“I know your works as well as your labor and steadfast endurance, and that you cannot tolerate evil. You have even put to the test those who refer to themselves as apostles (but are not), and have discovered that they are false” (Revelation 2:2).
When Jesus speaks of labor and endurance in this passage, He uses a word that alludes to “intense labour united with trouble and toil.” (1) So it seems that there weren’t many lazy individuals within this church. In fact, it was just the opposite; they were determined to persevere when things became difficult.
He then continued by saying, “I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars” (NLT). This is especially interesting when we consider the Apostle Paul’s earlier warning to this fellowship…
“I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock. Even some men from your own group will rise up and distort the truth in order to draw a following. Watch out!…” (Acts 20:29-31 NLT)
So it appears that the Ephesian church took Paul’s warning seriously and Jesus responded with a message of approval. More good things follow in the next verse…
“and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary” (Revelation 2:3).
Judging from this portion of Jesus’ letter, we may conclude that the church at Ephesus featured a group of individuals who refused to give up, even during times of hardship. If the Christians at Ephesus “patiently suffered” for their belief in Christ, then it can only mean that they remained steadfast in their commitment to Him despite the trials, adversities, and difficulties they encountered. It also seems reasonable to assume that the members of the Ephesian church displayed unwavering determination and resilience in the face of various challenges. Finally, we can say that the Ephesian Christians exhibited faithfulness in dealing with stressful conditions.
So things seemed to be going well for the Christian community at Ephesus according to Revelation 2:2-3…
- The Christians in Ephesus were hard workers.
- They didn’t tolerate people who dishonored God.
- They tested those who claimed to be spiritual leaders and representatives of God to verify their truthfulness.
- Those who weren’t what they claimed to be were exposed as liars.
The church at Ephesus thus offers a good example for us to follow today. However, Jesus had a few additional things to say to this fellowship, and we’ll consider that portion of His letter next.
Image Attribution: Perseverance by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Pix4free
(1) G2873 – kopos – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv). (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2873/kjv/tr/0-1/