CHAPTER SEVEN
THE CHURCH IN PHILADELPHIA
Scripture Reading: Rev. 3:7-13; Matt. 23:8-11; John 20:17; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:28
Here we have drawn a systematic chart. Perhaps it can help us to better understand. The first part represents the church in the apostles’ age. Although Ephesus was a church which had already slackened, it is on the same straight line, since the Lord acknowledged that the church in Ephesus continued the apostolic church. Then came Smyrna, which also continued the line. Smyrna is really a suffering church. There is no praise nor rebuke for her. After Smyrna, however, something occurred when Pergamos appeared. She did not continue the orthodoxy of the apostles; she was united with the world and took a turn downward. She succeeded the church in Smyrna, but she did not continue in the orthodoxy of the apostles. Since Pergamos made such a turn, Thyatira followed in her steps. She took the same line as Pergamos, which was not the same as the apostles’. Sardis came out of Thyatira and she also made a turn, but her turn was one which headed back. Thyatira will continue until the Lord’s coming, and Sardis will also continue until the Lord’s coming.
Now it is our desire to introduce Philadelphia. Philadelphia is the church which returns to the orthodoxy of the apostles. Philadelphia also has a turn, a turn back to the position at the beginning of the Bible. The turn of recovery started with Sardis and was completed with Philadelphia. Now it is again on the same straight line as the age of the apostles. Philadelphia came out of Sardis. She is neither the Roman Catholic Church nor the Protestant churches, but continues the church at the age of the apostles. Later came Laodicea, which we will see when we come to her. Now we will spend some time to see what Philadelphia is, hoping that we may be clear regarding what she signifies.
Among the seven churches, five are rebuked and two are not. The two that are not rebuked are Smyrna and Philadelphia. The Lord approves only of these two. It is indeed remarkable that the words spoken by the Lord to Philadelphia are quite similar to those which were spoken to Smyrna. The problem of Smyrna was Judaism, while with Philadelphia there was also Judaism. To the church in Smyrna the Lord said, “That you may be tried” (Rev. 2:10), while to the church in Philadelphia the Lord said, “I also will keep you out of the hour of trial, which is about to come on the whole inhabited earth, to try them who dwell on the earth” (3:10). The Lord also spoke to the two churches regarding the crown. To Smyrna He said, “I will give you the crown of life” (2:10), while to Philadelphia He said, “Hold fast what you have that no one take your crown” (3:11). These two churches have these two points of similarity to show that they are on the same line, that is, on the line of the orthodoxy of the apostolic church. The church in Sardis was a recovery, but not a complete recovery; it was an incomplete recovery. But Philadelphia recovers to the point of meeting the Lord’s desire. The church in Philadelphia not only receives no rebuke as Smyrna, but she is also praised. The straight line which we have drawn is the line of the chosen. We know that the Lord chose Philadelphia. Philadelphia continues the orthodoxy of the apostles. She recovers to Smyrna. Thus, the Lord’s words to her are for us to keep and for us to obey. The turn of Pergamos and Thyatira was to such an extent that when Sardis came, she did not recover to completion even though she acted exceedingly great. Although she turned in the direction of recovery, she did not succeed in reaching the goal. Philadelphia is a complete recovery. Concerning this, I hope we may see clearly.
Philadelphia in Greek is composed of two words: The first means “love one another,” and the second means “brother.” Therefore, Philadelphia means “brotherly love.” “Brotherly love” is the Lord’s prophecy. Sacrifice is the special feature of Thyatira and is fulfilled in the Roman Catholic Church. Recovery is the characteristic of Sardis and is fulfilled in the Protestant churches. Now the Lord tells us that there is a church which has been completely recovered and has been praised by Him. Those who read the Bible will raise the question, Who is this in actuality? Where can we find it in history? We cannot let this question pass easily.