2:2-3 “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: 3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
“I know.” ～ “I know,” is an awesome statement to contemplate when spoken by the Omniscient God. It is a given that He knows. He, who is omniscient knows all our goings. Nothing is hidden from the One whose “eyes” are “as a flame of fire” (1:14). To the angel of the Ephesians, He who holds the seven stars in His right hand is cognizant of their (plural here, because the presbyter is the representative of his congregation) works (Grk: ergon, Strong’s #G2041), labor (Grk: kopos, Strong’s #G2873), and patience (Grk: hupomonē, Strong’s #G5281). John may have thought of the assuring words of the psalmist,
“For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.” (Ps 1:6 NKJV)
Surely, the theme of our text is the very same. Namely, the deeds of neither the righteous, nor the unrighteous, will go unnoticed by the Ancient of Days.
The threefold commendation, that is given here, concerning works, labor, and patience has been earlier written to the church at Thessalonica by the Apostle Paul:
“... remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,” (1 Thess 1:3 NKJV)
From the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, given through the pen of Paul, we see a coupling that assists the study of our text. The saints of Thessalonica are applauded for their ergon tēs posteōs—work of faith; kopou tēs agapēs—labor of love; and hupomonēs tēs elpidos—patience of hope. Notice the couplings: work with faith; labor with love; patience with hope.
In speaking to the Ephesian church, the Lord praised their works, labor, and patience just as Paul had done to the Thessalonians. We may assume that the couplings of the Thessalonian text would hold true here. (We should view the commendation of the Lord as pertaining to ourselves. For, surely, the Revelation must not be commented on as merely some impersonal document. No. Its exhortation and admonishments are potent for the believers in every age of the Church, and should be considered very personal, indeed.)
“I know thy works,...” ～ Having First Thessalonians 1:3 as our guide, we look to the “work,” for which the Ephesians are complemented, as a work of their faith. There is much spoken and written, in the modern church, that downplays the role of works. Far too frequently, it is Paul’s teaching on works (e.g. Eph 2:8-9) that are written and spoken about; and far too infrequently, it is James’ teachings on works (James 2:14-26) that are NOT written or spoken about. Paul writes, most often, of the works of the flesh, both civil and religious; these works are dead, because they do not originate in faith. James, on the other hand, writes of those works that are the offspring of faith, which have been conceived in the spirit man—not in the soulish. The works of the Ephesians were just such works. They must have been, in order to arrest the favorable attention of the Lord God. If their works had been otherwise, the fire of His eyes (1:14) that fills His gaze and becomes a consuming flame before Him (Dan 7:10) would have judged such unworthy deeds, and devoured them in judicial holocausts (see 1 Cor 3:13-15). But works, which have their origin in faith, are the very life of the faith. As strange as that last statement may sound, it needs to be considered. So read it again: “Works, which have their origin in faith, are the very life of the faith.” James wrote it this way: “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:26). In this verse, James has two sets of couplings, i.e. body and spirit; faith and works. He (James) is using body and spirit as the paradigm for faith and works. The interesting thing is how James pairs the items. In the paradigm of body and spirit, one is concrete, i.e. the body, while the other, i.e. the spirit, is abstract. The same categories exist between works and faith. Works are concrete; they have solid substance, while faith is an abstract. Faith is spiritual: tasteless, orderless, colorless, soundness, touch-less—it is spirit thought. It would seem natural to pair like categories; but, no, James does the opposite. In the paradigm of body and spirit, it is the body that is dead without the spirit. So, one would think that James would tell us that works without faith is dead; but, no, James does the opposite. He parallels the abstract to the concrete in both cases. He writes that just as the body without the spirit is dead, even so, faith without works is dead also.
The revelation here is this: as the spirit animates the body, so do works animate faith. Therefore, it is not as one would expect, i.e. works without faith is dead works, but rather counter-wise: Faith without works is dead faith (James 2:17).
The Paradigm is: Body=Faith; and Spirit=Works;
The Paradigm is not: Body=Works and Spirit=Faith.
In this Jamesian view, works become praiseworthy; so much so, that he would write as scripture,
“Was not Abraham our father justified by works,… Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only” (James 2:21a, 24).
The Lord was praising the Ephesians’ works of faith that had endured His fire testing, and had proven to have been gold, silver, and precious stones (1 Cor 3:12).
