Rev 2
Intro -
Most of us remember it. there was a time, a place, a person or a momet when you were siting standing listening or just crying out. You have probably heard it all before from a family member, a pastor, a friend, a coworker or just reading the Bible. But something happened this time. you didn’t role your eyes, grit your teeth or pretend not to listen. This time it struck you somehow. Maybe a flutering heart, sweaty palms or that feeling you get right before you cry when you get a burn in your sinus your lip begins to quiver and you eyes get misty or maybe it was that uncontrollable smile you get sometimes when you saw your husband standing at the end of the aisle or your wife coming toward you or your first child or you won a game by an amazing play. Whatever the reaction. Most of you remember it and know what I am talking about and even now you can feel a shadow of the emotion. It was almost all of a sudden it was not planned out. We were there. Something moved us to say, “today I want to know Jesus Christ as my savior! I want a relationship with God. today I am walking out of the darkness into the light! From now on my steps will be with a comforter and I will never ever be alone again.”
That was the beginning. Immediately life looked different. There were new colors you have never seen before. It was seeing in color for the first time. the lonely darkness that we used to feel was now illumined by the light of the world. No longer did the dark have power over us. We were free from squandering our time and energy searching for some semblance of reality, joy, peace and love. No longer did have to grope in the dark praying we would latch on to something of substance. We were illumined, born again, washed, and we could feel it from joy and peace in our heart.
So naturally we set on the path of all our forbearers. We went home and foundt he bible grandma gave us for Christmas. Quickly we flipped to the begging of the book at it said, something about thou shant thus thee and other words you had no clue about. But we undeterred threw it aside and went and found a Bible we could read. Isn’t amazing that oftent he first thing we do to get to know God better is go to the Bible and read about him.
The words were no longr ink on a page of thin paper. They were the very words of God…that meant a whole lot more now to us. We read and read and read some more. Our passion leads us to drop to our knees and pray. We don’t know hwat we are doing so we just say what is on our mind and heart. Our joy overflowing we begin to tell everyone what has happened to us. We spend our waking hours thinking about how we can reach our neighbors so they too can have the light. They too can enjoy the peace that only Jesus Christ offers.
Everyone says how difeernt you are and you tell them why. Life is new again. The work of God is a burning prod that moves you. You want everyone to know.
Then it happens. Somehow the words of the Bible change again to just ink on a page. Your knees no longer ache from praying so hard. You no long ask your friends to come to church with you. you cannot remreber the last time you were excited about praising God in church with the body. The light begins to flicker. Shadow creeps back in. the light get dimmer. Soon you forgot the passion, the zeal and the love you had for Christ in the first place. It becomes evident by the way we act towads others. We know the Bible we know it is wrong but the hot flame of Christ has fizzled.
For many of us this has happened…where has oru first love gone. We are wondering through life hoping that something will spark our fire again. Wishing to go back to the days when it was blazing bonfire instead of flicker birthday candle. You and I are not alone…throughout history the church has been plagued by this very thing. However, Jesus is always saying come back…in fact he implores to.
Maybe late in the first century or possibly even around 70 ad John the Apostle was told by Christ to write letters to 7 chruches of asia minor. The very first letter went to Ephesus. A port city of great wealth. These people were the uppercurst. They had great education and great opportunity. Ephesus was one of the greatest cities next to Rome. They had high culture there. Epheus was a very religious city as well. it had one of the 7 natural wonders of the anceitn world, the temple of artimis or Diana the godess of hunting/ childbirth. It was a massive structure complete made out of krispy kreme donuts…just kidding made out of marble. They are also one of the first cities to declare and participate in emporer worship. In fact several temples were raised to worship the roman emporer. Also, the town was know for its magic. In Acts 19 we see this when Paul confronts magicians. In fact if an Epheisan scroll was said to have magical powers such as healing and luck. Finally Ephesus had a large Jewish population.
