Which Church Are You?

8 min readApr 24, 2024

While exiled on the island of Patmos, Jesus instructed John to write letters to the seven main early Christian churches. These were letters of spiritual evaluation, offering encouragement, correction, and promises based on their spiritual situation.

These timeless messages are relevant and applicable to today’s church, not only to the body of believers but also to individuals who belong to God (1 Cor. 6:19–20; 1 Cor. 3:16–17; Rom. 12:1; Rom. 8:9; Rom. 14:8).

We will examine the letters.

To keep the content digestible and avoid overwhelming, I will focus on one church per article. I will describe each church and their spiritual condition, as well as the message conveyed specifically to each church. We will then discuss how the letters apply to the modern church and its implications. Finally, each article will conclude with an appeal and an opportunity to examine ourselves and make the changes necessary for our salvation and witness.

The Seven Churches

The seven main early churches in which John wrote the letters were in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey): Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. These churches represented the various challenges and characteristics found within the broader Christian community during that time.

I will provide more details as we delve into the letters.

The Letters

Under the dictation of Jesus, who is the head of the church (Colossians 1:8), John addressed the letters to the angels of the specific churches (Revelation 1:20). “Since the Greek and Hebrew words translated as “angel” both mean "messenger,”, this might refer to the pastors of those churches, to literal spiritual angels, or to the messengers charged with communication on behalf of those congregations” (Bibleref.com).

It’s also important to note that each of these letters had a distinct flow. The Lord first addresses the church by identifying himself according to each church. He then provides information about the church. Depending on the situation, Jesus provides the church with a challenge or correction, after which he follows with a promise. The specific flow of each letter was done to establish that John was writing each letter under the full dictate of Jesus.

After providing some background about the city of each church, I will use the same format as the letters in this article. I will then follow the discussion of the content’s significance to today’s church.

Let’s get into the letters, shall we? We will start with the first church, Ephesus.

The Church in Ephesus

Background of the City

Ephesus was an ancient Greek city located in what is now present-day Turkey. The city was the most prominent commercial and cultural center in Asia Minor. It was also the place of worship for several religions, including Artemis, whose massive temple was well known. Ephesus is also the place where Paul was stoned and escaped death (Acts 14:19–20).

Ephesus is also known for its Library of Celsus, considered one of the largest libraries of antiquity. It was renowned for its structures, including the Great Theater, which could seat 25K spectators. It is also important to note that John, the writer of these letters, was buried in Ephesus after his death.

Ephesus’ decline and eventual fall began with the attack by the Goths in 269 and the gradual decline of its harbor due to silting and changes in trade routes.

The Letter to the Church of Ephesus (Rev. 2:1–7)

Jesus identified himself as “him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.” (Rev. 2:1). Jesus is the head of the church. He possesses and protects these angels, as he is present among the churches and sees everything they are and do (Bibleref.com).

Praise

In the letter, Jesus praised the church for their deeds, hard work, and perseverance, including weeding out false prophets despite persecution (v. Jesus commended Ephesus on opposing the Nicolaitans’ false teaching and the church’s intolerance for wickedness).

Rebuke

But their love walk was missing. Christ described it as “losing their first love”, a decline in their devotion to Christ. Their work was no longer motivated by love for each other, but by focusing on the work itself. Their relationship with God began declining. It could also be possible that bitterness began to set in against their persecutors, and the church may have developed a level of resentment toward their persecutors.

Correction

Jesus tells them to “remember, repent and do the works you did at first” (Rev. 2:5). They must return to the zeal they had when they first accepted Christ. He continues with a warning that if they do not repent, Jesus will come to them and remove them as a witness for him.

Promise

Jesus concludes the letter with, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He includes with a promise to the one that listens a victor, to whom he will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. (Rev. 2:7).

How This Is Significant Today

It’s wonderful that you are weeding out false teachings, calling out sin, witnessing to others, and not compromising your faith. But, Beloved, are you doing it in love? Truth and love must go hand in hand.

If we are not careful, our love can grow cold. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul talks about our love walk. You can have the gifts of the Spirit, sing like an angel, and witness to everyone you meet, but if you do not exercise the agape love of Christ, everything you do is pointless. Without love, it doesn’t matter. It is the foundation of Christ, for he is love. (1 John 4:8).

Is this your church?

Your church preaches the gospel of Jesus, teaching you the Word of God, where you are studying the scriptures. Your church also weeds out false teaching and is effective in teaching others about Christ without compromising your faith.

But unfortunately, in the busyness of doing the work, the love walk has cooled. A relationship with Christ is the most important thing. Everything else will fall into place when a close relationship with the Lord becomes a priority.

If you find that your church may be a present-day Church of Ephesus, I encourage you to pray and ask the Lord to tell you the next steps. You may share this article with your pastor and praying for a refreshing of the Holy Spirit at your church.

Ask the Lord; he will tell you what to do.

Is this you?

Do you find you are less tolerant of people at work? You may have been hurt by someone, and now you are bitter and a lot more conscious. Perhaps you are known to help others, but not without scolding first to make sure they get on the right track—to teach them a lesson.

You go through the motions of doing the right thing because you know it's the right thing to do. But you have no genuine love for people. You go to work, do your job, and go home. You’ve been silently judging your co-workers and their situation, or you may share your views with others.

You may be someone who declared Jesus your savior decades ago. And you may be a leader at the church. When the church doors are open, you are the first there. You may be on every committee and participate in every ministry, but your love walk is very faint. People avoid you because they don’t want to receive a tongue-lashing from you because you’re always grumpy. You call it being direct and firm, you know, “tough love”.

Jesus calls it lacking love.

Yes, you are supposed to guard your heart from the enemy, but your love should still shine through. 1 John 4:7-8 states, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (ESV).

Remember the grace, love, and mercy Christ bestowed upon us. We must do the same for others, especially those in the faith.

“For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:14–19 ESV.

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:1–3 ESV.

Lesson:

Truth and love must go hand in hand. If we are not careful, our love can grow cold. Continue your commitment to the truth, but you must demonstrate your love. We must keep our love for God at the forefront of our faith and actions.

Reflection:

How can you demonstrate the love of Christ at work? You may be the only Bible that others will ever read. If you were to conduct a 360-degree assessment where you obtain input on how others at work perceive you, what would your co-workers and supervisor say about you?

Scriptures for Reflection:

Romans 12:9–12

1 Corinthians 13:4–8

Hebrews 12:14–15

1 John 4:7–22

Ephesians 3:14–19

Ephesians 4:1–3

Ephesians 6:14–17

Galatians 5:22–26

If Jesus were to return right now, would you be left behind?

Stay tuned for the next letter to the Church in Smyrna (Revelation 2:8–11).

References:

Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers (n.d.). Revelations Chapter 2. ESV.org. Retrieved March 23, 2024, from https://www.esv.org/Revelation+2/

Ergul Tourism Nette Travel Pty Ltd. (n.d.). History of Ephesus. Ephesus Tours Guide. Retrieved March 23, 2024, from https://www.ephesustoursguide.com/ephesus/history-of-ephesus

Free Text Bible Commentaries — Blue Letter Bible. Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/

Got Questions Ministries. (n.d.). Revelations Chapter 2. BibleRef. Retrieved March 23, 2024, from https://www.bibleref.com/Revelation/2/Revelation-chapter-2.html