The Temple of Artemis was also a major treasury and bank of the ancient world, where merchants, kings, and even cities made deposits, and where their money could be kept safe under the protection of deity. (Longenecker in his commentary on Acts), ii. When these Christians honored other gods, they were unfaithful to the Lord who saved them. Some believe it was because Pergamos was a center for the ancient Babylonian priesthood, but this is tough to prove conclusively.
The Seven Churches (Part Two): Interpretations - Church of the Great God a. i. The other kind of crown the stephanos, used here is given as a trophy to a winning athlete. Now, when a man works for Christ he should work with all his might. (Spurgeon). In classical Greek martus never means a martyr in our sense of the term. Wisdom Literature c. Smyrna: We also know from history that it was a city deeply committed to idolatry and the worship of the Roman Emperor. i. ii. This was meant first in the eternal sense of making it to heaven, which was no small promise to a church threatened with the removal of Jesus presence.
Revelation 2:4 (KJV) - Forerunner Commentary - Bible Tools (Revelation 2:2-3) What Jesus knows about the Christians of Ephesus. These things says the Son of God: Jesus first described Himself with a title that emphasized His deity. Thousands of clips filmed in East Asia are sold online. From what Ignatius wrote, it seems that the Ephesians returned to their first love without compromising doctrinal purity. Death could not hold Jesus, and it cannot hold His people. All over the world, Christians face persecution, especially in Asia, Eastern Europe, and in the Muslim world. by Richard T. Ritenbaugh Forerunner, "Bible Study," June 22, 2023 . Throughout New Testament churches exhorted to patience in waiting on the Lord. Because God had a purpose in their suffering, and so He allowed it. When was such permission denied? Verses 11-15. I consider what is spoken to this angel as spoken to the whole Church; and that it is not his particular state that is described, but the states of the people in general under his care. (Clarke). - The door was a visible to sign to John that he could go up and see what was taking place there. Poetical Books Jesus reminds them, Youre on My winning team., ii. The doctrine of the Nicolaitans is also condemned in Revelation 2:15, and in that passage it is related to immorality and idolatry. Barclay, William "Letters to the Seven Churches" (Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 1957), Barclay, William "The Revelation of John, Volume 1" (The New Daily Study Bible, Revelation 1-5) (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1975), Clarke, Adam "Clarke's Commentary: The Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments with a Commentary and Critical Notes" Volume 6 (Romans-Revelation) (New York: Eaton and Mains, 1832), Havner, Vance "The Seven Churches of Revelation" (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1958), Longenecker, Richard N. "Acts: The Expositor's Bible Commentary" Volume 9 (John-Acts) (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1984), Poole, Matthew "A Commentary on the Holy Bible" Volume 3 (Matthew-Revelation) (London: Banner of Truth Trust, 1969), Robertson, Archibald T. "The General Epistles and The Revelation of John: Word Pictures in the New Testament" Volume VI (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1933), Spurgeon, Charles Haddon "The New Park Street Pulpit" Volumes 1-6 and "The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit" Volumes 7-63 (Pasadena, Texas: Pilgrim Publications, 1990), Trapp, John "A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments" Volume 5 (Matthew to Revelation) (Eureka, California: Tanski Publications, 1997), Walvoord, John F. "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" (Chicago: Moody Press, 1966). c. Do the first works: This means that they must go back to the basics, to the very first things they did when you first fell in love with Jesus. You can copy the order of your preferred Bible translations from the Bibles Tab to the Version Picker (this popup) or vice versa. The sons of the sorceress (Isaiah 57:3) had the nature of the sorceress.
Revelation 2:7 (KJV) - Forerunner Commentary - Bible Tools It is true of each one of us. Pauline Epistles We are risking our lives to do this. ii. iii. I am not able to deny the principle he stands on. _NEVERTHELESS I HAVE_ SOMEWHAT _AGAINST THEE_] The clause should be read, according to the Greek, thus: _But I have against_ _thee that thou hast left thy first love_. Some dear souls think they are bearing their cross every time they have a headache.
Revelation 2:2-7 NIV - I know your deeds, your hard work and - Bible (Revelation 2:7b) The promise of a reward. The second death was a Jewish rabbinic expression for the total extinction of the utterly wicked. (Barclay), ii.
Enduring Word Bible Commentary Revelation Chapter 2 Immediately, streams of blood gushed from his body and seemed to extinguish the fire. But hold fast what you have till I come. b. b. I know the blasphemy: Jesus knew the abuse these Christians endured at the hands of religious men, those who say they are Jews and are not. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. Because of the famous temple to the Roman god of healing, sick and diseased people from all over the Roman Empire flocked to Pergamos for relief. Time to repent shows mercy. range of evangelical traditions, all of the ideas and principles conveyed
Revelation 2:4 | Bible Exposition Commentary Yet there was significant corruption inside the church. Prophets Sadly, many Christians avoid persecution of any kind by conforming so much to the world that they are no longer distinctively Christians. 1. A final exhortation (2:7a). Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Though they had left their first love, everything looked great on the outside. In Smyrna the church was a place for heroes. (Barclay), iv. So, believing that God wanted him to be around a few more years, Polycarp left the city and hid out on a farm belonging to some Christian friends. i. c. And poverty (but you are rich): The contrast between material poverty and spiritual riches of the Christians in Smyrna reminds us that there is nothing inherently spiritual in being rich. The gospel is spreading because of persecution, said Paul, who has been beaten seven times and kidnapped once by fanatical religious groups. . a. i. It claimed to be the Glory of Asia. (Barclay), b. Smyrna: This was a rich city. Others believe it was because Pergamos was the political center of the worship-demanding Roman government. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.. i. Individual instructors or editors may still require the use of URLs. The Gospels It wasnt hard for Jesus to see the problem, even though everything probably looked wonderful on the outside. It is much no ecclesiastical history makes mention of this martyr Antipas, which argues him to have been a person but of obscure note in the world; but Christ seeth and taketh notice of those little ones who belong to him, though the world overlooks them. (Poole), ii. Gods work will still go on through His overcomers. Only this church among the seven survives today, and it has survived through centuries of Roman and Muslim persecution. Revelation 2:9. The Authorized Version unwarrantably softens the censure by inserting "somewhat;" the Greek means rather, "I have (this grave thing) against thee." In "hath aught against thee" ( Matthew 5:23) and "have aught against any" ( Mark 11:25 ), the "aught" ( ) is . (Revelation 2:8b) Jesus describes Himself to the church at Smyrna. Their priority is no longer to love God first, and to act accordingly. Nevertheless means that all the good in the Ephesian church did not cancel out the bad Jesus is about to describe. Smyrna, like Ephesus, was a city of wealth and commercial greatness. (Barclay). Verse by Verse Commentary 1. Five of the seven churches are commanded to repent. Like each one of the churches, Jesus said to the church at Thyatira I know your works.. Seeing that he would not burn, the executioner, in a furious rage, stabbed the old man with a long spear. This same title was held by Jesus also (Revelation 1:5). GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, (Hebrew/Greek Search by English Definition), * 'Number Delimiters' only apply to 'Paragraph Order', Search verses, phrases, and topics (e.g. The Gospels in the resource materials are not necessarily affirmed, in total, by this ministry. This means that when God gives us time to repent, we must take advantage of that time. Prophets The principle is that regardless of how much the Bible you may know, regardless of how much you serve Him, regardless of past victories, we cannot walk with the Lord without loving Him. Since the text and audio content provided by BLB represent a The greater the evil, the more deceptive its cloak. The first under Nero, a.d. 54; the second under Domitian, a.d. 81; the third under Trajan, a.d. 98; the fourth under Adrian [Hadrian], a.d. 117; the fifth under Septimus Severus, a.d. 193; the sixth under Maximin, a.d. 235; the seventh under Decius, a.d. 249; the eighth under Valerian, a.d. 254; the ninth under Aurelian, a.d. 270; the tenth under Diocletian, a.d. 284. (White, cited in Walvoord), iii. The word for rule (Gr. They need to remember from where you have fallen. Historical Books A white stone could be a ticket to a banquet, a sign of friendship, evidence of having been counted, or as a sign of acquittal in a court of law. Annoyed with the old man, he pushed him out of his carriage and onto the hard ground. Is it Gods name, or is it the believers name? See commentary on Revelation 1:18. Rev. Or. What was the sickbed? i. To this point, we simply dont face the kind of persecution the Christians in Smyrna experienced. The city of Smyrna had a crown of beautiful buildings at the top of Mt. Who has eyes like a flame of fire: Jesus chose this description of Himself from the presentation in Revelation 1:14 to emphasize the idea that His eyes looked with penetrating judgment. Time spent sitting at the Master's feet will never be taken away from us. As the days in this book are what is commonly called prophetic days, each answering to a year, the ten years of tribulation may denote ten years of persecution; and this was precisely the duration of the persecution under Diocletian, during which all the Asiatic Churches were grievously afflicted. (Clarke), ii. Probably both are in mind, because the two loves go together. (Revelation 2:18b) Jesus describes Himself to the church at Thyatira. A May 1994 news item illustrates this: The gruesome martyrdom of a pastor in central India led to several hundred conversions to Christianity. One of the pastors of that church was named Polycarp. The Christians of Pergamos were like the Christians of Corinth as Paul wrote to them in 1 Corinthians 5:1-9. As Jesus said, In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world (John 16:33). Please see Blue Letter Bible's Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. Martyr is the ancient Greek word martus. Verses 1-8. Perhaps the deceptive reasoning went this way: To effectively confront Satan, you must enter his strongholds, and learn his depths in order to conquer him. People use similar reasoning in misguided spiritual warfare today. He was one of the Apostle Johns disciples and served at Smyrna until a.d. 155 when he died heroically as a martyr. Revelation 2:4 "You have left your first love." Christ's rebuke in Revelation 2:4 contrasts with what Paul had written to the same Ephesian church 35 years earlier, that he never stopped giving thanks for them because of their faith in Christ and their love for the saints (Ephesians 1:15-16).At the time of Christ's letter, most of the Ephesian Christians are second-generation believers. Smyrna was an outstandingly beautiful city. On the way to the city, the police chief and other government officials tried to persuade Polycarp to offer a pinch of incense before a statue of Caesar and simply say Caesar is Lord. Thats all he had to do, and he would be off the hook. So the Son of God has the divine nature, the nature of God. They did. b. They were tested and they passed the test. Thyatira was famous for the manufacture of a purple dye, and numerous references are found in secular literature of the period to the trade guilds which manufactured cloth. (Walvoord), ii. It is written to us, and to all Christians throughout the centuries. The old man remembered the dream about the burning pillow, and took courage in God. ii. i. Antipas is one of the great almost-anonymous heroes of the Bible. Nevertheless, there is also nothing inherently spiritual in poverty. This was grand of them: it showed a backbone of truth. To the angel: As discussed under Revelation 1:20, this angel may be the pastor of the church at Ephesus, or an angel looking in on the workings of the church at Ephesus. [He] departed from correct doctrine, and was in the habit of inculcating indifferency of both life and food. (Refutation of all Heresies, book 7, chapter 24; ANF volume 5, page 115). 1. Beecher). Eph. a. (Revelation 2:1b) Jesus describes Himself to the church at Ephesus. We might say that we overcome by our close association with Jesus, who is the ultimate overcomer. (Revelation 2:17a) A general exhortation to all whom will hear. 4. There are two different words for crown in the ancient Greek language. We must not become overly discouraged at immorality and idolatry around us, even among Christians. Others may be Jews ethnically which still has its place before God but they are not Jews spiritually before God. Who was dead, and came to life: Jesus chose this title from His initial appearance to John (Revelation 1:18) to remind the Christians in Smyrna that they served the risen Lord, victorious over death. It is worthy of remark, that whatsoever is praiseworthy in any of these Churches is first mentioned; thereby intimating that God is more intent on finding out the good than the evil .
Revelation - Matthew Henry's Commentary - Bible Gateway Revelation Chapter 1. The name Nikao-laos literally means to conquer the people. According to ancient commentators, the Nicolaitans also approved of immorality. Must you live?. At the same time it was measured and limited by God. 6. Jesus summarized the actions of the two sisters: "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. ii. (Revelation 2:1a) The character of the city of Ephesus. ii. Major Prophets He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: These images were taken from Johns vision of Jesus in Revelation 1. This is probably the believers new name, and the name itself is probably more important than the stone itself. We may not have the same opportunity to suffer for Jesus that the Christians in Smyrna had, but we can have their same heart. (Revelation 2:26-28) The promise of a reward. The apostle John, having in the foregoing chapter written the things which he had seen, now proceeds to write the things that are, according to the command of God (), that is, the present state of the seven churches of Asia, with which he had a particular acquaintance, and for which he had a tender concern.He was directed to write to every one of them according to their present . It speaks of both sexual adultery and spiritual adultery. Based on this, some (like Dean Alford) think that Jezebel was the pastors wife, or that Jesus meant Jezebel was the pastors woman in a symbolic sense. The police chief was now angry. He who has the sharp two-edged sword: In Revelation 1:16, John observed of Jesus out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword. Remember how you used to spend time in His Word? BBC Eye reveals the men who are cashing in. Still others take strange and confusing approaches: Others observe, that in ten days are two hundred and forty hours, which make up the number of years from 85, when the second persecution began, (under which John at this time was) to 325, when all the persecutions ceased. (Poole), iv. d. Or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place: Jesus gave them a stern warning. b. I will give to eat from the tree of life: The promise for these overcomers was a return to Eden, a restoration, and eternal life. Although the devil could destroy the body, he could do no more (Mt. Preterist (from Latin praeter meaning "past") holds that through the use of symbols and allegory, the Revelation deals with events that were fulfilled in John's time (they are "past") and that it was written primarily to provide hope and comfort to the first century church persecuted by Rome. Yet he stood against the attacks and the evil around him. The devil is about to throw some of you into prison: Here, Jesus described the nature of the persecution that would come against the Christians in Smyrna. Apparently, they would be imprisoned, and for a specific period of time (you will have tribulation ten days). That you may be tested: God is also interested in testing us. But that is precisely what the Christians would not do. Sweet smelling Smyrna, the poorest but purest of the seven. (Trapp). Early Christians joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven (Hebrews 10:34). Or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth: Unless they do repent, the Christians of Pergamos would face the Jesus who has the two-edged sword. C. No place for evil persons. It had many active trade guilds, each having their own patron deity from the Greek and Roman pantheon of gods. This can be described as a definite and sad departure. (Robertson), i. a. I know your works: Jesus said this to each church. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select an Ending Point And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write. A difficult environment never justifies compromise. ii. 4. The title Nico-laitans has the idea of a proud authority and a hierarchical separatism. The sword of My mouth: When Jesus came against the Christians of Pergamos, He will confront them with His Word.
Catching the men who sell subway groping videos - BBC News He who has an ear: This is a letter that applies to everyone. A statement regarding the condition of the church. Historical Books Ephesus was a stronghold of Satan. The name Smyrna comes from the word myrrh, a sweet-smelling perfume used in embalming dead bodies. i. First, it was to draw them to repent of their deeds. The reference to adultery is important. It was simply taken for granted, and the person who lived by Biblical standards of purity was considered strange. It means to change your direction, to go a different way. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Use semicolons to separate groups: 'Gen;Jdg;Psa-Mal' or 'Rom 3-12;Mat 1:15;Mat 5:12-22', There are options set in 'Advanced Options', The Whole Bible But the Nicolaitans also had their doctrine, and some among the Christians of Pergamos held the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. These wordsan echo from the Gospelsrecur in all the seven epistles. Rev. The city was a noted center for culture and education, having one of the great libraries of the ancient world, with more than 200,000 volumes. The Ephesian church was a working church. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.. Surely, the devil wanted to imprison them for a longer time, but God limited the tribulation to ten days. Sharp two-edged sword: This reminds us of the passage in Hebrews 4:12: For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. A painter might find work in pagan temples or a sculptor might be hired to make a statue of a pagan god. Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth. b. A couple that has been married for a long time doesnt always have the same thrill of excitement they had when they first dated. c. Ephesus: This great city was also world-famous as a religious, cultural, and economic center of the region. God set a hedge of protection between him and the fire. He knows these hardships both in the sense that He saw what happened to them, and in the sense that He knew their hardships by His personal experience. In some way, this angel represents this church; but the letter isnt written just to the representative, but to the whole church. In all ages, the blood of the martyrs has been seed for the church.
Revelation 2:4 - Bible Verse Meaning and Commentary - Bible Study Tools Enduring Word Bible Commentary Revelation Chapter 7 The New Testament Smyrna was a leading city in the Roman cult of Emperor worship. When indeed was this not done? This is a loving call to hear what the Holy Spirit is teaching in these seven messages. Revelation 2:8-11. And where you dwell, where Satans throne is: In many ways, Pergamos was a stronghold of Satanic power. Error: Passwords should have at least 6 characters, Error: Usernames should only contain letters, numbers, dots, dashes, or underscores. Unless they repent of their deeds: Jesus revealed the purpose for this chastening. I know thy works For the eyes of the Lord are throughout the earth, beholding the evil and the good; and, being omnipresent, all things are continually open and naked before him. It always means a witness. What is the doctrine of the Nicolaitans? The Nicolaitans, like all deceivers that come from the body of Christ, claimed not that they were destroying Christianity, but that they were presenting an improved and modernized version of it. (L. Morris quoting Barclay). 3. Blue Letter Bible offers several daily devotional readings in order to help you refocus on Christ and the Gospel of His peace and righteousness. Chuck Smith. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary 2:1-7 These churches were in such different states as to purity of doctrine and the power of godliness, that the words of Christ to them will always suit the cases of other churches, and professors. Wisdom Literature Some believe it is because Pergamos was a center of pagan religion, especially of Asclepios Soter or Asclepios Savior. Some believe it was because Pergamos had a huge throne-like altar dedicated to the Roman god Zeus. But he contradicts, not only with the freedom our age allows, but also with the customs and allowances of our ancestors. i. Adam Clarke wrote: Others suppose there is an allusion here to conquerors in the public games, who were not only conducted with great pomp into the city to which they belonged, but had a white stone given to them, with their name inscribed on it; which badge entitled them, during their whole life, to be maintained at the pubic expense These were called tesserae among the Romans, and of these there were several kinds. Clarke then gives examples of the different kinds: Tesserae conviviales, which answered exactly to our cards of invitation, or tickets of admission to a public feast or banquet; when the person invited produced his tessera he was admitted But the most remarkable of these instruments were the Tesserae hospitales, which were given as badges of friendship and alliance, and on which some device was engraved, as a testimony that a contract of friendship had been made between the parties..
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