Lessons Six

1. Background of Philadelphia (3:7-13)

a. Its volcanic soil was extremely fertile and ideal for growing grapes. As a result it was agriculturally prosperous as well.

b. Known as the city of “brotherly love”

c. The one problem was its proclivity to earthquakes. While the active volcanoes made the soil fertile, the earthquakes made it difficult to live there.

d. The same earthquake that devastated Sardis in A.D. 17 also leveled Philadelphia, and there were apparently aftershocks for some time that led much of the populace to live outside the city and farm. While Sardis may have been harder hit, Philadelphia was nearer the epicenter and suffered more lingering effects.

e. As a result of the havoc caused by the A.D. 17 earthquake, the emperor removed their obligation to pay tribute to Rome for five years, so they could recover economically and reconstruct the city. Out of gratitude, Philadelphia renamed itself “Neocaesarea” for a time, erected a monument in Rome with the other twelve cities that received aid, and developed a cult in honour of the emperor’s adopted son Germanicus.

f. In 92 AD, the emperor issued an edict demanding that half the vines be cut down and no new ones planted. The earthquakes plus the famines had already made life in the city difficult. Ties to the emperor dissipated, for there were no long-term results from the patronage, and now the edict callously threatened the very life of the city.

g. Religion: tree was a syncretistic blend of Anatolian and Hellenistic practices. Its patron deity appropriately was Dionysus, god of wine.

2. The One who opens and shuts with the key of David (v. 7):

a. Philadelphia and Smyrna are the only two churches with no rebuke, and it is interesting that both were under severe threat from a powerful Jewish presence in the city. Christ again points out what they are doing right. As with Smyrna, there is nothing but approval here.

b. The church was right with the Lord and needed encouragement rather than denunciation.

c. Christ has the power to “open” and “shut,” and now he “gives” that authority to them as seen in Matt. 16:18–19; 18:18 ; John 20:23 (the “keys of the kingdom” = the authority to “bind” and “loose”).

d. However, the most common view today (Beckwith, Lohmeyer, Ladd, Mounce, Johnson, Prigent, Krodel, Thomas, Fekkes, Giesen, Aune, Beale) is to see this as the “door” to the kingdom. While the church has been excommunicated from the synagogue, Christ has the “keys” to the kingdom. He has opened he “door,” and “no one could shut it.”

3. A deeper look into what the keys represent: When you read Matt 16:18-19; 18:18 and John 20:23, you will understand the key has to do with Jesus and the Kingdom.

a. To understand the keys of the kingdom, you need to understand what the kingdom represents. The kingdom was the main message that Jesus preached when he was on earth. To understand the kingdom, you need to understand was the main thing that was lost in the Garden of Eden that Jesus came to restore. What was lost in the Garden of Eden was the presence of God. The presence of God was perfectly united with creation in the Garden of Eden. It was the only place like this on the earth. And Adam and Eve's job was to fill the earth with the presence of God as they became fruitful and multiplied. Humans are the agents or icons of God to reflect His presence over the earth. But when Adam and Eve sinned, the presence of God became lifted off of the earth. Eden became no more. I n other words, there was no place on earth where the presence of God was perfectly united with its creation. Furthermore after they sinned, Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden never to return back. The garden was guarded by two cherubim with flaming swords at its gate.

b. Later on in the Old Testament story we learn more the Presence of God in the life of Moses. In Exodus 3, Moses is drawn to the presence of God through the burning bush. In Exodus 24, Moses is drawn up the mountain into the presence of God in the cloud. In Exodus 34, we see Moses coming down the mountain with the glory of God on his face after asking for the presence of God to be with him when he was on top of the mountain.

c. Then we see the presence of God in the implementation of the Tabernacle Worship. The Shekinah glory of God's presence was demonstrated to people of Israel on the Day of Atonement when God in the Most Holy Place received the animal sacrifice. The Shekinah glory of God's presence would come from the Mercy Seat on the Ark of the Covenant. And around this golden seat the image of two cherubim was there, symbolizing the guarding of it.

