Revelation 2:18-29 Thyatira is the recipient of our next word from Jesus. The problem is basically the same as the previous, Pergamum. The problem has two stages. The first stage is some problematic teaching would lead to “sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.” The second stage is that the church of Thyatira is tolerating this teaching. Our current setting is one that says tolerance is the supreme virtue and this letter brings this thought to task. Jesus says we are supposed to push back because what we teach matters! This city was one of trade. A probable scenario was that trade guilds had formed and certain popular thoughts and behaviors were expected if you were to be included in the guilds. It turns out that, just like today, cultural norms have a lot of influence in our social, political, and economic spheres. Should I risk losing business so that I can support my family by speaking up and rocking the boat? This is the hard stuff of faith. We must decide whether God is in charge or not and act accordingly. It turns out that we are here to carry out His mission of improving the world. We are to renovate the place and sometimes that means some massive remodeling. Not an easy task! These people would likely feel they have no power in the world they live in. They do not feel in control or safe in their ability to do business. To these people, Jesus writes that He will give them “authority over the nations!” It’s as if we could have the confidence to speak out and to be intolerant of stuff that is out of line. Jesus is in charge. He sees through all facades and can stomp down the biggest enemy. He says He will give us authority. Remarkable! Comments are closed.
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Jamie SellersA shepherd and his journey Archives
June 2021
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