One of the most sobering aspects of human existence is that important lessons of history go unheeded or are soon forgotten. As a result, mistakes of the past are repeated again and again by individuals who fail to learn from history. The story of God’s Church is no exception.
What can we learn from the lessons of history that God has recorded in His word? What can we glean from the admonitions given to the Ephesian brethren? How can we avoid the mistakes of the past?
Profound Parallels
The history of the Church of God is outlined prophetically in the second and third chapters of Revelation. As we approach the end of this age, the people of God have grown more concerned about the messages recorded for the Philadelphian and Laodicean eras of the Church—and rightly so. However, it is instructive to notice some remarkable similarities between conditions in the Church at the end of the age and the circumstances that existed in the Church during the first century—the Ephesian era.
The Ephesian era encompasses the starting years of the Church established by Jesus Christ and His Apostles. Jesus’ ministry began in the third decade of the first century (the late 20s), but the New Testament Church actually began in the 30s (see Acts 2). The book of Acts recounts events in the 30s, 40s, and 50s. Paul’s epistles were written in the mid-50s and early 60s. These were times of rapid growth in the early Church.
The epistles of John and the book of Revelation were most likely written in the 90s. These books indicate that within 60 years of its founding by Jesus Christ and the Apostles, serious problems and divisions had already arisen in the Church. The Bible explains why these problems developed and records lessons for our admonition today. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17).
God called Mr. and Mrs. Herbert W. Armstrong into His Church in the late 1920s, and Mr. Armstrong started the Radio Church of God in the 1930s. The 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s were periods of rapid growth for the Church of God. However, by the early 1970s, problems and divisions were becoming readily apparent. By the 1990s, not long after Mr. Armstrong’s death in 1986, serious factions had developed, and the Church had fractured and split. Within 60 years of the start of the Philadelphian era, devastating divisions had engulfed the Church—just as in the first century.
In this article, we will examine an important warning with clear application for us today, which the Eternal God inspired and recorded in His word.
A Warning to Ephesus
In Revelation 2, we find the Apostle John revealing Christ’s praise for the Ephesian Christians’ works of patience, labor, and perseverance for the truth of God. They are also commended for discerning true apostles from deceitful impostors (Revelation 2:2–3; see also how Peter handled the encounter with a teacher named Simon in Samaria in Acts 8:9–23).
However, the Scriptures also record a sobering admonition to the brethren of the Ephesian era. God plainly states, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent” (Revelation 2:4–5).
The lesson of the Ephesian era is that its brethren lost their original focus. As time went on, they drifted away from their founding mission and purpose. They apparently forgot why they had been called out of the world and into the Church. As a result, they began to splinter into factions and to follow different leaders with different ideas (1 Corinthians 1:10–17).
To be able to learn important lessons from the experience of first-century Christians, we must clearly understand what they lost sight of. We must keep a clear focus on the mission and purpose that Jesus Christ outlined for the Church—a mission and purpose from which the Ephesians had drifted away.
The Great Commission
Today, many have different ideas of why the Church was founded and what it is supposed to be doing. However, Jesus Christ gave specific instructions to His first disciples. The night before He was crucified, Jesus told them, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Love of God is equated with following His instructions.
After His crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus told His disciples to go to all nations, “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). But just what commands did Jesus give to the disciples through whom He raised up the New Testament Church? What was their focus to be? What were they commissioned to do?
Notice the beginning of Christ’s ministry. Jesus told His disciples, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). He urged them to think bigger than just about themselves, and He set an example for them to follow. Jesus was busy preaching the Gospel of the coming Kingdom of God and attending to the needs of people. “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people” (Matthew 4:23).
When He sent the Apostles out on their initial training mission, He commissioned them to preach this same Gospel of the Kingdom and to heal the sick (Matthew 10:7–8). Jesus also indicated that His disciples would not have finished their task before He would return (Matthew 10:23). Biblical prophecy states that this Gospel of the Kingdom of God will be preached to all the world at the end of the age as a witness (Matthew 24:14). This has been the focus of Philadelphian Christians for the last 90 years and more. We have been united in that focus for roughly a century.
However, some in God’s Church today feel this job—of preaching the Gospel of the coming Kingdom of God to the world—has been accomplished. Their focus has turned inward. Their chief or only focus is to “prepare themselves” for Christ’s return, as they neglect the importance of sharing the hope of Christ’s return with the billions who desperately need that return in order to see the world change for the better.
For others, their gospel has become merely a message of “good works”—which Jesus Himself said was a misunderstanding of His original instructions (Matthew 7:21–23). They have forgotten that a vital purpose Jesus Christ gave to His Church was to warn this world of the sobering and climactic events that will precede His second coming. Entire chapters of three gospels are devoted to this theme—specifically, Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21.
