The Faithful Church

I am so happy to be writing about the Church of Philadelphia, as they were considered faithful. We may know Philadelphia as the city of brotherly love in the United States. But, the ancient city of Philadelphia is now the modern-day city of Alaşehir in (Turkiye) Turkey. Philadelphia derived its name from Attalus Philadelphus, who constructed it. It was located on Mount Tmolus, and although prone to earthquakes, it was a fertile land that was excellent for agriculture. This was one of the two churches that Jesus commended and did not rebuke.

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ Revelation 3:7-13

Jesus describes Himself from Isaiah 22:22, which states that the key of the house of Davidwould be on His shoulder, so He would open, and no one shall shut; and He shall shut, and no one shall open. For every church, Jesus gives a different description of Himself. This means that we cannot expect Jesus to come the same way all the time, as there are so many different dimensions to Him. We were seeing Jesus’ side of compassion with the Church of Philadelphia. He did not have a double-edged sword like He did for the compromising Church of Pergamos, and His eyes were not like a flame of fire, as it was for the corrupt church of Thyatira. He came as the One who had the key to open the door to the faithful Church of Philadelphia. Vincent’s Word Studies expounds on Jesus’ open door.

A door opened. This is variously explained. Some refer it to the entrance into the joy of the Lord; others to the initiation into the meaning of scripture; others again to the opportunity for the mission-work of the Church. In this last sense the phrase is often used by Paul… I have given is appropriate, since all opportunities of service are gifts of God.

Jesus saw the tests that may have come from the “synagogue of Satan,” similar to the persecuted Church of Smyrna. This synagogue comprised people who said they were Jews but lied because they were not of the One True God. Those in the Church of Philadelphia may have been weakened by these trials, so they had little strength. Despite this, they obeyed Jesus’ word and never denied His name. Therefore, their reward was an open door. Whether this open door was to His joy, deeper understanding of His Scriptures, or new means of spreading the Gospel, it was a gift from the Lord that could not be taken away.  And He was going to make those of the synagogue of Satan worship at their feet. Not even the Church of Smyrna would experience this. For them, the synagogue of Satan would not prevail. But, Jesus was demonstrating how much He loved the Church of Philadelphia. Therefore, the synagogue of Satan would be prostrate at their feet. Yet, there was more. Jesus was going to keep them from the hour of trial that would come upon the world. MacLaren's Expositions gives a wonderful explanation of this that applies to all faithful Christ followers.

‘Because thou hast kept the word of My patience I will keep thee from,’ and in, ‘the hour of temptation.’ There is a beautiful reciprocity, as I said. Christ will do for us as we have done with His word. Christ still does in heaven what He did upon earth. In the great high priest’s prayer recorded by the evangelist who was also the amanuensis of these letters from heaven, Jesus said, ‘I kept them in Thy name which Thou hast given Me, and I guarded them, and not one of them perished.’ And now, speaking from heaven, He continues His earthly guardianship, and bids us trust that, just as when with His followers here, He sheltered them as a parent bird does its young, fluttering round them, bearing them up on its wings, and drew them within the sacred circle of His sweet, warm, strong, impregnable protection, so, if we keep the word of His patience, cherishing the story of His life in our hearts, and humbly seeking to mould our lives after its sweet and strong beauty, He will keep us in the midst of, and also from, the hour of temptation. The Christ in heaven is as near each trembling heart and feeble foot, to defend and to uphold, as was the Christ upon earth.

What wonderful news! Christ will keep us if we choose to remain faithful to the end, like the Church of Philadelphia, and no one can take away our crown of life, which is only for true believers in Christ. The Lord’s “hour of trial” may seem like a lifetime to us, but we should hold fast to His word until the end, no matter what challenges come our way. When we overcome, we will be a pillar in the temple of God. The Church of Philadelphia would understand the strength of these pillars that were built to withstand the great tremors of the earthquakes that would occur. The believers who stay firm in faith until the end and do not waver will forever be a part of the spiritual temple, the Church, which Christ will come quickly for. And although Christ’s “quickly” may seem like it is taking far longer than we would like, we should never give up and continue to look forward to His return when the New Jerusalem will come down from Heaven. Oh, what a day that will be when He makes all things new and gives us a new name!