Alliance Witness, 1969.05.28, P.8-10.

THE SEVEN churches in Asia Minor had a number of problems, some of which also constituted their trials. In many ways their problems resemble our own.

Worldliness was the first problem-worldliness versus persecution.

The church in Smyrna suffered from persecution, while the church in Laodicea suffered from the corrupting power of worldliness. If we ask which of the two is more perilous probably worldliness would receive a unanimous vote. That is exactly the affirmation of Revelation 2 and 3, as well as of church history. The quality and strength of the Church of Christ have suffered more from the softening, corrupting, adulterating leaven of worldliness than from anything else.

The picture is very clear in these two chapters. The church in Smyrna went through persecution and the Lord called her a rich church. It is one of two churches which received only commendation from the Lord.

On the other hand the church of Laodicea prospered and became worldly-minded, with the result that she was spiritually lukewarm, complacent, self-centered and materially preoccupied. The Lord called her a poor, blind, wretched church.

Of course, we should not under- estimate the terrible nature of persecution, and we must not forget to pray for our persecuted brethren all over the world. We should also prepare ourselves for times of adversity. But we must fight a good fight in the sphere of worldliness. Worldliness saps our zeal and enthusiasm in witnessing for the Lord. You can never find a Christian lost in worldliness who is keen for the task of saving souls. We must guard against the subtle infiltration of worldliness into our churches.

Popularity was a second problem-popularity versus approval of God.

The church at Sardis had a good name. It was a name of being alive, but she sadly missed the most important thing-approval of God. In fact, she was reproached by the Lord.

In our own day many churches seek after success and prestige rather than the pleasure of God. The twentieth century is, amid other things, a prestige-conscious age. It is hardly an overstatement to say that prestige is one of the popular goddesses today.

A prestige-obsessed church is willing to sacrifice spirituality for an empty name. There are churches more concerned with building up their own congregational strength than mounting an effective evangelistic outreach to save more people.

The Lord says, “Be watchful”! Let us watch against ambition for a vain name and for prestige. Let us apply ourselves to solid spiritual labor and genuine evangelism building with gold, silver and precious stones which will stand the test of fire in the judgment day. Such churches will receive approval and reward from God.

We next notice “Satan’s dwelling place” versus “Satan’s synagogue.”

“ Iknow thy works,” said Jesus, “and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is.” Satan had his seat- literally, his throne-in the city of Pergamos. Then the Lord refers in the same verse to “Antipas…my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.” The words “among you” here indicate that Satan bad a dwelling place within the church at Pergamos. Some Christians gave place to, or made way for, Satan in their church so that Satan gradually built up a stronghold in their midst. The workings of Satan both inside and outside the church converged in the martyrdom of Antipas.

Satan’s infiltration into the church is a subtle and terrible thing. We must watch against him every moment. “Satan’s seat” was in the city of Pergamos, but “Satan’s dwelling place” was right within the church. The first was his throne; the second was his hiding place.

“The synagogue of Satan” (2:9) is another form of his attack on the church. Commentators are divided in regard to the meaning of the expression.

Some take it to refer to the Jews who incited persecution on Christians. Others take it to mean Judaizing Christians who tried to pull Christians back to legalism. So the trouble that the church had was either persecution from followers of another religion or the pull of legalism.

Today the church is suffering either from persecution from the followers of other religions or from

extreme literalism, the essence of legalism. The church has suffered both from liberalism and from literalism—extremism.

Four things about Satan are found in these letters: the “deep things” of Satan – sophistication and degradation; “the synagogue” of Satan–extremism; “the throne” of Satan – persecution; and “the dwelling place” of Satan – infiltration. These four expressions reveal Satan’s strategy against the Church of Christ. We must guard apinst them all.

Anoth. problem was relativism versus ab.. lutism.

Both the church at Ephesus and the church at Pergamos were confronted with problems caused by the Nicolaitanes. We know very little about this heretical sect, but a few facts can be gathered from history and tradition. We know that the Nicolaitanes maintained that there was a relativity about lust. It was not necessarily bad. This ancient moral relativism is reminiscent of relativism today.

Carried into theology, relativism has given birth to four forms of thought: new conception of God, new morality, new evangelicalism and new secularism. All four “new’ s” are clearly traceable to modern relativism. God Himself is made relative -He is becoming a God-beyond- God, according to Altizer. Morality is relative – there is no absolute standard except love, which in turn is left to relative interpretations. In the new evangelicalism the absolute finality of Christ in salvation is made relative. In the new secularism the divine, the holy, the sacred is made relative, and as a result we arc left with a religionless Christianity.

