Revelation Commentary
– the Seven Churches – Part
II
page l 1 l 2 l 3 l 4 l 5 l
- 1 -
Begin Text:
I did not complete our
study on the church at Thyatira in
the last segment. There is a couple
points that I want to add, so, let’s
do a quick review:
Jesus condemned the
church at Thyatira for
tolerating Jezebel.
a) Jezebel led the
church members to commit sexual
immorality
b) Jezebel led church
members to eat food sacrificed to
idols (the practice of superstition)
c) Jezebel was defiant
d) Jezebel used
religious bamboozle or Satan’s
“deep secrets” theology.
In other words, Jesus
was upset with the church in Thyatira
because they had not removed Jezebel
from church membership.
a) Jezebel led church
members to commit sexual immorality
b) Jezebel led church
members to eat food sacrificed to
idols (the practice of superstition)
c) Jezebel was defiant
d) Jezebel used
religious bamboozle or Satan’s
“deep secrets” theology.
In other words, Jesus
was upset with the church in Thyatira
because they had not
removedJezebel from church
membership.
Carefully consider
these words:
1 Corinthians 5:9 I
have written you in my letter not to
associate with sexually immoral
people –
1 Corinthians 5:10 not
all meaning the people of this world
who are immoral, or greedy and
swindlers, or idolaters. In that case
you would have to leave this world.
1 Corinthians 5:11 But
now I am writing you that you must
not associate with anyone who calls
himself a brother (in the
Lord) but is sexually
immoral or greedy, an idolater or a
slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler.
With such a man do not even eat.
1 Corinthians 5:12 What
business is it of mine to judge those
outside the church? Are you not to
judge those inside?
1 Corinthians 5:13 God
will judge those outside. “Expel
the wicked man from among you.”
These instruction
bother a lot of Christians today
because many Christians thank that
(a) we should not judge one another
and (b) it is “Christ like”
to be tolerate of sinners… But,
Christians cannot afford to
underestimate the lure and
transforming power of sin.
Paul says “yes,”
Christians should be respectful
toward those who are sexually immoral
or idolaters if they are not church
members. But, he said that church
members are not to associate or
tolerate church members – who
are greedy, sexually immoral,
drunkards or slanderers (liars). Why
did Paul insist on this harsh form of
discrimination? Why are Christians
supposed to treat sexually immoral pagans with
respect, but they are not to allow
sexually immoral brothers or sisters like
Jezebel to remain in the church?
There’s a divine
principle behind Paul’s words
that needs to be explained…
Leviticus 18 is an
interesting chapter. God explicitly
identified numerous forms of sexual
misconduct that are an abomination to
Him. Toward the end of the chapter,
God said:
Leviticus 18:24 “’Do
not defile yourselves in any of these
ways, because this is how the nationsthat
I am going to drive out before you
became defiled.
Leviticus 18:25 even
the land was defiled; so I
punished it for its sin, and
the land vomited out its inhabitants.
Leviticus 18:26 But
you must keep my decrees and my laws.
The native-born and the aliens living
among you must not do any of these
detestable things,
Leviticus 18:27 for
all these things were done by the
people who lived in the land before
you, and the land became defiled.
Leviticus 18:28 And if
you defile the land, it will
vomit you out as it vomited out the
nations that were before you.
Leviticus 18:29 “’Everyone
who does any of these detestable
things—such persons must be cut
offfrom their people.
Cut off means: shunned
/ disinherited / excommunicated /
rejected
On the basis of the
principle stated in Leviticus 18,
Paul stated that sexually immoral
people were to be cut off from
the church because the
church is a corporate body
of Christ’s followers. The
church is a trustee of
the gospel. It was set up to reflect
the indwelling power of the Holy
Spirit and the teachings of Jesus. If
the body of Christ does things that
offend Jesus and are openly defiant
to His teachings and the directives
of the Holy Spirit, then the message
of the church harms Christianity.
This is worse behavior that that of
pagans who profess nothing. How
can a church bear the name of Jesus
but refuses to represent Jesus?
This is why Jesus
warned the church at Ephesus:
Revelation 2:5 “….If you do
not repent, I will come to you and remove
your lampstandfrom its place.” The
reputation of Jesus among pagans is
determined by the behavior of
Christ’s followers. Our behavior
reveals what we truly think about God
and His will. Our actions and words
reveal our true purpose and mission
in life. This is why God judges us by
our actions – and incidentally,
so do the pagans!
Matthew 5:16 In
the same way, let your light shine
before men, that they may see your good
deeds and praise your Father
in Heaven.
Revelation 22; 12 “Behold,
I am coming soon! My reward is with
me, and I will give to everyone
according to what he has done.
The primary mission
of the church of Jesus Christ is to
reveal the love of God and the
transforming power in the gospel of
Jesus.
page l 1 l 2 l 3 l 4 l 5 l
- 1 -
