THURSDAY
For the remainder of the week we will cover the other 5 churches that John writes to. Of course, we will not be able to cover each in as great of detail as we did the first two so I will only make brief comments on each as we go.
Ephesus was the most prominent city in Asia Minor. All of these cities worshipped the Greco-Roman gods, but Ephesus was known for its temple to Artemis which is one of the seven wonders of the world. In Acts 19 we read about a riot starting over Paul’s teaching in which the mob cries out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians.” They had a sanctuary made for the imperial cult in 29 BC. In AD 89-90, about the time John was writing, a temple was built for Vespasian, Titus and Domitian, by Domitian himself.
To the Church in Ephesus
2 “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.’
Jesus has both approval and rebuke for the church in Ephesus. He approves of their works, their toil and patient endurance. They have done what is right even if it is difficult and comes at a cost to themselves. He approves of their doctrinal purity and faithfulness to the gospel taught by the Apostles. They tested the “apostles” and found them to be false. However, in spite of their good works, those works are now no longer motivated by love (v. 4). This reminds us of 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. Without love, even our great faith and works mean nothing. So Jesus calls them to repent and return to the works motivated by love that they did at first.
The Nicolaitans are mentioned a couple of times in these letters. Not much is known about them and what they taught. It’s possible that they are connected with sexual immorality and eating food sacrificed to idols as that is the primary prohibition in the next couple of churches.
To the Church in Pergamum
12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.
13 “ ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’
Pergamum housed a temple built for Augustus and was a prominent city in promoting the imperial cult. This may be the meaning of the reference to Satan’s throne in v. 13. Apparently, we don’t have other records of this, but a Christian named Antipas was martyred for believing in Jesus in Pergamum. Jesus approves of the church’s faithfulness to his name in spite of this persecution.
Jesus however warns the church that there are some who are eating meat sacrificed to idols and practicing sexual immorality. They are believing another false prophet, whom John links to Balaam in Numbers 25. Balaam led the people of Israel to participate in cultic sexual relationships with the Moabites and to worship their gods and eat the meat of sacrifices offered to them.
The New Testament prohibition of eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols begins in Acts 15 and reinforced in 1 Cor. 8-10 and may be addressed in Romans 14. It seems the broader teaching of the church was to certainly not participate in the festivals in which sexual immorality was rampant and everyone would eat the meat of the animals that had been sacrificed to the gods. However, that meat would late be sold in the marketplace. Paul emphasizes that Christians should not eat meat that they know was sacrificed to an idol but they should feel free to buy and eat the meat from the marketplace if they didn’t know where it came from.
The hidden manna is likely a reference to Christ himself as the bread of life. The white stone’s meaning is uncertain. It could refer to an amulet for protection, access to a banquet, honor, voting as a means of acquitting defendants. A stone giving one access to a banquet is, I think, the most likely option. The new name is the new name of Jesus that no one knows because no one has power over him.
To the Church in Thyatira
18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.
19 “ ‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, 23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. 24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. 25 Only hold fast what you have until I come. 26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, 27 and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Again, the church is commended for their endurance, their works, their love and faith. Yet, they had been tolerating a female false prophet whom John links with the Old Testament character of Jezebel. We read about Jezebel in 1 Kings. She was the wife of Ahab, an exceedingly wicked king, and she introduced worship of Baal in Israel and killed the Lord’s prophets. Similarly to Pergamum this false prophetess had been leading the people to eat meat sacrificed to idols and participate in sexual immorality, likely all together as a part of Roman festivals.
The judgments Jesus pronounces on her in vv. 21-23 sound harsh, however they are likely best interpreted as spiritual. The irony of her sin being committed in a bed will be turned back upon her. She will remain in her sin and idolatry. Those who have fallen into this idolatry with her, and their disciples, will be spiritually will be spiritually dead, apart from the people of God.
Reflection
Note the consistency of the call to repent. Similar to these churches:
- Have you lost your first love like Ephesus? Are you going through the motions in your spiritual life without love driving those actions? Repent and rekindle your love for the Lord and for others
- Are you participating in idolatry and sexual immorality? We don’t have temples and worship services to pagan gods in our culture but we have sports teams, political parties, wealth management accounts, and entertainment that elicit the same level of devotion from us as an idol. We have pornography and plenty of opportunities for sexual licentiousness and lust. Repent and rekindle your devotion to the Lord.