This diverse climate was ripe for change. a change that Paul brought along with Pricilla and Aquilla. You see Paul spent 2 years here teaching in large hall. Eventually he even wrote a letter back to the ephesian church. it would seem that the roots of the epheisan chuch had been deep and had taken well. htne we read what the apostle john writes from the island of patmos –
Read john 2:1—7
You see they let their flame flicker that is what I want to talk to you about today. This letter is not only addressed to the literal epheisan church but to us as well as we are the “churches” in v. 7. Christ wants thme to come…back just like cotter. we have to re-ignite our relationship corporately and individually with Christ doig three things firt we have to rekindle our vision of who Christ is, by rekindle our love and rekindle oru reason.
First in order to come back we must rekindle our vision or more specifically we must rekindle our vision of who Christ is…v.1
To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: 'The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands
Explanation:
- let me tell you that these ‘letters’ even though they are all really part of the Revelation of john or John’s apocalypse, were written to real churches in real point in history. they are not figurative of the church age that is; they do not represtn points in history of the church. we know this because of our church Fathers’ understanding of them plus how beneficial would it have been to say Ephesus which would have been the first church age if they did not repent and then the rest of the churches don’t even get a chance or better why would say Ephesus care what would happen in thyratira if it was ages away. No the natural reading makes these eltters applicable to real chuches in real time.
- these letters were similar to the ancient prophetic oracles from that of the OT. Check out sometime the oracles (is 13—23 ezek 25-32) that concern various peoples (here to God’s people in different cities).
o Something that was particular to only Hebrew people was that the prophets usually made a plea for moral correction or a call to repentence and a consequence if it is not done. The issue almost always had to do with idol worship. so following we have Jesus telling the churches to repent of something they are practicing. ((come back – the practice of doing without loving perhaps is its own sort of idol worship. Perhaps eht keeping of the rules and doctrine is more important than loving your God and letting that flow to loving your neighbor. I would contend that this sort of ignorance keeping God rules and doctrine without loving God is idolatry. The rules become God to the people))
o The prophet here Jesus saying “thus says the Lord” instead Jesus says, write my words using this same style. This is a further proof that Jesus is still claiming to be deity and the churches at the time maybe as early as mid 60 ad already believe he is as they take his words to be the prophetic…thus says the Lord.
- This is not a private letter remember this is included in the book of revelation. All the churches would hear the dirt on each church. however, you have to remember there is only 1 church at Ephesus, Smyrna, etc. they were radically unified…hmmm in our age we get angry and we leave when someone hurts us or we don’t like something. In that day our brothers and sisters threatened with expulsion from the hcurh had nowhere else to go. The threat of being expelled from the community (the whole community not just one local church) was a terrible prod that would be scary back then. Today if we had a similar thing perhaps we would be beter Christians all together…
- Could be a heavenly guardian or representative of the church for instance in Dan 10 and 12 there is mention of angels of particular nation and in Act 12 there is even an over and individual. However, if that were the case then the angel would be in trouble I would think since the letter is to the angel…it is in my opisnion more likely the pastor/ elder or prysbeter of the church
- So my point here was that in order to come back we need to rekindle out view of who Christ is…
- Often times we are bamboozled by our culture and think Christ some loveable carebare of fun who like to party and was so humble that he washed his followers feet. You must understand that was the incarnate Christ. The heavenly Christ is not just that. he may be happy and like to party but our visions of the Christ after his assension are down right spooky and of terrible judgment
o Think about it when Paul saw him he was struck blind. When john who was with him a long period of time, saw him he did not know who he was and fell on his face it was such a terrifying event .
o Our culture does not want a God who is set apart but yet close, gracious yet bring judgment.
- For instance take a look at these images
Second in order to come back we must rekindle our love v. 2-5
Finally in order to come abck we must rekindle our reason v. 7
To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: 'The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. (2) "'I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. (3) I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. (4) But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. (5) Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. (6) Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. (7) He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.' Revelation 2:1-7
Rekindle your vision – 1
Rekindle your love - 2-6
Rekindle your reason (not only for you but others for the glory of God – the chief end of man is to glorify God) – 7
Conclusion -
Rev 2
4 views
102-103
The description of the seven churches, then, is a candid picture of what can happen in congregational life at all times and in all places. The letters provide a closer look at the bride of Christ, which helps the reader understand her divine origin and human frailty.
