THE CHURCH PERIODS

Revelation 2:1-7c. 90-200 A.D.E

phesus “fully

purposed”

Ephesus

I. The CommissionRev. 2: 1a

Ephesus

II. The CharacterRev. 2: 1b

Ephesus

III. The Commendation

Rev. 2: 2-3

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”

Ephesus

IV. The Condemnation

Rev. 2:4-7

(Rev 2:4) Nevertheless I

have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy

first love.

Ephesus

“fully purposed”

A. The Pioneers of Bible Deviatio

ns

Ephesus

Setting the Stage!

1. The Ephesus period of Church history begins at around the time of the death of the Apostles (c. 90 A.D and brings us in to the period of time know as the “Apostolic Church Fathers”

Ephesus

Setting the Stage!

2. There are 3 common divisions made by the writers of Church history of the time spanning from the death of the Apostles to the beginning of the Dark Ages

Ephesus

Setting the Stage!The Apostolic Church

Fathers The Ante-Nicene

Church Fathers (Before the Nicene Council 325 A. D.)

The Post-Nicene Church Fathers (After the Nicene Council 325 A. D.)

Ephesus

Setting the Stage! Through these man (church fathers), we will see the development of the two lines of Bibles (we see in the Book of Acts ):A biblical lineA non-biblical

Ephesus

Setting the Stage! The (Main) Apostolic Church Fathers1. Clement of Rome (30-100

AD)2. Ignatius (80-115 AD)3. Papias (60-130 AD)4. Epicurus (50-120 AD)5. Basilides (133 AD)6. Polycarp (69-155 AD)7. Justin Martyr (100-165 AD)8. Origen (184-254 AD)

Can Godly people be used

by Satan?

(Mat 16:16-19) And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the

Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him,

Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in

heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will

give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever

thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be

loosed in heaven.

(Mat 16:21-23) From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his

disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of

the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took

him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this

shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get

thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but

those that be of men.

Ephesus

Remember, Rome is the world power at this time.

Remember, Rome is also seeking to abolish Christianity through the persecution of the Apostles and through the Apostolic Church Fathers

IGNATIUS A disciple of the apostle John, and a successor of Peter, was in the service of the church of Christ at Antioch in Syria. Having learned that the Emperor Trajan, after the victories which he had achieved against some eastern nations, gave thanks at Antioch unto the gods, and offered great sacrifices unto them, as though these victories had proceeded from them; Ignatius, reproved the Emperor for it, and this openly in the temple.The Emperor, exceedingly enraged on this account, caused Ignatius to be apprehended, yet, for fear of an uproar, because Ignatius was held in great respect in Antioch, he did not have him punished there but committed him into the hands of ten soldiers, and sent him bound to Rome,

IGNATIUS When the whole multitude of the people were

assembled, to witness the death of Ignatius (for the report had spread throughout the whole city, that a

bishop had been brought from Syria, who, according to the sentence of the Emperor, was to fight against the wild beast), Ignatius was brought forth and placed in the middle of the amphitheatre. Thereupon Ignatius, with a bold heart, thus addressed the people which

stood around, "O ye Romans, all you who have come to witness with your own eyes this combat; know ye, that this punishment has not been laid upon me on

account of any misdeed or crime; for such I have in no wise committed, but that I may come to God, for whom I long, and whom to enjoy is my insatiable

desire. For, I am the grain of God. I am ground by the teeth of the beast, that I may be found a pure bread of

Christ, who is to me the bread of life." These words spake Ignatius, when he stood in the middle of the

amphitheatre, and when he heard the lions roar; which the brethren of the church who also stood among the

people heard and testified to.

IGNATIUS Having arrived at Rome, he was delivered by the soldiers to the governor, together with the letters of the Emperor, which contained his sentence of death. He was kept in prison several days, until a certain feast-day of the Romans, when the Governor, according to the order of the Emperor, had him brought forth into the amphitheatre. First of all they sought by many torments, to induce him to blaspheme the name of Christ, and offer sacrifice to the gods.

IGNATIUS .

“My Dear Jesus, My Savior is so deeply

written in my heart that if my heart were to be out open and chopped to pieces, that name of Jesus would be written

on every piece.

Polycarp .

He was the Pastor of the Church at Smyrna and also was the disciple of John and at 86 years of age he was sentenced by Rome to be burn at the stake. As the executioner was going to nail him to the stake, Polycarp stated “You don’t need to nail me God will give me the strength to remain in the fire, even though you don’t nail me to the fire wood.” “86 years have

I served him, and he has done nothing wrong. How can I deny him now?”