“I know thy ... labour, ...” ～ Secondly, the Lord cites their “labour.” Following our model of 1 Thessalonians 1:3 we will speak of their “labour of love.” The Grk says, “kopou tēs agapēs” The word “kopos” (labor) carries the idea of reducing one’s strength, or causing weariness; and there lies the difference between “kopos” (labor) and “ergon” (work). The latter has only the idea of toil. The idea of “kopos” moves us deeper into kingdom involvement. Now it is not only “work” but work that exacts a cost from the worker. And, further, it is toil that expects nothing in return. Their work was a work from love. The word used here for love is agape (Strong’s #G26). Of the great many words available to Paul, this one, “agape,” comes closest to a divine love than all the others. “Agape” is a purely biblical and ecclesiastical word, meaning: affection, goodwill, love, benevolence. In association with God, and the work of God, it denotes a benevolent love for love’s sake only. Agape is a love that does not have the words “because” or “if” as qualifiers. Joseph Henry Thayer, making comment on “kopos tēs agapē,” writes:“troublesome service, toil, undertaken from love” (1 Thess 1:3). The Ephesians did not labor “because,” nor, would they continue to labor “if.” Their labor was performed for love’s sake alone.
“I know thy ... patience, ...” ～ Thirdly, the Ephesians’ patience has been brought up as a memorial before the One who moves in the midst of the churches, Whose eyes behold all their goings (Job 34:21; see Acts 10:4).
The word translated “patience,” both here and in our model passage of 1 Thessalonians 1:3, is the Grk word “hupomonē” (Strong’s #5281). Hupomonē is gravid with meaning; it means to persevere in endurance, waiting with a cheerful hope. The thought of persevering, enduring, waiting, cheerfulness, and hope, are all in the one word, “hupomonē.” To the Thessalonians, Paul mentions the object of their hope. He writes, “remembering without ceasing your… patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” When Jesus is the object of hope, the believer may, indeed, persevere with a cheerful disposition. Paul, when writing to the Corinthians, assures them that they had been sealed by the Holy Spirit, which is the earnest of the full blessing; and that all the promises of God, in Christ Jesus, are “yea, and in him Amen” (2 Cor 1:20, 22). The writer of Hebrews writes, “For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted” (Heb 2:18). The “patientce” of the Ephesian church, that enabled their tireless labor of love was inspired by the hope in “the redemption of the purchased possession” (Eph 1:14).
“… and how thou canst not bear them which are evil:” ～ The church at Ephesus had been plagued with false teachers of the Gospel. These false ones are called evil, false apostles, liars, and lastly, Nicolaitans by the Lord. In a time of political correctness such as ours, such language may seem out of place. But one should keep in mind the harm perpetrated upon Christ’s church by false teachers. Jude, the Lord’s half-brother, spoke of them this way:
“For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness” (Greek text, Textus Receptus [Stevens 1550] “kai ton monon despotēn theon, kai kupion hēmōn Iēsoun Christon arnoumenoi [translated, “and denying the only sovereign God; namely, our Lord Jesus Christ]) ... these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. ... v10 these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. v11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. v12 These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; v13 raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. ... v16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. (Jude v4, 8, 10-13, 16 NKJV)
According to the Parable of the Tares, taught by Christ (Matt 13:24-30; 36-43), the Sower had barely finished sowing His field with good seed before “his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat.” Now, this was done before the good seed had a chance to come up. The work of the enemy was not known until the blade of both wheat and tare had grown to the fruit bearing stage. The point, here, is that Christ (the Sower of the field, see v37) sowed His kingdom with “the children of the kingdom;” but, right away, even before the true children became manifested, the enemy over-sowed the field. So that the false appeared at the same time the true appeared. From the very beginning, two churches have functioned side-by-side—and will continue to do so until the time of the harvest (see vv30, 41–42). The True Church, i.e. the children of the Kingdom (see v38), is spoken of in such passages as Mathew 16:18, Ephesians 5:27, and 1 Timothy 3:15. The false church, or Church of Iniquity, is referred to in such passages as Matthew 7:21-23 and Jude 1. In the Matthew passage, Jesus speaks of those who “work iniquity.” Iniquity, Grk: anomia, means illegality, i.e. violation of law (Strong’s #G458). Thayer says, “the condition of one without law, either because ignorant of it, or because violating it,” His second definition is: “contempt, in violation of law…” Therefore, the term “lawlessness” is used to translate “anomia” much of the time. In terms of the Church of Iniquity, or Lawlessness, what is in view is a movement which calls itself the Church of Christ, but functions outside the legality of Kingdom law. Paul wrote to the young pastor Timothy, “And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules” (2 Tim 2:5 NKJV).
