The Seven Churches of Asia

Extract

The Seven Churches of Asia – Robert Murray M’Cheyne

Exposition 1 — The Church of Ephesus “Unto the angel of the Church of Ephesus write; These things saith He that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: and hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches: To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God” Revelation 2:1-7.

In the second and third chapters of Revelation are written Seven Epistles to the Seven Churches of Asia; and they are sweet, because they show us not only what the mind of Christ sees, but what it is, now that He is in glory.

The gospels are very sweet, because they show us what the mind of Christ was in the days of His flesh, when He tabernacled with men upon earth; but these are sweet, because they show us that Jesus is the same when standing at the right hand of the Father, as when He stood by the Sea of Galilee; that He is the same now while holding the reins of the universe, as when He stood by His disciples and, blessing them, said, “Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.”

This epistle is to the Church of Ephesus, the chief of the Churches of Asia — the church to which Paul went twice — where he remained for three years — and where he left Timothy. Let us see. In what character Christ is mentioned here. He is said to be holding the seven stars in His right hand, and walking in the midst …