Ephesian Church Age

The Church in Ephesus represents the first age of the Christian Church. In the eyes of our Lord Jesus the conditions which existed in that Church were prophetic of what would transpire throughout that first Age. The Message to Ephesus gives the general state of the church in that Age, indicating it's strengths and it's weaknesses.

The Ephesian Church Age lasted from the date that The Apostle Paul established the Church in Ephesus, c. 53 AD, until c. 170 AD when the conditions of the Second Age (Smyrna) start to emerge.

The prophecy to the Ephesian Church can be found in Revelation 2:1-7.

Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. - Revelation 2:1-7

The First Love

Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. (Rev. 2:4)

Before Jesus' death and resurrection, Peter denied Jesus three times, while the other disciples abandoned him. All this changed on the day of Pentecost, when Peter and 119 other disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to testify boldly of Jesus Christ, baptizing those that believed on His name.

The first love of the Church was Jesus Christ, whom Peter and the other disciples did not fully know until they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Pentecost was not the only time that the Holy Spirit fell on the believers, but this phenomenon continued throughout the New Testament and beyond, and the early Church did everything in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ - teaching, praying, baptizing, believing - and the Lord confirmed his followers with supernatural signs - raising the dead, healing the sick, prophecying, and living upright.

While not ceasing their works, the early Church left Jesus Christ, but was still virgin in that it had not accepted false doctrine. The early church could not leave their first love, Jesus Christ, and remain filled with the Holy Spirit, as these are one and the same. Just as Eve left Adam's side before she was seduced by the serpent, the early Church had left off teaching the gift of the Holy Spirit before it accepted false doctrines.

Love was replaced with formality, and the gift of the Holy Ghost was replaced with the order of the Eucharist. Starting with Sixtus, a Bishop of Rome in 117 AD, the date and order of the passover/Eucharist became the first significant division within the Christian churches. This is the first instance of a Bishops' eyes diverting from Christ, and the unity that naturally follows.

The Works

I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, ...And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. (Rev. 2:2a,3b)

All the works, labour, and patience of the early Church was done in the Name of Jesus Christ - whose identity was very important to these early Christians - and included:

Preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the Mediterranean coasts, Africa, and Asia;
Supernatural signs and wonders;
The authorship and compilation of the Christian New Testament,
Love under persecution, and grace in the face of death
Holiness

The works that began at Pentecost carried on throughout the entire New Testament: proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ in love with signs following.

These early Christians were rich in their knowledge of the teachings of Jesus Christ, having many witnesses of Jesus’ ministry among them, including the twelve apostles and Mary, Jesus’ mother. By writing these memories down, the disciples started writing the New Testament. These stories were soon complimented by the doctrinal teachings of the Apostle Paul, as he received revelation and understanding Jesus Christ. These writings established the whole essence of Christianity and its doctrines:

Salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
Baptism in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ;
Jesus Christ is Jehovah God in flesh and blood, and the only mediator between God and man;
Supernatural signs following true believers;
Morality, and the principles of Christian living;
The Custom of the Passover/Eucharist;

For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. (Acts 20:27)

Some early Christians of significance besides the Apostle Paul, the 12 Apostles, and other Church members mentioned in the scriptures included Ignatius - bishop of Antioch (33-107 A.D.), Polycarp - bishop of Smyrna (69-150 A.D.), and Clement - bishop of Rome (d. 98 A.D.).

The Liars

...and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: (Revelation 2:2b,3a)

Paul prophecied of heretics and liars arising from both inside and outside the churches:

For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. (Acts 20:29-30)

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, [and commanding] to abstain from meats, (I Tim. 4:1-3a)

Irenaeus records the approach of the Apostle John and Polycarp when confronted by certain heretics:

John, the disciple of the Lord, going to bathe at Ephesus, and perceiving Cerinthus within, rushed out of the bath-house without bathing, exclaiming, "Let us fly, lest even the bath-house fall down, because Cerinthus, the enemy of the truth, is within. (Vol. I Ante-Nicene Fathers 416)

Polycarp himself replied to Marcion, who met him on one occasion, and said, "Dost thou know me?" "I do know thee, the first-born of Satan." Such was the horror which the apostles and their disciples had against holding even verbal communication with any corrupters of the truth; as Paul also says, "A man that is an heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject; (Vol. I Ante-Nicene Fathers 416)

A breif description of some of the popular early heretics is included below:

