the Fifth Week after Easter
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THE MESSAGE
Revelation 2:4
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- AmericanDevotionals:
- ChipParallel Translations
But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first.
Neuerthelesse, I haue somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first loue.
Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.
'But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
"But I have this against you: You have left the love you had in the beginning.
'But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
But I have this against you: You have abandoned your first love.
But I do have something against you! And it is this: You don't have as much love as you used to.
But I have this against you: you have lost the love you had at first.
but I have against thee, that thou hast left thy first love.
"But I have this against you: You have left the love you had in the beginning.
Neuertheles, I haue somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first loue.
Nevertheless I have something against you, because you have left your first love.
But this is what I have against you: you do not love me now as you did at first.
But I have this against you: that you have left your first love.
But I have against you that you left your first love.
'But I have this [charge] against you, that you have left your first love [you have lost the depth of love that you first had for Me].
But I have this against thee, that thou didst leave thy first love.
But I have this against you, that you are turned away from your first love.
But I have this against you, that you left your first love.
However, I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first.
But I have against thee, because thy first love thou hast forsaken.
Yet I have [fn] against thee, on account of thy former love, which thou hast left.
Neuertheles, I haue [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first loue.
But I have this against thee, that thou didst leave thy first love.
But I have this against you, that you left your first love.
But I have against thee, that thou hast left thy first love.
Yet I have this against you--that you no longer love Me as you did at first.
But Y haue ayens thee a fewe thingis, that thou hast left thi firste charite.
But I have [this] against you, that you left your first love.
Nevertheless, I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
But I have this against you: You have departed from your first love!
Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
"But I have this complaint against you. You don't love me or each other as you did at first!
But I have this one thing against you. You do not love Me as you did at first.
But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.
Nevertheless, I have against thee, that, thy first love, thou hast left.
But I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first charity.
But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.
Neverthelesse I have sumwhat agaynst the for thou haste lefte thy fyrst love.
`But I have against thee: That thy first love thou didst leave!
Neuerthelesse I haue somwhat agaynst the, for thou hast lefte thy fyrst loue.
nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
But I do hold this one thing against you, you don't love me or each other like you did when you first saddled up.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
I have: Revelation 2:14, Revelation 2:20
because: Revelation 3:14-17, Jeremiah 2:2-5, Matthew 24:12, Matthew 24:13, Philippians 1:9, Philippians 3:13-16, 1 Thessalonians 4:9, 1 Thessalonians 4:10, 2 Thessalonians 1:3, Hebrews 6:10, Hebrews 6:11
Reciprocal: 1 Kings 11:2 - Solomon Psalms 85:8 - but Haggai 1:9 - Because Matthew 25:7 - General Mark 10:21 - One thing Romans 12:11 - fervent Philippians 3:16 - whereto 1 Timothy 5:12 - their Hebrews 13:1 - General 1 Peter 1:22 - see Revelation 2:19 - the last Revelation 3:2 - strengthen Revelation 3:15 - that
Cross-References
First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don't see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God's Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.
God looked over everything he had made; it was so good, so very good! It was evening, it was morning— Day Six.
Heaven and Earth were finished, down to the last detail.
By the seventh day God had finished his work. On the seventh day he rested from all his work. God blessed the seventh day. He made it a Holy Day Because on that day he rested from his work, all the creating God had done. This is the story of how it all started, of Heaven and Earth when they were created.
This is the family tree of the human race: When God created the human race, he made it godlike, with a nature akin to God. He created both male and female and blessed them, the whole human race.
This is the family tree of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. After the flood, they themselves had sons.
This is the story of Shem. When Shem was 100 years old, he had Arphaxad. It was two years after the flood. After he had Arphaxad, he lived 500 more years and had other sons and daughters.
This is the family tree of Ishmael son of Abraham, the son that Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's maid, bore to Abraham.
This is the family tree of Isaac son of Abraham: Abraham had Isaac. Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan Aram. She was the sister of Laban the Aramean.
This is the family tree of Esau, who is also called Edom.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee,.... So the Jews represent God saying, concerning their fathers, "Abraham", c.
