I’m not going to give you the whole text of these two chapters again. You will be able to refer to the ‘report summary’ in Gem 2212, or to the full text in your Bible. Let’s consider these two chapters as Jesus’ report to these churches as I have suggested. What is a school report? It’s an evaluation of the situation we are in or the progress or lack of progress we are making. When we were at school as students we may not have looked at our report very carefully. Our parents on the other hand, paid particular attention to our school report while we hoped they wouldn’t, especially if it was a bad report.
I remember teaching a course of budding translators in auditory phonetics and phonology. One student was inattentive and when his results were not good I called him to talk with me about it. He was blasé and took exception to me questioning him about his results and his attitude. I told him I was talking to him for the simple reason I thought he wanted to become a Bible translator. He said that he did. To which I responded that judging by his effort so far he wouldn’t make the grade. I would think he would want to know that before he failed the course so he could remedy the situation and do his best to succeed. Isn’t that what progress reports are all about? Shouldn’t we pay attention to what the person or organisation evaluating us requires and the standards that must be met? How much more so when eternal values and goals are in focus? The student mentioned above became angry, packed up his things and took off in his car. To his credit he returned two days later and said that he had done a lot of thinking and realised I had told him what I had for his own benefit. If it was alright with me, he wanted to continue and do his best.
The seven churches chosen here are intriguing as to why they were chosen. There were clearly more churches in the Roman Province of Asia which could have been chosen. These seven were chosen; while Tralles, Magnesia, Hierapolis, Colossae, Alexandria Troas, Adramyttium, Miletus, Halicarnassus, Dorylaeum and Synnada were omitted. [I won’t list the other cities and towns which could be added.] Why wasn’t Colossae included? After all, Paul wrote a letter to the Christians there as well as Ephesus. Why were they omitted? It would be interesting to know Jesus’ evaluation of the Colossian church. Why are these churches set in the order they are? I have told you the answer to that question already. The order of the cities and associated churches are determined by the cities encountered on the circular route a messenger would take to deliver a letter to them. Ephesus was the nearest city on the coast to the island of Patmos. When John was released from his exile he would have returned to Ephesus. Jesus was the one who chose these churches, not John. He told John, the churches and the ‘Christians’ in them that He knew all about them. I think you have seen enough evidence already to convinces you of Jesus fore-knowledge of each situation. That shouldn’t surprise us, should it? I am sure some of the facts I have given you concerning each church in this series and the match to its city has shown you a remarkable correspondence. Yes, Jesus knew these churches. He told them He was the one who walks among the churches (Rev 2:1); He still does – NOW.
The other feature of Jesus’ report is that which Kev picked up on in his comments to the previous Gem. “It seems so many of them don’t pass.” I noticed that too. You have to say the evaluations of the seven churches are not good. Jesus had commendations to make to some and complaints for others. There are three churches which don’t receive any commendation, and I have noted already that Jesus begins with praise to soften the blow. But He couldn’t come up with any redeeming feature for three churches. Not only that, there are two churches which receive no complaint. You have a look for which churches fit the above categories. The other feature which is interesting is that Ephesus was chosen, rightly so. It was the fourth largest city in the Roman Empire (250,000) and it featured strongly as the leading city of the Roman Province of Asia. It should have been a shining light, the flagship church for churches everywhere, let alone for the Province of Asia. You know from what I told you in Gem 2196, the church of Ephesus had their pick of pastors or mentors: Paul, Apollos, Priscilla and Aquilla as well as John himself as their pastor and then their bishop. Take particular note of the commendations and the complaints Jesus had for the Ephesian church in their report summary in Gem 2212. Come on Ephesians, you can do better than . . . you have left / lost / abandoned / forsaken your first love. Look how far you have fallen. How could that be when they had been pastored by such famous leaders? Why are two cities (comparatively small towns) included in this chosen series of churches:- Thyatira and Philadelphia? Thyatira was the least significant and yet the introduction to the church of Thyatira is the longest of all. You have to admit that is curious.
The churches which have the best reports, Smyrna and Philadelphia, aren’t exactly outstanding. The middle of the road churches are Ephesus (lost their passionate love for Christ), Pergamum (allowing subversive teaching) and Thyatira (was permissive to the detriment of the woman practitioner and her followers). The worst churches were clearly Sardis, which had a good reputation but it was empty, they were spiritually dead and complacent in what they thought was their impregnable situation. Laodicea on the other hand made the LORD Jesus sick because of their indifference. Now you have to admit that is a pretty sorry bunch to be counting on for extending the Kingdom of God. Not only that, take note of the churches Jesus told to repent: Ephesus, Pergamum, Thyatira and Sardis. Those not told to repent were the Smyrnan, Philadelphian and Laodicean churches. That is remarkable in itself, but add to that the fact Jesus offered a lifeline or second chance to:
- the jezebel woman in Thyatira and those who followed her in her sin.
- the spiritually dead in Sardis who woke up and repented.
- those in Laodicea who looked and heard and opened the door.
You have to admit it was all very challenging and Jesus didn’t pussyfoot around; He didn’t mince words when addressing the issues with each church. He tells it like it is, as I have written before. Although I was direct with the young man I mentioned above, I didn’t say he made me sick or that he might have thought he was alive but he was spiritually dead and wouldn’t make the grade. I was encouraging.
Do you see the recurring theme among these letters? The opposition they will face, the persecution they faced. The fact that they needed to patiently endure, suffer without quitting, they faced prison and martyrdom, they were surrounded with satanic opposition, false teaching and the temptation to give up. They were living in the Roman Empire, surrounded by idols, temples and guilds which insisted they join in the filth as part of their commitment to business. To have been successful and achieved fame and success they would have had to participate. They lived in a god-infested environment and were expected to take part. Each church faced the same pressure to submit to the Roman culture and conform. Is it any different now? Has it ever been any different? Being a Christian, a true Christian and bearing the name of Christ sets you apart. The tone of this letter to all seven churches is the same. You will face opposition, the one who perseveres and holds on to the end is the one who is victorious. That message is repeated over and over. That is why these seven churches have been chosen. Seven expresses the idea of completeness, universality; these seven churches exemplify us all. The same mixed bag of reaction or evidence of struggle in the midst of a world that is bent on forcing us to conform.
I think it is time now to address the question or the puzzle of the switch in the order of the feature repetitions in each of these introductions to the churches, which I drew your attention to in Gem 2212. There are some obvious things to notice in the reports on each church. But there are also some subtle elements. I was puzzled by the way the two repetitive sayings are switched in order. Now that I have given you time to look for yourself, you will have seen the change that comes with the church of Thyatira. The beginning order for the first three churches:
- Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.
- To everyone who is victorious I will . . .
is reversed with Thyatira and continues for the remaining three churches to become:
- To everyone who is victorious I will . . .
- Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.
I have already drawn attention to the fact that the smallest most insignificant city and church was found in Thyatira. Why include them in this list? Oh they were not just included; they were given the prime place – the middle position. Look at the table I gave you in Gem 2204. Thyatira is placed at the emphatic point in a chiastic structure – the mid position. In Greek and Hebrew emphasis can go on the first and the last, but it can also be placed on the mid-point of a wider structure. I think that is what we have here. It is not coincidental that Thyatira, the smallest church is the middle church of seven. Neither is it coincidental that the smallest church gets the longest introduction. Do you see the added element to the Thyatiran statement?
Then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person. And I will give to each of you whatever you deserve.
That statement is like a repetition in itself of these two repeated lines which have been incorporated into the introductory statement for each church. Now the emphasis is added to both the blessing that will be given to each church and individual who perseveres and is clinging to Christ at the end and has not denied His name. But once more there is another reminder that this One Who has introduced Himself to each church in very relevant ways is monitoring the thoughts and intentions of the hearts of each one of them. In effect a double reinforcement to anyone who has ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. That is repeated at the end of the closing statements to the church of Laodicea.
“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne. Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”
Revelation 3:20-22
I don’t think it can be any clearer. Remember this letter was taken to every church of the Seven. Not only that, it was likely read to all other churches as well. Each church of the Seven knew what Jesus had said to the others. I am sure each church would find relevant, portions of Christ’s comments in what He said to other congregations. After all the churches represented a combination of believers reactions to the commendations and to the complaints. I am sure the line – I will give to each of you whatever you deserve – hit home to each and every one who heard it read. One would have to be brain dead to miss the point. Brain dead, dead, lukewarm or indifferent and complacent, having turned your ears off long before.
I will close this Gem with a quote from pastor of a house church in China and his response to an America pastor, who upon hearing of the persecution of the house church in China, said boldly, “Pastor, we in America pray for the believers in China because you are going through persecution.”
The Chinese pastor said to the American, “And we pray for you because you are not.”
Ian
Persecution stamps the church in; not out.
Ian
He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.
Jim Elliot
Diocletian issued an edict to destroy the Bible in 303 AD. Voltaire boasted 100 years after his death that Christianity and the Bible would not exist. Fifty years after his death, the Geneva Bible Society used his press and his house to produce Bibles.
Ian
I correct and discipline everyone I love. Jesus
Revelation 3:19