As he is in the fire he is singing praises to God. Guards begin to piece him with

spears in order to shut him up. So that the blood begins to put out the fire.

Ephesus

So what was it during this time that Jesus was condemning them for? It was through the Apostolic Church Fathers, and those of the Ephesus Church period who followed their leadership, that we see the 1st deviation from the Word of God. They began to use words, and phrases, and concepts that can not be traced biblically

Ephesus

These deviations become the seed of corruption Satan uses to set up his counterfeit religious system.Synagogue of Satan vs.9Seat of Satan vs.13aDwelling of Satan vs.13bDoctrine of Satan vs.24

Ephesus

Good godly man (martyred in Rome) Tradition says he is the one referred to in Phil 4:3 He wrote 2 books I & II Clement (Apocrypha) Makes a connection between the Levical high priest of the O. T. and the pastors of the N.T. ( The 1st to imply that those that are of the ecclesial or priest were above that of the laity) By the late 3rd century and the 1st part of the 4th century it is in full effect.

CLEMENT OF ROME (30-100 AD)

(1Pe 5:2-3) Feed the flock of God which is among you,

taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy

lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

COMPARING SCRIPTURE TO SCRIPTURE

(Rev 2:6) But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also

hate.

Rev 2:15) So hast thou also them that hold the

doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which

thing I hate.

Ephesus

The 1st one to use the word “catholic” as a term to refer to the universal church and to embrace all Christians The term was a pagan philosophical term that is not in the bible. He wrote in one of his writings referring to himself as the “Son of the Church” This where the doctrine of the “Salvation through the Catholic Church originates

Don’t Forget who disciple him!  

IGNATIUS (80-115 AD)

Ephesus

He writes a book called “Explanations of the Lord’s Discourse”

He claims that John didn’t write the book of Rev.

He was the 1st to claim that Mark’s gospel was really Peters and that he was in Rome at the time (Rom. 16)

Papias (60-130 AD)

Ephesus

Epicurus (50-120 AD) Modern day “Zig Ziglar” or “Joel Osteen” “Norman Vincent Peele”

Try to Blend Christian doctrine with that of secular humanism of that day (Plato, Socrates, )

Ephesus

Basilides (133 AD) Claims that Jesus was only human in experience and appearance. (That he was just a phantom and only appeared to have a body

It wasn’t Jesus who died on the cross it was Simeon of Cyrene

He was a Gnostic, this is one who believes they have superior knowledge, especially in spiritual matters

(1Jn 4:2-3) Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit

that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of

God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus

Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that

spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should

come; and even now already is it in the world.

Ephesus

Good man that gave his life for Christ

Writes a letter to the Philippian Church and states that “faith” is the Mother of us all (Sons of the Church mothered by faith and that we are all of big Catholic Church that dispenses salvation)

Polycarp (69-155 AD)

(Mat 6:32) …for your heavenly Father

(1Jn 3:2) Beloved, now are we the sons of God…

(Gal 4:25-26) For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and

answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her

children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother

of us all.(Pro 7:4) Say unto

wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call

understanding thy kinswoman:

Ephesus

Christian philosopher He writes that man is regenerated by the sprinkling of water 

Justin Martyr (100-165 A.D.)

Ephesus

Father of the allegorical method

  He is called the “father of the textual criticism.” (conjectural emendation)

The result was his famous “Hexapla.”

Origen (184-254 AD)

What does God Say about

deviating from His Word!

Warning!

(Deut 4:2) Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither

shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the

LORD your God which I command you.Deut 5:32) Ye shall observe to do

therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn

aside to the right hand or to the left.

(Deut 28:14) And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

(Mat 12:36-37) But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall

speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy

words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.(Mat 15:17-18) Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever

entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into

the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and

they defile the man.

What does God Say about defiling

His Word!

Warning!

(Jer 23:16) Thus saith the LORD of hosts,

Hearken not unto the words of the prophets

that prophesy unto you: they make you vain:

they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the

LORD.

(Jer 23:21-22) I have not sent these prophets, yet

they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they

prophesied. But if they had stood in my counsel,

and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their

doings.

(Jer 23:25-26) I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my

name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.

How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? Yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart;

(Jer 23:30) Therefore, behold, I am against the

prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour.

(Jer 23:31) Behold, I am against the prophets, saith

the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith