Seven Letters to Seven Churches that all existed within a 50 square mile radius. Seven letters that serve as warnings and should be considered by every church in every age. It is not my intent to do a study of these seven letters or churches but to grab the meat of them and see what comes from that.
All seven letters to the churches contain pretty much the same elements.
1. A description of Christ that comes from the vision described in Chapter one.
2. A commendation or recognition of the efforts in a particular area.
3. A rebuke for the behavior in some area of their lives.
4. A correction for what is wrong.
5. A promise to those that overcome.
Church #1 - Ephesus - They are commended for rejecting evil, persevering and for patience. They are corrected for losing their first love of Christ. The way they are to correct the problem is to return to the things they did when they first came to Christ. The overcomer's are promised the tree of life.
Church #2 - Smyrna - They are commended because they gracefully bear suffering. They received no correction. Since there was no correction necessary they are encouraged to remain faithful until death and their promise is the crown of life.
Church #3 - Pergamos - They are commended for keeping the faith of Christ. They are corrected for tolerating immorality, idolatry, and heresies. What did they need to do to correct their problem? REPENT. The promise if they did was hidden manna and a stone with a new name.
Church #4 - Thyatira - They are commended for their love, service, faith, patience because it has increased. They are corrected because they tolerate a cult of idolatry and immorality. They are instructed to keep the faith as judgement is coming. They are promised that they will rule over nations and receive morning star.
Church #5 - Sardis - They are commended for keeping the faith. They are corrected for being a dead church. They are told to repent and strengthen what remains. If the do they are promised to be found faithful, honored and clothed in white.
Church #6 - Philadelphia - They are commended for persevering in the faith and keeping the word of Christ as well as honoring His name. There are no corrections so they are to simply continue keeping the faith. They are promised a place in God's presence, a new name and the new Jerusalem.
Church #7 - Laodicea - There are no commendations and as for correction they are indifferent. They are to repent and be zealous so that they will share Christ's throne.
So which letter would I receive? I would have thought that being strong in faith would have been priority number one. But I see that church number five was strong in faith but dead as a church.
Two churches out of seven that looked like what God intended. One commended because they gracefully bear suffering. The second commended because they persevere in the faith, keep the word of Christ and honor His name.
I'm not going to spend anymore time here trying to expand upon what is written. The reason is that there would be some that read it that would make it personal to them or their church. I am in no way reflecting on any church. I am searching for me as a part of the church. I see some areas where a letter commended a church for something that is weak or lacking in me. I see in the letters some things that a church was corrected for that are evident in my life. I will consider all the information and alternatives offered for the corrections and continue my journey to share in all the promises.
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