요한계시록 2:1-2:11
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To the Church of Ephesus and Smyrna
The church of Ephesus looks good from the outside, yet it is blamed for losing the first love within. In contrast, the church of Smyrna appears small and needy, but is praised for its loyalty.
Who is Jesus like?
V. 7 God promises to restore the everlasting fellowship that God and man shared in Eden, if the church of Ephesus accepts the painful diagnosis and repents to restore its first love. If anyone does something without love toward others, the Lord will not invite him or her to the fellowship of life.
V. 9 The church of Smyrna was persecuted with afflictions and poverty because it rejected empire worship. It was also troubled by the interruption of the Jews. But the church of Smyma did not put its hope in anything but the Lord and was faithful to its death. The Lord accepts this church as ‘the rich.’ The Lord has not called us to success but to loyalty.
What lesson is God teaching me?
Vv. 2, 3, 6 The hard work, perseverance, diligence, and firm attitude against evil and false teaching in the church of Ephesus were worthy of praise. The church did not try to increase the number of its congregation by lowering its threshold and damaging the truth of the gospel. It was willing to sacrifice and to give its commitment if needed to preserve the purity of the church.
Vv. 4-5 While we endure the battle of faith by perseverance against false teachers and while we work hard for the work of faith, we can still lose our first love. Even without the first love, we can work hard, reject the false teachers, and diligently serve the Lord. But if my faith is not representing the love toward the One who holds the seven stars, I can love and care about only what I am working on. This is the start of all corruption.
Please let me and the church have faith to be loyal to the end with our first love.
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