Revelation 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22
Rev 3:1
Καὶ τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς ἐν Σάρδεσιν ἐκκλησίας γράψον· Τάδε λέγει ὁ ἔχων τὰ ἑπτὰ πνεύματα τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἑπτὰ ἀστέρας· Οἶδά σου τὰ ἔργα, ὅτι ὄνομα ἔχεις ὅτι ζῇς, καὶ νεκρὸς εἶ.
Rev 3:2
γίνου γρηγορῶν, καὶ στήρισον τὰ λοιπὰ ἃ ἔμελλον ἀποθανεῖν, οὐ γὰρ εὕρηκά σου τὰ ἔργα πεπληρωμένα ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ μου·
Rev 3:3
μνημόνευε οὖν πῶς εἴληφας καὶ ἤκουσας καὶ τήρει, καὶ μετανόησον· ἐὰν οὖν μὴ γρηγορήσῃς, ἥξω ὡς κλέπτης, καὶ οὐ μὴ γνῷς ποίαν ὥραν ἥξω ἐπὶ σέ·
Rev 3:4
ἀλλὰ ἔχεις ὀλίγα ὀνόματα ἐν Σάρδεσιν ἃ οὐκ ἐμόλυναν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν, καὶ περιπατήσουσιν μετ’ ἐμοῦ ἐν λευκοῖς, ὅτι ἄξιοί εἰσιν.
Rev 3:5
ὁ νικῶν οὕτως περιβαλεῖται ἐν ἱματίοις λευκοῖς, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐξαλείψω τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐκ τῆς βίβλου τῆς ζωῆς, καὶ ὁμολογήσω τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐνώπιον τοῦ πατρός μου καὶ ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ.
Rev 3:6
ὁ ἔχων οὖς ἀκουσάτω τί τὸ πνεῦμα λέγει ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις.
Rev 3:7
Καὶ τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς ἐν Φιλαδελφείᾳ ἐκκλησίας γράψον· Τάδε λέγει ὁ ἅγιος, ὁ ἀληθινός, ὁ ἔχων τὴν κλεῖν Δαυίδ, ὁ ἀνοίγων καὶ οὐδεὶς κλείσει, καὶ κλείων καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀνοίγει·
and to the angel, the one in the church in Philadelphia, write: “This One, the holy, the true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one shuts and shuts and no one opens says,
Paraphrase: This next message is for the one who I have sent to shepherd My church in the city of Philadelphia. I am the One who is holy, not who was made holy but who is the very perfection and source of holiness. (Revelation 4:8) I am the One who is truth, not only as opposed to falsehood but as opposed to all other truths which may be more or less mixed with error. I also have the key to David’s kingdom, I am the One sitting on His throne (Acts 2:30), and David’s kingdom is the kingdom of God. All authority has been given to Me (Matthew 28:18), and I stand at the door of My kingdom. I open this door to all penitent souls and to those who are believing in Jesus regardless of whether they are Jew or Gentile, male or female, rich or poor. (Acts 10:15; Galatians 3:28) No one is able to close this door which I have opened to these no matter how hard they may try. (Matthew 19:13; Acts 15:1) Furthermore, I also close this door on the unbelieving and impenitent (Matthew 25:30; Romans 2:5; Revelation 21:8), and no one is able to force it open and gain entry.
Comments:
Trench leans hard on the different nuance of the words used here especially αγιος, ὅσιος and ἀληθινός, ἀληθής. source
Rev 3:8
Οἶδά σου τὰ ἔργα— ἰδοὺ δέδωκα ἐνώπιόν σου θύραν ἠνεῳγμένην, ἣν οὐδεὶς δύναται κλεῖσαι αὐτήν— ὅτι μικρὰν ἔχεις δύναμιν, καὶ ἐτήρησάς μου τὸν λόγον, καὶ οὐκ ἠρνήσω τὸ ὄνομά μου.
I know your works; behold, I have given before you a door being opened, which no one is able to close her because you have a little power, and you are keeping my word, and you have not denied My Name.
