A. Rev. 2:1-7 Church at Ephesus - Technology Ministries

24 REVELATION is NOT a Mystery—TEACHER’S GUIDE THE PRESENT
Apollos, Aquila, Priscilla and Timothy). ACTS 18: 24,
26; I TIMOTHY 1: 3
4. John lived in Ephesus and spread the Gospel from there.
John traveled to six Churches in a circuit ministry. The
Gospel had tremendous impact and influence in that area.
(ACTS 19:1, 18) Many trusted the Lord. As Savior.
5. John was exiled to the Isle of Patmos by the Emperor
Domitian, because he would not quit talking about the
Lord. (REVELATION 1: 9) While on the Isle of Patmos,
John kept on talking about the Lord. He taught all seven
churches by writing letters
Legend says when John returned to Ephesus, he learned one of his church
members had left the church and taken up with a gang of bandits. The story
goes that John mounted a horse, rode out, found the truant member, beat
him up and brought him back to Church. When you recall John‟s age at this
time -- he had to be well into his nineties -- this was a spectacular feat, if
true.
6. While John was absent, some of the members of the
Ephesian church began to neglect their Bible study.
7. Christ says they left (abandoned, voluntarily) their most
important love.
8. The sharp contrast here (emphasized by the little word,
“but”) is between two different activities at two different
times.
The word, “BUT” (ALLA, in Greek) introduces the contrast. See
“Transition to the Seven Churches”.
a. For a while in the past, church members at Ephesus studied
their Bibles regularly. It was their most important (i.e. first)
activity...in order of its occurrence.
b. Now, many were neglecting Bible study and it was causing