Church at Sardis

3 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.

“ ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. 4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Re 3:1–6.

Verse 1a

English Standard Version Chapter 3

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.

Sardis is seen as one of the more influential cities in the west Asia of the time. It was located about 40 miles south of Thyaria and 45 east of Smyrna. It rivaled the city of Ephesus as one of the most important cities.

It was also known for its red dye and woolen goods.

(Sophocles Phil 391–95; Dio Chrysostom Or 78.31; Juvenal Satire 14.298–300; Lucan Pharsalia 3.209–10; Philostratus Vita. Apoll. 6.37; Pliny Hist. nat. 33.66)

David E. Aune, Revelation 1–5, vol. 52A, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1997), 218.

It was located on a number of important trade routes and was the final stop on the Royal Road.

The Royal Road or Kings Highway was a trade route that stretched from the Transjordan area up through Arabia. It helped to open the trade with Arabia. It is mentioned several times throughout the Old Testament, first in Genesis 14, again in Numbers and Judges as well as in the stories of the Kings in Kings and Chronicles. It was controlled for a while by the Assyrians and then by the Roman empire. There is a road built today that follows the same route.

The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary King’s Highway (Place)

Mazar, B. 1962. The Aramean Empire and Its Relations with Israel. BA 25: 98–120.

The city of Sardis was the capital of Lydia. Then it was ruled by the Persian until Alexander the Great liberated the city. He built a Temple to Zeus.

A major earthquake destroyed the city in about 17 AD and was rebuilt by the Roman Empire.

Word, 218.

Seven Spirits of God

The seven spirits of God are mentioned in 1:4. Also the seven stars are mentioned numerous times leading up to this verse.

Seven Spirits of God area mentioned only in the book of Revelation. In chapter 4 the 7 spirits work around the throne of God. Seven lamps are mentioned sitting around the throne, and they represent the Seven Spirits of God.

Does anyone want to look up the seven spirits of God for next week?

Verse 1b

English Standard Version Chapter 3

“ ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

The word used here is ὄνομα which is translated as name many times in the New Testament.

What does it mean to have a good reputation or good name?

The people in the city not only knew of the church, but knew of the good works of the church. Even Jesus claimed to know of the works of the church.

What things would the church do to have a good reputation?

Today we talk so much about the negative reputation of many churches, but we should not immediately throw out all of today’s churches as ill repute. There are many churches whose works make them look good in the eyes of the world.

Can you think of any unrighteous things that the church could do to build a good reputation to the world?

There is a big problem when a church’s focus is building a good reputation even if they are doing so for the right reasons. When our lives are based on works, we can easily become disillusioned. We begin to believe that our salvation is based on how good we do. When our salvation is watered down to nothing more than our own meager attempts at righteousness, we quickly become self reliant. This leads to indignation towards those who trust in God. Self righteous people no longer care about grace, mercy, and faith. They see other Christians as less righteous.

Such Christians rely so heavily on their works and no longer care to build a relationship with God. For this reason they have a reputation of being alive, but are really dead.

Verse 2

English Standard Version Chapter 3

Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.

Verse 2 begins, Wake up, or watch out. It is believed this goes back to the historical context of the City of Sardis. When the city was under the rule of Lydia, it was overthrown twice..

The first time Sardis was conquered by the Persians under Cyrus the king of Persia. That was in the middle of the 5th-Century BC. It was the major victory that brought Cyrus into position to overthrow the Babylonian Empire.

The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (Cyrus (Person))

Cyrus has a very prominent role in the Bible and the restoration of Jerusalem. As Daniel begins, Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon has taken the intelligent young men from Jerusalem to make them serve him. With them he took Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Three of these friends were thrown into the furnace because they would not bow down before Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue.

After the death of Nebuchadnezzar, he was succeeded by the father of Belshazzar. Belshazzar was placed as the leader of the Jewish people. He had a great party and broke out the temple implements that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple. This angered the Lord. A great hand appeared and etched a message upon the wall. Daniel was brought in to interpret it.

God cursed Belshazzar and that night the Persians invaded and Belshazzar died. Cyrus was the king of the Persians. Cyrus appointed Darius of Medes as his representative.

God used Cyrus and Darius to finance the restoration of Jerusalem. Under these leaders Ezra and Nehemiah helped rebuild the City and the people returned to Jerusalem.

The second time Sardis was conquered by Antiochus the Great who was a Syrian king who succeeded Alexander the Great in the area of Asia. It is said that the land was overcome because the cities guards were not being watchful.

When Jesus begins the letter, “Watch out,” he is alluding to this. The people would have recognized this statement and its importance. Due to the lack of awareness and watchfulness the city was taken over and many people died. In the same way, when people allow themselves to spiritually go to sleep they are easily conquered. When the Church is begins to slumber, they are quickly overtaken by erroneous doctrine and sinfulness.

The church that slumbers is the church that dies.

English Standard Version Chapter 3

strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.

There is something positive. They are not completely dead. Something that is completely dead can not in its own accord return to life. However, something that is dying can sometimes turn it around. He tells them to strengthen the things that remain.

How can they strengthen the things that remain?

Jesus reminds them to stop looking for the things they can do to build their reputation and begin looking to the things that can build their relationship with God.

Verse 3

English Standard Version Chapter 3

Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.

What is the common thief in the night imagery?

Throughout the New Testament the thief is one who comes when the home owner is asleep.