A.T. Robertson Commentary Revelation 2:1

"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, he that walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks:" — Revelation 2:1 (ASV)

In Ephesus (εν Εφεσω). Near the sea on the river Cayster, the foremost city of Asia Minor, the temple-keeper of Artemis and her wonderful temple (Acts 19:35), the home of the magic arts (Ephesian letters, Acts 19:19) and of the mystery-cults, place of Paul's three years' stay (Acts 19:1–10; Acts 20:17–38), where Aquila and Priscilla and Apollos laboured (Acts 18:24–28), where Timothy wrought (I and II Tim.), where the Apostle John preached in his old age. Surely it was a place of great privilege, of great preaching. It was about sixty miles from Patmos and the messenger would reach Ephesus first. It is a free city, a seat of proconsular government (Acts 19:38), the end of the great road from the Euphrates. The port was a place of shifting sands, due to the silting up of the mouth of the Cayster. Ramsay (Letters to the Seven Churches, p. 210) calls it "the City of Change."

These things (ταδε). This demonstrative seven times here, once with the message to each church (2:1,8,12,18; 2:1,7,14), only once elsewhere in N.T. (Acts 21:11).

He that holdeth (ο κρατων). Present active articular participle of κρατεω, a stronger word than εχων in 1:16, to which it refers.

He that walketh (ο περιπατων). Present active articular participle of περιπατεω, an allusion to 1:13. These two epithets are drawn from the picture of Christ in 1:13-18, and appropriately to conditions in Ephesus describe Christ's power over the churches as he moves among them.