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‘I know [a]your deeds and your toil, and your patient endurance, and that you cannot tolerate those who are evil, and have tested and critically appraised those who call themselves apostles (special messengers, personally chosen representatives, of Christ), and [in fact] are not, and have found them to be liars and impostors;

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 2:2 Here through 3:18, “your” and “you” are in the singular, referring to the angel of each church. Much of what is said is rebuke and admonishment, so if the angels are heavenly beings, they may serve in some way as representatives of the sinful people in their churches. Jewish tradition maintained that every nation and individual has a guardian angel, and that when God is about to punish a nation, He first punishes its angel. There is even a story of Michael, the guardian angel of Israel, being rebuked by God for the sins committed in the time of Ezekiel. So the original readers of Revelation might have assumed that the angels here are the guardian angels of the individual churches, sharing responsibility for the actions of the members.

I know your deeds,(A) your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested(B) those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.(C)

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I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

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‘I know your suffering and your poverty (but you are rich), and how you are blasphemed and slandered by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan [they are Jews only by blood, and do not believe and truly honor the God whom they claim to worship].

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I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich!(A) I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not,(B) but are a synagogue of Satan.(C)

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I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

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13 ‘I know where you dwell, [a place] where Satan sits enthroned. Yet you are holding fast to My name, and you did not deny [a]My faith even in the days of [b]Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed (martyred) among you, where Satan dwells.

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 2:13 I.e. your faith in Me.
  2. Revelation 2:13 Antipas was a pastor or leader of the church at Pergamum.

13 I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me,(A) not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness,(B) who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.(C)

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13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.

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19 ‘I know your deeds, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your last deeds are more numerous and greater than the first.

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19 I know your deeds,(A) your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

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19 I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.

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26 And he who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God] and he who keeps My deeds [doing things that please Me] until the [very] end, to him I will give authority and power over the nations;(A) 27 and he shall shepherd and rule them with a rod of iron, as the earthen pots are broken in pieces, as I also have received authority [and power to rule them] from My Father;(B)

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26 To the one who is victorious(A) and does my will to the end,(B) I will give authority over the nations(C) 27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter(D) and will dash them to pieces like pottery’[a](E)—just as I have received authority from my Father.

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 2:27 Psalm 2:9

26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

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Message to Sardis

“To the angel (divine messenger) of the church in [a]Sardis write:

“These are the words of Him who has [b]the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your deeds; you have a name (reputation) that you are alive, but [in reality] you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen and reaffirm what remains [of your faithful commitment to Me], which is about to die; for I have not found [any of] your deeds completed in the sight of My God or meeting His requirements.

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 3:1 Sardis (modern Sart, Turkey), in Roman times, was a wealthy city known for the manufacture and dyeing of woolen fabric and carpets. Originally, it was the capital of the ancient Lydian Empire and was the first city to mint coinage (600 b.c.). A stream that flowed through its market place carried gold dust from a nearby mountain. King Croesus of Lydia (560-546 b.c.) financed the building of the great Temple of Artemis in Ephesus (550 b.c.). The city was conquered twice, under Cyrus the Great and under Antiochus, due to lack of adequate watchfulness.
  2. Revelation 3:1 See note 1:4.

To the Church in Sardis

“To the angel[a] of the church in Sardis(A) write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits[b](B) of God and the seven stars.(C) I know your deeds;(D) you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.(E) Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 3:1 Or messenger; also in verses 7 and 14
  2. Revelation 3:1 That is, the sevenfold Spirit

And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.

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19 Those whom I [dearly and tenderly] love, I rebuke and discipline [showing them their faults and instructing them]; so be enthusiastic and repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, your sinful behavior—seek God’s will].(A)

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19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.(A) So be earnest and repent.(B)

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19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

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‘I know your deeds. See, I have set before you an open door which no one is able to shut, for you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not renounced or denied My name.(A)

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I know your deeds.(A) See, I have placed before you an open door(B) that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.(C)

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I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

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15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are [a]neither cold (invigorating, refreshing) nor hot (healing, therapeutic); I wish that you were [b]cold or hot.

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 3:15 This phrase and the word lukewarm in v 16 form a metaphor that is probably based on the quality of the water supply of Laodicea, which was delivered by aqueduct from the hot mineral springs about five miles away. During its journey, the water cooled to a warm or lukewarm temperature.
  2. Revelation 3:15 I.e. alive, productive—beneficial in one way or the other.

15 I know your deeds,(A) that you are neither cold nor hot.(B) I wish you were either one or the other!

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15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

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