Month: March 2025

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The Victorious Church: Learning From the Seven Churches of Revelation – Revelation 2:18-29 – The Church at Thyatira

A Bit of Background Concerning the Church at Thyatira

  • Although we’re uncertain how the church came to be in Thyatira, Acts 16.14-15 mentions the conversion of Lydia who was from the area.

12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

  • A small city, but important for trade. The major road that led to Pergamum ran though Thyatira.

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The Victorious Church: Learning From the Seven Churches of Revelation – Revelation 2:12-17 – The Church at Pergamum

A Bit of Background Concerning the Church at Pergamum

  • about 60 miles north of Smyrna.
  • known for being a great religious, intellectual, and medical hub of the day.
  • the city was known for containing the alter of Zeus, one of the 7 wonders of the world. Also had the first temple dedicated to Ceasar.
  • the city contained a medical center which accompanied the worship of the deity of medicine, Aesculapius (signified by a coiled snake on a pole).

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The Victorious Church: Learning From the Seven Churches of Revelation – Revelation 2:8-11; 3:7-13 – The Churches at Smyrna and Philadelphia

SMYRNA

A Bit of Background Concerning the Church At Smyrna:

  • A port city located about 35 miles north of Ephesus. Current location is known as Izmir, Turkey.
  • A disciple of the apostle John served as pastor there until he was martyred around 155 AD.
  • A city of obvious wealth, known for its resorts, spas, and market places (Hunter, 29). First-hand geographical accounts in the first century describe Smyrna as “a beautiful city”.
  • We are not told in the Bible how the church came to exist in the city, many assume the gospel spread there from Ephesus.
  • The normal pattern for the letter given to each of the churches includes a: Commendation, Correction, Consequence of unheeded correction, and Conquering Promise. The church at Smyrna is one of two churches (along with Philadelphia) not given a Correction/Consequence.
  • This is also the shortest of the 7 letters.

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Revelation 2.1-7 – Commentary

The Church at Ephesus: A Call to Love

Ephesus was one of the most influential cities of the ancient world, a thriving metropolitan center at the time of John’s writing. As the capital of Asia (modern-day southwest Turkey), it was a powerful economic hub, boasting a large seaport that made it a key player in trade and commerce. Ephesus was not only wealthy but also highly cultured—yet deeply corrupt. The city was known as the center of worship for the goddess Diana (Artemis), and this religious devotion led to a widespread acceptance of dark arts, necromancy, and exorcisms. Paul ministered here for three years, as recorded in Acts 18-19, and left behind a strong Christian community. Later, Timothy was placed in charge of the churches in the region, and according to church tradition, the Apostle John also ministered there in his later years. Some traditions even suggest that Mary, the mother of Jesus, spent her final days in Ephesus. The church in this city was not merely a small group of believers but a large and influential congregation. It had a strong foundation and a rich history, making Jesus’ words to them in Revelation 2:1-7 all the more significant.

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The Victorious Church: Learning From the Seven Churches of Revelation – Revelation 2:1-7 – The Church at Ephesus

You can watch a video of this teaching by clicking here.

A Bit of Background Concerning the Church At Ephesus:

  • A thriving metro area at the time of John’s writing.
  • The capital and largest city of Asia (southwest Turkey) the city had a large seaport which made it an influential city of trade.
  • Enjoyed much freedom as a democratically self-run city within the Roman Empire.
  • The city has been described as being wealthy, cultured and corrupt (Summers, 108).
  • Chiefly known as the city which hosted the worship of the goddess Diana, thus it was a hotbed for Asian-influenced dark arts, necromancy, and exorcisms (Hodge, vi).
  • Acts 18-19 highlight Paul’s ministry to the city, staying for 3 years to teach the gospel. Acts mentions a who’s who of sorts of those involved in ministering there. Timothy was later placed in charge of the churches in this area.
  • Church tradition holds that the Apostle John ministered there in his later years and that Mary, the mother of Jesus, passed away in the city as well.
  • The church that was birthed there is thought to be quite large and influential.

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