Faithfulness is Success

I have been struggling with depression as of late. Depression may be too strong a term. Maybe despondency and disappointment better characterize my emotional state. I have too often found myself, at the end of a day or the end of a week, wondering what I have accomplished. I state this somewhat boldly because I know many of you are struggling with similar emotions. Within the last week I have been part of four or five conversations (emails, texts, Facebook) in which members of Cornerstone communicated emotions of anxiety, fear, depression, and uselessness. Some of these moments have been brought on by really challenging events in life. While others have just simply been the outcome of a year of confusion, division, political upheaval, broken friendships, and dramatically transformed work environments.

Simply put – most of us are feeling sad. That is probably a bit of an oversimplification but bear with me for a moment. Far too often, in our consumer and success driven culture, our emotions parallel our accomplishments and perception of success. If we accomplish a lot in a day, we feel good about that day. If we don’t accomplish much – based on our definition of accomplishment – we feel useless and despondent.

In our culture, we tend to form life around accomplishing something. If we don’t accomplish something, where in lies our value? Let me offer a countercultural perspective. Faithfulness is success. [Read Revelation 3:7-13.]

Philadelphia of Asia Minor. In John’s letters to the seven churches, Jesus offers only commendation, no reproach, to two churches – Smyrna and Philadelphia. Philadelphia was situated on the Roman postal road and residents considered it “the Gateway of the East.”[1] Due to volcanic activity producing a rich soil, Philadelphia enormously prospered through agriculture. Being on the trade route, Philadelphia was a key city in spreading the Greek culture, and Greek was the predominant language by the first century.

Problems with Rome. Earthquakes regularly shook Philadelphia.[2] One such quake, in 17 AD, leveled both Sardis and Philadelphia. As a result of a lengthy period of aftershocks in Philadelphia, many of the residents chose to leave and find stability outside the city. This instability in the area led the Roman emperor to remove any obligation to pay taxes to Rome.[3] Additionally, he assisted in the rebuilding of the city. The citizens of Philadelphia responded by changing the city’s name to Neocaesarea and began a cult in honor of the emperor’s adopted son.

Domitian in the 90’s commanded the people to cut down half of their vines and encouraged them to grow grain instead. Some believe the reason for this command was due Domitian’s desire to protect the vineyards in Italy. This command threatened their wellbeing and enraged the citizens in the area of Philadelphia.[4]

Problems with the Jewish Synagogue. John indicates that the church in Philadelphia experienced great difficulty with the other Jews while they had been in the synagogue. They had probably left as a result and had formed this small group of believers. A group of believers that likely felt that their impact was small and potentially insignificant.

Josephus records that the Jews of Laodicea were called “friends and allies” of Rome (Ant. 14.242); their complaint to the proconsul (14.241–43) may imply their economic prosperity, which is also suggested by their attempt in 62 b.c. to send twenty pounds of gold to Jerusalem for the annual temple contribution (so Cicero, Pro Flacco 28.66–69).[5]

In their city, members of the Jewish synagogue had played havoc with the Christians. Of course, such Jews refused to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah. They claimed to be the true people of God, but they were not . . . They were liars in their rejection of Christ and his followers, for they had been deceived by the devil. Although the text does not directly say so, probably these synagogues had closed their doors to—excommunicated—Jewish converts to Jesus.[6]

Following such rejection from the “synagogue of Satan” and poor treatment by their emperor, the Christians in Philadelphia receive this letter from John (more specifically, from Christ). Christ displays his glorious and truthful rule in contrast to the Roman emperor, and these Christians are commended for their faithfulness.

Purpose statement. Our powerful Christ greatly rewards faithfulness to him.

Fallen condition focus. We naturally desire to feel significant and relevant. We want our voice to be heard. We think what we have to say – our feelings, our thoughts – should be considered and listened to and respected. Many of us feel irrelevant and insignificant. Most often cultural expectations, church expectations (whether or spoken or unspoken) shape our understanding of what is relevant and significant. Rarely do we meet up to these expectations.

We want to feel valuable, and of course too often our value or success is determined by what everyone around us tells us is valuable and successful. Based on their assessment most of us fall short. Yet Scripture offers a quite different assessment of success and value. We, like the Philippians, need to adjust our measure of success and realize that success is measured by our faithfulness to Christ not our position, accomplishments, beauty, abilities, etc.

Christ’s power and deity are proclaimed.

John begins his brief note to the Christians in Philadelphia by writing, “The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens” (Rev 3:7). Within this sentence, Christ describes himself by means of three qualities. Christ is “the holy one,” “the true one,” and the one “who has the key of David.”

Holy and True. Combined, the two terms, reflect the title given to God the Father in Revelation 6:10. John writes in chapter six of those under the altar crying out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true” (Rev 6:10). In chapter six, God the Father is described as “holy and true,” and here in chapter three, Jesus is described as “holy and true.” In so doing, John proclaims not only his holiness and truthfulness but also Christ’s deity.

The Holy One. New Testament authors do not often use this term for Christ throughout the NT. However, Old Testament authors do often use this term when referring to God. In fact, in this verse, John quotes from Isaiah 22:22. Isaiah writes, “And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open” (Isa 22:22). Isaiah goes on to use the term for “holy” in the title “The Holy One of Israel” around 20 times in referring to God. In connecting this description of Christ in Revelation to the term in Isaiah, John affirms and declares the deity of Christ.

The True One. In describing Christ as “the true one,” John both reaffirms the deity of Christ and establishes Christ as the true Messiah. John as well made this declaration throughout his gospel about Jesus (there also he desired to prove Jesus’ messiahship). Three times in chapter one, John describes Jesus as truth. Jesus is “the true light, which gives light to everyone” (Jn 1:9). A few verses later, John writes of how the “Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14). Again in chapter one, John writes, “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (Jn 1:17). And finally in chapter fourteen, Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn 14:6).

This title resonates with the believers in Philadelphia for probably two reasons. First, Jesus declares himself to be true in contrast to a certain group of Jews, titled “synagogue of Satan,” who lie about Jesus’ deity and messiahship. [7] Secondly, Jesus declares himself to be true in contrast to the unfaithfulness of the emperor who had so egregiously injured them and proven unfaithful.[8] In stark contrast, Jesus Christ proves to be a far superior king and one worthy of being followed.

Key of David. In declaring himself to be the “key of David,” Jesus connects himself to Isaiah’s prophecy. In discussing the coming Messiah, Isaiah quotes the Lord God of hosts” who says, “I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open” (Isa 22:22). In so doing, Jesus declares himself to be the Davidic Messiah who possesses ultimate authority over the entrance into heaven.

This is similar to Isaiah’s prophecy concerning Eliakim, who became the royal guardian of ancient Jerusalem: I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open (Isa. 22:22). Christ alone has the authority to admit persons to his heavenly city. Because he is holy and true, no one can ever argue that his admission of some and refusal of others is unrighteous.[9]

Jesus’ declaration of being the “key of David” correlates well with his statement in chapter one, “I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades” (Rev 1:18).

He has free and unrestrained access to the house; the power of admitting anyone, or of excluding anyone. Applied here to the Saviour, as king in Zion, this means that in his kingdom he has the absolute control in regard to the admission or exclusion of anyone. He can prescribe the terms; he can invite whom he chooses; he can exclude those whom he judges should not be admitted. A reference to this absolute control was every way proper when he was addressing a church, and is every way proper for us to reflect on when we think of the subject of our personal salvation.[10]

Open Door. In having the keys of David, Jesus Christ carries the authority and power to open and hold open a door. Which door? Likely Jesus implies one of two things, if not both, by this open door. (1) First, Christ has opened the doors of heaven to the believers in Philadelphia, and no one can shut it on them – even those in the synagogue who have kicked them out. This interpretation follows well in light of verse seven referencing the “key of David” and Jesus’ ultimate control to the doors of the eternal kingdom. Additionally, in verse 9, Jesus acknowledges the Jews who had likely kicked these believers out of the synagogue which would have implied their rejection in the eternal kingdom. (2) Secondly, Christ has opened a door of effective service for the believers in Philadelphia. This concept follows well the thought Paul has when he speaks of an “open door.” Paul declares on a few occasions how “a wide door for effective work has opened to me” (1 Cor 16:9), and when Paul came to Troas to preach the gospel, “a door was opened for me in the Lord” (2 Cor 2:12), and again in Colossians Paul prays “that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ” (Col 4:3). Luke as well uses employs this imagery in Acts when he writes of how the church gathered and “declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles” (Acts 14:27). Barnes believes that “open door” implies both concepts.

There is no objection, it seems to me, to the supposition that the language may be used here in the largest sense—as denoting that, in regard to the church at Philadelphia, there was no restraint. He had given them the most unlimited privileges. The temple of salvation was thrown open to them; the celestial city was accessible; the whole world was before them as a field of usefulness, and anywhere, and everywhere, they might do good, and at all times they might have access to the kingdom of God.[11]

Jesus Christ is God. He is the Holy One and the True One. He possesses the keys to the eternal kingdom. He permanently opens the doors to the kingdom for all believers to permanently reside within and effectively work for this eternal kingdom. Jesus Christ perfectly qualifies to assess the church in Philadelphia. He does assess them and he basically offers one conclusion. They have been faithful!

