Revelation 2:18-29

Revelation 2:18-29

There are some people that the more you know them, the more impressed by them you become. And there are some people the more you know them, the less impressed by them you become. That is the way with the church at Thyatira. If all we knew of Thyatira was what is recorded in verse 19, we might conclude that she was a pretty amazing church. But the introduction of Christ in verse 18 is very intimidating, and as we read verse 19, we are expecting the other shoe to fall, and when it does, it is not a pretty picture. 

The address begins, “I know your deeds.” These deeds are defined in four categories: love, faith, service, and perseverance. It is noted that the church is growing in these four categories. So, what could be the problem? Simply this: all these are or can be external; they can be faked. The church had a huge problem, which the Lord defines as “tolerance.” Don’t miss this point! The overarching and supreme problem in this church was tolerance. This tolerance was toward an influential woman who was teaching wrong ideas. It is important to note that she was not teaching immorality or participation in meals conducted in association with idol sacrifice. She was teaching and leading people astray, and the natural, inevitable result was that the people would, of their own choice, engage in immoral behavior.

As disciples, we must be extremely discriminating in the teachers we listen to. A great many teachers have propagated and distorted the faith. They do not overtly teach evil, but they lay a philosophical foundation for evil practices. These acts of immorality may be, but are not limited to, sexual behaviors. Just because a teacher has a platform or a program is no certainty they are teaching the truth. In fact, popularity in a sinful world needs to be a warning sign. Every disciple needs to be a student and scholar of scripture before being a devotee of a teacher. 

The consequences are serious in the extreme. The Lord’s response is fierce. “I will kill…” all those who buy into this doctrine. The fierce lord with flaming eyes and burning feet is ready to kill. Because a teacher or teaching appeals to us is no measure of its validity; in fact, because of our fallen nature, this appeal may in reality spell our doom.  By our very fallen nature, we want to believe those things that appeal to us, that make us feel good about ourselves and our lives. That is a tendency the enemy will exploit and use to deceive us. We must be aware of how we feel about things but take care not to trust our feelings.

But escape is possible. To those who are misguided, the Lord offers the word of repentance. To those who have resisted the siren song, the Lord offers the challenge to hold fast. In the promise there is an important undertone. The false teachers are popular and the faithful are not, but in the life to come the faithful are elevated to rule with and in the company of our Lord. As disciples, we choose our future. That choice is to be made with the greatest care, testing every teacher by the Word of God, not how we feel about his or her message.

“Lord, never all my wants to supersede what is true. AMEN”