Sermons, Articles, and Other Things

It is always important to take verses in their context, especially when the writer refers to what he has just written. Paul says that he has a reason for making this prayer (v. 14). It may not have been the only reason, but it was a definite reason. The immediate context is that Paul does not want them to lose heart because of his sufferings which he was undergoing in Rome. Rather he wants their hearts to experience something else, an ongoing encounter with the love of Christ. Some may imagine that Paul’s words here describe a rare experience, which it may be, but which it should not be. Here is a description of Christian reality, to what they are called. The posture (v. 14) Paul here is speaking about his personal prayer life. His posture was to kneel as he prayed, probably in the presence of a Roman guard. Posture is part of what we now call body language. Our posture says something to those who see it. Since that is the case, it is important for us to consider our body language. For...

We suggested in previous studies that the seven churches had been chosen because they represented types of churches that would be found throughout the Christian era. If it were possible to arrange the seven churches in order of devotion to Christ, then the church in Laodicea would be the worst. The other candidate for this undesirable position is the church in Sardis, but at least there was a faithful remnant within her, unlike the church in Laodicea. The Lord Jesus has nothing good to say about the church in Laodicea.     This letter is an appeal from the Lord of the Church to individuals in a decadent church in order to have fellowship with him. The tragedy of the Laodicean church is not just their spiritual blindness; it is the absence of the Saviour from their fellowship. And they do not seem to have noticed or cared!   An obvious question that arises from this letter is, ‘Was the church in Laodicea a true church?’ Later we will consider some of the criticisms th...

Philadelphia was the youngest of the cities to which John sent letters. It had been built around 140 BC by a ruler of Pergamos (who had ‘Philadelphia’ has one of his names) as a centre for the dissemination of Greek language and culture. He had been given that name because he had a great love for his brother who had been the previous king, but who had died young. Subsequent attempts to change the name failed. After a great earthquake in AD 17 the city changed its name to Neocaeserea, because of the help given by the Emperor Tiberius in rebuilding it. Later, under the emperor Vespasian, the city’s name was changed to Flavia. Nevertheless the original name persisted.  The earthquake was followed by several years of recurring tremors which caused the populace not to live in the city but in huts in the surrounding countryside. They felt that the situation was not stable enough for permanent living. This city was a small location, so it is likely that the church was small as well. ...

Sardis was an ancient city, once noted for its wealth and splendour; it was in Sardis that gold and silver coins were first minted and where wool was first dyed; even at the time of this letter, there was a flourishing wool business, which may be the reason why Jesus speaks about his followers walking in white. In previous times, the city had been the capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia and had ruled over the other cities mentioned in Revelation 2–3.   The original city had been built on a hill 1,500 feet high, with three perpendicular sides and a fourth that was easily protected. Therefore, the inhabitants had assumed that they were safe from danger and did not post sufficient guards. When the Persians besieged the city in 549 BC, some of its troops managed to scale one of the perpendicular slopes and took the city by surprise because there was no one watching (a similar attack occurred three centuries later).    Pagan temples existed in Sardis, so they did influence...