- there are 70 faces to 
Post by alon on Aug 8, 2023 14:34:53 GMT -8
What Could We Learn in Ephesus?
Revelation 2:1-7
I used Strong’s and Vine’s to get a better feel for some of the words in this passage. Our English translations miss so much. It is far better to try and get into the minds of those who wrote our Bible, as well as those to whom different passages were written. The writers were inspired by the Almighty, yes. But men wrote them to other men. Many will be shocked to hear Revelation was not written to us today. It was written to the Messianic believers (those whose faith and trust were in the Christ, Ha’Moshiach Yeshua) who were undergoing wars, natural disasters, and persecution at the time. They needed to know their trials were not in vain. They needed hope for justice and restitution. Not to say Revelation does not apply, nor that there are no messages there for us. Obviously this is not the case.
All 66 books, though written to others are still the infinite word of our God. Yes, every word applies to us. But that does not mean they were written specifically to us. Torah, the first five books were, for example written specifically to a bunch of slaves and their children just fled from Egypt and, though they saw Egypt utterly defeated they still had to contend with the nations of Mesopotamia, especially Babylon. Genesis trashed the Mesopotamian gods, and Torah gave a newly formed people a history, and instructed them (and us) in Godly living (as opposed to ‘godly’ living). Both were especially important when they entered the Land and became a nation.
But our text is the other side of our Bibles:
Revelation 2:1-7 1 “To the angel [ἄγγελος aggelos- messenger- apostle or leader] of the church [ἐκκλησία ekklēsia- assembly, congregation] in Ephesus write:
The One who holds the seven stars [ἀστήρ astēr- stars- *] in His right hand, the One who walks among [in the midst of] the seven golden lampstands [menorim- λυχνί luchnia- lampstand, the assembly] says this:
2 ‘I know your deeds [ἔργον ergon- woks, toil, labor] and your labor [κόπος kopos- labor, weariness] and perseverance [ὑπομονή hupomonē- steadfastness, endurance, constancy], and that you cannot tolerate [βαστάζω bastazō- endure, sustain, bear] evil [κακός kakos- worthless, depraved, injurious] people, and you have put those who call themselves apostles [ἀπόστολος apostolos- ambassador, representative; shaliach tzibur, representative of the assembly] to the test [πειράζω peirazō- scrutinize, discipline], and they are not, and you found them to be false [ψευδής pseudēs- untrue, deceitful, wicked, liar]; 3 and you have perseverance [ὑπομονή hupomonē- endurance, constancy, patiently waiting] and have endured on account of My name [ὄνομα onoma- name, authority, character], and have not become weary. 4 But [Nevertheless] I have this against [κατά kata- about, according as to; denotes opposition, distribution or intensity] you, that you have left [ἀφίημι aphiēmi- ἀφίημιaphiēmi;put (send) away] your first [πρῶτος prōtos- foremost (in time, place, order or importance): best, chief, former] love [ἀγάπη agapē- affection, benevolence, charity, dear]. 5 Therefore, remember [μνημονεύω mnēmoneuō- recollect, make mention, be mindful, remember] from where [πόθεν pothen- from which or what place, state, source or cause: whence] you have fallen [ἐκπίπτω ekpiptō- to drop away; be driven out of one’s course; become inefficient: fall away/off, take none effect], and repent [μετανοέω metanoeō- to think differently; turn from sin and back to your Elohim *], and do the deeds [ἔργον ergon- to work, toil, effort; an act, deed, doing, labour, work] you did at first [πρῶτος prōtos- foremost, before, beginning, first (of all), former]; or else [εἰ δὲ μή(γε) ei de mē(ge)- but if not, or else, otherwise] I am coming [ἔρχομαι erchomai- to come or go, accompany, appear, bring, enter] quickly [τάχος tachos- in haste, quickly, shortly] to you and I will remove [κινέω kineō- to move *] your lampstand from its place—unless you repent [μετανοέω metanoeō- to think differently; turn from sin and back to your Elohim *]. 6 But you have this, that you hate [μισέω miseō- hatred; to detest; to love less, hate] the deeds [ἔργον ergon- toil, an act(s), deed, doing, work] of the Nicolaitans [Νικολαΐ́της Nikolaitēs- adherent of Nicolaus- Nicolaitane *], which I also hate. 7 The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will grant to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.’
