Seven Churches - Again

A few weeks ago I wrote a little bit about the Seven Churches in Revelation.

I guess the Seven Churches captured my attention much longer than I thought. Here's a bit I wrote in 2006, just for my own edification. Enjoy!

	Commendation	Criticism	Instruction	Promise
Ephesus	Rejects evil, perseveres, has patience	Love for Christ no longer fervent	Do the works you did at first	The tree of life
Smyrna	Gracefully bears suffering	None	Be faithful until death	The crown of life
Pergamos	Keeps the faith of Christ	Tolerates immorality, idolatry, and heresies	Repent	Hidden manna and a stone with a new name
Thyatira	Love, service, faith, patience is greater than at first	Tolerates cult of idolatry and immorality	Judgment coming; keep the faith	Rule over nations and receive morning star
Sardis	Some have kept the faith	A dead church	Repent; strengthen what remains	Faithful honored and clothed in white
Philadelphia	Perseveres in the faith	None	Keep the faith	A place in God’s presence, a new name, and the New Jerusalem
Laodicea	None	Indifferent	Be zealous and repent	Share Christ’s throne

The positives: reject evil, persevere, have patience, gracefully bear suffering, keep the faith of Christ, love service, faith, increased patience, persevere in the faith

The negatives: love for Christ is not fervent, tolerates immorality, idolatry and heresies, tolerates a cult of idolatry and immorality, a dead church, indifferent

Instructions: do the works you did at first, when you still loved Christ fervently, be faithful unto death, repent, judgment coming, keep the faith, repent, strengthen what remains, keep the faith, be zealous and repent

Rewards: the tree of life, the crown of life, hidden manna and a stone with a new name, rule over nations and receive the morning start, faithful honored and clothed in white, a place in God’s presence, a new name and the New Jerusalem, share Christ’s throne

We want to be more like Smyrna and Philadelphia.