, 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 labored, and hast not fainted.

4. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast
left thy first love.

5. 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.

6. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the
Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.

7. 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.

The special messages to the seven churches of Asia Minor are not of such
thrilling interest as are the symbolic visions of the remainder of the
book, yet we can learn many beneficial lessons from the various
experiences of these congregations.

At the time the Revelation was given, Ephesus was the chief capital of
Proconsular Asia and its pride and glory. It was also that country's
chief mart of idolatry, containing, as it did, the magnificent temple of
Diana, which is reckoned as one of the seven wonders of the world. This
temple, according to the disclosures of modern excavations, was four
hundred and eighteen feet in length, and two hundred and thirty-nine in
width, with one hundred beautiful external pillars of Parian marble,
each a single shaft about fifty-six feet high. The city was proud of the
title it had received, "Servant of the Goddess," and even the Roman
emperors vied with wealthy natives in lavishing gifts to her. One of the
latter, named Vibius Salutaris, presented a large quantity of gold and
silver images to be carried annually in procession.

In this proud, wealthy, idolatrous city the apostle Paul planted a
Christian church, and the great inroads the gospel made into the
prevalent system of idolatry is shown by one circumstance mentioned in
the Book of Acts. "And many that believed came, and confessed, and
showed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought
their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted
the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So
mightily grew the word of