Season 3 Podcast 66 Letters of John to the Seven Churches Part X Philadelphia

Philadelphia The letter to the Church of Philadelphia is the sixth letter of John. In the preface to each letter, Christ gives another title. To the Philadelphians he writes“7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth. The primary purpose of the Book of Revelation is to bring us to Christ. It shows Christ’s role in the history of the world.  It tells the attributes of Christ. In the letter to Philadelphia, we learn that Christ is holy and true. He came to earth through the seed of Abraham, of the lineage of David, and his power is endless. “He that openeth and no man shuteth” refers to the fact that Christ has the keys of death and hell, not Satan. Unlike the Church of Sardis whose vices are listed but not their virtues, in the Church of Philadelphia, their virtues are listed and not their vices. In fact, we can learn a great deal by comparing the Seven Churches.Only two churches have no vices listed: Smyrna, which is the shortest letter, and Philadelphia. The churches of Ephesus, Pergamos, and Thyatira have both virtues and vices listed. The churches of Sardis and Laodicea have only vices listed and no virtues.Each of the letters has a dominant theme:1.      The dominant theme of Ephesus is Patience2.      The dominant theme of Smyrna is Long Suffering3.      The dominant theme of Pergamos is idol worship4.      The dominant theme of Thyatira is adultery5.      The dominant theme of Sardis is hypocrisy 6.      The dominant theme of Philadelphia is obedience7.      The dominant theme of Laodicea is the evils of being lukewarmThe letters have much in common. All seven letters define attributes of Christ.  All seven letters offer salvation and exaltation in the kingdom of God with Christ if they overcome the natural man. In the letter to Thyatira, which is the longest letter, the phrase “he that overcometh” is accompanied by the defining phrase “and keepeth my words unto the end.”  All seven letters are letters of hope. Implicit in all seven letters is that we will be judged by our works, whether good or evil. Also implicit is the fact that God is aware at all times of our actions, and he is using the letters to the churches to help us avoid major pitfalls, but he always holds up to us the great reward at the end if we overcome the natural man.  We will be invited into the city of the New Jerusalem to dwell with him forever. That is what the Book of Revelation is all about. On the one hand it is a warning; on the other hand, it is a vision of what those who repent can expect if they endure to the end. In the seven letters we are also taught that Satan is real, and he is the source of all evil.  He is behind all vices.  A definition of agency is the choice between good and evil.Also, along with the phrase, “he that overcometh,” another phrase that ends every letter is ““17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;”We all have ears, but he is talking about a special kind of hearing. It is the Spirit that is speaking to the churches; therefore, we must hear by the spirit.