Paraphrase: I have seen everything which you have done and suffered for My Name; it has not gone unnoticed. Now, I want you to look and to see what stands before you. I have swung the door of My kingdom wide open for you. I know there are many telling you that you will never be allowed into the kingdom of God. They want to exclude you; they are doing all they can to keep the door shut tight against you, but the truth is that they have no control over this door. They do not decide who enters the kingdom of God; that is My prerogative. Now, I have seen how you have kept My word and obeyed My commandments, even in the face of great persecution and ridicule. None of these things caused you to swerve from the path. You have stubbornly persisted in your profession and have not denied My Name. I also see that your strength is waning, but don’t be afraid. You can be sure that you have a place in My Kingdom. (Luke 23:42-43)
Comments:
I have connected the door imagery here to that of the previous verse. I don’t see it as a door of opportunity as in 1 Corinthians 16:9, but a granting of admission into the kingdom.
Rev 3:9
ἰδοὺ διδῶ ἐκ τῆς συναγωγῆς τοῦ Σατανᾶ, τῶν λεγόντων ἑαυτοὺς Ἰουδαίους εἶναι, καὶ οὐκ εἰσὶν ἀλλὰ ψεύδονται— ἰδοὺ ποιήσω αὐτοὺς ἵνα ἥξουσιν καὶ προσκυνήσουσιν ἐνώπιον τῶν ποδῶν σου, καὶ γνῶσιν ὅτι ἐγὼ ἠγάπησά σε.
Behold, I give from the synagogue of Satan, who say themselves to be Jews, and they are not but they lie; behold, I will make them that they come and they worship before your feet and they will come to know that I have loved you.
Paraphrase: As for those who think they can shut the door on you, I regard them as members of another synagogue; I mean a synagogue where Satan is the chief rabbi. (Revelation 2:9) These Judaizers pride themselves on being the true people of God. (John 8:39) They want to shut everyone out who doesn’t hold to their traditions. (Acts 15:1) Truth be told, however, they are just deluding themselves. They are not my people (Hosea 1:9; Romans 11:20), and they have no power to exclude anyone. The day is coming when they will have to eat their words. They will see their error and begin to show you respect as My people. (Romans 9:25-26) In fact, they will come to recognize that you are the real citizens of My kingdom (Acts 10:35; Ephesians 2:19) and that you are the ones on whom I have set My love. (Ephesians 2:4) Their pride will be shattered, and their vain hope cut off.
Comments:
Ewald suggests that because Christians would not join the Jews in the war against the Romans, there was a bitter hatred between them. He says that this bitterness would have extended to all the diaspora Jews as well.
Rev 3:10
ὅτι ἐτήρησας τὸν λόγον τῆς ὑπομονῆς μου, κἀγώ σε τηρήσω ἐκ τῆς ὥρας τοῦ πειρασμοῦ τῆς μελλούσης ἔρχεσθαι ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκουμένης ὅλης, πειράσαι τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.
Because you have kept the word of My endurance, I will even keep you from the hour of testing which is about to come on the whole world, to test those who are living on the earth.
Paraphrase: Now because you have faithfully endured this reproach and exclusion and have not turned your backs on My gospel or compromised its principles, I will surely protect you from that terrible trial which I am about to bring upon the inhabited world. This trial is intended to test those who are living on earth to know whether their faith is genuine or is mere hypocrisy.
Comments:
Perhaps τῆς ὑπομονῆς μου is a genitive of content with τὸν λόγον? GGBB 92. Does μου modify υπομονης only or the entire phrase τὸν λόγον τῆς ὑπομονῆς? Winer defends the latter. Hengstenberg the former.
The divine Lex Talionis as given in Luke 6:37, 38; see commentary on v10 here.
See Hort on πειρασμοῦ.
Trench argues that the use of εκ in τηρήσω ἐκ τῆς ὥρας instead of the usual απο means that the Philadelphians will pass through the trial but will be preserved in it. They will not succumb under this suffering. Craven, in Lange’s commentary, argues the opposite.
Rev 3:11
ἔρχομαι ταχύ· κράτει ὃ ἔχεις, ἵνα μηδεὶς λάβῃ τὸν στέφανόν σου.
I come quickly; hold what you have in order that no one might take your crown.
Paraphrase: Therefore, don’t be afraid. Look, I am coming very soon; it won’t be long now. Take a tighter grip on what you already have. Don’t let go of your commitment to Me; don’t let your faith wither under these bitter assaults. Keep your eye on the prize, that brilliant crown of victory (Revelation 2:10) which I will surely give to all those who persevere to the end. (Matthew 24:13)
Comments:
Rev 3:12
ὁ νικῶν ποιήσω αὐτὸν στῦλον ἐν τῷ ναῷ τοῦ θεοῦ μου, καὶ ἔξω οὐ μὴ ἐξέλθῃ ἔτι, καὶ γράψω ἐπ’ αὐτὸν τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ θεοῦ μου καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τῆς πόλεως τοῦ θεοῦ μου, τῆς καινῆς Ἰερουσαλήμ, ἡ καταβαίνουσα ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ μου, καὶ τὸ ὄνομά μου τὸ καινόν.
