Lesson 18 -19 -20 March 16, 19 2003
The Church at Thyatira
Not just compromise with evil as at Pergamum; but at Thyatira you have the spread of apostasy from within.
Intro:
A small thriving town, 40 miles southeast of Pergamum.
Originally had been established as a colony by Alexander the Great shortly after the destruction of the Persian Empire.
Was famous for the manufacture of purple dye; had industry for manufacture and commerce in cloth, linen, dyed materials, leather work, tanning, and excellent bronze work.
Religiously, it was not very important; had temples to Apollo (sun god) and Diana, unlike Pergamum and Smyrna with their major pagan centers these were relatively insignificant.
There are some firsts with this church. (3)
#1 This is the first church to produce apostasy, error.
#2 It is the first mention of a "remnant"; faithful few believers; loyal to the truth. vs:24
#3 This is the first church where there is no hope of corporate recovery held out; only for individual (those with ears to hear)
** Question: How do we get from the apostolic age to this point in Church history?
Historical Background;
Apostolic Age 33 AD to 100 AD.
Time line: (some milestones)
33 35 49 64 100
Pentecost Paul's Jerusalem Nero 1st major death
Founding Conversion Council, 1st persecution, of John
of church Primary BD'l debate by gov't
Apostle Salv by grace
What marked the Apostles?
They were to be the vehicle that God would use to complete His revelation to fulfill the promise of John 16:12-13.
During the Apostolic age, Pentecost to the death of John there are 3 main features of the church.
#1 Missionary expansion; reaching out, evangelism, estab. churches Acts
#2 Writing the N.T.; completion of the canon.
#3 Full scale persecution (where we're at in Rev 2-3)
In Rome religion fell into 3 categories.
#1 State religion: emperor worship; not optional
#2 Religio-licita: state approved, licensed (legitimate, recognized)
#3 Collegia: secret societies, not legal.
Main causes of Persecution of the Church in the Roman Empire!
#1 Church's dedication to grace and opposition to legalism!
#2 It's dedication to Evangelism!
#3 Its dedication to the fact that Jesus Christ is kurioj, Lord and master!
#4 Church clashed with the influential classes of society!
#5 Rejection of the idols of Rome! i.e. Rome's gods.
- Christians rejected all the gods that Rome knew, authorized ones, and it was for this reason they were considered atheists.
1. Description of the Sender of the message 2:18.
"The Son of God (deity) who has eyes like a flame of fire,"
"and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this:"
- this brings into the picture judgment
2. Commendation 2:19 Addressed to the remnant!
Before He gets into the extended rebuke, condemnation for their failure Christ does have some things to commend the remnant for!
"I know your deeds (pl. ergon), and your love, and faith and service and your perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first"
** Note 2 principles that come out of the sequence in all the churches.
#1 Have Commendation always before condemnation or rebuke!
#2 Condemnation does not cancel what is right.
3. Condemnation 2:20-23
Their sin; But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel,"
- What this church has ignored is found in 1 Tim 2:11-12; called church order.
** The sinner - Jezebel
"who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond servants astray,"
What is the significance of Jezebel.
- Question; Is the emphasis on the Who or the What! Person or what she was teaching!
In the OT I don't think you will find a more evil woman than Jezebel.
- The historical Jezebel was a Sidonian princess who caught the eye of Ahab King of Israel. He married her.
- She was an Unbeliever who brought with her, her pagan idolatry worship of Baal.
- She introduced Baal worship into Israel.
She made a claim; Claims to be a prophetess; to have revelation from God, to speak for God! Extra-biblical revelation!
Consequence of Her message: "and leads my bond-servants astray, so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols."
* As always the idolatry and worship of Baal in Israel, was not introduced to replace God but to go along with God.
2:21 Her obstinacy (strong negative volition)
** The lesson to come out of verse 21 is this, What does God do when we are continually obstinate, rebellious towards His truth.
** God's part here is 2-fold!
#1 He gave her information. repentance involves information, change of thinking that results in a change of action in life.
#2 God was patient, He gave her time.
* God's pattern is to give information, the specific teaching needed and gives time to respond before judgment. That's called grace!
* What was Jezebel's response? "and she does not want (desire qelw pres act ind) to repent of her immorality."
2:22 The judgment
"Behold I will cast her (pres tense is used here for an emphatic future as if Christ is already in the process of executing judgment) upon a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds."
- The phrase "I will cast her ....and those with her into great tribulation..."
This says this church that is with these characteristics unlike the true church will be around and move into the tribulation period.
2:23 Impact on her progeny; those who respond to and follow her evil religious system.