…the meaning of these dangers is always the same: Something else (and it does not matter what) diverts attention from Christ, who is the true life and meaning of the church, wherever it is.
103
Christ is the appropriate messenger, for he is the Lord of the church, who knows the character and life of each congregation…and individual member. He is aware of the frailty of life and is sympatric to those who struggle, but he does not tolerate any form of counterfeit Christianity…the church must subject itself to critical scrutiny at all times. Self examination, confession, repentance and renewal characterize its life.
Keener, Bible background comm.
Re 1:20
There is no parallel outside Israel to an intergenerational succession of prophets calling their own people to repentance for moral sins[1]
Ancient cities were fiercely proud of their own history and culture and would be more sensitive to local allusions than most readers today would be.
Ephesus had been one of the first Asian centers of the imperial cult, and Domitian had allowed Ephesus the title of guardian of his temple; on its notoriety in magic and the worship of Artemis, see comment on Acts 19
Ephesus afforded an opportunity to influence all of Asia (not meaning the continent, but the Roman province “Asia” in what is now western Turkey). It was the most populous city of the most prosperous and populated province in the empire. Although Pergamum remained the official capital of Asia, Ephesus became the chief city with the real seat of provincial administration.[2]
Philosophers often lectured in rented halls; this could have been a guild hall as easily as a “lecture hall” (NIV). (If the former, Tyrannus is simply the owner; if the latter, he is the customary lecturer. Public life in Ephesus, including philosophical lectures, ended by noon; so if Tyrannus lectured in the mornings Paul used it in the afternoons; if no one else lectured there, Paul probably lectured there in the mornings, and did his manual labor afterward.) Either way, residents of Ephesus would view Paul as a philosopher or sophist (professional public speaker). Many early Greco-Roman observers thought that Christians were a religious association or club (like other such associations in antiquity), or a philosophical school that took the form of a such an association.
19:10. Ephesus was a cosmopolitan center from which word would spread quickly, especially if Paul were training disciples (as philosophers and rabbis typically did) and sending them out to spread the message.
[3]
Ephesus
Wealthy educated Commercial center for asia minor/ turkey – famous for the worship of artimus or Diana goddess of forest/ hunting and childbirth – the mother of the gods - in 600 bc built the largest edifice in the Hellenistic world and was the first constructed massive structure built entirely out of marble – was one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world was larger and more grand than the temple of zues - really into magic an epepheisan letter was said to have magical abilities to cure sick and bring luck – it had a natural harbor existed for 1k years before Paul – Paul served there for 3 years teaching as a philosopher// theologian in the halls - cbecame the first city to practice emperor worship – was all but washed away by the ocean – sediment was displaced and carried out to sea Ephesus became a rural town eventually because of it -
Keener nivac
Prophetic letter – common in the OT (2 chron, jer. 29) and in the ANE – resemble ancient royal imperial edicts**but they are closer to oracles (is 13—23 ezek 25-32) that concern various peoples (here to God’s people in different cities).
- eah letter is prophetic word form Jesus through the spirit to John “these are the words”=”thus says” used many times in the thus says the Lord – prophetic word from God or decree.
- each letter has the same pattern
1. to the angel in city
2. glorified Christ – says
3. I know – generally a praise for the city people
4. but I have this against you – reproof call for repentance/ revival
5. ear to hear from God/ SP. Must listen to what they hear and do it
6. future promise
- the message is from Jesus, following the same form as oracles in the OT plainly implies Jesus’ deity…the descriptions of his glory formally resemble the epithets (or description that implies the present deity) with which Greeks often addressed their deities (homer).
