Theological Commentary: Click Here
In
Revelation 2, Jesus speaks to four congregations of followers. There are several common themes among these
passages. First, everyone faces some
sort of turmoil or test. Second, perseverance
is a highly prized value among people face turmoil. Third, those who do persevere receive some
sort of reward for their faithfulness.
What is the point of this? God
wants us to remain faithful. He knows
that life will not be easy. He knows
that tests and trials will come. He
wants us to be prepared for the life ahead.
What is
different about the churches? The
primary difference is from where the trials come. Some churches have trials that come from
within. For example, take Ephesus. While they have their moments of
faithfulness, they have abandoned their first love. The Ephesian threat isn’t an external one but
one of the heart. Or take the example of
Thyatira and Pergamum. The issue in
these churches is that they are tolerant of false teachers coming into their
midst. Their hearts are willing to
sacrifice a firmness in the faith so that they don’t upset people.
Some
churches face an external threat. Revisiting
Thyatira and Pergamum, the reality is that the people who are tolerated are
external to the church. These external
threats are teaching people to not care about idols or sexual purity. Additionally, take the church in Smyrna. Their threat is entirely external. The people of Smyrna are faithful, but they
are about to become quite persecuted. They
are going to be imprisoned, tortured and perhaps even killed.
Whatever the
cause, there is reason to persevere.
Those who stay faithful to God through the midst of the threat win God’s
approval. The faithful will have
authority over the others. The faithful
will be nourished by truly satisfying spirituality that only God can provide. The faithful will avoid the punishment of the
second death. The faithful will live
forever with God.
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