The one conquering, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God and he will never depart again and I will write on him the Name of My God and the Name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from My God and My new Name.
Paraphrase: You know the promise I have made you many times. (Revelation 2:7; 2:11; 2:17; 2:26; 3:5; 3:21) Those who stay true to Me and refuse to give their ear to all the voices that are calling them to turn away from Me, these will have a place in the kingdom of My Glory. In fact, I will make you pillars in the temple of My heavenly Father, and you will never have to leave that temple again and face all the suffering and tears which you experienced in this world. The Jews have excluded you from their temple; but My Father will not exclude you from His. Your place there is assured because I will write on each of you three Names. The first Name is that of My Father in heaven; the second is “New Jerusalem” which is the name of the city where My Father dwells (Ezekiel 48:35). This is the glorious city which is coming down out of heaven prepared by My Father for all those who are following Me. (Revelation 21:10) Finally, I will write on them My Own Name which no one knows except Myself. (Revelation 19:12)
Comments:
Stuart writes that the city is said to descend from heaven “to indicate its heavenly or spiritual nature.”
Rev 3:13
ὁ ἔχων οὖς ἀκουσάτω τί τὸ πνεῦμα λέγει ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις.
Those who have ears, let them hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
Paraphrase: If anyone has ears to hear these things, let them listen to what the Holy Spirit is telling them and act accordingly.
Comments:
Rev 3:14
Καὶ τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς ἐν Λαοδικείᾳ ἐκκλησίας γράψον· Τάδε λέγει ὁ Ἀμήν, ὁ μάρτυς ὁ πιστὸς καὶ ἀληθινός, ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς κτίσεως τοῦ θεοῦ·
Rev 3:15
Οἶδά σου τὰ ἔργα, ὅτι οὔτε ψυχρὸς εἶ οὔτε ζεστός. ὄφελον ψυχρὸς ἦς ἢ ζεστός.
Rev 3:16
οὕτως, ὅτι χλιαρὸς εἶ καὶ οὔτε ζεστὸς οὔτε ψυχρός, μέλλω σε ἐμέσαι ἐκ τοῦ στόματός μου.
Rev 3:17
ὅτι λέγεις ὅτι Πλούσιός εἰμι καὶ πεπλούτηκα καὶ οὐδὲν χρείαν ἔχω, καὶ οὐκ οἶδας ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ ταλαίπωρος καὶ ἐλεεινὸς καὶ πτωχὸς καὶ τυφλὸς καὶ γυμνός,
Rev 3:18
συμβουλεύω σοι ἀγοράσαι παρ’ ἐμοῦ χρυσίον πεπυρωμένον ἐκ πυρὸς ἵνα πλουτήσῃς, καὶ ἱμάτια λευκὰ ἵνα περιβάλῃ καὶ μὴ φανερωθῇ ἡ αἰσχύνη τῆς γυμνότητός σου, καὶ κολλούριον ἐγχρῖσαι
τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου ἵνα βλέπῃς.
Rev 3:19
ἐγὼ ὅσους ἐὰν φιλῶ ἐλέγχω καὶ παιδεύω· ζήλευε οὖν καὶ μετανόησον.
Rev 3:20
ἰδοὺ ἕστηκα ἐπὶ τὴν θύραν καὶ κρούω· ἐάν τις ἀκούσῃ τῆς φωνῆς μου καὶ ἀνοίξῃ τὴν θύραν, καὶ εἰσελεύσομαι πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ δειπνήσω μετ’ αὐτοῦ καὶ αὐτὸς μετ’ ἐμοῦ.
Rev 3:21
ὁ νικῶν δώσω αὐτῷ καθίσαι μετ’ ἐμοῦ ἐν τῷ θρόνῳ μου, ὡς κἀγὼ ἐνίκησα καὶ ἐκάθισα μετὰ τοῦ πατρός μου ἐν τῷ θρόνῳ αὐτοῦ.
Rev 3:22
ὁ ἔχων οὖς ἀκουσάτω τί τὸ πνεῦμα λέγει ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις.