Revelation 2:1-7

Listen to Revelation 2:1-7

1 To the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

2 I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and that thou canst not bear them who are evil; and thou hast tried them who say they are apostles, and are not; and hast found them liars:

3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast labored, and hast not fainted.

4 Nevertheless, I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

5 Remember therefore from whence thou hast fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come to thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent.

6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

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Revelation 2:1-7 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO REVALATION 2

This chapter contains the epistles to the churches at Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, and Thyatira. It begins with that to Ephesus, in which the sender of it describes himself by some of his characters mentioned in the preceding chapter; takes notice of some things commendable in this church, Re 2:1-3, reproves her for leaving her first love; gives some advice upon it; threatens her in case of non-repentance; yet notwithstanding commends her for her detestation of some bad practices; and concludes the epistle with a phrase exciting to attention to what is written, and with a promise to them that are constant and conquering, Re 2:4-7, next follows the epistle to the church at Smyrna, in which the sender assumes some of his former titles; takes notice of her works in general, and of her afflictions in particular, and of the blasphemy of others, Re 2:8,9, fortifies her against a great affliction to be endured, described by its author, kind, use, and duration; and exhorts to faithfulness and constancy, with a promise of a crown of life, Re 2:10, and closes the epistle in the same form as the preceding, promising security from the second death to the persevering and conquering Christian, Re 2:11, and next in order is the epistle to the church at Pergamos, in which the sender takes to him one of the above characters in the description of him; observes her works and place of abode, and commends her faithfulness to him in the worst of times and places, Re 2:12,13, yet exhibits a complaint against her for having, and conniving at persons of bad principles and practice, called Balaamites and Nicolaitans, Re 2:14,15, exhorts to repentance, and in failure of it threatens to come and fight against them; and closes the epistle in the same manner as the two former, with a promise of hidden manna, a white stone, and a new name to him that overcomes, Re 2:16,17, and the last epistle in this chapter is that to the church at Thyatira, in which the sender makes use of some other titles and characters of his before mentioned; takes notice of her good works, and yet signifies he had a controversy with her, for permitting a false prophetess to teach in her, who seduced men to fornication and idolatry, Re 2:18-20, whose impenitence is complained of, and which was aggravated by having space for repentance given her, Re 2:21, wherefore, in case of continuance in impenitence, he threatens both her and her followers with tribulation and death, whereby the omniscience and justice of Christ would be manifest to all the churches, Re 2:22,23, and then another and better sort of men in this church are addressed, who are described as not having imbibed the doctrine of the false prophetess, and as not approving the depths of Satan, or her doctrines of devils; and these are told that no other burden should be laid on them than was, and are exhorted to hold fast what they had, until the coming of Christ, Re 2:24,25, and for their encouragement to hold on to the end, many promises are made unto them respecting their power and rule over their enemies, and the happy days that they should enjoy, Re 2:26-28, and the epistle is concluded with the usual epiphonema, Re 2:29.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

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Revelation 2:1-7 Study Resources

Sermons

The Greatest Sin We Don't Call Sin

Dr. Jeff Schreve

From Revelation 2:1–7 and Matthew 22, Pastor Jeff Schreve exposes the startling truth behind Jesus’ charge to Ephesus: they didn’t stop believing—they stopped loving Him like they once did. When the greatest commandment is neglected, even a busy, doctrinally sound church can be guilty of the greatest failure. This episode helps you identify the “other gods” that quietly take first place—sports, work, money, and more. Let the Lord search your heart and lead you back to first-love devotion.

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The Hymn That Exposes Every Heart

Dr. Jeff Schreve

Pastor Jeff Schreve traces the gripping story behind Come, Thou Fount and the line that tells the truth about us all: “Prone to wander—Lord, I feel it.” From Robert Robinson’s rescue out of a reckless youth to the mercy that saved him, this episode opens a path toward revival for believers who feel stale or far from God. You’ll be reminded that revival isn’t for the lost—it’s for the saved who’ve drifted. If your heart feels scattered, come let the Lord “bind your wandering heart” back to Himself.

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Returning to First Love: Christ’s Warning to the Church of Ephesus – Revelation 2:1-7

Pastor Mike Warren

This sermon explores Jesus’ letter to the church of Ephesus, commending their discernment, endurance, and dedication to truth while confronting them for abandoning their first love for Him. The message highlights that spiritual activity without heartfelt devotion is empty, urging believers to remember, repent, and return to their original passion for Christ. The pastor reminds listeners that intimacy with Jesus—not just service—is what sustains a living, victorious faith in a world prone to religious routine and distraction.

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7 Letters to 7 Churches – Ephesus - Revelation 2:1-7

Bill Luebkemann

It's time for another installment of Hope From the Word with Bill Luebkemann, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel of Marlton. If you were with us yesterday, you know that we launched a new study in the book of Revelation which starts off with seven letters to seven churches. These letters were dictated to the Apostle John by Jesus Christ. Our text is Revelation, chapter two, and it's there that we pick up today with part two of our look at the letter to the Church at Ephesus. Here's Pastor Bill now to get us started…

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7 Letters to 7 Churches – Ephesus - Revelation 2:1-7

Bill Luebkemann

In Revelation, chapters two and three, we find seven letters written to seven churches, all containing various encouragement, as well as conviction. They each present lessons for us today and were dictated to the Apostle John by Jesus Christ Himself. That's reason enough for us to pay special attention, which is what we're doing today on Hope From the Word with Bill Luebkemann of Calvary Chapel of Marlton. Join us now, if you would, in Revelation two as Pastor Bill starts us off with the letter to the Church at Ephesus.

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