- Ephesus is 1st from patmos for carrier but also is the most prominent city in the province of asia minor
Morris
- further pattern 1/7 = grave danger; 2/6 are great; 3/ 4 are in the middle neither hot nor cold – lukewarm
- image of Christ walking among the lampstand is of Christ being present and in action among the churches carrying for them and being inimatey concerned with their health
- Paul warns of savage wolves attaching the church acts 20:29 – testing of false teachers by eph (could it be part of what has made then so weary to the point of being unloving…the continued testing and paranoia
- balance is given here – the more criticism the more praise is received for the things theya re doing well
Coming back…
1. Remember their first state – imperative – keep on remembering hold in memory – they once had enjoyed a close walk w/ God let them go back to that as a prod to get back there (working out --- I may not look like it now but I was a finely tuned ath-e-lete. I used to do 5 sets of 10 – 15 (when I felt frog) reps of pull ups. I could run a mile in 5 minutes, I could bench 235 two or three times I could throw pig skin a quarter mile just kidding. I would work out for hours on end…then I got married and then I blew out my knee and when I stopped playing football/ basketball and running I felt just about every crunch I had been in for the previous ten years. My dang back, shoulders, and neck just plain ache constinatly. I was in really good shape before that. I was in the top 5% for fitness of all air force personel. I had a time when i felt good about my health, body etc…some of you have never had that before so when you think back it is hard to envision that…some of us have also never had a dynamic relationship with Christ. Go there get it…for those of you can ever remrebr a time when you were close to Christ than you are now then you are just plain out of shape…get back into it…
2. Repent – aorist – a sharp break with evil – you can’t fiddle w/ evil and expect to have a dynamic relationship with God…just like you cannot only work out once a week and then expect to loose weight and start looking soo good.
3. Do what you did at first – works that came out of their first love for God.
- ignoring the call to repentance = chrsit coming (present tense) to remove their church from existence – one cannot go on not loving…
Wiersbe
But the Lord was also speaking to individuals, and this is where you and I come in. “He that hath an ear, let him hear.” Churches are made up of individuals, and it is individuals who determine the spiritual life of the assembly. So, while reading these messages, we must apply them personally as we examine our own hearts. [4]
John was a pastor at heart, seeking to encourage these churches during a difficult time of persecution. Before Christ judges the world, He must judge His own people (Ezek. 9:6; 1 Peter 4:17). A purified church need never fear the attacks of Satan or men. [5]
It is a very remarkable thing,” wrote G. Campbell Morgan, “that the church of Christ persecuted has been the church of Christ pure. The church of Christ patronized has always been the church of Christ impure.” ?
The word Nicolaitan means “to conquer the people.” Some Bible students believe this was a sect who “lorded it over” the church and robbed the people of their liberty in Christ (see 3 John 9–11). They initiated what we know today as “clergy” and “laity,” a false division that is taught nowhere in the New Testament. All God’s people are “kings and priests” (1 Peter 2:9; Rev. 1:6) and have equal access to the Father through the blood of Christ (Heb. 10:19ff).
… They displayed “works... labor... and patience” (Rev. 2:2), but these qualities were not motivated by a love for Christ. (Compare 1 Thes. 1:3—“work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope.”) What we do for the Lord is important, but so is why we do it!
it is possible to serve, sacrifice, and suffer “for My name’s sake” and yet not really love Jesus Christ! The Ephesian believers were so busy maintaining their separation that they were neglecting adoration. Labor is no substitute for love; neither is purity a substitute for passion. The church must have both if it is to please Him.
Our love for Him must be pure (Eph. 6:24).
In spite of the privileges it had enjoyed, the church of Ephesus was in danger of losing its light! The church that loses its love will soon lose its light, no matter how doctrinally sound it may be. “I will come” (Rev. 2:5) is not referring to the Lord’s return, but to His coming judgment then and there
Revelation 2:7 makes it clear that individual believers within the church may be true to the Lord, no matter what others may do. In these seven messages, the “overcomers” are not a “spiritual elite,” but rather the true believers whose faith has given them victory (1 John 5:4–5).