Over against relativism we have Biblical absolutism in these letters of our Lord: absolute Christology, absolute purity in doctrine, absolute sanctification in life, absolute loyalty to the Lord even unto death, absolute love for the Lord and absolute judgment by the Lord. And in addition to all this, we have our absolute obedience to the absolute commandment of our Lord, the Great Commission to preach the gospel to all creatures.

Nonconformity versus involvement war also a problem.

Part of the Christians in Pergamos and in Thyatira were enticed into friendly relationships with powerful pagan influences and lustful practices. Others who stood firm in the Lord’s teaching of separation were commended by the Lord for doing so.The latter did not conform to current tides because they only conformed to Christ and His teachings.

The city of Pergamos is described as a place where Satan had his throne. His power was manifested in every phase of the life of the city, but the faithful Antipas separated

himself from all these influences and withstood evils even unto death. The Lord called him “my faithful witness” (marg.).

Christians are nonconformists in the best sense of the word because the Bible says, “Be not conformed to this world.” The Lord says that we are not of the world, even as He is not of the world (John 17:16). For this reason we are separatists.

I want to point out here that Christian separation is not in conflict with Christian involvement. The Thyatira church was deeply involved in good works and the Lord commended her. Christ was not of this world but He was involved with the suffering of mankind. His was the deepest kind of involvement-identification with the fallen human race in all its suffering and predicament. Our identification with Christ brings us into His involvement with the needs of mankind.

Another problem concerned compromise- compromise versus resistance.

Not only did the Thyatira church have a self-appointed prophetess, Jezebel, but the church allowed her to do as she pleased. The Lord said, “I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication…and she repented not.”

A very important issue is raised here: When a false teaching arises in the church, what attitude should the members take toward it? Quiescence for the sake of unity? The application of love by saying nothing against it? Or resistance with a united voice of protest as well as action?

This is a most delicate issue which needs careful handling. The Thyatira church, by her acquiescence, helped to spread false teaching and the Lord reproached her.

It is false love that condones false teaching. Likewise an appeal to unity is pointless. Unity with what? With Jezebel? With apostasy? With false teaching? A united strong protest against religious philosophies or theologies that are not in keeping with the inspired Word of God will help silence destructive voices.

We should never allow minor differences of theological interpretation to weaken our united front of evangelism. On the other hand, a strong stand is absolutely necessary for the defense of Biblical faith. Compromise here means the bankruptcy of historic Christianity. We must be politely strong and firm against all false teachings.

There was also a problem of faith versus works.

This had two phases in the seven churches: orthodox faith without love and good works without proper faith.

The Ephesian church had a flawlessly orthodox faith manifested in her testing of false apostles. But she had lost her first love. Our text here does not tell us the object of this first love, whether it was directed toward the Lord or toward her fellowmen. We have very good reason to believe that it was love for the Lord. Yet love for man is surely included in our love for the Lord. The two are never divorced.

The manifestation of love is works. An orthodox church with little love and good works does not satisfy the heart of the Lord. On the other hand, the church in Thyatira was increasing in good works which were commended by the Lord, but they had trouble in their faith.

A church of good works without proper Biblical faith cannot meet the standard of the Lord either. The Lord wants us to have both-faith based on the revealed Word of God and good works as an expression of that true faith.

Finally, there was the Word of God versus tradition.

The church at Sardis had departed to some extent from the original teaching of the Lord and the apostles. Thus the Lord said to her, “Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent.”

There are two possible interpretations of this verse. First, the emphasis may be placed on the manner I which the Christians in Sardis heard and received the message of the gospel- how the gospel was preached to them in the power of the Holy Spirit and how its reception resulted in spiritual vitality. The other interpretation places the emphasis on the original message that the church received from the apostles and therefore indirectly from the Lord Himself. The church must remember it, go back to it and keep it.

The Lord’s exhortation indicates the possibility that the believers at Sardis had departed somewhat from the original message. This departure, either by additions or omissions, had greatly weakened and diminished their spiritual vitality.

In Hong Kong we have found that sometimes a church with fifty years of history has accumulated enough tradition to hinder effective evangelism and clog the channels of vitality. We must guard against additions to or omissions of Biblical teaching. We have a solemn warning against this at the close of the Book of the Revelation: “If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are writ- ten in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” (22:18-19).

Martin Luther protested against highly organized and complicated traditions which blinded men to the fundamental truths of the gospel and devitalized the church. Both additions and omissions can be wrapped up in tradition. There is already a huge accumulation of traditions in the Protestant churches which has done harm to our spiritual vitality.

The Word of God judges all tradition and brings us back to His power. We are called on to examine our backgrounds and see whether there is any tradition hindering effective evangelism. May God grant us deep spiritual insight and show us the way out.