Revelation 2:5-6 5Remember therefore from where you have fallen and repent and do the first works. But if not, I am coming to you and I will remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6But you have this, that you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
The Ephesian church had fallen from its earlier state of love and needed to make a change lest it face judgment. This church had great potential to be the leading church in Asia Minor and was in a strategic location in such an important city. However, they had fallen, a sad word that captures their spirit state. They needed a revival of commitment. Something had caused them to slide away into the danger zone of sin. The persecution and false teachings had led them to compromise to the point that their love had grown weak.
The answer to sin is always repentance. The failure to love begins to be cured with repentance.
Repent (metanoēson) denotes a change in thinking, often accompanied by remorse and conviction. The Ephesians needed a fundamental change of mindset. Something had captured their thinking and drawn them away from love. The essence of temptation is to draw one’s thoughts away from God’s will, leading to sinful actions. Jesus calls for a reversal of this. The Ephesians needed to change their thinking back to love so that their works (actions) would return to what they did at first. Repentance would result in loving action. The theme of Jesus’ teaching in the Gospel of John stands behind this verse: love for Jesus will show up in how we love one another.
The seriousness with which the Ephesians should take this short letter is emphasized at the end of verse 5. By taking away their lampstand, Jesus warns of impending judgment. What he meant by this idea is unclear, but it is serious and detrimental. The lampstand represents the church and its relationship to Jesus. This church was in danger of self-destruction by going its own way. By removing the lampstand, Jesus would be withdrawing his presence and protection, which had kept the church safe. The answer is repeated: repent!
This admonition is mixed with a second word of praise. At least the Ephesians had recognized the false teachings of the obscure group called the Nicolaitans. This group is mentioned again in verse 15 regarding the church in Pergamum. Nothing else is known about the group. They followed the teaching of a person named Nicolaus. That he believed and taught is unknown, but it was contrary to the truth as handed down by the apostles. The word works (erga) appears again, suggesting that the problem was in what people were doing. The Ephesians noticed something was not right, but they needed to go the next step and refocus their love. By loving God, loving one another, and loving the truth, they would be better prepared to deal with aberrant groups like this. Being aware of one’s challenges is a good first step to renewal.