The Confessing Church: Daily Thoughts from Revelation (Revelation 2:1-7)

In 1933, the Catholic Church had viewed the Nazis as a barrier to the spread of communism from Russia. In this year, Hitler and the Catholic Church signed an agreement that he would not interfere with the Catholic Church while the Church would not comment on politics.

The Protestants themselves were split. The “German Christians” were lead by Ludwig Muller who believed that any member of the church who had Jewish ancestry should be sacked from the church. Muller supported Hitler and in 1933 he was given the title of “Reich Bishop”.  

Those who opposed the views of Muller were called the “Confessing Church”. [The History Learning Site]

Just having the title “church” has never precluded the possibility that one does not really follow Jesus at all.

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.  “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’”  (Revelation 2:1-7 ESV)

Jesus has John write to the angel of the church at Ephesus.  If this is a heavenly angel, why write, except that the human recipients won’t be otherwise able to know what is being said.  Jesus identifies himself as the one who holds the seven angels and the seven churches and walks among them.  He is intimately acquainted with His churches.

And so he says he knows the works of this church, and praises them for their labor, endurance, hatred of evil, and ferreting out of false apostles without growing weary.  But they have abandoned their first love.  Like a child who has taken for granted his parents goodness and acts only out of duty or a desire to perform, this hurts the heart of Jesus.  He desires a loving relationship, not a performance.  Like the marriage in which one spouse has let the daily grind take the place of emotional intimacy, the church has neglected being in love with Jesus as the most important priority.

If they do not repent Jesus will remove their lampstand, which in effect makes them useless and ready to die.  Even though Jesus loves his fledgling church, he will not hesitate to deal forthrightly with any church that does not fairly represent him to the world.

He does have one more praise for Ephesus.  They hate the works of the Nicolaitans, whoever they may be, some sect or heresy that had wormed its way into the church.

He challenges those in the church who have ears to hear to listen to what the Spirit is saying.  When Jesus speaks, the Spirit is speaking also.  They are in harmony.  And the Spirit is not just speaking to Ephesus, but to all the churches.  

The promise to those who “conquer” is eating fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God, or in other words, eternal life.  Is this another way of saying salvation, or some additional reward?  More likely the former, with conquering being the evidence that one already has indeed been saved. For Jesus, salvation is proven by adhering to his instructions for his churches. In this particular instruction, failure to have a love relationship with Jesus indicates a church, or a church member, may not be genuine.