The Church in Ephesus. Chap. Revelation 2:1-7 These seven Epistles are marked by certain features common to them all. (1) They are all dictated by the Lord Himself. (2) The command to write to the Angel of the particular Church. (3) One of the great titles of our Lord taken for the most part from t... [ Continue Reading ]
_the angel of the church of Ephesus_ Some think that this would be St Timothy, and go so far as to find in St Paul's Epistles traits of his character analogous to those here noted. But even if the "Angel" here be a bishop, it is likelier that he would be one appointed by St Timothy, if not by St Joh... [ Continue Reading ]
_canst not bear_ As too heavy a burden. _them which say they are apostles_ Cf. 2 Corinthians 11:13 sqq. For the question who these false Apostles at Ephesus were, see Excursus II. _hast found them liars_ Rather, DIDST FIND THEM FALSE. They had profited by St Paul's warning, Acts 20:28-30.... [ Continue Reading ]
_and hast borne_, &c. Read AND HAST PATIENCE; AND DIDST BEAR FOR MY NAME'S SAKE, AND HAST NOT BEEN WEARY.... [ Continue Reading ]
_thy first love_ It is to be remembered that these words have not in ecclesiastical (or indeed in any) Greek the same sentimental associations as in English; nevertheless it is not unlikely that conjugal love is meant: cf. Jeremiah 2:2. Some understand the word of love to the brethren, because we ha... [ Continue Reading ]
_repent_ Neither this word, nor the cognate subst. _repentance_, is used in St John's Gospel or Epistles. _do the first works_ He does not say, "Love with the first love," though the works were only valuable as proceeding from love: for to love, though depending on the state of the will, is not a d... [ Continue Reading ]
_But this thou hast_ This is one point in which thou art not wanting. Compare Revelation 2:25; Revelation 3:2; Revelation 3:11, where faithfulness is conceived as a treasure possessed and to be guarded. _thou hatest the deeds_ Compatible with love to the persons: cf. St Jude 1:23. _Nicolaitans_ Se... [ Continue Reading ]
_He that hath an ear_ A repetition, with a merely verbal alteration, of one of our Lord's characteristic phrases in His teaching while on earth: St Matthew 11:15, &c. _what the Spirit saith_ Speaking through the Risen Christ to John who was "in the Spirit." _To him that overcometh_ A promise thus... [ Continue Reading ]
The Church in Smyrna. 8 11 8. _The angel_ Supposed by many of the ancient commentators to have been Polycarp. _which was dead_ See on Revelation 1:18. _is alive_ Lit., LIVED, i.e. came to life, revived. So Revelation 13:14, and Matthew 9:18; John 5:25. The attributes of _death_and _life_are here... [ Continue Reading ]
_thy works, and_ Should be omitted. _poverty_ Perhaps the effect of the persecution, Jewish converts being, as in Hebrews 10:34, deprived of their property when put out of the synagogue on their conversion. Or perhaps rather the cause of the persecution being more intense here the Christians being... [ Continue Reading ]
_Fear none of_ Read simply FEAR NOT. _those things which thou shalt suffer_ Probably refer primarily to a persecution immediately impending; but they are no doubt meant to apply also to the subsequent persecutions of the Church there, especially to the famous one, under the Antonines, in which Poly... [ Continue Reading ]
_the second death_ See Revelation 20:6; Revelation 20:14, &c.... [ Continue Reading ]
The Church in Pergamos. 12 17 12. _he which hath the sharp sword_ Mentioned because He threatens to use it, Revelation 2:16.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Satan's seat_ Better, THRONE the word being the one so naturalised in English, and so translated in this book wherever used of the throne of God, Revelation 3:21 &c. _Why_Satan's throne and dwelling-place is localised at Pergamum is uncertain; two explanations have been given: that it was a seat of... [ Continue Reading ]
_that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught_ As we should say "who adhere to the practice taught by Balaam, of eating.…" It is called _doctrine_, because it is a thing that was _taught_the words are cognate and correlative. For the fact of Israel being taught such practices, see Numbers 25:1-2: fo... [ Continue Reading ]