d. Both Moses' experience on the Mountain and Israel's experience in the Tabernacle of God's presence demonstrated how God is working to restore his presence back onto the earth as it was in the Garden of Eden, where his presence is perfectly united with his creation. These Old Testament experiences also points to the Person of Jesus as depicted in John 1:14. This is the verse that described Jesus' birth into the world: "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." This term "dwelt" in Hebrew is "tabernacled." It is the same Hebrew word used in Exodus 24 when it described how God's presence "settled" on the Mountain. It is also the same Hebrew word that is used to name their "Tabernacle." To "tabernacle" is to dwell. When Jesus was born into creation, he became the new Garden of Eden. He became the perfect point within creation that is now perfectly united to God's presence. He became the "dwelling place" in creation were full glory of God's presence can fully ride. And so Jesus becomes the access point of the Shekinah glory of God that we read about in the Old Testament. And all who connect to him can connect to God's presence. This is the main goal of Jesus ministry... this is the main gospel... the main understanding of the "Kingdom." It is to bring God's presence back to earth so that we can boldly come before the throne of glory (Heb 4). And this is what Jesus has the keys to--the presence of God.

e. We as believers are to be carries of God's presence. It is only when we are carries of God's presence that we too will be able to use the keys of God's kingdom. We can ask what we will and it will come to pass. We will be able to move mountains. Because being carries of God's will is to be in relationship with God and allowing that relationship with God to transform us and empower us in his image. The more we are walking in good relationship with God the more he transforms us to walk in good relationship with people. Greater intimacy with God leads to greater intimacy with each other. This is what the church is to be about and how the world will know that we are from God.

f. It is not enough to have a deeper revelation of information about God in his Word, but we need a deeper revelation of God as a person—his presence—in the same way a spouse gets a deeper revelation of his wife when they become more intimate. Paul writes “That I may know him in the power of his resurrection and in the fellowship of his sufferings being conformable unto us death” (Phil 3:10).

g. Unforgiveness destroys our relationship with God. If God forgave us, then we should have the power to forgive others. If we don't forgive, it distances our intimacy with God's presence. The Scripture says "if we have odd with our brother, leave your gift at the alter and go make it right." The Scripture says, "Forgive our trespasses, as we forgive the trespass of others." When we don't forgive and let bitterness harbor within us, we not only push God's presence away from us, but we also welcome evil presence into us. Eph 4 says that we are "not to let the sun go down on our wrath lest we give the devil a foothold."

h. Nurturing the presence of God is the most important priority in our life. We don't make ourselves right for his presence. The presence of God makes us right (2 Cor 3; Rom 12:1-2). The only thing we are not to do is quench the Spirit or grieve the Spirit. This means we are not to resist the work that God's presence wants to do in us and through us.

4. Strengths (v. 8):

a. Christ now turns to their “strengths.”  Though they were a small church, they were faithful and persevered. A "small number" means that the church lacked size and stature in the community and was looked down upon and persecuted. They had “little authority” or influence. “But” [9] they were faithful, and that has always been the test of divine blessing rather than success.

b. They have not only “guarded” (a connotation of this verb) the gospel from error but have “obeyed” (another connotation) it in the midst of severe persecution.

5. Rewards (v. 9-12)

a. The promise to the overcomer is preceded by rewards promised to the faithful in the city. In Sardis it was only a “few” (3:4), but here the entire church is worthy.

b. Vindication (v. 9):

i. The passage alludes to Isa. 60:14, “The sons of your oppressors will come bowing before you; all who despise you will bow down at your feet” (cf. also Isa. 2:3; 14:2; 45:14; 49:23; Ezek. 36:23; Zech. 8:20–23). The Old Testament taught that the Gentiles would be forced to pay homage to the Jews at the eschaton, and now this promise is turned on its head: Jewish oppressors would be forced to pay homage to Gentile believers.

ii. They (the Jews) will bow “at your ( σου, sou ) feet” and not “at my ( μου, mou ) feet.” This is submission, not worship, and parallels 2:26–27, where the faithful saints are promised that they will participate in the judgment of their (and God’s) enemies.