It has been, possibly, 17 plus years since Paul had “separated the disciples” of the “Way” from the Jewish synagogue and officially established the church of the “Way” in the school of one Tyrannus of Ephesus (Acts 19:9). The apostle, himself, was now dead. Killed in the great tribulation that had now come upon the world at the hands of Caesar Nero. And into this church “pareisedusan gar tines anthrōpoi ... tēn tou theou ēmōn charin metatithentes eis aselgeian, kai tou monon despotēn Theon, kai Kurion hēmōn Iēsoun Christon arnoumenoi.” Literally: “certain men have crept in unnoticed, ... who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and denying the only sovereign God, namely, our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude v4).
When Paul called the Ephesian elders to him at Miletus (Acts 20:17-38), they were given a warning of this very event. This is what he prophesied at that time:
29 “For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.” (Acts 20:29-31; NKJV)
“And thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:” ～ The Lord praises the angel of the church for testing “them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars.” There seems to have been a test to which a professed apostle could be subjected, and the validity of the claim verified. These false apostles failed their test. It seems that the elders of Ephesus took heed to Paul’s warning, which he gave them at Miletus.
There are two classes of apostles found in the New Testament. The first class was the original 12 chosen and commissioned by Christ himself. (Apostolos: Strong’s #G652, a delegate, ambassador of the gospel, one officially commissioned [with miraculous powers]: apostle, messenger, one that is sent.) These primary 12 are named in Matthew 10:1-4; Luke records their selection (Luke 6:13). After the defection of Judas Iscariot, and at the time of the choosing of Matheus, Peter informs us of the prerequisite for membership into the initial twelve:
“Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection” (Acts 1:21-22 NKJV).
This original group was unique to itself. Jesus told them that they would sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel (Matt 19:28 parallel to Luke 22:30).
However, aside from this unique band of 12, there were others. Among those called apostles, who are not included in the first 12 and who could not have met Peter’s prerequisite were: Paul (Rom 1:1), Barnabas (Acts 14:14), Andrinicus, and Junia (Rom 16:7), James (the Lord’s brother, Gal 1:19), Epaphroditus (Phil 2:25), Titus, Sopatar, Aristarchus (2 Cor 8:23 cf. Acts 20:4), Silas (Acts 15:22, 40) etc. Indeed, the New Testament teaches the ongoing office and ministry of the apostle (Eph 4:11; 1 Cor 12:28-29). Paul speaks of the “signs of an apostle” (2 Cor 12:12); these “signs” were “signs and wonders and mighty deeds.”
From the information given above, we may ascertain that a “trying” of one’s claims to apostleship might include the validating, among other things, companionship with Christ from His baptism to His ascension. This requirement of companionship with Christ during His ministry is confined to the original twelve apostles only. Later, an apostle was to receive appointment by the twelve or their successors as seen to have been the case with men such as Barnabas (see Acts 4:36, where Joses was “surnamed Barnabas” by the apostles). A person commonly received a new name upon ordination into the ministry such as an apostleship (Simon, Matt 4:18, John 1:42; Levi, Matt 10:3 cf. Luke 5:27; Lebbeus, Matt 10:3; Thomas, John 11:16; John Mark, Acts 15:37; Saul, Acts 13:9, Joses, Acts 4:36). And Paul speaks of “signs of an apostle” in terms of special gifts to manifest power to work miracles, which by implication, false apostles did not have (2 Cor 12:12). Those professing to be apostles would be expected to manifest such “signs,” along with giving proof of their “appointment” by recognized leaders of the Christian community at large. (Thus, the need for apostolic succession has been with the Church from the very first.) The Ephesian congregation had “tried” certain ones who profess the office of apostle, but were found to be “liars;” i.e. they could not prove apostolic appointment, nor did their ministry manifest the “signs” of which Paul spoke.
For their diligence in labor and patience, and the vigilance to protect the truth of apostolic office and doctrine, this church has received much praise. However, there was a matter of…verse 4.
Apostolically Speaking
☩ Jerry L Hayes
If you are enjoying this commentary you would appreciate owning "The Apocalypse" from which our commentary is excerpted.
Companion to "The Apocalypse" is "Letters to My Children on Apostolic Kingdom Theology."
After spending over forty years in the dispensational doctrine, and having raise my children in that theological framework, I became a convinced adherent to a "kingdom" theology that recognizes the Church as the Israel of God, and that the first century actually saw the fulfillment of most of Matthew chapter 24. "Letters to My Children on Apostolic Kingdom Theology" is a compilation of twenty four letters written to my children explaining my journey. These "Letters" provide a systematic approach to Apostolic Eschatological study of Scripture. It is sure to interest all students of Scriptures
Order your personal copy today from the link provided here:
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT BY PURCHASING MY BOOKS FOR YOUR LIBRARY. -JLH
Be sure to listen and subscribe to the Bishop's Podcast: Apostolic Bishop, at:
