ISB ~ Revelation 2 v1 - 3

John addresses seven churches in Asia Minor that lie within a 50-mile radius of one another. (1) Traditionally, it is held that the Apostle John settled in this area and ministered to these very churches in the later years of his life. (2) Geographically, the sequence of churches moves clockwise from Ephesus to Laodicea and may reflect the postal route of the day. (3) Structurally, each letter begins with an image that appeared in chap. 1 and ends with an allusion to chaps. 19-22. (4) Spiritually, the zeal of these churches is declining, with Ephesus in the best shape and Laodicea in the worst. (5) Historically, these letters allude to concrete circumstances and experiences of Asian Christians in the first century.