v. 1)
ἀστήρ astēr- stars- are in His right hand: protection, authority; rabbi, pastor, elder, speaker, shaliach tzibur
v. 5
[μετανοέω metanoeō- to think differently; turn from sin and back to your Elohim *] Strong’s is WAY off the mark with “repent,” so I changed it to be more accurate
κινέω kineō- to move; according to Vine’s “kineō, ‘to move’ is translated ‘to remove,’” so not necessarily ‘to remove,’ but may just be indicating moving from its place to another
v. 6
[Νικολαΐ́της Nikolaitēs- adherent of Nicolaus- Nicolaitane *]
We do not really know who Nicolaus was, or what he taught. However when we link this to the entire passage we can see a pattern emerge which can inform us. This is to someone in leadership, warning more of a methodology than a theology. Then as now there were/are those who come in as vipers and spread their poisonous theologies (whatever they may be) quietly. They avoid open discourse with those more knowledgeable and seasoned in their belies. Instead they go after the new convert or those weak in their faith. They are usually very convincing to those people. And once these snakes pull someone away, they rarely return.
So what is it telling us to do about this? You can’t keep them out, as they are liars, and they are good at it. They will slither through the cracks in the best of walls. But you can return to your ‘first love,’ that of caring for each other. This includes taking care of the spiritual growth of those whose understanding is less than your own.
There is a danger as we learn more. The more we learn of God’s Word, the more we know there is to know; and we want it all! But guess what: a.) it is the infinite word of Almighty God, so you will never get it ‘all,’ and b.) while cramming as much into our heads as possible, we miss the by now large python snatching another victim, or spreading doubt and false doctrine in your assembly (or more likely both).
We must therefore do as here told- repent! Turn back from our endless studies (interrupted only by brief interludes to tell others how smart we are becoming) and help those who are not so studious, or who can’t study because of life’s demands; or especially those newer in the faith and so they do not have as good a grasp on things.
I always say “Knowledge not shared is wasted.” There is however a caveat: “False teaching, even in a Doctor of Divinity course is still false.” Beware of those who know too much; who always have an explanation. The above mentioned Nicolaitans are a good example. I have heard some wild teachings about them. Some say they were gluttonous, some sexually immoral, and others say they were gnostics. And there are many others. But the Bible (to my knowledge) does not tell us about them. Perhaps in some extra-biblical text there is an explanation.I think this is because God wants us to focus more on the fact these types of people exist than what kind of snakerly excrement they teach.
Dan (just showin’ y’all how smart I am :D ) C
Revelation 2:1-7
I used Strong’s and Vine’s to get a better feel for some of the words in this passage. Our English translations miss so much. It is far better to try and get into the minds of those who wrote our Bible, as well as those to whom different passages were written. The writers were inspired by the Almighty, yes. But men wrote them to other men. Many will be shocked to hear Revelation was not written to us today. It was written to the Messianic believers (those whose faith and trust were in the Christ, Ha’Moshiach Yeshua) who were undergoing wars, natural disasters, and persecution at the time. They needed to know their trials were not in vain. They needed hope for justice and restitution. Not to say Revelation does not apply, nor that there are no messages there for us. Obviously this is not the case.
All 66 books, though written to others are still the infinite word of our God. Yes, every word applies to us. But that does not mean they were written specifically to us. Torah, the first five books were, for example written specifically to a bunch of slaves and their children just fled from Egypt and, though they saw Egypt utterly defeated they still had to contend with the nations of Mesopotamia, especially Babylon. Genesis trashed the Mesopotamian gods, and Torah gave a newly formed people a history, and instructed them (and us) in Godly living (as opposed to ‘godly’ living). Both were especially important when they entered the Land and became a nation.