Paul, Peter, and John emphasize the same warning, as we can see in 2 Thessalonians 2, 2 Timothy 3, 2 Peter 3, and the entire book of Revelation. Jesus repeatedly urged disciples who would be alive at the end of the age to watch world events (Matthew 24:36–44; 25:13; Mark 13:32–37). For people to remain alert and watchful, someone needs to function as a watchman, and this is the message of chapters 3 and 33 of Ezekiel. This, too, has been an important function of the Philadelphia era for roughly 90 years. It has been a mission that has held us together.
However, there are some Christians today who feel this is not their job—and even that it is no longer necessary. This is another aspect of a focus that has been lost—the “first love” that has been forgotten.
Jesus gave another vital commission to His disciples. He told them to “feed my sheep” (John 21:15–17). This involves teaching those who are called out of the world about the mission of the Church and how to live by every word of God. Christians must learn to live according to the rules that will govern every aspect of life in the coming Kingdom of God, and the Church is to be busy preparing individuals to function as the leaders—kings and priests—in God’s coming Kingdom.
Those whom God has called must come to understand the real causes of and solutions to the problems facing mankind—not just participate in Church social occasions. They must develop the capability to function as part of an effective world-ruling government under Jesus Christ, instead of resisting and resenting godly authority. They must be of the same mind, able to work together as a smoothly functioning team, instead of being preoccupied with “doing their own thing.”
Sadly, some today seem to feel that having their own minister, their own songbooks, their own building, or their own ideas being preached is sufficient evidence that the flock is being fed. Jesus Christ, however, was moved by His compassion for the plight of mankind. Scripture records that He lamented, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Matthew 23:37). He urged His true disciples to be willing to sacrifice their personal wishes, ideas, and comforts in order to finish the job of conveying the hope of the Gospel to a dying world (Luke 9:58–62).
Most of us understood that learning the truth of God was not just to feed ourselves. We learned that “to whom much is given, from him much will be required” (Luke 12:48). We felt deeply that our responsibility was to be part of the Work that involved sharing the good news we had come to understand and warning this world of the coming judgment of God. This has been our historical focus.
Through the decades of the 1930s, ’40s, and ’50s, Mr. Armstrong on the radio was the only true minister most people ever knew or heard, yet many people were fed, and many grew spiritually. Today, we have many ministers, DVDs and online videos, magazines, and newsletters for feeding the flock, as well as for preaching the Gospel of the coming Kingdom of God and warning the world. To accomplish the fundamental missions of the Church and follow the instructions of Jesus Christ, decisions must be made about the allocation of resources—and not everyone would make those decisions the same way. That is where leaders and respect for leadership come in.
It is the job of those in leadership positions to keep the Church focused on the commission Jesus gave to the Church—preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom to the nations, warning the world of coming cataclysmic events, and feeding the flock. All three aspects are important—we cannot pick and choose from among the three. Divisions will arise among those who lose sight of the “big picture” and focus instead on just one aspect or another of our overall Christian mission. This is a fundamental lesson from both the Bible and history.
Zealous Beginnings
Jesus Christ, as the founder of the Church, set the initial example. He was focused on doing the Work He was given to do, as He told His disciples:
My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together (John 4:34–36).
Jesus told His disciples that there was plenty of work to do, to be done while there was opportunity to do it: “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4). The early disciples followed their Master’s example. The Church began with a sense of unity and common purpose (Acts 2:1, 40–46). Brethren asked God for boldness and guidance as the Church began to grow (Acts 4:29–31). Even in the face of persecution that scattered the Church, they “went everywhere preaching the word” that Jesus had given to them (Acts 8:1–4).
In the early chapters of Acts, we find Philip preaching “the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 8:12). Later, we find the Apostle Paul preaching the same Gospel of the Kingdom of God and teaching about Jesus Christ (Acts 28:23, 31). Despite persecution and threats of physical harm, the Apostles continued preaching what they had been commanded by their Master. The initial picture of the first-century Church is one of a unified, highly motivated, and sharply focused group of believers. They were excited about their calling and their commission. They enthusiastically embraced their “first love.”
Problems Arise
This ideal situation, however, did not last long. On his last visit to Ephesus (in AD 56 or 57) the Apostle Paul warned the assembled elders that “after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock” and that “from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves” (Acts 20:29–31). Paul had to deal with divisive factions that developed around personalities (1 Corinthians 1:10–13), including “wolves” with misleading views about what constituted the Gospel (Galatians 1:6–9), with different ideas about Jesus Christ, and even with different spirits that were influencing congregations (2 Corinthians 11:1–4). Paul clearly labeled those who promoted such divisive ideas as agents of Satan, despite their claims to be ministers of Jesus Christ. “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:13–15).
