A Study of the Seven Letters of Revelation Lamb of God Lutheran Church, Columbus, Ohio Spring 2016 Lesson One: To the Church that Lost its First Love Revelation 2:1-7 Background of Ephesus At this time it was one of the greatest cities of the world having more Jews than any city outside Israel, except Alexandria, Egypt. Its temple of Diana (mentioned in Acts 19:21-41) was world famous and the altar of that temple carved in the fourth century B.C. was one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. The Ephesian culture was very sex oriented, centering as it did around the worship of Diana. Prostitution was part of the worship of this famous goddess. Ephesus also gained revenue by selling Ephesian Letters which were good luck charms for travelers, the sick, and those having difficulty having children. This was a busy city situated on several trade routes. Its port handled more trade than any other city in Asia Minor. It was 1,000 years old by the time John arrived. With the spread of Christianity the city became the third most important Christian city after Jerusalem and Antioch. The church there was founded by St. Paul. Mary, the Mother of our Lord, is buried there according to tradition. The city’s grand boulevard to the sea became known as the highway for martyrs as thousands of Christians in chains were led down the great street to ships waiting to take them to the Colosseum in Rome. Today Ephesus is a small depressed village situated on swamp land called Aysalook . There is no trace of the Ephesian church today. (“The Book of Revelation: A Study by Rev. Paul A. Bartz” http://www.confessionallutherans.org/papers/rev02.htm ) Content of the Letter Christ v. 1 (cf. 1:12-13,16,20) Commendation v. 2-3,6 Criticism v. 4 Counsel v.5 Comfort v. 7 (cf. 22:2) Discussion 1. Jesus issues pretty strong praise for the Ephesians in this letter. Remembering that every godly characteristic that we possess has been worked in us by God…if God were writing a letter to you, which godly characteristics might he highlight as he commends you? “I know your…” 2. Many different things can get in the way of offering compliments to our fellow Christians. In groups of 4-6, list barriers to complimenting someone else who loves Jesus. Then, as a group, choose what you think are the three biggest barriers. 3. What relevance does this discussion have for parenting? for marriage? for being a member of a Christian congregation? 4. What can we learn from the praise that Jesus gives to the Ephesian Christians as we listen to those who claim to speak God’s Word? 5. Apply that to the following quotations. What conclusions do you come to as you “test those who claim to be apostles”? (cf. John 14:6, Acts 4:12, Isaiah 43:11, Luke 13:24) “Pope Francis has one goal to seek the great common human heart of every human being. There are differences. There are distinctions. There are choices that people make, but Francis takes us above that. His famous question that he asked who am I to judge which was very upsetting for some people, but in the proper context, he said who am I to judge a person who was genuinely seeking God? Not applies, not only it’s a question of sexual orientation, but any person who is seeking God through a different pass. If that person is honestly and justly seeking God, and that person is a person of peace and Pope Francis is a Christian, he’s a Catholic, he loves Jesus Christ, but he also knows that God has many, many ways of bringing people to himself and he’s telling us be careful of extremism. Be careful of overly identifying yourself as if no one else exists. “And it’s very fitting that this happens because today, because in a couple of months we're going to celebrate in the Catholic Church the 50th anniversary of Nostra Aetate , which was the famous document that the second Vatican Council of recognizing other religions, particularly Islam and Judaism and other religions where seeds of goodness and truth are found. And we must work together and Francis is showing us how to do that with much simplicity and much conviction.” (Father Thomas Rosica, CSB Holy See Press Office, in an interview on “Anderson Cooper 360,” September 25, 2015, when Pope Francis visited Ground Zero in New York City and participated in an interfaith service, http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1509/25/acd.01.html ) “Likewise, other religions found everywhere try to counter the restlessness of the human heart, each in its own manner, by proposing ‘ways,’ comprising teachings, rules of life, and sacred rites. The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions. She regards with sincere reverence those ways of conduct and of life, those precepts and teachings which, though differing in many aspects from the ones she holds and sets forth, nonetheless often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men. Indeed, she proclaims, and ever must proclaim Christ ‘the way, the truth, and the life’ (John 14:6), in whom men may find the fullness of religious life, in whom God has reconciled all things to Himself. “The Church, therefore, exhorts her sons, that through dialogue and collaboration with the followers of other religions, carried out with prudence and love and in witness to the Christian faith and life, they recognize, preserve and promote the good things, spiritual and moral, as well as the socio-cultural values found among these men. “The Church regards with esteem also the Moslems. They adore the one God, living and subsisting in Himself; merciful and all- powerful, the Creator of heaven and earth, who has spoken to men; they take pains to submit wholeheartedly to even His inscrutable decrees, just as Abraham, with whom the faith of Islam takes pleasure in linking itself, submitted to God. Though they do not acknowledge Jesus as God, they revere Him as a prophet. They also honor Mary, His virgin Mother; at times they even call on her with devotion. In addition, they await the day of judgment when God will render their deserts to all those who have been raised up from the dead. Finally, they value the moral life and worship God especially through prayer, almsgiving and fasting.” (Nostra aetate —1965) “Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience – those too may achieve eternal salvation.” (Lumen gentium 14 , one of key documents of the Second Vatican Council, 1964) “The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are Muslims, these profess to hold to the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church— paragraph 841, 1994) 6. Describe the sin that concerns Jesus, as he thinks about the Ephesian Christians. In what different ways do you find that same temptation challenging you? 7. In your group, discuss ways you see our congregation struggling with (and perhaps even succumbing to) that temptation. Then list ways that we can work together to “regain our first love” as a congregation. 8. Write out for yourself a personal strategy for “regaining your first love.” A Study of the Seven Letters of Revelation Lamb of God Lutheran Church, Columbus, Ohio Spring 2016 Lesson Two: To the Persecuted Church Revelation 2:8-11 Background of Smyrna Smyrna (Izmir in Turkish), today a city of over 2,800,000, is full of life, brightness and activity. At St. John’s time the city was well over 1,000 years old, and its coins boasted that it was the first of Asia in beauty and size. It was already a city of 200,000 at the time of this letter. Smyrna has always been situated on productive trade routes and continues to be a major port today. This city, about 35 miles north of Ephesus, is currently the southeastern headquarters of NATO. In 23 A.D., Smyrna had been chosen for the honor of building a new temple to honor and worship the Roman Emperor. As a key center of religious allegiance to Rome, Smyrna also became a center of persecution of Christians. The Roman’s greatest prize in these persecutions was Polycarp, the leader of the great city’s Christians, who was martyred in 155 A.D., about 60 years after this letter was written. The church there continues strong to our own day. About half of the population is considered Christian even though the Muslims have dominated the area for over 1100 years -- a witness of the Lord’s blessing of this church for which Christ had only praise in this letter in Revelation. (“The Book of Revelation: A Study by Rev. Paul A. Bartz” http://www.confessionallutherans.org/papers/rev02.htm ) Content of the Letter Christ v. 8 (cf. 1:17-18) Commendation v. 9 Criticism None Counsel v. 10 Comfort v. 11 (cf. 20:6,14; 21:8) Discussion 1. List and explain the contrasts or paradoxes in the verses listed: • v. 9a (cf. Matthew 6:19-21; Luke 12:21; 2 Corinthians 8:9) • v.