No Tolerance Zone for False Teaching

The Template of the Letter to the Church at Thyatira

Description of Jesus (Rev. 2:18)

The Son of God who has eyes like flame and feet of bronze addresses this 4th Church.

Commendation (Rev. 2:19)

The Risen Christ knows that this Church is active in service. They have a love for Jesus and they work hard, with more effort than when they first started.

Rebuke (Rev 2:20-23)

The Church at Thyatira receives a lengthy rebuke from Jesus. It is mainly centered on the Church tolerating (allowing) a false teacher who brings in sexual immorality.

Action Steps (Rev 2:24-25)

The members are warned to avoid the “deeper” teaching and to stand fast until Jesus returns.

Reward (Rev 2:26-28)

Those who overcome are promised positions of authority in the Kingdom and the presence of Christ.

The Righteous Judge is well aware of what takes place within His Church (Rev. 2:18-19)

Explanation: The introduction to the specific churches is taken from the description of the Risen Christ as found in Rev. 1: 13-18). In this introduction, Jesus is referred to as the Son of God (v.18) instead of the Son of man (v. 13). The is the only time in the Book of Revelation in which Jesus is referred to as the Son of God and John MacArthur makes an interesting observation on this. He states: “the emphasis is not on His humility, but on His deity; because His approach to the church at Thyatira is not as sympathetic High Priest, but as divine judge.” (TMNTC, Rev. 1-11, by John MacArthur, Jr., page 96)

This is the One who has “eyes like unto a flame of fire,” a phrase that pictures flashing eyes of judgment and discernment. The Risen Christ is the One who knows what takes place in His churches. He informs the Church that He knows their works; Jesus is very well aware of their love for others, and their faithful service. He knows that a segment of the church is growing in His grace and serving with even greater zeal and passion than they had at the beginning.

Quote from Lincoln: “you can fool some of the people all of the time; you can fool all of the some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time”

Argument: No one can fool Jesus at any time! The eyes that see the good also see the evil. The “eyes like unto a flame of fire” are not misled by our efforts to highlight the good.

Human tendency to try to cover up or downplay the negative by focusing solely on the positive (politicians are masters of this technique!) It doesn’t work with Jesus in the slightest!

Application: Understand that Jesus is God. He has perfect knowledge and nothing is hidden from Him.

Tolerance of False Teaching, even when carried out for high ideals, brings Judgment (Rev. 2:20-23)

Explanation: “But I have this against you” - The Risen Christ brings strong words of judgment against His own! The charge is not vague, but specific and He calls out some of the Church members for their tolerance of false teaching.

The word tolerance means to have sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one’s one (Meriam Webster online dictionary)

The problem with the Thyatiran Church was their willingness to tolerate teachings that were not in line with the Bible. The False Teacher at Thyatira was a type of Jezebel. The historical Jezebel was the wife of King Ahab. Jezebel was a member of a pagan nation and Ahab had no business marrying her. A direct result of this unauthorized union was the introduction of gross sexual immorality through Baal worship.

NOTE: Our actions / decisions have consequences that affect others.

The Thyatiran variant was probably a teaching that focused on a false division between the physical and the spiritual. The spiritual is presented as the only thing that matters, so a person can do whatever physically since it has no bearing on one’s spirituality.

Argument: Some in the Church may have tolerated this false teaching in an effort to “go along to get along,” OR they may have tolerated it out of sympathy with the false teachers.

This is seen in the Church today - orthodox believers will accept false teaching because the teacher is popular, some one in the family has accepted the false teaching, or they are motivated by the desire to “be on the right side of history”

We are also dealing with the NEW definition of tolerance. Previously that meant that I could accept that you hold contrary beliefs, but that I thought they were wrong. I tolerated your contrary position, but didn’t accept it.

Now, the thought police have introduced a NEW tolerance. Under this new meaning, I can no longer publically state that I disagree with your position (not able to say it is wrong!). Not only can I not disagree with your position, I am expected to affirm / celebrate your position, regardless of biblical morality.

The Risen Christ offers grace and a call to repentance prior to the Condemnation (Rev. 2:21-23)

Explanation: Jesus gave the Thyatiran Jezebel time to repent, but she refused it. The hearts of some non-believers are hardened and they choose to remain in a rebellious state.

Ecclesiastes 8:11 KJV 1900

Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

The heart of God is for lost sinners to repent (cf., 2 Peter 3:9), but if repentance is rejected, the judgment is sure to come. Note the three (3) actions Jesus promises to perform in the area of Judgment

I will cast her into a sickbed and into tribulation (v. 22)

The Thyatiran Jezebel is a F.T. and in the New Testament False Teachers belong to the unsaved group of people. Jesus is promising condemnation to this group of people. The sentence is to a sickbed of sin and corruption and great tribulation. This is not to be confused with the period of tribulation in the End Times, but is representative of the Eternal suffering this group faces.

I will kill her children with death (v. 23a)

The result of accepting false teaching is non-believers. These are NOT Christians who have been influenced by false teaching; they are those who have grown up into it and have accepted the F.T. as normative instead of accepting the Way of the Cross.

False Teaching is TOXIC, not poisonous. Drinking poison will kill you, ingesting something toxic will produce corrosion and corruption over time

I will give unto every one of you according to his works (v. 23b)

The One who knows everything that takes place, informs the Church members that each of them will be judged “according to your works.” This does not imply a works-based approach to salvation. MacArthur points out “that works have always been the basis of divine judgment. That does not mean, however, that salvation is by works . . . people’s deeds reveal their spiritual condition.” (TMNTC, Rev. 1-11, by John MacArthur, Jr., page 103)

The Risen Christ exhorts His followers to remain faithful (Rev 2:24)

Explanation: “But to the rest of you” - this statement makes clear that not everyone in Thyatira was not caught up in the False Teaching. These are genuine believers who were most likely distressed by what was taking place in their fellowship (similar to Lot who lived in Sodom, 2 Peter 2:7-8). These are the believers who were commended in v. 19. Jesus simply tells them to remain faithful - “to hold fast until He returns.”

Argument: The presence of evil does not give a child of God license to compromise his or her faith. We are never given permission to “go along to get along.” The meaning of “hold fast” is to stand against the evil, to maintain orthodox belief, regardless of who stands with you.

The one who overcomes and remains faithful will share authority with the Risen Christ in His Kingdom (Rev 2:26)

The concept of a Kingdom is found throughout the Bible, both in the OT & NT. Jesus taught much about the Kingdom during His Incarnation, and we see from Daniel 7:13-14 that He has already received it. Jesus attested to this reality in Matt 28:18 when He stated that “all authority” has been given - a clear indication that this action has already been done. Jesus IS reigning and ruling in the present!

In the future, the Kingdom will take on another phase. At His physical return to the earth, Jesus will inaugurate the new dimension to His Kingdom, and it will be in this kingdom that the saints will participate. Jesus will be the Ultimate Authority, be He does grant us authority and governance which is based on our faithful service.