Faithfulness to God is commended.

Jesus simple commendation consists of three phrases or descriptions, “you have little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name” (Rev 3:8).

Numeric size is not proof of faithfulness. In our entertainment driven and mega church environment, size and numbers too often correlate to success. The size and entertainment quality of a church have next to nothing to do with their level of success. To be clear, a large church is not inherently successful, but that does not mean a small church is inherently successful either. Size is nearly irrelevant. The two following phrases emphasize the primary point – which we will get to in a moment.

There are a couple ways to understand the phrase “you have a little power.” (1) First, Jesus may have intended to suggest a spiritual reality. If so, their little power means they had little spiritual strength, and Jesus was encouraging them to use their little strength to serve in light of the open door in front of them. (2) Second, and more likely based on the rest of the commendation, they were small in number. They had little power because they had few people. Having been kicked out of the synagogue, this small gathering of believers possessed little influence.

Keeping God’s Word is a sign of faithfulness. Even though they were small and seemingly insignificant, these believers “have kept my word” (Rev 3:8). Keeping Christ’s words implies obedience to His commands, obedience to His guidelines, obedience to His desires. These believers did not only possess the simple knowledge of Christ’s word but consistently lived out their practical ramifications. John Gill draws a similar conclusion when he writes of how Christ’s truths “will be kept, not in memory only, but in the heart and life; they will be publicly and openly preached, professed, and defended.”[12]

Success for the church in Philadelphia was not determined by their size or influence. Instead, Christ revealed their “success” in that they were faithful. Faithfulness to Christ and his Word remains the key component of success in the life of a church, ancient or modern. Philadelphia was commended for their faithfulness. Would Christ, who is true and holy describe us as faithful?

Not denying His name is a sign of faithfulness. During this time, the Romans regularly brought Christians before their pagan rulers and demanded they renounce the name of Christ or publicly disown him. We cannot know with certainty, but it is plausible that some of these believers had been in such a position. If so, they had refused, amid persecution, to deny the name of Jesus.

Although they were small, they were highly commended for their faithfulness to God and His Word and that they had not rejected Christ amid suffering. As a result of their faithfulness, Jesus richly rewards them.

Faithfulness to God is rewarded

Instead of caving to the intense and immense pressure of either the corrupt and faithless Roman emperor or the lying “synagogue of Satan,” this small group of believers displayed their faithfulness by holding fast to their relationship with Christ and to their commitment to his Word. As a result, the perfect and faithful King, Jesus Christ, rewards them divine vindication, divine protection, and divine security. Jesus unfolds these three rewards throughout the next four verses (3:9-12).

Faithfulness results in divine vindication. Jesus addresses the synagogue of Satan and tells the Philadelphian believers “I will make them come and bow down before your feet” (Rev 3:9). This vindication is less like the psalmists who want to see their enemies destroyed and more like Joseph who is vindicated when his brothers come to realize he was right all along. Possibly they come and bow before God in repentance, realizing they were wrong. More likely, they come to this group of believers in humility, acknowledging they were wrong and that the believers who held to Christ were the true people of God.

Some think that this foretells an event that occurred in John’s time but is not recorded in existing documents. It is better, however, to see this as a reference to a coming time of (eschatological) judgment. When the books, at last, are finally opened, it will not, for the most part, be Gentiles kneeling at the feet of Jews (Isa. 60:14) as it will be Jews bowing before Christians, acknowledging that the church is truly the people of God that I have loved.[13]

Jesus reinforces, to these believers, that they were correct in clinging to him and that their holding fast to Christ was worth the heartache, difficulty, and persecution.

Faithfulness results in divine protection. Jesus states in verse ten, “Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth” (Rev 3:10). What is this hour of testing? Is Jesus speaking of the end times or a particular time in their lives? [14]

Let us first address a few things we can know with some level of certainty. (1) These believers were already going through persecution, so Jesus refers to something other than their present “hour of trial.” (2) Potentially the “hour of trial” refers to an event in their immediate future in which Christ will protect them. However, there is no evidence for such an historical event (of course the event could have occurred without being documented). (3) Quite possibly, Jesus refers to an “hour of trial” which still remains in the future. While this may be true, how might that have applied to the Philippians of been encouraging to them in anyway? (4) Potentially, the “hour of trial” should be understood more generically as a fulfillment of Jesus keeping his people through the “hour of trial.” Maybe this coincides with Jesus promise in John seventeen where he prays to the Father, “I do not ask that you take them from the world, but that you keep them from the evil one” (Jn 17:15). (5) Most likely, Jesus intends to communicate to these believers that he will protect and preserve them through a future display of God’s wrath. The Philippians never need to worry about being under the wrath of God due to their faithfulness.

