Chapter Summary

Message to Ephesus concerning things "which are." Their first love left. Message to Pergamos concerning false doctrines. Message to Smyrna concerning persecutions. Message to Thyatira concerning Balaamism and Nicolaitanism.

Discussion Questions for Revelation, Chapter 2

1. What is the lesson to learn from the church in Ephesus? How can this be related to your own personal life? What about your local church?
2. What other letters in the Bible were written to people in Ephesus? What connections you can find between them?
3. What does it look like when followers of Christ abandon love? How have you experienced this in your life? Why is having a love-filled heart so important to the work we do?
4. What is the lesson to learn from the church in Smyrna? How can this be related to your own personal life? What about your local church?
5. Why does Jesus say that he knows their poverty and then call them rich? How has the Lord provided for your needs?
6. What is the lesson to learn from the church in Pergamum? How can this be related to your own personal life? What about your local church?
7. Go read Numbers 22:1-25:5. How serious of an accusation was it to be accused of holding to the teachings of Balaam? What teachings might these have been? How should we deal with churches that cause their members to stumble?
8. What do you think the "hidden manna" and the "white stone" in verse 17 (CSB) are? What connections can you make to the Exodus narrative with this in mind?
9. What is the lesson we should learn from the church in Thyatira? How can this be related to your own personal life? What about your local church?
10. The church in Thyatira was known for its significant spiritual growth (v 19 CSB), but had allowed this false prophet into their gathering. How can we identify false teachers in our churches? What passages of Scripture can we use to test our leaders?

Key Words/Phrase

Messages to Churches (Overcoming), vv. 7, 11, 17, 26.

Characters

God, Christ, Holy Spirit, Messengers of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, and Thyratira, John, Satan, Antipas, Balaam, Balac, Jezebel.

Strong Verse(s)

4, 7, 10, 11.