יש לי עליהם, "I have something against them" a. Christ has nothing against his people, his faithful ministers, and true churches, in a judicial way, or to their condemnation, for there is none to them that are in him but he has often many things to complain of in them, and to rebuke and chastise them for, in a way of providence: and what he had against the church at Ephesus, and against the churches in the period which that represents, follows,
because thou hast left thy first love: by which is meant, not hospitality to strangers, or an affectionate care of the poor of the church, or a zealous concern to feed the flock, and maintain church discipline; but the love of the saints to God, and Christ, and one another, which appeared at the beginning of this church state, when they were all of one heart and one soul, as generally at first conversion love is the warmest; and so it was at the first planting of Gospel churches, and therefore here called first love. Now this, though it was not lost, for the true grace of love can never be lost, yet it was left; it abated in its heat and fervour; there was a remissness in the exercise of it; what our Lord had foretold should be before the destruction of Jerusalem was fulfilled in this period of time, the love of many waxed cold,
Matthew 24:12; through the prevalence of corruption in some; and through an over love to the world, as in Demas, and others; and through a desire of ease and freedom from reproach and persecution; and through the introduction of errors, which damp the heat of love, and spirit of religion; and through the contentions and divisions among themselves, as at Corinth, Galatia, and elsewhere, which greatly weakened their love to one another, and to divine things; and which was very displeasing to Christ, who, for the restoring of them, gives the following advice. Compare with this 2 Timothy 1:15.
a Pesikta Rabbati apud Yalkut Simeoni, par. 2. fol. 60. 4.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee - Notwithstanding this general commendation, there are things which I cannot approve.
Because thou hast left thy first love - Thou hast “remitted” (ἀφῆκας aphēkas) or let down thy early love; that is, it is less glowing and ardent than it was at first. The love here referred to is evidently love to the Saviour; and the idea is, that, as a church, they had less of this than formerly characterized them. In this respect they were in a state of declension; and, though they still maintained the doctrines of his religion, and opposed the advocates of error, they showed less ardor of affection toward him directly than they had formerly done. In regard to this we may remark:
(1) That what is here stated of the church at Ephesus is not uncommon:
(a) Individual Christians often lose much of their first love. It is true, indeed, that there is often an appearance of this which does not exist in reality. Not a little of the ardor of young converts is often nothing more than the excitement of animal feeling, which will soon die away of course, though their real love may not be diminished, or may be constantly growing stronger. When a son returns home after a long absence, and meets his parents and brothers and sisters, there is a glow, a warmth of feeling, a joyousness of emotion, which cannot be expected to continue always, and which he may never be able to recall again, though he may be ever growing in real attachment to his friends and to his home.
(b) Churches remit the ardor of their first love. They are often formed under the reviving influences of the Holy Spirit when many are converted, and are warm-hearted and zealous young converts. Or they are formed from other churches that have become cold and dead, from which the new organization, embodying the life of the church, was constrained to separate. Or they are formed under the influence of some strong and mighty truth that has taken possession of the mind, and that gives a special character to the church at first. Or they are formed with a distinct reference to promoting some one great object in the cause of the Redeemer. So the early Christian churches were formed. So the church in Germany, France, Switzerland, and England came out from the Roman communion under the influence of the doctrine of justification by faith. So the Nestorians in former ages, and the Moravians in modern times, were characterized by warm zeal in the cause of missions.
So the Puritans came out from the established church of England at one time, and the Methodists at another, warmed with a holier love to the cause of evangelical religion than existed in the body from which they separated. So many a church is formed now amidst the exciting scenes of a revival of religion, and in the early days of its history puts to shame the older and the slumbering churches around them. But it need scarcely be said that this early zeal may die away, and that the church, once so full of life and love, may become as cold as those that went before it, or as those from which it separated, and that there may be a necessity for the formation of new organizations that shall be fired with ardor and zeal. One has only to look at Germany, at Switzerland, at various portions of the reformed churches elsewhere; at the Nestorians, whose zeal for missions long since departed; or even at the Moravians, among whom it has so much declined; at various portions of the Puritan churches, and at many an individual church formed under the warm and exciting feelings of a revival of religion, to see that what occurred at Ephesus may occur elsewhere.
(2) The same thing that occurred there may be expected to follow in all similar cases. The Saviour governs the church always on essentially the same principles; and it is no uncommon thing that, when a church has lost the ardor of its first love, it is suffered more and more to decline, until “the candlestick is removed” - until either the church becomes wholly extinct, or until vital piety is wholly gone, and all that remains is the religion of forms.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Revelation 2:4. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee — The clause should be read, according to the Greek, thus: But I have against thee that thou hast left thy first love. They did not retain that strong and ardent affection for God and sacred things which they had when first brought to the knowledge of the truth, and justified by faith in Christ.
