Today’s passage: Revelation 2:18-29
Helpful thoughts:
- Christ, with eyes like a flame of fire can see all things. His feet of burnished bronze reminds the reader of his sovereign authority. We enter the throne room of the King and sit under his rule.
- From the notes in the ESV Study Bible: “Thyatira’s strengths and weaknesses are the inverse of those at Ephesus. This church is strong in love evidenced in works; but it lacks discernment and tolerates heresy.”
- The prophetess titled, “Jezebel” is commanded to repent in these verses. But also, the church is being rebuked for it’s failure to pursue the discipline of “Jezebel.” The church is responsible before God to maintain its purity.
- Jesus sees that there are people within the church who are holding fast to the gospel message and are satisfied in it, and there are others who think they want/need more. When people go after more than what Christ has given in the gospel, they are actually settling for less and rejecting Christ altogether.
Questions to consider:
- Why was Christ right to rebuke the church for not pursuing discipline of this prophetess? How was the tolerance of her teaching and actions harming the church, the testimony of the church in the community, the reputation of Christ, and even the prophetess herself? What must a church who loves God and loves their neighbors do when unrepentant sin is occurring in their midst?
- How do these commands concerning the purity of the church and repentance help us to grow in wisdom concerning the true definition of love and wisdom in knowing when our patience has crossed the line and turned into passivity?
- How does the depiction of Christ as omniscient and sovereign in verse 18 set the tone for this letter? Why did the church in Thyatira need to listen and heed what Jesus said to them? Why must we still today? Who is Jesus?