Gntc – beale
Consequently, the use of the formula here and to introduce the sayings of Christ in the letters emphasizes that Christ assumes the role of Yahweh. Such a role for Christ has already been shown in other respects in 1:12–18.19 Indeed, this formula demands that chs. 2–3 be seen as a group of prophetic messages rather than as mere letters.[6]
However, before directly addressing their problem, he encourages them for their hard labor of persevering in doctrinal faithfulness
outer circle of apostles, wider than the twelve, which included James the Just, Silas, Andronicus, and Junia (Acts 14:14; Rom. 16:7; 1 Cor. 15:7; Gal. 1:19; 1 Thess. 2:6).20 After examining this group, the church determined that they were “false” teachers and therefore “evil,” and exposed them as such. Their false teaching was probably not too different from that of the Nicolaitans, the Balaam group, and the followers of Jezebel (cf. discussion in subsequent sections below). Such alertness to doctrinal error may reflect the Pauline admonition to the first-generation Ephesian Christians to be on guard against false teachers (Acts 20:28–32; cf. 1 Tim. 1:3–11; 4:1–8; 6:2–7, 20–21; 2 Tim. 3:1–17
Nevertheless, the Ephesians’ theological acumen penetrated this disguise and revealed the false “apostles” for the “liars” they were. Consequently, the emphasis is on persevering in guarding the internal doctrinal purity of the church’s faith. This was not an occasional strength of the church but an ever vigilant attitude toward inner purity, which the church maintained well into the second century in the face of continued threats from false teachers (so Ignatius, Eph. 7:1; 9:1).
In the early church false prophets were detected primarily through examination of behavior or teaching (cf. 1 Thess. 5:19–21; 1 John 4:1–3; Didache 11:1–12:1).
The idea is that they no longer expressed their former zealous love for Jesus by witnessing to him in the world. This is why Christ chooses to introduce himself as he does in v 1. His statement that he “walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands” is intended to remind the introverted readers that their primary role in relation to their Lord should be that of a light of witness to the outside world.
ind the introverted readers that their primary role in relation to their Lord should be that of a light of witness to the outside world.
That losing their “first love” was tantamount to becoming unzealous witnesses is suggested further as we see a link with Matt. 24:12–14, which shows such an end-time expectation: “Most people’s love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”24 This explains the loss of love as unfaithfulness to the covenantal task of enduring in preaching the gospel “for a witness.”25 Indeed, this is to occur together with an increase in “false prophets” who will “mislead” (Matt. 24:10–11, 23–26), just as was occurring in Ephesus
he initial description of Christ “holding the seven stars [= angels] in his right hand” conveys the provision of heavenly help available to the Ephesians in their struggle to regain their position as witnessing lampstands. That the concern is primarily for witness is shown by the warning that, if the church does not repent, Christ “will come and remove [their] lampstand from its place
This is evident further from the fact that among the warnings of judgment in the letters this one is unique to the letter to Ephesus and is especially suited in a lex talionis manner to their role as light-bearers: if they will not exercise their call to be a lamp of witness, then their lamp will be removed, as with Israel in the OT (see further on 1:6, 12). Israel had also been symbolized by the lampstand emblem (e.g., Zechariah 4), but when successive generations renounced their calling to be a light to the nations (Isa. 42:6–7; 49:6), God removed them as his light-bearing people and transferred the emblem of that call to the church
That the primary meaning of lampstand is that of witness is confirmed from Rev. 11:3–7, 10, where the “lampstands” refer to those who are God’s “prophetic witnesses.” Similarly, Mark 4:21 and Luke 8:16 say that a “lamp” is to be put on a “lampstand” to shine in order to emphasize the witnessing role of those who truly possess God’s revelation (cf. also Matt. 5:14–16!) in close connection to the basic formula “if anyone has ears to hear let him hear” (Mark 4:23; Luke 8:8). These two texts also imply that those among God’s people who do not shine their light will have their lamps removed (Mark 4:25; Luke 8:18).
The lampstands also generally represent the power of the Spirit, since this is how the lampstand is implicitly identified in Zech. 4:6, although we have seen more precisely that John views the “lamps” as the Spirit that burns on the “lampstands” (the churches), thus empowering them for witness
The Nicolaitans taught that some degree of participation in the idolatrous culture of Ephesus was permissible. The temptations and even pressures to become so involved were great since the city’s life was dominated by the pagan temples. Ephesus was known as the “temple warden” (νεωκόρος) of the goddess Artemis, and thousands of priests and priestesses served in the temple precincts (cf. Acts 19:35).
in each letter, they are all versions of the final promise of the book to the “conquerors,” which is generally stated in 21:7 as ὁ νικῶν κληρονομήσει ταῦτα (“the one conquering will inherit these things”). The “inheritance” there is immediately explained as the enjoyment of God’s covenantal presence among people (so also 21:3).
