period is coming to a close. During this period, holy fervor for the Lord was at its height but had begun to wane.

The Diagnosis of the Church and its Condition

This is sometimes good and sometimes bad, sometimes both.

This was a progressive church
 "I know thy works." (oida ta erga sou)

This refers to energy expended in constructive enterprise. This must mean that this church took seriously its respon­sibility and purpose. Whatever therefore was involved in its objective and aim the church tried to accomplish. They were not satisfied to sit down and do nothing. They were evangelistic and everything else necessary to carry out its responsibility.

This was a toiling church.
"thy labor" (kai ton kopon)

This involves work but is different from it in that the work involves toil, hardship, heartache, and difficulty through which one must pass to accomplish a task. Cer­tainly there were problems to face, hardships to overcome, and difficulties to surmount. But the church went ahead undaunted.

This church was permanent in this response, for "hast not fainted." That is, did not give in to the toil or leave off from the toil. (kai ou kekopiake)

This was a Persistent Church

"Thy patience" (kai thn upomonhn)

This means that they could see the goal ahead and were therefore determined to reach it. With dogged determina­tion it moved ahead in the face of persecution.

"And hast borne" (kai upomonhn eceiV kai ebastasaV)

This means that they were conscious of persistence and were continually manifesting it.

This church was a pure church.
 "And how thou canst not bear them which are evil." (kai oti ou dunh bastasai kakouV)

In this church there was a real concern for quality rather than quantity. Men who gave evidence of inner character by wicked deeds this church not only would not but could not carry along as a burden. This undoubtedly means that they thrust them out of the church, not with a view to hurting them but helping them, and especially helping and preserving the purity of the church.

This was a truthful church.
 "And thou hast tried them which say they are apostles and are not, and hast found them liars." (kai epeirasaV touV legontaV eautouV apostolouV kai ouk eisin kai eureV autouV yeudeiV)

Probably the word apostles is used in the lesser sense of missionaries or personal workers. There are those who desire to pose as such. But they are not. Such people need to be tested to discover where they measure up to their profession. If they are not what they presume to be, then they should be properly branded. A liar is a great menace to an institution whose commodity is truth. The devil is the great enemy of life and truth (John 8:44).
"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."

This was an ambitious church.
"And for my name's sake hast borne"  (dia to onoma mou kai ou kekopiakeV)

Though this church would not carry along evil men, it would carry the burdens that were necessary to the ful­fillment of its task. Perhaps this means raising a missionary offering to send preachers out. Perhaps this had to do with the local budget. Any number of things can be enumerated.

This was an orthodox church. 6
"But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the  Nicolaitanes, which I also hate." (alla touto eceiV oti miseiV ta erga twn nikolaitwn a kagw misw)

Two interpretations have been given to this verse and both of them converge into one. It should be noted that this has to do with deeds of the Nicolaitans. Doctrine is not reached until 2:15.
"So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate."

It was the practice of Clergy dominating the Laity.

This was always a mark of heathenism. It still is. It crowded into the church almost immediately, developed into doctrine about 300 A.D., and forms the movement of the Catholic church for 1000 years until the reformation. It is still in the Catholic church and is today running its course in Protestantism.

The practice of turning grace into lasciviousness.

Nicolas of Antioch became a leader of a sect which turned to libertine practices of the basest sort, but still professed to follow the faith (Jude 4).
"For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ."

This had become a formal church. 4
( sou thn prwthn ajhkeV)
"Thou has left thy first love."

That emotional fervor which they once knew (Eph. 1:15) has now cooled and perhaps entirely disappeared. At any rate, the original spontaneity has disappeared and in its place is now a cold formality. The people are going through the motions of serving the Lord. They are treating all their service as burdens to be borne, work to be done, loyalty to be expressed. But the fervor and devotion is gone.

We ask, what is this first love? It is well known in every love affair. It is that intimate love which so saturates all the activity and atmosphere of the couple that every move is inspired by it. It is so evident that it cannot be hidden. The bride has no eyes except for the bridegroom. It is her constant hope and eagerness to welcome him anytime. She is constantly looking for his coming.

Could it be that this church has lost its earnest desire for Christ's coming? That it is no longer looking for his moment-by-moment return, and therefore every task has lost the fervor which once inspired it?