First Love: The Blog (Episode 1)
A Deeper Understanding of Church from the Book of Ephesians
Excerpts and Devotional Thoughts from First Love by Brett Kreider
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people. (Ephesians 1:18, NIV)
Over the next few weeks, I would like to introduce you to some of the material that I published in my book “First Love: A Deeper Understanding of Church from the Book of Ephesians.” This week features excerpts from the introduction that help frame the series and devotional thoughts on Ephesians 1. To get the most out of this series, I encourage you to get a copy of the book on Amazon (only $6) and take a month to dig into a chapter each day! I’ll publish something new each week to help us reflect on what we are learning.
Why Study Ephesians Now?
2020 was an unparalleled time of change for us as disciples and as a church. What does it mean to keep our faith strong during this time? Is God still in control? What does it mean to be a church when we no longer meet together? How do I stay connected when all my spiritual habits are being challenged? What does it mean to have a “first love” for God—or as I like to say, what does it mean in our relationship with God to “Love First”—choosing to love God first despite the challenges of life?
The Ephesian Church serves as an example of believers with a passionate “first love.” For many of us, our relationship with God began with a fervent fire that fueled significant spiritual fruit. However, the circumstances and trials of life test the genuineness of our love (agapē) for God. This devotional series aims to ignite or re-ignite our agapē, our intentional decision to choose to love God, behold the glories of our King, embrace the fellowship of the saints, and fight to faithfully finish the race.
Agapē: The First Love
God adores the church with a crazy, deep, passionate love that could be considered “out of control,” “excessive,” bordering on “out of his mind.” To express this concept, the New Testament writers hijacked the Greek word “agapē” and Christianized it. Once we understand God’s agapē for the church, Jesus’ call to discipleship makes absolute sense. Our natural response to God’s agapē is to fall in love with him. It is this “First Love” that compels us to choose to prioritize God and his people above any relationship, any commitment, any plans of our own, or any self-preserving instinct.
A new relationship with God frequently produces in young Christians a “first love” that is equally mysterious, irrational, extreme, and even thrilling. But I’m not a young Christian anymore. That new, overwhelming, earth-shattering, and exciting experience I had with God morphed into a more predictable, manageable, and sometimes “boring” experience. The vibrant, youthful, worldwide movement inspired by God that I joined in college now resembles more of a local, and a more “traditional” church. My motivation for digging into Ephesians was to better understand how to regain my “first love” for Christ.
Paul and the Ephesians
Paul, who converted to Christianity in his thirties, helped plant a thriving church in Ephesus in his fifties (53-55 AD). He spent the better part of three years using Ephesus as his evangelistic hub to reach the province of Asia (Acts 18-20), in what we call modern-day Turkey. Paul also wrote the letter of 1 Corinthians from Ephesus (1 Corinthians 16:8) and apparently faced a life-threatening incident where he “fought wild beasts in Ephesus” (1 Corinthians 15:32). A few years later (60 AD), Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians from his “prison” in Rome.
Timeline of Church in Ephesus
Paul’s letter, which most likely circulated to many churches, describes God’s (and Paul’s) passion for the church using intricate analogies for God’s love that include adoption, marriage, and family, as well as admonitions toward holy living, spiritual warfare, and heavenly inheritance. Paul’s wonder and awe saturate the pages of his letter, as he frequently loses himself in praise, prayer, worship, and marvel at the glory of God. Many well-known Christians, including Priscilla, Aquila, Apollos, and Timothy served in the church in Ephesus as well as the famous “Ephesian elders” to whom Paul addressed one of the most passionate appeals in the Bible (Acts 20).
John and the Ephesians
Tomb of St John in Ephesus
The apostle John, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, made their home in Ephesus during their final decades. Some believe that John wrote his gospel and even his letters from Ephesus. The ruins of the city have been significantly excavated so that we are able to visit today and see many ancient remains. These include one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the Temple of Artemis, as well as the tomb of John inside the 6th century Basilica of St. John.
Jesus directed the first of seven letters in Revelation to the church in Ephesus. Penned by John some 40 years after the church was planted, the letter commends the Ephesians for their perseverance. Jesus continues by then warning the Ephesians that they have forsaken their “first love” and that without repentance their waning love would soon be extinguished.
Reflections
I’m an “older” Christian. My journey resembles many with its ups and downs, peaks and valleys. I need all the help I can get to stay motivated and decide today to choose to love God. Whether you are facing a personal crisis, financial challenges, national strife, or a global pandemic, I hope these studies will remind you where your help comes from and lead you to choose to “Love First” your Lord and Savior.
Remains of Temple of Artemis (2013)
I close with a quote from my paraphrase of Ephesians:
Engage the Spirit in every prayer at every opportunity.
Be alert to the spiritual realities faced by the Lord’s people.
(Ephesians 6:18, First Love Paraphrase)[1]
[1] Note: This is my own paraphrase of the book of Ephesians that appears in my book First Love. I developed it to help me better digest the depth of teaching found in the scripture. In no way am I claiming that this is more accurate than a translation, but for those of us who have read the same translation more than a dozen times, it can be helpful to revisit the text from a different angle. I pray this version will help you find new insights into the scriptures.