“Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;”
The exordium wherein are contained the special praises of Christ Jesus the Author of this prophecy, out of verses 16 and 13 of the first Chapter. The former part of this book is comprised in a narration of those things which then were as S. John taught us, Rev. 1:19 , it belongeth wholly to instruction and in these next two Chapters, containeth seven places according to the number and condition of those Churches which were named before, Rev. 1:11 , figured verse 12, distributed most aptly into their Pastors and flocks, verse 20, which verse of that Chap. is as it were a passage unto the first part. Every one of the seven places hath three principal members, an Exordium taken from the person of the Author: a Proposition, in which is praise and commendation of that which is good, reprehension of that which is evil: an instruction containing either an exhortation alone, or withal a dissuasion opposite unto it, and a conclusion stirring unto attention by divine promises. And this first place is unto the Pastors of the Church of Ephesus.