Revelation 3:4

Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. 'Aleph (') A B C,Vulgate, prefix 'nevertheless' (notwithstanding thy spiritual deadness), and omit "even." NAMES - persons named in the book of life (), known by the Lord as His own (). These bad the reality corresponding to their name; not a name among men as living, while really dead (). The gracious Lord does not overlook exceptional saints among unreal professors. NOT DEFILED THEIR GARMENTS - their Christian profession, of which baptism is the initiatory seal, whence the candidates used in the ancient Church to be str...

Verse Revelation 3:4. _THOU HAST A FEW NAMES EVEN IN SARDIS_] A few _persons,_ _names_ being put for those who bore them. And as the members of the Church were all _enrolled_, or their names entered in a book, when admitted into the Church or when baptized, _names_ are here put for the _people_ themselves. See Revelation 3:5. _HAVE NOT DEFILED THEIR GARMENTS_] Their _souls_. The Hebrews considered holiness as the _garb_ of the soul, and evil actions as _stains_ or _spots_ on this garb. So in _Shabbath_, fol. 152, 2: "A certain king gave royal garments to his servants: those who were prudent folded them up, and laid them by in a chest; those who were foolish put them on, and performed their daily labour in them. After so

THOU HAST A FEW NAMES EVEN IN SARDIS - See the analysis of the chapter. The word “names” here is equivalent to “persons”; and the idea is, that even in a place so depraved, and where religion had so much declined, there were a few persons who had kept themselves free from the general contamination. In most cases, when error and sin prevail, there may be found a few who are worthy of the divine commendation; a few who show that true religion may exist even when the mass are evil. Compare the notes on Romans 11:4. WHICH HAVE NOT DEFILED THEIR GARMENTS - Compare the notes on Jude 1:23. The meaning is, that they had not defiled themselves by coming in contact with the profane and the polluted; or, in other words, they had kept themselves free from

EXPOSITION REVELATION 3:1 _The epistle to the Church at Sardis. _This Church is one of the two which receives unmixed reproof. Smyrna and Philadelphia receive no blame; Sardis and Laodicea receive no praise. Sardis lies almost due south of Thyatira, on the road to Philadelphia, between the river Hermus and Mount Tmolus. It had been in turn Lydian, Persian, Greek, and Roman, and, like its last Lydian king, Croesus, had been celebrated for its wealth. The auriferous stream Pactolus, in summer almost dry, flowed through its marketplace; but its chief source of wealth was its trade. In A.D. 17 "twelve famous cities of Asia fell by an earthquake in the night … The calamity fell most heavily on the people of Sardis, and it attracted to them the largest share of sympathy. The emperor [Tiberius] promised ten million sesterces (£85,000), and remitted

THOU HAST A FEW NAMES EVEN IN SARDIS,.... The Alexandrian copy and others, the Complutensian edition, the Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions, read, "but thou hast a few names", c. or "a few men", as the Ethiopic version renders it who were called by name, and were men of renown, excellent men, men famous for holding the truth of doctrine, and for powerful and practical godliness; men of great light and grace, and who were known by name to God and Christ: these are said to be but "few", not in comparison of the world, in which sense all the elect of God are but few, though a large number, considered in themselves; but in comparison of formal lifeless professors of religion, with which this church state abounds; and which, if we were not as dead as we are, might easily be observed; there may not only be hypocrites in churches, but a majority of them: yea, these few may be underst...

CHAPTER 3 Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea _ 1. Sardis: The reformation period (Revelation 3:1)_ 2. Philadelphia: The faithful remnant (Revelation 3:7) 3. Laodicea: The indifferent and apostate Church (Revelation 3:14) Revelation 3:1 . We have traced briefly the decline during the 1450-1500 years of Church history. The climax is reached in Thyatira, prophetically the Roman abomination and apostasy. In Sardis we see the progress of evil stayed. Roman Catholicism, as already mentioned, is a fixed and unchanging religious system. Rome will yet have for a brief season a startling rev

THE LETTER TO THE CHURCH AT SARDIS. Sardis was a little more than 30 miles SE. of Thyatira: formerly a city of great importance, at this time it had become a town of the second rank. It had been destroyed by an earthquake in A.D. 17, and though rebuilt it had not recovered its former glory. REVELATION 3:1. SEVEN SPIRITS OF GOD: Revelation 1:4 *. NAME THAT THOU LIVEST: this is the severest condemnation passed upon any of the churches. Revelation 3:2. the things that remain: the church is not entirely lost to hope; there is still the possibility of revival. FOUND NO WORKS: in the case of the other churches there is always something to praise, but Sardis has no record of achievem

_SARDIS_ WAS THE CAPITAL OF THE GREAT ANCIENT KINGDOM OF LYDIA, WHICH WAS OVERTHROWN BY THE PERSIAN CYRUS. IT WAS THE RESIDENCE OF THE RICH KING CROESUS, WHOSE NAME HAS PASSED INTO. PROVERB. OF THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH WE KNOW NOTHING; BUT WE DO KNOW ON THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS, THAT IT "HAD. NAME TO LIVE AND WAS DEAD." THE RAVAGES OF THE SARACENS AND TURKS, AND THE SHOCKS OF EARTHQUAKES HAVE CONVERTED THE ANCIENT CITY INTO. RUIN, WITH ONLY CRUMBLED WALLS TO TELL OF ITS ANCIENT GLORY. THE SEVEN CHURCHES.--At the time when John wrote there were hundreds of churches in existence. On the Asiatic Continent many had been founded in Judea, Syria, and elsewhere, and in the district of which Ephesus was the commercial metropolis, and which was especially designated as _Asia,_ we know that in the last quarter of the first century there were not only the seven churches named, but Colossae, Hierapol...

And to the angel of the Church in Sardis, write: These things says he who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your works; I know that you have a reputation for life, but that you are dead. Show yourself watchful, and strengthen what remains and what is going to die. I have not found your works completed before my God. Remember, then, how you received and heard the gospel, and keep it, and repent. If, then, you are not on the watch, I will come as a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. But you have a few people in Sardis who have not defiled their garments and they will walk with me in white raiment, because they are worthy. He who overcomes will be thus clothed in white raiment and I will not wipe his name out of the Book of Life, but I will acknowledge his name before my Father and before his angels. Let him who has an ear hear what the...

THOU. The texts read "But thou". EVEN. The texts omit. HAVE, &C.. defiled not. DEFILED. Greek. _moluno._ Only here; Rev 14:4. 1 Corinthians 8:7. The noun Occurs only in 2 Corinthians 7:1. GARMENTS. Greek. _himation._ First of seven occurances: (see App-197) in Rev. WORTHY. See App-197....