There can be no hiding from Christ of any iniquity, He knows. Heb 4:13
- Prin: Judgment is not only disciplinary; It is exemplary. 1 Tim 5:20
4. EXHORTATION To the remnant! 2:24-25
Here we see one of the firsts, the mention of the REMNANT, the faithful few! Those who have rejected the human viewpoint and contamination of the teaching of Jezebel and stuck to DVPT.
This church is a counterfeit form of Christianity with a system of counterfeit doctrines.
Counterfeit teachings of that flowed from this church; which would eventually dominate the period of history - Dark Ages; the Holy Roman Empire!
- At all times there is a remnant of true, faithful believers, no matter what church dominates.
1. Justification by works; not by faith alone in Christ alone.
2. Baptismal regeneration; one is saved by baptism.
3. Worship of images/ikons; forbidden by Scripture (786 AD)
4. Celibacy for their priests; makes another false distinction between so called clergy and laity. (1079 AD)
5. Confessionalism - to the priest; only valid to God!
6. Purgatory - place of refinement, its a further sanctifying process that needs to be accomplished before one can go to heaven; (593 AD) No where mentioned in Scripture!
7. Transubstantiation - bread and cup become the literal body and blood of Christ; Its a continual, perpetual sacrifice of Christ. "Died once for sins" (1215 AD)
8. Indulgences; giving of money somehow will reduce time in purgatory that doesn't exist.
9. Penance, involving the physical torment of one's body also to reduce time in purgatory.
10. Mariolotry, the worship of the virgin Mary (431 AD.); her elevation to the Mother of God and the declaration of her as deity.
In vs:25 He exhorts the remnant! Hang in there!!
- Your going to be challenged from all directions on your faith, what you believe. True for every generation of the Church age.
How long? "until I come." First mention of His return for the Believer
5. The Promise 2:26-29 More Extensive promise than previously seen.
Christ is essentially saying to them You maybe the minority now, but you will be rulers in the future!
This stipulation is directed to "he who keeps My deeds until the end"
- this describes the faithful believer, faithful to live out his faith during their life.
"until the end"
"to him" (that is to the benefit of the faithful) "I will give authority over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces, as I also have received authority from My Father;
Rabbit trail
Note: 2 Tim 2:11-13 Parallel passage dealing with same kind of promise!
1. 2:11 = Security of our Salvation
"if (1cc) we died with Him" (aor) notes our positional identification with Him, occurs at the moment of salvation.
Conclusion: "we shall also live with Him"
This verse is an uncompromising statement of the absolute assurance that every believer possesses of living with Christ in the future.
Any interpretation of vs:12-13 that denies or lessens in any way the certainty of the assurance of all believers future life in the presence of Christ is wrong, not biblically based.
2. Life is Scrutinized for Possible Reward 2:12
- Vs:12-13 fit together very neatly in affirming that the quality of one's life as a believer will have impact on the quality of his future experience with Christ.
* Vs:12 has 2 conditional clauses describing opposite ends of the spectrum of Christian conduct; from patient endurance to denial.
1st conditional statement "if we endure,"
- If we are endure, we are promised here in the conclusion, that this endurance will lead to special reward over and above the promise of vs:11, living with Christ, made to all!
- The promise here is of ruling with Him, having a special position of authority in Christ's millennial administration.
2nd conditional statement "if we deny Him, He will deny us."
- This describes the Christian who fails to live a consistent life of faithful endurance; opposite end of the spectrum.
3. 2:13 Still Secure in Spite of Scrutiny.
This verse affirms the absolute security of all believers is based on the faithfulness of God.
The "if" clause: "If we are faithless" describes the condition of those who in context are regenerate people, the unfaithful soldier;
The conditional clause: "He remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself."
He cannot deny you the believer without denying Himself!
Between the 2 pillars of certainty, vs:11 if we have died with Him we shall live with Him. and vs:13 "He remains faithful for He cannot deny Himself" lay 2 alternatives both being possibilities for our life.
Since it is fully conceivable that we might be faithless, it is also conceivable that we might not endure.
And if we do not endure than we will not reign with Him since it is a reward for patient endurance, faithfulness under pressure.
Rev 2:28 2nd promise to the believers, the faithful remnant
"and I will give him the morning star."
Rev. 22:16; Malachi 4:2-3
- The prophet Malachi is painting a beautiful picture of the personal and visible return of the Messiah to establish His millennial kingdom.
Time when man is ruling apart from God is pictured as darkness, as night. (although the believer is to live in the day, being sons of light, we are not to sleep, be spiritually ignorant of truth but be alert. 1 Thes 5:5-6
2:29 final exhortation to the faithful remnant, a call to positive volition.