Regardless the interpretation, Jesus Christ protects this this faithful and pure church in every way through their struggles in life (not out of them but through them). Amid their struggles, Christ extends them grace – the same grace which allowed them to cling to Christ commendably and publicly.

Faithfulness results in divine security. Jesus continues and promises them, “I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’” (Rev 3:11-13).

Pillars within the temple permanently rest secure both as displays of beauty and essential support. Similarly, the Philippian believers (and all believers) become a permanent fixture within a spiritual temple. Christ establishes believers as both a beautiful display of his grace and an ongoing and vital support for an eternal kingdom.

These believers had been kicked out of the synagogue. They felt acutely the pain and shame of being rejected. However, they would never be kicked from Christ’s eternal kingdom. Christ established them as permanent residence in the kingdom of God.

When we reach the heavenly world our conflicts will be over, our doubts at an end. As soon as we cross the threshold we shall be greeted with the assurance, “he shall go no more out for ever.” That is to be our eternal abode, and whatever of joy, or felicity, or glory, that bright world can furnish, is to be ours. Happy moment when, emerging from a world of danger and of doubt, the soul shall settle down into the calmness and peace of that state where there is the assurance of God himself that that world of bliss is to be its eternal abode![15]

Not only does Christ permanently establish believers as beautiful and permanent structures with the eternal kingdom, he indelibly marks on them “the name of my God” and “my own new name” (Rev 3:12).

Conclusion

Little Church in Philadelphia, you have greatly suffered. You have been kicked out of the synagogue. You have been tried and pressured to renounce Christ. But, you have been faithful and your faithfulness will be greatly rewarded. Those who have rejected and persecuted you will realize the reality of God, the reality of Christ and His salvation, and that you were the ones who truly worshiped and followed God. You will be protected as you go through the trials that come in life. The grace that girded you through your past struggles will strengthen you once again. You will find eternal rest as you become a permanent and beautiful fixture in the eternal kingdom. Therefore, hold fast to the gospel. Hold fast to Christ and His Word. Do not be pulled away from faithfulness by empty promises of success.

[1] Leon Morris, Revelation: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 20, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1987), 80.

[2] Strabo, The Geography of Strabo. Literally Translated, with Notes, in Three Volumes., ed. H. C. Hamilton (Medford, MA: George Bell & Sons, 1903), 335, 406. “In Philadelphia, a city adjoining to it, even the walls of the houses are not safe, for nearly every day they are shaken, and crevices appear . . . and sometimes one, sometimes another, part of the city is experiencing some damage. The majority of people (for few persons live in the city) pass their lives in the country, employing themselves in agriculture, and cultivate a good soil.”

[3] Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Philadelphia,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1673. Gordon D. Fee, Revelation, New Covenant Commentary Series (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2011), 50. “The result was that the emperor Tiberius actually let them off paying taxes for one five-year period, until they could recover adequately from earthquake damage.”

[4] Gordon D. Fee, Revelation, New Covenant Commentary Series (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2011), 50–51. “Added to this was the economic disaster imposed on them by the emperor Domitian in 92 CE, just a couple of years before our letter. In the kind of ill-advised move that the powerful can make, the emperor required grape growing empire-wide to be reduced in half—most likely, it is thought by historians, as a way to force the growing of corn for his armies.”

[5] G. K. Beale, The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle, Cumbria: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press, 1999), 287 (in footnote).

[6] Kendell H. Easley, Revelation, vol. 12, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998), 56–57.

[7] Beale, The Book of Revelation, 283. “The idea of “true” carries connotations of Jesus being the true Messiah, who has begun to fulfill messianic prophecy (see further on 3:14), though he is rejected by the Jews as a false messianic pretender.”

[8] Grant R Osborne, Revelation, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002), 187.

[9] Easley, Revelation, 56.

[10] Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament: Revelation, ed. Robert Frew (London: Blackie & Son, 1884–1885), 93.

[11] Barnes, Revelation, 93.

[12] John Gill, An Exposition of the New Testament, vol. 3, The Baptist Commentary Series (London: Mathews and Leigh, 1809), 710.

[13] Easley, Revelation, 57.

[14] Easley, Revelation, 58. “The great interpretive challenge is whether Christ is promising to remove the believers physically out of the world before the time of testing (favored by those who expect a “pre-tribulation rapture” for Christians). The more obvious meaning is that he promises to protect (“keep”) these believers from the experience of his wrath (a post-tribulationist viewpoint). In John 17:15 Jesus had prayed, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them.” This uses the same Greek verb as is in 3:10 and is likewise used to support a post-tribulationist perspective.”

[15] Barnes, Revelation, 96.