Pertanyaan: 947. Apa yang dimaksud dengan seseorang meninggalkan cinta pertama?
Kata-kata ini ditujukan kepada orang-orang percaya Kristen di Efesus. "Cinta pertama" tidak merujuk kepada seseorang atau pengaruh selain Kristus, tetapi hanya berarti bahwa orang-orang Efesus telah kehilangan intensitas kasih sayang dan semangat mereka terhadap Kristus. Gereja Efesus telah memiliki kesempatan dan berkat khusus. Di bawah pelayanan Paulus, anggotanya telah menerima karunia Roh Kudus (Kisah Para Rasul 19:1-6); rasul itu telah tinggal bersama mereka selama tiga tahun (Kisah Para Rasul 20:31); dia kemudian menulis surat yang mungkin merupakan surat rohani yang paling tinggi dari dirinya kepada mereka. Pengalaman mereka dalam kasih kepada Kristus telah hangat dan tajam. Dalam pesan-Nya yang dikirim melalui Yohanes, Guru itu menegur mereka karena telah membiarkan kasih mereka terhadap-Nya menjadi lemah dan dingin.
Question: 947. What Is Meant by Some One Leaving "the First Love"?
These words were addressed to the Christian believers at Ephesus. The "first love" does not refer to any person or influence other than Christ, but simply means that the Ephesians had lost the intensity of their affection and zeal for Christ. The Ephesian Church had had special opportunities and blessing. Under Paul's ministrations its members had received the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 19: 1-6) ; the apostle had resided with them for three years (Acts 20:31) ; he had later written to them what is perhaps his most spiritually exalted epistle. Their experience of love for Christ had been warm and keen. In his message sent them through John the Master is reproving them for having allowed their love for him to grow weak and cold.