iii. "I have loved" where the defeat of the nations is “because I love you.” Again, the aorist “I have loved” is global, summarizing the love of God throughout the history of the church. The Jews will finally be aware that God’s true love is for those who have believed in his Messiah (cf. John 13:1; Rom. 8:35–39).

c. Protection (v. 10):

i. Most use this to support dispensational position. Yet in the context it is the second promise to the Philadelphia church. The causal ( ὅτι , hoti , because) clause that begins the verse modifies not 3:9 but the main clause of 3:10.

ii. In light of their faithfulness to Christ, they are now given a critical promise by him.  They faithfully “kept” or obeyed the teaching about him, so he will “keep” or “protect” them. The consensus view is that it refers to the final end-time trials that precede the eschaton. Here they are the unbelievers who experience the wrath of God (the “trial” that “tests” here in 3:10) to be poured out in the seals, trumpets, and bowls.

iii. The term “earth-dwellers” (cf. 6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 12:12; 13:8, 12, 14; 17:2, 8) is important in the book and always refers to the unbelievers, the enemies of God who not only worship and follow the beast but also persecute the believers.

iv. In light of this, the view that sees this as protection rather than exemption from the trial is more likely. The point is that the Philadelphia church (identified with all faithful believers here) will be protected from the wrath of God against the unbelievers but not from the wrath of Satan, and that this protection is within and not a removal from (as in a pre-tribulation rapture) that wrath.

d. His Coming (v. 11):

i. This “coming” has an inaugurated thrust, that is, it is first Jesus’ “coming” to them in comfort and protection, and second his final “coming” to vindicate them for their suffering.

ii. "Hold Fast" The emphasis is on the continual effort (present tense) needed to maintain their walk with Christ. “What you have,” of course, is the “open door that no one can shut” (3:7–8), namely their citizenship in the kingdom of God, as well as the promised future vindication (3:10) and protection (3:11) by God.

iii. If they failed to maintain their walk, they too could lose their reward. Since the imagery is athletic (the “crown,” as in 2:10, is the victor’s crown in the games),  [26] most assume that the person “taking away” their crown is another athlete, because they have lost the race and forfeited their reward. Thus with this metaphor, it would be the Jews (or perhaps Satan—so Johnson 1981: 455) who might try to disqualify them. The one giving “the crown of life” to Smyrna in 2:10 was Christ, however, and it is more likely that he is the one who will “take the crown” away from them for failing in the race (note the parallel in Paul’s athletic metaphor for being “disqualified” [undoubtedly by God] in 1 Cor. 9:24–27).

iv. In conclusion, the Philadelphia Christians have won through to victory in the midst of severe persecution, but they still must persevere, for as in Rom. 11:17–21

e. Security and Status (v. 12)

i. There are seven promises to this church all together in this letter, by far the most of any letter. As with Smyrna, the churches that seem the weakest (characterized by faithfulness rather than “success”) have the greatest rewards.

ii. Security: “a pillar in the temple of my God.” The idea there and here is stability and permanence. (Gal 2:9; 1 Tim 3:15). “And you will never again go outside).” Jesus is promising that they will be secure in the city of God and will never again be dislodged from their homes.

iii. Three Names (Status): new “name” written on the believer. This is a threefold “name” (note the repetition of ὄνομα, onoma, before each).  To have “the name of my God” is to belong to him, to be of his essence and to be his child (Rom 8:14-17). The first name is the name of God as a seal (Rev 7:3; 14:1). The second name is to have the name of Jerusalem is to speak of citizenship (21:2, 10). And the third name is to speak of a new name God, yet to be revealed at the second coming of the Lord (cf. Rev 22:4)

6. Warning (v. 13):

a. Not only the Philadelphia church but all who could share this church’s situation needs to “hear” and “obey” the promises and cautions of this letter.

b. It is true that this church had nothing wrong with it, but that does not guarantee future faithfulness.

c. Yet it is up to them—the Spirit speaks, but they must have “ears to hear.”

d. The way to “hold fast” is to continue to “heed” this message from the Spirit.