Rev 2:18-29 Thyatira

Background

Audience

Thyatira. Small city. No emperor worship. Run by guilds, who had feasts celebrating Apollo, patron of cities. May have included temple prostitutes in worship. Primarily economic pressure to maintain guild membership.

Important words, definitions

Eyes like flame

Piercing, connects to seeing motivation

Feet like burnished bronze?

Connection to Daniel 10.

Tolerate

Leave alone. Let alone. Abandon? (probably not this sense here).

Jezebel

Foreign Wife of Ahab. Introduced Baal worship, had Yahweh prophets killed. Used OT law to have Nameth killed and take his land.

She led the people of God into idolatry.

She manipulated religion and law for personal gain?

Byword for apostasy

If Jezebel = leader or movement of Nicolaitans, we can compare with Ephesus and Pergamum.

Ephesus: you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

Pergamum: teaching of Balaam, idolatry and immorality, There is no compromise with sin!

Repent

Turn away, metanoia, make a new choice

Bed of sickness

Immediate judgment. contrast to bed of adultery

Clarify Grammar

Paraphrase

You are doing well and growing, but you leave alone one who twists and pollutes my people. I will punish these twisted persons, the rest of you stay faithful and you will receive authority.

Important Ideas

What does this text say about the nature of God?

God hates sin and he does not want the church to tolerate idolatry/immorality in its midst.

What does it say about the nature of man?

Man has a tendency or weakness to tolerate that it should not. Especially when economic gain/security is at stake.

What does it say about man’s relationship with God?

Just as we learn to love what God loves, we must learn to hate what God hates? Hate what God hates?

What does it say about man’s relationship with others?

There is a time when intolerance is called for. To "deliver such a one to Satan... so that his spirit may be saved..." (1 Cor . 5:5).

What does it say about how should we live as Christians?

It isn't all warm fuzzies. Hate heresy. Hate idolatry. Intolerance for idolatry and immorality. Intolerance for false teaching?

Elsewhere in Scripture

Rev 2:6 "Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate."

1 Corinthians 5. Allowing immorality (someone with father's wife). The church "have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one... would be removed." Paul judges "deliver such a one to Satan... so that his spirit may be saved..." a little leaven leavens the whole lump. Not all immoral people but those who are "so-called brothers... do not even eat with such a one."

1 Timothy 1:12. Keeping faith... which some have rejected... Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme."

Matthew 18 (brother has sinned)

Exegetical Idea/Sentence

The church at Thyatira was too tolerant of unrepentant sinners among them. Jesus judges them rightly and offers his inheritance of authority to the enduring faithful.

The church at Thyatira tolerated a false prophet whose influential teaching led Christians into idolatry. By contrast, Jesus brings protective and redemptive judgment.

Homiletical

Truth without Love = no church.

Love without Truth = death

Love without Judgment? = death

Love the sinner, hate the sin?

We must develop Sin Intolerance.

A Christian in unrepentant idolatry/immorality.

Love without truth is a death sentence. Love without judgment is a death sentence.

"Love" that tolerates the spread of unrepentant sin is a death sentence, both for the church and the sinner.

Sin in the church is a cancer that requires surgery.

False teaching in the church is a cancer that requires surgery.

Letting sinners teach sin.

Love people. Hate sin.

When false teaching corrupts the church, love requires intolerance.

Whenever sin threatens to destroy a person or community, love requires intolerance.

Illustration: Band-aid love vs. Surgeon love. Never use a band-aid where surgery is required.

Commentaries

"He will be infinitely merciful to our repeated failures; I know no promise that He will accept a deliberate compromise." C.S. Lewis -Weight of Glory

Application

1.What was <audience> supposed to know?

They were supposed to know God's judgment on Jezebel and her children. They were supposed to have not tolerated that behavior in their midst. That teaching.

1.What did he know?

They knew of her activities and tolerated them for their own reasons: love, laziness, tolerance, economic pressure.

2.What was he supposed to be in his relationship to God and others?

The church was too reflect God's heart for sinners and for sin.

2.What was he in his relationship to God and others?

The church was loving, faithful, serving and persevering, but failed to reflect God's heart when it came to sin in their midst.

3.What was he supposed to do?

Having given opportunity for repentance, they should have expelled the unrepentant sinner(s)

3.What was he actually doing?

The church was "tolerating" the sinners, giving an ongoing platform to lead others astray both locally and throughout the region.

To Me

1.What was am I supposed to know?

I am supposed to know God's heart towards sin.

1.What do I know?

I know I am supposed to love people, but I am soft on sin.

2.What am I supposed to be in my relationship to God and others?

One who loves people, in particular, one who loves fellow Christians enough to not allow them to wallow in sin. There is no compromise with sin, that path leads to death and pestilence.

2.What am I in my relationship to God and others?

One who loves people and usually tries to avoid confrontation. A nice guy. Love the sinner but hold those who know better to the truth.

3.What am I supposed to do?

Not tolerate unrepentant sinners in fellowship.

3.What am I actually doing?

Avoiding the issue. Trying to show love. Waiting for the right moment (the easy moment) to say something.

To Others

1.What are they supposed to know?

1.What do they know?

2.What are they supposed to be in their relationship to God and others?

2.What are they in their relationship to God and others?

3.What are they supposed to do?

3.What are they actually doing?

Big Application Questions

Who is Jezebel today?

Those who have made a deliberate compromise with convicted sin. (It is the Holy Spirit that convicts of sin).

Homosexual Christians.

The sex-outside-of-marriage Christians.

Idolatrous lifestyles (consistently and purposefully putting something in the place of God).

What does this look like in the church today when someone can (will) just walk down the street to another church?

What does this look like in my circle of friends?

What does this look like in my family? Now? Later?