I know thy works and thy labour and thy patience and how thou canst not bear them that are evil. And thou hast tried them who say they are apostles and are not: and hast found them liars:
οιδα τα εργα σου και τον κοπον σου και την υπομονην σου και οτι ου δυνη βαστασαι κακους και επειρασας τους λεγοντας εαυτους αποστολους ειναι και ουκ εισιν και ευρες αυτους ψευδεις
6 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Having praised the church in two or three respects, He censures and rebukes her in one matter, which He mentions in the middle. He speaks of the praises at the beginning and end of the discourse.
He praises steadfastness in faith, diligence in labor, and abandonment of vices.
He also approves that, not believing every spirit (1 Jn 4:1), they tested those who presented themselves as Apostles and, having recognized them as false, did not receive them.
Those in Ephesus fulfilled the divine command: not to believe every spirit, but to test the spirits, whether they are from God.
Therefore they subjected to examination those among them who proclaimed the Gospel. After testing them, they found several false apostles teaching inauthentic doctrines.
He is speaking of those from Corinth who were contemporaries of the Evangelist and proclaimed bebhloj propositions.
This is how the word bebhloj in the epistles of the Apostle Paul is usually translated. It can also be translated as common or empty.
The word Ephesus means “desired” or “longed for.” By its very name it represents the first, desired Church of the apostolic times.
One need only read the Acts and Epistles of the Apostles and the writings of the ancient Church fathers to see what pure works of love the Apostles and apostolic men performed.
There one sees what difficult ascetic labors they undertook, what afflictions they struggled against, what hardships they overcame, and with what patience they endured every calamity.
The words are remarkable: “and that you cannot bear the corrupt.” This speaks of the strictness of the first Christians. They did not tolerate anyone in their Church who lacked reverence before God or failed to witness his faith in Christ by good works.
They were still stricter and more cautious in choosing teachers, elders, and superiors. For this reason the Lord says: “You have tested those who call themselves apostles, but they are not apostles, and are liars.”
In apostolic times many learned people, both among Jews and among pagans, converted to Christianity. They often mixed the concepts of their own reason with the teaching of the Apostles.
From this arose various sects, whose founders also called themselves apostles and teachers and sowed tares among the wheat.
But while the Apostles themselves and apostolic men were still alive, the self-appointed ones were strictly tested, and the churches were warned against their false teaching.
"Those who say they are Apostles and are not." Such were Cerinthus, Hymenaeus, Philetus (2 Tim 2:17), and many Judaizers.
What did the Lord command to be written to the angel, or president, of the church of Ephesus? Rev 2:1-7.
He commanded that it be written that his former praiseworthy qualities are known and remembered by the Lord: patience and diligence in preaching the Lord’s name, aversion to corrupt men, and penetrating insight concerning false apostles.
But it is not praiseworthy that he left his first love. Therefore, if he does not again do his former works, the Lord, who walks in the midst of the church lampstands, that is, who governs the Church, will come to him.
He will altogether move the lampstand of the church of Ephesus from its place.
Nevertheless, it remains good even now in the bishop of Ephesus that he hates the works of the Nicolaitans. To the victors over temptations and passions, the Lord promises to grant the eating of the fruit from the tree of life.
“But this you have, that you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate” (Rev 2:6). The Nicolaitans were heretics of the apostolic age.
They were a branch of the Gnostics, distinguished in practical life by immorality. Besides St. John the Theologian, the Apostles Peter and Jude also rebuke the Nicolaitans for immorality (2 Pet 2:1 and following; Jude 4).
“To him who overcomes I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God” (Rev 2:7).
This tree in the heavenly paradise of God is the Lord Jesus Christ. Eating the fruit of this tree is communion with the Godhead, or, what is the same, eternal blessedness.
The paradise of Eden with the tree of life (Gen 2:9; 3:22) served only as a type of the heavenly paradise (Lk 23:43).
All seven epistles to the churches of Asia Minor bear a strong formal resemblance to one another. First, John is usually commanded to write to the angel of a given Church. Then come the lofty titles of Jesus Christ, followed by an address to the angels of the churches and encouragement for those who overcome temptations.
The chief thought of all seven epistles is the same as the chief thought of the whole Apocalypse: the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is also noteworthy that the Lord addresses His word of praise and reproof not directly to the churches themselves, but to their angels or bishops.
These, of course, are responsible for the condition of the Church entrusted to them. Therefore the shortcomings and virtues of that Church are quite justly reckoned either as merit or as blame to its presiding shepherd.
First of all, the Lord commands that an epistle be written to the angel of the Church of Ephesus. This is surely because Ephesus was the metropolis of Asia Minor, not only politically but also ecclesiastically.
In keeping with this significance of the Ephesian Church and its bishop, the Lord addresses the latter as the One who holds the seven stars in His hand and walks among the seven lampstands. That is, He has the central place in the whole Church and governs her.
The Lord praises the bishop and, in his person, the whole Ephesian Church for its works. He praises its labors for its own improvement and that of others, and its constancy in this holy work.
He also praises it for removing evil men from its midst and for conscientiously testing those who came to them under the guise of Apostles of Christ. In fact, as it turned out, they did not teach what the Apostles taught.
Finally, with respect to sufferings for the name of Christ, the Ephesian Church showed complete readiness to endure them. Such are its merits before God.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 30 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS