ACC ~ Revelation 2 v1

PATIENCE, STEADFAST LOVE AND HATRED OF FALSEHOOD. VICTORINUS OF PETOVIUM: In the first letter, [John] says, “I know your work and toil and your patient suffering”—I know that you work and toil, and I see that you are patient; lest you think that I will remain a long time away from you—“and that you are not able to bear evil persons and those who call themselves apostles you have found to be liars, and you have suffered patiently for the sake of my name.” All of these things are in view of praise, and no ordinary praise. And yet it is good that such persons and such a class of people and such elect persons be admonished in every way, lest they be robbed of those blessings which are their due. But he said that he had a few things against them. “You have forsaken your first love,” he said. “Remember from where you have fallen.” When someone falls, he falls from a height, and therefore he says “from where,” since even to the very end works of love must be practised, for this is the principal commandment. And, therefore, unless this be done, he threatened to “move the lampstand from its place,” that is, to scatter the people. However, they hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which he also hates, and this is deserving of praise. “Works of the Nicolaitans” refer to the fact that before that time there were factious and troublesome men who as ministers made for themselves a heresy in the name of Nicolaus, so that what had been offered to idols could be exorcised and eaten, and that anyone who had committed fornication might receive the peace on the eighth day. And, therefore, he praised those to whom he wrote and promised to such great people the tree of life, which is in the paradise of their God. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 2.1.

THE SPIRITUAL PERSON MAY ADDRESS EVEN ANGELS. ORIGEN: In many places, and especially in the Psalms, you will find speech addressed to the angels. Power has been given to man—at least to him who has the Holy Spirit—to speak even to the angels. I shall give one example from these instances, so that we might realize that angels too can be taught by human voices. It has been written in the Apocalypse of John, “Write to the angel of the church of the Ephesians, ‘I have something against you.’” And again, “Write to the angel of the church of Pergamum, ‘I have something against you.’” Clearly it is a man who writes to angels and enjoins something. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 23.7.

THE ANGEL IS THE CHURCH. OECUMENIUS: He speaks periphrastically of the church in Ephesus as an “angel of the church in Ephesus.” For the guardian angel of the church has not sinned, so that it requires the admonition to repent. He is rather most holy and for this reason exists at the right hand of the Lord, giving as proof of this the purity of his nature and flashes as of light. Moreover, what need would there be for him who is conversing with the Evangelist to say, “write to him [the angel],” since the holy angel was present and was listening to the conversation (being on the right hand of the one speaking)? And, finally, the saint himself interprets the vision seen by him and says, “He who has ears, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.” He did not say “to the angels of the churches” but “to the churches.” And so, also in the remaining interpretations you will find the words “write the following to the angel of the church,” not that he is speaking about the angel but about the church. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 2.1-7.

EVERY CHURCH IS WORTHY OF PRAISE AND BLAME. BEDE: He blames part of this church, and he praises part of this church, according to the quality of its name. For Ephesus may be interpreted as either “great fall” or “my will in it.” … He shows that what he writes to the individual churches, he is saying to all the churches. For, it was not the church of the Ephesians alone, which, should it not repent, was to be moved from its place, nor was Pergamum only the seat of Satan, and not everywhere. Likewise, the remaining things of the individual churches are common to every church. … The “tree of life” is Christ, by the vision of whom holy souls are nourished in the celestial paradise and in the present body of the church. EXPLANATION OF THE APOCALYPSE 2.1, 7.

Rev