The Church at Philadelphia Lessons 23-25

Intro:

1. In relation to the other cities this one is fairly young city.

- founded in the 2nd century B.C.

- by Attalus II Philadelphos; who named it after himself!

2. Town was also devastated by the earthquake of 17 AD.

3. The town was rebuilt with aid from the emperor as was Sardis; but many of its citizens refused to return to live in it, choosing instead to settle in the countryside.

4. Pagan cults flourished in Philadelphia yet we find no indication of persecution from them but from hostile Jews, as was the case in Smyrna, (2:9, 3:9 very similar statements).

5. This is the church of Great Opportunity, of open doors.

6. The church is faithful to Christ and His word.

7. This is a church with out condemnation.

 

Overview:

1. vs:7 Emphasis is on its head, Christ, the sender of the message.

2. vs:8 Emphasis on the opportunity that lies before them!

3. vs:9-11 the future of the church.

vs:9 the immediate future

vs:10 the more remote future; His return

vs:11 gives them exhortation on how to handle the interim period.

4. vs:12-13 Specific Promise to the Church.

 

1. Its head, Christ the sender of the Message! 3:7

We will see here 4 aspects of the character of Christ

#1. "He who is holy," o` a[gioj( This is a title of Christ that ties Him to YHWH, the Holy One of Israel.

 

 

#2. "who is true," ; There are 2 words for true:

a. avlhqh,j = what is true as opposed to a lie.

b. avlhqino,j = what is true as opposed to an imitation; genuine

#3. He is the authority; "He has the key of David"

He is the key to Salvation and therefore to heaven and the conquering of death to anyone who believes.

 

What does it mean to have the key of David?

- Isa 22:21-22 gives us a clue!

 

 

#4. Christ is Sovereign; expressed by "who opens and no one can shut, and who shuts and no one opens,"

 

 

Jesus Christ has the ultimate control in that access is always through faith in Him;

- "no one opens" indicates that there is only one way in, His way! Lk 13:22-30;

 

 

2. Opportunity at Philadelphia - Open Door 3:8

"I know your deeds/works"

a. Fact of the Opportunity

"Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut"

 

NOTE: What is in view with this metaphor of an "open door"?

1. It stands for an opportunity given by God.

2. Open doors inevitably in the N.T. are opportunities for witnessing or ministry of the Word, communicating truth.

3. The marks of an Open Door; marks of opportunity.

#1 1 Cor. 16:8-9; Open doors do not mean no opposition.

#2 2 Cor 2:12-13 An Open door does not mean a permanent opportunity.

#3 An existence of need does not necessarily mean an open door; it might be; but in and of itself, a need does not mean an open door. Acts 16:6-10

 

#4 What if anything, on our part, a responsibility/duty is there in relation to an open door?

Note: If you examine Paul's prayers, he did not pray for the unbeliever per se.

What he did pray for was an opportunity to speak with them, to reach them with the gospel. Col 4:2-4

 

b. The appropriateness of their opportunity!

- 1st it is related to the cities history and its location!

- This town did not just spring up as many did.

 

 

c. The place of the Door/Opportunity

 

d. Preparation for the Open Door 3:8b

How did they qualify for such a great opportunity?

- In what sense is this "little power";

- Here it indicates from the standpoint of human strength and ability that this was a small church; was small potatoes;

Their preparation for the Open Door is three fold!

#1 It is in personal & corporate weakness;

** So individually or corporately they had no clout to open the door, God did that for them!

#2 (qualification) Obedience "have kept My word" thre,w to keep, guard, protect; here it carries the idea of obedience.

#3 They had manifested loyalty to Christ " have not denied My name."

- They were unafraid to bear the name of Christ; linked to His person.

*** There is a clear correlation between the last 2 (obedience/loyalty):

 

3. The Future of the Church 3:9-11

a. First in vs:9 the immediate future

#1. Religious persecution; often it is was worse than civil from the Roman government.

#2. They have a great heritage, but it is not the basis of their salvation, (Jn 8:33-47).

- Religious opposition of any kind is primarily the opposition of Satan!