Nearly every one of the epistles deals with issues that erupted to trouble and divide the early New Testament Church. False teachers and misleading doctrinal ideas seemed to pop up everywhere. Speaking of brethren, Paul warns Timothy that “the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine” but having “itching ears” would flock to false teachers and would “turn their ears away from the truth” to believe fables instead (2 Timothy 4:3–4).
Paul reminds Titus that a true elder must be found “holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught” (Titus 1:7–9). Peter warned that false teachers would “secretly bring in destructive heresies” and would use “deceptive words” to exploit people and lead them astray (2 Peter 2:1–3). He describes these false teachers as presumptuous, self-willed despisers of those in authority (2 Peter 2:10).
Near the end of the first century, John wrote that “many deceivers have gone out into the world” (2 John 7), and he described one divisive leader, “Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence” and was actually putting true believers out of the congregation over which he presided (3 John 9–10). Jude admonished his readers to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” because certain individuals had subtly and deliberately twisted and perverted the instructions and truth that Jesus gave to the original Apostles (Jude 3).
The Gospel Jesus proclaimed, which is about the coming Kingdom of God, was narrowed to become a message about nothing more than Jesus’ person, love, and good works. Instead of being told to look forward to reigning with Christ on earth, converts were told about the glories of going to Heaven. Instead of being offered the hope of becoming part of God’s Family, they increasingly heard God described as a closed Trinity. Instead of focusing on preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, the Church was divided by arguments over the nature of God.
At the close of the first century, the picture of the Ephesian era of the Church—the Church founded by Christ and the Apostles—was of a Church increasingly divided and struggling with a growing list of false or twisted doctrines promoted by misguided teachers. It was a Church that had lost its unity, its sense of mission, and its original focus.
This is the context in which John received the admonition regarding the Ephesian era of the Church (Revelation 2:1–7). God revealed that the problems of the early first-century Church arose because brethren had lost their focus—left their first love. They had drifted off course. They had ceased to follow Christ’s clear example and His specific instructions. This is a sobering indictment, but it is the lesson God chose to record in Scripture about the first-century Church. The lesson is preserved in the Bible for those who “have ears to hear.”
Modern Lessons
So, what can we learn as we compare our present situation to the conditions that developed in the Ephesian era of God’s Church? How can we avoid making the same mistakes?
The most important lesson is that we must maintain the same focus that Jesus Christ emphasized through His example and His instructions to the disciples. Our goal as Philadelphian Christians must be to preach the Gospel of the coming Kingdom of God to this world and to function as a watchman to warn the world of the dramatic events that will mark the imminent return of the Savior of mankind. This commission requires a coordinated team effort. It cannot be done effectively by the uncoordinated, piecemeal attempts of isolated individuals and groups. That is why Jesus Christ founded His Church.
The Ephesian era fell into trouble when brethren lost this fundamental focus—leaving their first love—as they began following individuals who pointed congregations in different directions. Such individuals must be clearly labeled as false teachers who cause divisions, no matter any “good intentions.”
For years we have emphasized the importance of examining all things and holding onto what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21). In order to avoid getting caught up in reasonable-sounding yet misleading ideas, we must know what the Bible clearly teaches. This requires daily personal study of the Scriptures (2 Timothy 2:14–16). Christians in the early Church had to do this (Acts 17:11; Revelation 2:2). We must do the same today to avoid being led off in reasonable-sounding but wrong directions. We must remember Paul’s admonition to Titus to hold on to what we have been taught (Titus 1:9), even while critics may assert that we are stuck in the past and are unwilling to change. Here, again, it is an issue of staying focused.
We must also learn to think about bigger issues than our own personal needs and desires. Jesus Christ is coming back to this earth to save mankind—to establish a world-ruling government that will address and solve global problems. He needs individuals who have learned to think about more than local issues and individual concerns. We have been called to prepare to rule the world with Jesus Christ. That should be our focus—not just enjoying the social opportunities the Church provides. Future members of the God Family must be able to respect those God has put in positions of authority and work smoothly together under God’s government to accomplish our mission (1 Thessalonians 5:12–13). Personal preferences and agendas cannot be allowed to disrupt and derail the commission Jesus gave to His Church. We must stay focused on the mission that Christ commanded His disciples to accomplish.
Finally, we cannot afford to become lukewarm regarding the commission we have been given. Christ’s commandments matter. His instructions are not issues for debate and discussion. To entertain such an approach only fosters discord and division, leaving the focus fuzzy and blurred. People then begin drifting away. The sense of mission dissipates and the mission falters. That is what happened to the first-century Church—that is the clear lesson of both Scripture and history.
Brethren, we cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the early Church. We must remain focused. We must follow the clear example and the plain instructions of Jesus Christ. That is how we can avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. That is how we will gain the crown and the reward that God promises to give to those who are His faithful servants in these last days (Revelation 3:10–12). That is the importance of staying focused. Let us all hold onto our first love.