_thou also_ As well as Israel of old. _which thing I hate_ Instead of these words read IN LIKE MANNER. This correction makes it certain that we are not to suppose two immoral sects prevailing at Pergamum, those who held the doctrine of Balaam and those who held that of the Nicolaitans: but one sect... [ Continue Reading ]
_Repent_ The Angel, i.e. the whole body of the Church represented by him, is bidden to repent: because not only are the Nicolaitans guilty of the sins their doctrine involved, but the whole Church (and more especially its Bishop, if we suppose him to be intended) is more or less guilty, for having e... [ Continue Reading ]
_give to eat_ He shall receive the Bread of God (St John 6:32 sqq.) instead of communicating at the table of devils (1 Corinthians 10:21). _the hidden manna_ The reference is to the pot of manna kept in the Tabernacle, in or before the Ark (Exodus 16:34; Hebrews 9:4), and therefore "hidden" in the u... [ Continue Reading ]
The Church in Thyatira. 18 29 18. _the Son of God_ So designated, perhaps, because it is the power which He received from His Father which is the subject of the concluding promise, Revelation 2:27. _his eyes_ Which search reins and heart, Revelation 2:23. _his feet_ Of strength to break the natio... [ Continue Reading ]
_and thy works; and the last to be more_ Read, AND THY LAST WORKS TO BE MORE in contrast with Ephesus, Revelation 2:4.... [ Continue Reading ]
_a few things_ Should be omitted: it has come in from Revelation 2:14, while the real construction is as in Revelation 2:4, "I have [somewhat] against thee, because …," or better, "I have [this] against thee, that.…" _that woman Jezebel_ There is some authority for the reading "thy wife Jezebel," an... [ Continue Reading ]
Read, AND I GAVE HER TIME THAT SHE SHOULD REPENT, AND SHE WILL NOT [DOES NOT CHOOSE TO] REPENT OF HER FORNICATION.... [ Continue Reading ]
_I will cast_ lit. -I am casting" i.e. am about to cast. Cf. -I ascend", John 20:17. _a bed_ Perhaps of sickness, as "death" in the next _v._is perhaps to be taken of pestilence: cf. Revelation 6:8. _with her_ Possibly the sense is "I will cast them together with her into …," but the sense "the par... [ Continue Reading ]
_all the churches shall know_ cf. All flesh shall know, Isaiah 45:2-6; All flesh shall see, Isaiah 40:5; Ezekiel 20:48. -All the Churches" though less extensive than -all flesh" (cf. John 17:2; John 14:22) must still be taken as widely as possible, it means not merely all the seven Churches of Asia... [ Continue Reading ]
_unto you_ The form of address to the Angel of the Church is dropped, and the Church addressed directly. _And_should be omitted: the sense is "to the rest of you in Thyatira," or more literally, "to you, namely to the rest." _have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak_ The heretics condemned... [ Continue Reading ]
_that which ye have_ Comparing Revelation 2:6, we shall probably understand this "what thou hast to thy credit," thy present faithfulness: so that the sense will rather be like Philippians 3:16 than Judges 1:3. Cf. Revelation 3:11.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And he that overcometh_, &c. Literally, AND HE THAT OVERCOMETH, AND HE THAT KEEPETH, &c. _my works_ "Such works as I do" is rather the sense than "such as I approve." Cf. John 14:12, "The works that I do shall he do also.... [ Continue Reading ]
_shall rule them_ Lit., SHALL BE THEIR SHEPHERD. So the LXX. read the word in Psalms 2:9 which, according to the pronunciation now adopted in the received Hebrew text, will mean "bruise" or "break them." St John, we have seen, does not follow the LXX. blindly in their deviations from the Hebrew text... [ Continue Reading ]
_the morning star_ The only direct illustration of this image Isaiah 22:16, where Christ Himself is called the Morning Star: and the meaning here can hardly be "I will give myself to him." Some compare 2 Peter 1:19, others, perhaps better, Daniel 12:3: taking the sense to be, "I will give him the br... [ Continue Reading ]
_He that hath_&c. For the position of these words, see on Revelation 2:7.... [ Continue Reading ]