Revelation 2 Bible study: I know your works

Chapter 2 holds four of the seven words to the assemblies. Each is spoken by the one John saw among the lamp stands, who said, "I am the first and the last," (1:17) "and the Living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever." (1:18). The book opens with "Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead" (1:5), the word to Smyrna begins, "The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life says these things" (2:8), and near its end the book says, "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify these things to you for the assemblies." (22:16). So these notes call the one who speaks in these words Jesus. They read each word as the book gives it, to that assembly, and apply none of them to any church, denomination or time today. The first: "To the angel of the assembly in Ephesus write: “He who holds the seven stars in his right hand, he who walks among the seven golden lamp stands says these things:" (2:1) "I know your works, and your toil and perseverance, and that you can’t tolerate evil men, and have tested those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and found them false." (2:2) (tap toil, perseverance and false) "You have perseverance and have endured for my name’s sake, and have not grown weary." (2:3) "But I have this against you, that you left your first love." (2:4) (tap love) "Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the first works; or else I am coming to you swiftly, and will move your lamp stand out of its place, unless you repent." (2:5) "But this you have, that you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate." (2:6) (tap hate) "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of my God." (2:7) (tap overcomes). Two lines on Favor's map pass through 2:7 on their way to Revelation 22, and Lines that land here names them. These notes say nothing of who the angel of the assembly is, or who those who called themselves apostles were, beyond the verses' own words.

Numbers 25:2→leads toRevelation 2:14

Jesus himself speaks of what happened here. In Revelation, the one who says, "I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever" (Revelation 1:18), speaks to the church in Pergamum: "you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to throw a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality" (Revelation 2:14). That is what happened at Peor: "the people began to play the prostitute with the daughters of Moab" (25:1), and "The people ate and bowed down to their gods" (25:2). Numbers says it came "through the counsel of Balaam" (31:16). Jesus uses Balaam's teaching as a warning to his own church, and calls them to turn: "Repent therefore" (Revelation 2:16).

ἀγάπηagapesay ag-AH-pay

Strong's: "love, i.e. affection or benevolence". "But I have this against you, that you left your first love." (2:4), and "I know your works, your love, faith, service, patient endurance" (2:19): behind love both times is this noun. Revelation has it only in these two verses (in all eight editions TAGNT compares): one in the word to Ephesus, one in the word to Thyatira.