Heretic	Description
Cerinthus	Educated in Egypt, and claimed angelic inspiration. He taught that: A lesser deity created the physical world; Jesus was the son of Joseph and Mary, and not God or Christ; Justification is by works, in particular the ceremonial observances of Judaism.
Valentinus	Born (c. 100 AD) and educated in Egypt. Claimed to receive special 'knowledge' from Theudas, who was reported to be a follower of St. Paul. Valentinus was a member of the church in Rome under the Bishops Hyginus, Pius, and Anicetus, but left to follow his own doctrines. This departure may coincide with Polycarp's visit to Rome, or may be because he was not elected Bishop of Rome himself. He taught that: Knowledge, not faith, is the key to salvation; Sophia (wisdom) was the imperfect creator of the universe, herself a creation of the Father, Sophia created Christ and the Holy Spirit. Valentinus is condemned by Irenaeus as a heretic, and first person to devise trinitarian-like teachings: Valentinus, the leader of a sect, was the first to devise the notion of three subsistent entities (hypostases), in a work that he entitled On the Three Natures. For, he devised the notion of three subsistent entities and three persons—father, son, and holy spirit. (Marcellus of Ancyra, On the Holy Church, 9)
Marcion	(C. 110 - 160 AD) attempted to purchase the right to be the bishop in Rome, but was rejected, so he started his own church around 144 AD. Marcion sought to reform Christianity by merging it with Hellenistic philosophy (not to be confused with mythology, which he despised). He taught that: The Hebrew scriptures were irrelevant, Jehovah was a lesser demiurge who created the earth, but was (de facto) the source of evil. Separated Jesus from Christ, Only Paul's teachings (and a modified version of Luke) were inspired by the 'true' God.
Montanus	Montanus believed he was the incarnation of the 'paraclete' mentioned in the Gospel of John 14:16. Accompanied by two women, Prisca and Maximilla, who likewise claimed to be the embodiments of the Holy Spirit, "the Three" spoke in ecstatic visions and urged their followers to fast and pray, so that they might share these personal revelations. The prophets of Montanism did not speak as messengers of God (i.e. "Thus saith the Lord") but rather spoke in his person. "I am the Father, the Word, and the Paraclete," said Montanus (Didymus, De Trinitate, III, xli). Montanus was condemned by Irenaeus and other early church fathers for heresy and being false prophets.
Gnosticism	A term created by modern scholars to describe religious movements that believe gnosis, the knowledge of God enabled by secret teachings, is necessary for salvation.

The Nicolaitans

But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. (Rev. 2:6)

Nico (Nike) means "to Conquer". Laity means the church. The deeds of the Nicolaitans reveals that someone was working to conquer, or rule, the Christian churches.

The Nicolaitanes can represent a political power (i.e. persecution from Rome), an external religous power (i.e. heretics), and an internal religous power. The first internal evidence of a Bishop exerting influence over another Bishop is Sixtus I of Rome who, in 117 AD, declared that any Bishop visiting Rome should not be accepted back without a letter of recommendation. This doctrine was not accepted by the other churches at that time.

Sixtus' influence is in contrast to the deeds of the early Bishops of Rome, including Linus (who according to Irenaeus was mentioned by Paul in the epistle to Timothy) and Clement, the latter of which wrote to the Corinthians when they had some trouble, and said:

submit yourselves to the presbyters, and receive correction so as to repent...For it is better for you that ye should occupy a humble but honourable place in the flock of Christ, than that, being highly exalted, ye should be cast out from the hope of His people. (The Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians, CHAP. LVII)

Of note is the gap of two years between Alexander and Sixtus where there was no Bishop in Rome due to severe persecution. The Church under Sixtus was probably a decimated and persecuted Church, and may have been an entirely different Church than the church under Alexander (a martyr) due to dispersion and death of the inhabitants of the earlier church, and reintegration of backslidden Christians (probable, but speculation only).

The Bishops in Rome continued with this feeling of supremacy until Polycarp, frusterated by their attempts to influence the other churches over trivial matters, traveled to Rome personally and laid to rest the issue of the date of the Passover/Eucharist. Anicetus (the then Bishop of Rome) submitted to Polycarp's rebuke, and agreed that each church should have the right to determine the date of the Passover/Eucharist independantly.

Polycarp also influenced Anicetus to condemn certain heresies with more vigour.

The Roman Priesthood

**Early Bishops of Rome** (from *Liber Pontificalus*, a Roman Catholic document)
Name	Start	End	Significant activity
Linus	67	79	Taught that women should cover their heads.
Anacletus	79	88	Ordained a number of priests
Clement I	88	98	Wrote a letter to the Corinthians
Evaristus	98	105	None known
Alexander I	105	115	None known
Sixtus	117	126	Decreed that Only ministers can touch the holy vessels, Bishops returning from visiting Rome should not be accepted without a letter, Priests should recite the Sanctus (a song) with the people.
Telesphorus	126	137	Started to celebrate Easter on the Sunday after Passover
Hyginus	138	140	Defined the grades of ecclesiastical hierarchy
Pius	140	154	None known
Anicetus	154	167	Moderately condemned the heresy of Montanism, Gnosticism and Marcionism. Met with Polycarp and accepted that the date of the celebration of Easter should be decided by churches individually.
Soter	167	174	Decreed that marriage is only valid if blessed by a priest.

Judgement and Reward

Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. ...He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. (Rev. 2:5,7)

Judgement: While the prophecy to Ephesus does not say whether the early church did remember their position in the body of Christ, repent, and do the first works, the prophecy to Smyrna indicates that not all returned to the faith. The most influential Christian at the end of the Ephesian Age, Polycarp, became the bishop of Smyrna, marking the start of the fulfillment of these prophecies. Just like the harbour of Ephesus filled up and the inhabitants departed as it became a malarial swamp, so the annointed ministry was taken from those who did not repent, and they became useless, diseased, and infectious.

Reward: Jesus is the tree of life, the only way to eternal life (Gen. 3:22, I John 5:11). Eternal life through Jesus Christ is the reward of the overcomer, while those who do not overcome will not have eternal life. It is interesting to see how the passover/Eucharist became the initial division in the early Church. Knowing Jesus is the bread of life (John 6:35), these Christians forgot to discern the Lord's body (I Cor. 11:29), and condemned themselves by leaving their first love and the power of the Holy Ghost.

[edit] References

Liber Pontificalus
Irenaeus Against Heresies

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