But our text is the other side of our Bibles:
Revelation 2:1-7 1 “To the angel [ἄγγελος aggelos- messenger- apostle or leader] of the church [ἐκκλησία ekklēsia- assembly, congregation] in Ephesus write:
The One who holds the seven stars [ἀστήρ astēr- stars- *] in His right hand, the One who walks among [in the midst of] the seven golden lampstands [menorim- λυχνί luchnia- lampstand, the assembly] says this:
2 ‘I know your deeds [ἔργον ergon- woks, toil, labor] and your labor [κόπος kopos- labor, weariness] and perseverance [ὑπομονή hupomonē- steadfastness, endurance, constancy], and that you cannot tolerate [βαστάζω bastazō- endure, sustain, bear] evil [κακός kakos- worthless, depraved, injurious] people, and you have put those who call themselves apostles [ἀπόστολος apostolos- ambassador, representative; shaliach tzibur, representative of the assembly] to the test [πειράζω peirazō- scrutinize, discipline], and they are not, and you found them to be false [ψευδής pseudēs- untrue, deceitful, wicked, liar]; 3 and you have perseverance [ὑπομονή hupomonē- endurance, constancy, patiently waiting] and have endured on account of My name [ὄνομα onoma- name, authority, character], and have not become weary. 4 But [Nevertheless] I have this against [κατά kata- about, according as to; denotes opposition, distribution or intensity] you, that you have left [ἀφίημι aphiēmi- ἀφίημιaphiēmi;put (send) away] your first [πρῶτος prōtos- foremost (in time, place, order or importance): best, chief, former] love [ἀγάπη agapē- affection, benevolence, charity, dear]. 5 Therefore, remember [μνημονεύω mnēmoneuō- recollect, make mention, be mindful, remember] from where [πόθεν pothen- from which or what place, state, source or cause: whence] you have fallen [ἐκπίπτω ekpiptō- to drop away; be driven out of one’s course; become inefficient: fall away/off, take none effect], and repent [μετανοέω metanoeō- to think differently; turn from sin and back to your Elohim *], and do the deeds [ἔργον ergon- to work, toil, effort; an act, deed, doing, labour, work] you did at first [πρῶτος prōtos- foremost, before, beginning, first (of all), former]; or else [εἰ δὲ μή(γε) ei de mē(ge)- but if not, or else, otherwise] I am coming [ἔρχομαι erchomai- to come or go, accompany, appear, bring, enter] quickly [τάχος tachos- in haste, quickly, shortly] to you and I will remove [κινέω kineō- to move *] your lampstand from its place—unless you repent [μετανοέω metanoeō- to think differently; turn from sin and back to your Elohim *]. 6 But you have this, that you hate [μισέω miseō- hatred; to detest; to love less, hate] the deeds [ἔργον ergon- toil, an act(s), deed, doing, work] of the Nicolaitans [Νικολαΐ́της Nikolaitēs- adherent of Nicolaus- Nicolaitane *], which I also hate. 7 The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will grant to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.’
v. 1)
ἀστήρ astēr- stars- are in His right hand: protection, authority; rabbi, pastor, elder, speaker, shaliach tzibur
v. 5
[μετανοέω metanoeō- to think differently; turn from sin and back to your Elohim *] Strong’s is WAY off the mark with “repent,” so I changed it to be more accurate
κινέω kineō- to move; according to Vine’s “kineō, ‘to move’ is translated ‘to remove,’” so not necessarily ‘to remove,’ but may just be indicating moving from its place to another
v. 6
[Νικολαΐ́της Nikolaitēs- adherent of Nicolaus- Nicolaitane *]
We do not really know who Nicolaus was, or what he taught. However when we link this to the entire passage we can see a pattern emerge which can inform us. This is to someone in leadership, warning more of a methodology than a theology. Then as now there were/are those who come in as vipers and spread their poisonous theologies (whatever they may be) quietly. They avoid open discourse with those more knowledgeable and seasoned in their belies. Instead they go after the new convert or those weak in their faith. They are usually very convincing to those people. And once these snakes pull someone away, they rarely return.
So what is it telling us to do about this? You can’t keep them out, as they are liars, and they are good at it. They will slither through the cracks in the best of walls. But you can return to your ‘first love,’ that of caring for each other. This includes taking care of the spiritual growth of those whose understanding is less than your own.
There is a danger as we learn more. The more we learn of God’s Word, the more we know there is to know; and we want it all! But guess what: a.) it is the infinite word of Almighty God, so you will never get it ‘all,’ and b.) while cramming as much into our heads as possible, we miss the by now large python snatching another victim, or spreading doubt and false doctrine in your assembly (or more likely both).
We must therefore do as here told- repent! Turn back from our endless studies (interrupted only by brief interludes to tell others how smart we are becoming) and help those who are not so studious, or who can’t study because of life’s demands; or especially those newer in the faith and so they do not have as good a grasp on things.
I always say “Knowledge not shared is wasted.” There is however a caveat: “False teaching, even in a Doctor of Divinity course is still false.” Beware of those who know too much; who always have an explanation. The above mentioned Nicolaitans are a good example. I have heard some wild teachings about them. Some say they were gluttonous, some sexually immoral, and others say they were gnostics. And there are many others. But the Bible (to my knowledge) does not tell us about them. Perhaps in some extra-biblical text there is an explanation.I think this is because God wants us to focus more on the fact these types of people exist than what kind of snakerly excrement they teach.
Dan (just showin’ y’all how smart I am :D ) C
