Chapter 3

Referring to the flowchart again, notice that the Ch3 box is directly underneath the Ch2 box that we just studied, and that there is a connecting vertical line between them. This simply means that whatever is happening in chapter three is also happening in chapter two, and the two chapters are happening at the same time.

We saw how the first four churches were compared with each other on a doctrinal basis. In this chapter the last three churches are not compared with any of the first four, but only with each other, The standard of measurement used on these is what we can call a commitment to Christ basis, again from one extreme to the other.

Of the three, only one has no criticisms, Philadelphia, which is considered the loyal church, faithful and true under extreme persecution. For a second time Jesus makes a reference to the 'synagogue of Satan,' the first being in 2:9. Persecution came not only from the Emperor Domitian's reign, the first to have empire-wide persecution of Christians, but also from the Jews.

Jesus knows their loyalty is genuine. They are truly dependent on Christ at a time when it would be so easy to just give up. Theirs is the standard by which the other two churches are compared and found lacking.

At one extreme is Sardis. They have a reputation for being alive, but Jesus says they are dead. They are hypocritical, looking like Christians to the world, but it is only a show. Being genuine is all-important to Jesus. Are we content to 'play church,' or are we taking our Christianity seriously? Jesus would remind us that this is not a game.

At the other extreme is Laodicea. They are rich fat cats, and their wealth has become their source of comfort and strength. They can't even put on a good show of being dependent on Christ, and are just barely going through the motions. Wealth has the potential to kill one's spiritual life perhaps even more than persecution does, but if one had to choose between the two, which one would you take? Therein lies the deceptiveness of wealth. Notice also that this undermines the old doctrine of 'health and wealth,' touted on TV so often. By that theory, Christ should have been commending the Laodiceans. After all, didn't He reward them with their wealth? No, He did not.

Jesus is so disgusted with them that He calls them lukewarm, perhaps like the water their city received from their water system, and that He is about to spit them out of His mouth. The force of the Greek here is pretty strong, in effect spewing or forcefully extracting them from Himself. Utter disgust and rejection is the picture here.

It seems to me that that the first four churches that we saw in chapter two represent the four states that a church can be in, namely either too conservative, just right, too liberal, and even more liberal. These last three churches can represent the three basic types of people that will be found in every church, regardless of which of the first four it is like. What are the three types people the last three churches represent? They are people who are showy hypocrites, genuine disciples, and weak, not very committed Christians.

Again, notice what Jesus didn't say to the faithful members of Sardis and Laodicea. He did not tell them to leave and start a new congregation. Jesus refers to the 'alive' ones at 'dead' Sardis, but He only tells them what their reward will be. They are not told to disfellowship their own church.

As we look at chapters two and three together, we can see that the conditions described are still with us today. Every church is like one of the first four, and every church has members like the last three. This method of looking at the seven churches of Asia is I think the best way for us to get the most out of what Jesus said to them.