This is precisely the force of the promise in 2:7. To “eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God” is a picture of forgiveness and consequent experience of God’s intimate presence (22:2–4). The same end-time hope is referred to with virtually identical language in several early Jewish texts
Revelation speaks of the consummated restoration of this divine presence among humanity in the future (22:2–4), which has already been inaugurated in the present. Therefore, the “tree” refers to the redemptive effects of the cross, which bring about the restoration of God’s presence, and does not refer to the cross.
It is appropriate that, if the Ephesian Christians overcome by being God’s lampstand of witness, then God will cause them to be identified with “the tree of life.” Both the “the tree of life” and the lampstand are partly symbolic of God’s presence. In particular, the light emanating from the lampstand represented God’s presence,
Perhaps the OT tree of life was chosen as emblematic of Christian reward because a tree image was long associated either with the goddess Artemis or with Ephesus, where the great Artemis temple flourished.41 What paganism promised only Christianity as the fulfillment of OT hopes could deliver.
Hardsayings
The clue to the real meaning of this term is found in the identification of the Nicolaitans with “the teaching of Balaam” in Revelation 2:14–15. Not only is it possible that “Nikolaitan” is a Greek form of “Balaam” (as understood by the rabbis), but, more important, this interpretation fits both the text and the first-century situation.
John identifies the teaching of Balaam with two problems: “eating food sacrificed to idols” and “sexual immorality.” The early church constantly struggled with compromises with paganism
Both of these center on food offered to idols, Paul’s conclusion being that one could eat such food if purchased in the marketplace, but one should not go to a meal in a pagan temple. Following this Pauline rule, however, would cut one off from membership in trade guilds, patriotic celebrations (including ceremonies honoring the emperor, considered essential to good citizenship, although not taken seriously by the upper classes as religious events) and many family celebrations. We can easily see the pressure to rationalize and thereby develop a compromise.[7]
On the other hand, “sexual immorality” was used in the Old Testament for involvement with pagan deities. For example, the Old Testament Jezebel was not to our knowledge physically immoral—she was likely faithful to Ahab all her life—but she did lead Israel into Baal worship. Since Israel was God’s “bride,” such involvement with other gods was called “adultery” or “sexual immorality.”
If, then, John is taking the Old Testament examples as the basis for his discussion, the sexual immorality is figurative, standing for their worship of other deities, which was implied in their attending feasts in idol temples. If, on the other hand, he is using the Old Testament examples loosely, he may be indicating two related problems, attending feasts in idol temples and engaging in extramarital sexual intercourse, probably with prostitutes.
Rev 22:17
In the book the hardhearted refuse to repent and receive the consequences – after everything is said and done the book still calls for repentance so that the a right relationship can be had with believer and Christ.
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[1]Keener, Craig S. ; InterVarsity Press: The IVP Bible Background Commentary : New Testament. Downers Grove, Ill. : InterVarsity Press, 1993, S. Re 1:20
[2]Keener, Craig S. ; InterVarsity Press: The IVP Bible Background Commentary : New Testament. Downers Grove, Ill. : InterVarsity Press, 1993, S. Ac 19:1
NIV New International Version
[3]Keener, Craig S. ; InterVarsity Press: The IVP Bible Background Commentary : New Testament. Downers Grove, Ill. : InterVarsity Press, 1993, S. Ac 19:8-10
[4]Wiersbe, Warren W.: The Bible Exposition Commentary. Wheaton, Ill. : Victor Books, 1996, c1989, S. Re 2:1
[5]Wiersbe, Warren W.: The Bible Exposition Commentary. Wheaton, Ill. : Victor Books, 1996, c1989, S. Re 2:1
19 See above; likewise Boring, Revelation, 87–88.
[6]Beale, G. K. (1999). The book of Revelation : A commentary on the Greek text (229). Grand Rapids, Mich.; Carlisle, Cumbria: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press.
[7]Kaiser, W. C. (1997, c1996). Hard sayings of the Bible (760). Downers Grove, Il: InterVarsity.