Revelation 2:1-2: 1To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: “This is what the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands says: 2I know your works, your labor, and your patient endurance, and that you unable to endure evil people, and have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false,
Jesus directs John to write seven letters to the angels of the seven churches. The angels are the messengers to the churches. Their messages are both uplifting and convicting. Most of the churches faced some type of internal or external problem. These letters were intended to address the spiritual qualities they needed, either to correct or to develop, to become the people Jesus wanted them to be. Each of the seven letters follows a similar pattern. Each begins with a similar preface in which Jesus charges an angel to write a short letter to each of the seven churches of Asia Minor. This is followed by a description of the author of the letter, Jesus. The body of the letter provides positive and/or negative warnings, words of encouragement, censure, counsel, or warning. Each letter then ends with a conclusion. The letters share the common theme of endurance in persecution. The temptation during that time was to give in to the pressures and ways of the world. Verse 1 recalls the description of Jesus in 1:20 and how the stars represent angels and the lampstands churches. Jesus was in the midst of the churches and knew what was happening in each. He also knew what was in the hearts of the people of each church.
The first letter is addressed to the leading church in Asia Minor. Paul the Apostle started the church in Ephesus in Acts 18 and later wrote a letter to them called “Ephesians” found in the New Testament. He also wrote two letters in the New Testament to Timothy, whom he sent to Ephesus to correct false teaching and appoint godly leaders. The church in Ephesus had great strength but also significant challenges.
Jesus starts off his letter with a positive assessment of the church in Ephesus. They had endured the hardship of being a small group within a large pagan city. One of the challenges Paul wrote Timothy about was the false teachers who came to Ephesus and distorted the message he preached. Apparently, this problem still existed when John wrote Revelation. False teaching is always around. People push their teachings and interpretations in order to further their agendas. They believe they are right, but they are deceived, and with that, they deceive others (2 Timothy 2:14-26; 3:13).
The best defense against false teachers and teaching is to know the truth. Otherwise, the false will masquerade as the true. The Ephesians could not stand the false apostles on their own. They had learned the truth, possibly through the ministry of Paul, Timothy, and those Timothy appointed as overseers, deacons, and teachers. The opening of this letter emphasizes the importance of discernment within the local church. The Ephesians tested those who claimed to be leaders. The church had been discerning because they knew enough of about the gospel to tell that something was not right with these self-proclaimed apostles. Every church should test its leaders or those who seek to be leaders. Denominational accountability and credentialing systems can make this easier and add support to what the local church should do.