Jeanie C. Crain http://crain.english.missouriwestern.edu

Chapter two addresses the angels of the churches of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, and Thyatira..  Revelation 1.20 has already explained the angels to the reader: ""As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the lampstands are the seven churches."  The important point here is that Christ stands exalted in eternity, wisdom, and immutability within the church.

Ephesus

Ephesus is one of the four major cities in proconsular Asia: Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch, being the others.  This is the place of Paul's labors in the 60s for two years and three months. A western coast city of over 250, 000 at the time early Christianity, Ephesus is (home for philosophers, poets, historians, and rhetoricians); it is also a city of first "manuscript burnings": Acts 19.18,19: "Also many of those who became believers confessed and disclosed their practices.  A number of those who practiced magic collected their books and burned them publicly; when the value of these books was calculated, it was found to come to fifty thousand silver coins." The  practices alluded to here, according to the Oxford Companion  include exorcism: 

According to Josephus there was a significant Jewish community there, although few Jewish material remains have been discovered. The city was famous as a site for magic and thaumaturgy. The Greek phrase Ephesia grammata (Ephesian letters) became a generic label for all types of magical words and apotropaic incantations. The city attracted Jewish exorcists (Acts 19.11–20) as well as their gentile counterparts, such as Apollonius of Tyana.

Although the Greek and Egyptian pantheons were well represented in imperial Ephesus, the religious focal point of the city was the goddess Artemis of Ephesus. From Ephesus her worship had spread throughout the Mediterranean basin, and her Ephesian sanctuary was widely recognized as one of the seven wonders of antiquity. The site of Ephesus is exceptionally well excavated and reconstructed. Most of the excavated areas shed light on the Roman and Byzantine city rather than the Hellenistic one. Noteworthy monuments include the foundations of the Artemis temple and its altar (see Acts 19.27), the 25,000-seat theater (Acts 19.29), temples for the imperial cult, the library of Celsus, numerous baths and gymnasia, the "slope houses" dating from the early empire to the Byzantine era, and the temple of the Egyptian deities. 

Acts 19.13 also talks about these Jewish exorcists and contrasts Paul's healing by the name of Jesus.

 Apollos, Paul's counterpart, was himself a Jew from Alexandria (18.24) who had been instructed in the "Way of the Lord" and spoke accurately with enthusiasm about concerning Jesus; we learn, too, he is part of the Johanine followers of Christ, knowing only baptism of repentance (18.25). Aquila and Priscilla educate him on being baptized in the Lord and receiving the Holy Spirit. It is at the time when Apollos is in Corinth that Paul comes to Ephesus. In Ephesus, Paul first teaches from the synagogue for three months, but meeting resistance, he left, taking disciples with him, and preached from the lecture hall of Tyrannus.

In addition to Jewish resistance, Paul also had to contend with the worshippers of Artemis, chief fertility deity: Paul has been teaching that "gods made with hands are not gods," and is winning followers.  The people of Ephesus believe both commerce (they made and sold statues of Artemis" ) and worship at the temple of Artemis are endangered, so they cause an uproar (Acts 19).  After the uproar ceases, Paul decides to leave for Macedonia (Acts 20). In this uproar, an indication of the Roman tolerance for religions is illustrated, the town clerk tells the people they must settle their differences in the regular assembly rather than risk being charged with riotingn(19.36ff).  The Romans generally were quick to squelch rioting and uproars, any commotion that threatened orderly rule.

Ephesus played a historic role in the development of Christianity:

Ephesus played a historic part in the movement of Christianity from Palestine to Rome. Acts depicts Ephesus as the zenith of Paul’s missionary activity (Acts 19.1–41; Acts 20.17–35), and it was from Ephesus that Paul wrote the Corinthian letters (1 Corinthians 16.8). The Pastoral letters (1 Timothy 1.3) and the book of Revelation (Revelation 2.1–7) associate the city with Timothy and John, respectively. Later traditions held that Mary, the mother of Jesus, lived and died there... ohn reportedly wrote the Fourth Gospel at Ephesus, and that this was the site of the conversion of Justin Martyr, the first Christian philosopher (OCB).

Of the other churches in chapter two, the Oxford Companion describes them as follows:

Seven Churches, The. The Revelation to John was addressed to seven churches in the Roman province of Asia. There were other churches in the province (Colossae and Troas), but seven were chosen to represent the entire church (See Number Symbolism). The letters to these churches (Revelation 2–3) present a picture of diversity in Christianity. The church of Ephesus, which had been founded by Paul, and remained for many centuries one of the chief centers of the eastern church, was zealous in guarding against heresy (that of the Nicolaitans), but lacking in Christian love. The church of Smyrna appears to have stood up well under harassment and, sometimes, the imprisonment of its members. Pergamum was an important religious center, with a famous shrine of Zeus, a temple of Asklepios with a renowned medical school, and a temple of Augustus; "Satan’s throne" may mean any of these, but probably refers to emperor worship. The church had suffered some persecution but it had remained faithful, though there was some laxity with regard to the Nicolaitans. The church of Thyatira abounded in love and faith, service and patient endurance, but allowed the evil teachings of a prophetess Jezebel. 

Each letter is specific and contains praise and criticism, warning and encouragement as appropriate. But the plural "churches" at the end of each letter shows that they were meant to be read by every church. They are part of the opening vision of Revelation, where John saw the heavenly Son of man surrounded by seven lampstands, which were the seven churches. The letters show that this was not meant as a picture of an ideal church, but as a means of showing the churches as they really are, with their heresies, quarrels, and weak faith, but also with their faith and hope and love. This introduction to the Revelation plays an essential part in the book’s purpose of warning and comfort.--David H. van Daalen

Another important note for the church of Pergamum is that the idolatry includes the teaching of "Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the people of Israel, so that they would eat food sacrificed to idols and practice fornication" (2.14)  The controversy  seems to be that people have become lax relative to a decision of the Jerusalem council in Acts 15.6-21. That council addressed three issues: the need for circumcision, the practice of eating meat left over from sacrifice to idols, and fornication.  The agreement reached was to abstain from the last two. One needs to remember that the most abundant and ready source for meat was the commerce going on in and around the temple sacrifices. One does well to recall lNumbers 25.1-2: 1: "And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.2: And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods." 31.16 is also appropriate: 16: "Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD."

[ Home ] [ Up ]

Send mail to crain@mwsc.edu with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2000 Jeanie C. Crain
Last modified: October 27, 2005