Biblical Church History
Following the Hand of God and the Hand of Satan
THE CHURCH PERIODS
Church Reference Approx. date
Meaning
Ephesus Rev. 2:1-7 90 – 200 AD Fully purposedSmyrna Rev. 2: 8-11 200-325 AD Bitterness and
death Pergamos Rev. 2: 12-17 325-500 AD Much marriageThyatria Rev. 2: 18-29 500- 1000
ADOder of affliction
Sardis Rev. 3:1-6 1000- 1500 AD
Red ones
Philadelphia
Rev. 3: 7-13 1500- 1900 AD
Brotherly love
Laodicea Rev. 3:14-22 1900- Rapture
Civil rights
THE 7 PERIODS OF CHURCH HISTORY
Revelation 2:1-7c. 90-200 A.D.E
phesus “fully
purposed”
Ephesus
I. The CommissionRev. 2: 1a
Ephesus
C. Why was this church so fully
purposed?
Ephesus
C. Why was this church so fully purposed?
They had been directly or indirectly influenced by the teaching of the Apostle
They had been directly or indirectly influenced by the example of the Apostle
They had been directly or indirectly influenced by the suffering of the Apostle
Ephesus
II. The CharacterRev. 2: 1b
Ephesus
Where is the Lord in the Laodicean Church period?
(Rev 3:20) Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any
man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him,
and will sup with him, and he with me.
Ephesus
III. The Commendation
Rev. 2: 2-3
A. It was a
performing
Church
Ephesus
“fully purposed”
(Rev 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: And hast borne,
and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured,
and hast not fainted.
Ephesus
Was the work that this church was performing?
(1Co 15:58) Therefore, my beloved
brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in
the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour
is not in vain in the Lord.
Ephesus
What are the two things that make up the “work of
the Lord”?
There are 2 things that
make up the work of the
Lord
1. Evangelism 2. Exhortation
B. It was a
persevering
Church
Ephesus
“fully purposed”
(Rev 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: And hast borne,
and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured,
and hast not fainted.
Ephesus
What is the difference
between “works” and “labours”?
Ephesus
1. What is the difference between “work” and “labour”
The word translated “labour” (gk. kopos) is seen 19 times in the N. T. 5 times it is translated “trouble” it carries the idea of pain.
The word is implied here in reference to the trouble and persecution that this church period would have suffered
(2Co 11:23-27) Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes
above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times
received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a
day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own
countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the
wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger
and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
Ephesus
NERO PERSECUTION DOMITIAN
PERSECUTION The biblical pattern of persecution
(Psa 37:32) The wicked watcheth the righteous, and
seeketh to slay him.(Psa 11:2) For, lo, the wicked
bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that
they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.(Pro 29:10) The
bloodthirsty hate the upright: but the just seek
his soul.
Ephesus
1. What does the Bible say about persecution
The biblical pattern… The attack on the person Christ… The attack on the body of Christ…
(2Ti 3:12) Yea, and all that will live
godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer
persecution.
Ephesus
2. What is the response of Jesus about
persecution?
(Joh 15:18) If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me
before it hated you.(Joh 7:7) The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I
testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.
(Joh 17:14) I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am
not of the world.
Ephesus
3. What is the response of the Apostles about persecution?
(Act 5:40-41) And to him they agreed: and when they had
called the apostles, and beaten them, they
commanded that they should not speak in the name of
Jesus, and let them go. And they departed from the presence of the council,
rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer
shame for his name.
(Act 16:22-25) And the multitude rose up together against them:
and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. And when they had laid
many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the
jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge,
thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the
stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the
prisoners heard them.
(Php 3:10) That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection,
and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made
conformable unto his death;(Jas 1:2) My brethren, count it all
joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
(Rom 8:18) For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed
in us.
(1Pe 4:12-14) Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery
trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened
unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory
shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be
reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon
you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is
glorified.
Ephesus
4. What is the response of the Ephesus Church
period about persecution?
(Rev 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: And hast borne,
and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured,
and hast not fainted.
(Rom 2:7) To them who by patient continuance in well
doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
(2Co 1:6) And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in
the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for
your consolation and salvation.
(2Th 3:5) And the Lord direct your
hearts into the love of God, and into the
patient waiting for Christ.
(Rev 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: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for
my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not
fainted.
(Joh 19:17) And he bearing his cross
went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called
in the Hebrew Golgotha:
A. It was a
performing
Church
Ephesus
“fully purposed”
B. It was a
persevering
Church
Ephesus
“fully purposed”
C. It was a pure Church
Ephesus
“fully purposed”
(Rev 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: And
hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast
laboured, and hast not fainted.
Ephesus
1. This means this church was a Holly Church that
exercise discipline
(1Th 2:12) That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
(1Th 4:7) For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto
holiness.(2Ti 1:9) Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not
according to our works, but according to his own purpose and
grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world
began,
(Php 2:15-16) That ye may be blameless and harmless,
the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a
crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as
lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of
Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
Ephesus
A. Contrast what this church could bear vs. what it couldn’t
bear
They could bear seeing their loved ones be: Being hung Scourged Taken to the High place and thrown
off Put on the rack The fire under the rack Iron Chair Millstones around the neck Tied to wild horses Their bodies thrown to wild dogs after death
Ephesus
A. Contrast what this church could bear vs. what it couldn’t
bear
… But what they could not to bear to see is someone who said they loved Christ and didn’t. … Someone who claimed to be save and wasn’t. … Someone that was called to holiness and was evil.
(1Co 5:5) To deliver such an one unto
Satan for the destruction of the
flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
(Psa 119:53) Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that
forsake thy law.
(Psa 119:136) Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep
not thy law.
(Psa 119:158) I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved; because they kept not thy word.