Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee
So the Jews represent God saying, concerning their fathers,
"Abraham" (Mhyle yl vy) ,
"I have something against them" F1. Christ has nothing against
his people, his faithful ministers, and true churches, in a
judicial way, or to their condemnation, for there is none to them
that are in him; but he has often many things to complain of in
them, and to rebuke and chastise them for, in a way of
providence: and what he had against the church at Ephesus, and
against the churches in the period which that represents,
follows,
because thou hast left thy first love:
by which is meant, not hospitality to strangers, or an
affectionate care of the poor of the church, or a zealous concern
to feed the flock, and maintain church discipline; but the love
of the saints to God, and Christ, and one another, which appeared
at the beginning of this church state, when they were all of one
heart and one soul, as generally at first conversion love is the
warmest; and so it was at the first planting of Gospel churches,
and therefore here called first love. Now this, though it was not
lost, for the true grace of love can never be lost, yet it was
left; it abated in its heat and fervour; there was a remissness
in the exercise of it; what our Lord had foretold should be
before the destruction of Jerusalem was fulfilled in this period
of time, the love of many waxed cold, ( Matthew
24:12 ) ; through the prevalence of corruption in some; and
through an over love to the world, as in Demas, and others; and
through a desire of ease and freedom from reproach and
persecution; and through the introduction of errors, which damp
the heat of love, and spirit of religion; and through the
contentions and divisions among themselves, as at Corinth,
Galatia, and elsewhere, which greatly weakened their love to one
another, and to divine things; and which was very displeasing to
Christ, who, for the restoring of them, gives the following
advice. Compare with this ( 2 Timothy
1:15 ) .