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Written by: Chris Appleby

Created: 05 August 2007

Letters to the 7 Churches 5 - Laodicea

Rev 3:14-22

It's interesting how we can go from the two letters we saw last week where one church thought they were alive and were actually dead and another thought they were as good as dead but actually had plenty of life in them, to the final letter of the seven where the church is neither one thing nor the other. And if you thought Sardis had problems, Laodicea takes the cake.
Just to fill you in on their context, Laodicea was 15km west of Colossae and 10km south of Hierapolis. It was situated in a fertile valley. It was just as pagan a city as any of the others. In fact it was the centre of Emperor worship for the region. It had a strong Jewish community that may well have integrated into the Greek culture to a large extent. For example, there are examples of coins made here in the 3rd century that show illustrations that mix together the Jewish and pagan versions of the flood story.

Read more: Rev 3:14-22

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Written by: Chris Appleby

Created: 29 July 2007

Letters to the 7 Churches - Sardis & Philadelphia- Dead and Alive

Rev 3:1-13

Today we read about two churches with a significant contrast of characteristics. One thinks it's alive but is dead, the other feels as good as dead but is alive.
Sardis was a sophisticated city and perhaps that was the reason that persecution against Christians wasn't such a problem as it was in places like Smyrna and Philadelphia. It seems that the Jewish population of Sardis was well accepted despite the fact that they rejected pagan worship and that acceptance may have rubbed off on the Christian church since it was considered just a sect of Judaism.
In fact the Jewish synagogue in Sardis was one of the largest synagogues in the ancient world. And it may be that the Jewish people in Sardis had so integrated into this pagan, Gentile society that their tolerance of difference even extended to the Christian church unlike other cities in the region.
In any case there's no hint here of any persecution against Christians. In fact the description seems to imply that this was a flourishing church. They have a reputation of being alive.

Read more: Rev 3:1-13

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Written by: Chris Appleby

Created: 22 July 2007

Letters to 7 Churches 3 - Pergamum and Thyatira

Rev 2:12-19

As we move on from Ephesus and Smyrna to Pergamum and Thyatira we see the intensity of opposition and persecution increasing. While in Smyrna there was a warning of possible death for Christ, in Pergamum we find it's happened. Here maintaining belief in Christ has cost Antipas his life.
Yet even the reality of that sort of opposition hasn't stopped them holding fast to the name of Christ. He knows their context: "where Satan's throne is". Like the other 2 cities, Pergamum was a large city with a well established pagan system of worship. The greatest of these altars was that of Zeus, decorated with sculptures of serpents - which may be the reference to Satan's throne, though there were plenty of other possibilities.

Read more: Rev 2:12-19

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Written by: Chris Appleby

Created: 15 July 2007

Letters to the 7 Churches 2 - Ephesus and Smyrna

Rev 2:1-11

I receive lots of letters each week, from various organisations, and I have to say, most of them end up in the cardboard file on my floor - waiting to be recycled. Some, though, I take more notice of than others. Some I deal with immediately. Others I put in the pile in the centre of my desk to be dealt with as soon as I can get to them. How do I differentiate between these three groups? Sometimes I glance at the contents briefly and if it's something like an offer for life insurance or another credit card they go straight in the bin. But in other cases I check who they're from. I got one from the tax office last week, talking about my next tax return. That one I carefully put aside until I do my tax. The sender of a letter makes a big difference to the attention we pay it doesn't it?
Well look at the way this first letter begins: "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands." Think back, if you were here two weeks ago, to the vision that John saw of the Son of Man standing in the midst of the 7 lampstands, clothed with a long robe and a golden sash, with his head and hair as white as wool, as white as snow, eyes like flames of fire, feet like burnished bronze, a voice like the sound of many waters, holding the 7 stars in his hand and with a sharp 2-edged sword coming from his mouth, and his face shining like the full force of the sun. It was an overwhelming image of glory and majesty. And now the postman arrives and in his pouch is a letter from that same Son of Man.

Read more: Rev 2:1-11

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Written by: Chris Appleby

Created: 01 July 2007

Letters to the 7 Churches

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Written by: Chris Appleby

Created: 11 March 2007

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