"I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear evil men but have tested those who call themselves apostles but are not, and found them to be false; I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember then from what you have fallen, repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this you have, you hate the works of the Nicola'itans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God." Revelation 2: 2-7
I wonder what this message to the Church in Ephesus says to us today? What does it say about standing firm for the faith and acting according to the love of God and love of neighbor? What does it say about resisting heresy (the Nicola'itans may have been a gnostic sect associated with a return to pagan worship)? What does it say about our nation, founded according to the principle that our rights and responsibilities are given to us from God?
Discuss. Please. Use the comments below. Start a discussion.
Fr. Michael+
No comments:
Post a Comment