Revelation 2:1 - Exposition

Unto the angel (see on Revelation 1:20 ). "The angel" seems to be the spirit of the Church personified as its responsible guardian. The Church of Ephesus . " In Ephesus" is certainly the right reading; in all seven cases it is the angel of the Church in the place that is addressed. In St. Paul's:Epistles we have " in Rome," " in Corinth," " in Colossae," " in Ephesus," " of Galatia," " of the Thessalonians." Among all the cities of the Roman province of Asia, Ephesus ranked as "first of all and greatest." It was called "the metropolis of Asia." Romans visiting Asia commonly landed first at Ephesus. Its position as a centre of commerce was magnificent. Three rivers, the Maeander, the Cayster, and the Hermes, drain Western Asia Minor, and Ephesus stood on high ground near the mouth of the central river, the Cayster, which is connected by passes with the valleys of the other two. Strabo, writing of Ephesus about the time when St. John was born, says, "Owing to its favourable situation, the city is in all other respects increasing daily, for it is the greatest place of trade of all the cities of Asia west of the Taurus." Patmos was only a day's sail from Ephesus; and it is by no means improbable that the gorgeous description of the merchandise of "Babylon" ( Revelation 18:12 , Revelation 18:13 ) is derived from St. John's own recollections of Ephesus. The Church of Ephesus was founded by St. Paul, about A.D. 55, and his Epistle to that and other Churches, now called simply "to the Ephesians," was written about A.D. 63. When St. Paul went to Macedonia, Timothy was left at Ephesus ( 1 Timothy 1:3 ) to check the wild speculations in which some Ephesian Christians had begun to indulge. Timothy probably followed St. Paul to Rome ( 2 Timothy 4:9 , 2 Timothy 4:21 ), and, after his master's death, returned to Ephesus, where he is said to have suffered martyrdom at a festival in honour of the great goddess Artemis." He may have been still at Ephesus at the time when this epistle was written; and Plumptre has traced coincidences between this epistle and those of St. Paul to Timothy. According to Dorotheus of Tyro, he was succeeded by Gaius ( Romans 16:23 ). In the Ignatian epistles we have Onesimus (probably not the servant of Philemon), Bishop of Ephesus. Ignatius speaks of the Ephesian Church in terms of high praise, showing that it had profited by the exhortations in this epistle. It was free from heresy, though heresy hovered around it. It was spiritually minded, and took God as its rule of life (Ignatius, 'Ephes.,' 6.-8.). Write (see on Revelation 1:11 ; and comp. Isaiah 8:1 ; Isaiah 30:8 ; Jeremiah 30:2 ; Jeremiah 36:2 ; Habakkuk 2:2 ). Holdeth ( κρατῶν ). Stronger than "had" ( ἔχων ) in Revelation 1:16 . This word implies holding fast and having full control over. In verse 25 we have both verbs, and again in Revelation 3:11 . A Church that had fallen from its first love ( Revelation 3:4 , Revelation 3:5 ) had need to be reminded of him who "holds fast" his own; and one whose candlestick was in danger of removal had need to turn to him who is ever active (not merely is, but "walketh") "in the midst of the candlesticks," to supply them with oil when they flicker, and rekindle them when they go out. It is he, and not the apostle, who addresses them.