 

- Part of the Promise here to this church says that their experience of the love of Christ is related to their obedience to the Word, their application of what they know, have learned.

b. Second focus is their future relative to the Tribulation in 3:10

The debate revolves around the kind of protection promised in relation to the "hour of testing."

 

c. Third focus in 3:11 is that all that He promised will occur without necessary delay.

 

 

d. The Promise to Philadelphia 3:10

#1 The reason: for the expressed love of Christ for them.

What John is doing here is giving the reason for the love expressed in vs:9b and that was - because they were faithful, had kept the word,

Now here in vs:10 the patient endurance is more specific. That is, its Christ's patient endurance, His load carrying ability.

*** Point is that if you have believed in Christ there is an awesome promise for you. True whether you’re a believer in Philadelphia or any other generation of the Church age.

 

#2 The Promise stated:

"I will also keep you from the hour of testing,"

 

What is in view here is the position or status of the C/A believer in reference to the "hour of testing."

a. I will keep = thre,w guard, protect, preserve, obey ; here best - deliver

- What is the hour of testing? The tribulation period!

b. from = ek (prep) = out from; does not indicate motion out from being inside but indicates an outside position; out away from something.

c. Only other passage that the combination of thre,w ek is found is in John 17:15.

 

 

So what do we learn from this verse?

 

17:15a Disciples are physically in the world; ai;rw evk indicates motion out from within.

17:15b different circumstances; the disciples are not in the evil one when Jesus prayed; therefore thre,w demands the idea not of motion but of preservation in an outside position.

 

d. The hour of testing

- th/j w[raj definite art. indicates a specific period of testing, not a general statement

- The period graphically portrayed in Rev 6-19.

7:14 "the great tribulation"

14:7 "the hour of His judgment has come"

 

e. The phrase, I will keep you from the hour of testing, destroys completely, in my view the Post Trib. view of being preserved or kept from the trials while on earth during the hour of testing.

 

The promise holds out the exemption from the time period of the trial not just the trial during that period.

 

#3. The scope of the promise.

"that [hour] which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth."

- Christ describes the "hour of testing" as coming upon, applying to the "whole world."

- The length of the hour is indicated by or fixed by the prophecy of Daniel 9:27 the 70th week.

 

#4. Purpose of the hour. "to test those who dwell on the earth"

 

#5. Exhortation for operation during the interim period! Until He returns! 3:11

"I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, in order that no one take your crown."

a. "I am coming quickly; adverb tacu,j not shortness of time; but indicates without unnecessary delay; may not be immediate.

b. How then do we deal with the interim period?

"hold fast what you have"; (pres. act. imp. krate,w)

c. Purpose/result of holding fast!

"in order that no one take your crown." can someone steal reward?

The lose of reward is due to lack of spiritual alertness; being asleep spiritually and therefore not living, being faithful to the word.

#1 It states a general prin.; the promise of reward.

#2 Looking at the context; yes it notes some persecution but not the main thrust therefore not the same as at Smyrna, not the crown of life.

 

 

4. Specific Promise to the church at Philadelphia 3:12-13

a. The symbolism of the pillars; "I will make him [believer] a pillar in the temple of My God."

- There are two aspects to the pillars that are important and give us clues as to the nature of Christ's promise:

#1 Pillars in the temples as supports were designed to withstand earthquakes. Often the structure around them would crumble and the pillars would be still standing.

#2 A faithful civil servant or a distinguished priest were often rewarded by having a special pillar erected in a temple and inscribed with their name.

 

** Christ gives them assurance of permanence and therefore security.

 

b. "and he will not go out from it any more"; reinforces the permanence of relationship

 

c. Next have a 3-fold assurance that they will be identified with God.

#1 they will have the name of God.

#2 they will have the name of the city of God, the New Jerusalem.

#3 they will have a new name belonging to Christ.

 

** All 3 of these indicate results that flow from the believers position in Christ.

 

3:13 Call to hear!

If we fail to hear what the Spirit has to say we will never in time realize the benefits of our salvation that are for today, for life, as well as the assurance and security that comes from our position in Christ.