The fourth church the Lord addressed at the beginning of the book of Revelation was in Thyatira. This is the only mention of this church in the New Testament. However, there was a notable convert in Philippi who was from the city of Thyatira. This church was not facing persecution as many others were, yet the Lord warned them not to tolerate the sin that had crept in among them.
“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this: ‘I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them—I place no other burden on you. Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come. He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces, as I also have received authority from My Father; and I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’” (Revelation 2:18-29).
About the City
One of the notable characteristics of this ancient city was the strong presence of trade guilds. These were associations of craftsmen or merchants who would band together in order to regulate and protect their trade. We read of something similar in Ephesus with Demetrius and the tradesmen (Acts 19:23-27). They saw Christianity as a threat because it would turn people away from idol worship, which was a lucrative business for them. These associations would have the power to put much pressure on the disciples if they chose to do so.
As was mentioned in the opening paragraph, the New Testament does introduce one individual from Thyatira to us – Lydia, a “seller of purple fabrics” (Acts 16:14). She heard and obeyed the gospel in Philippi (Acts 16:15), making her the first convert in Europe. She also welcomed Paul into her home after his wrongful imprisonment and the other disciples in that city (Acts 16:40).
Letter to the Church
The letter to the church in Thyatira followed the same basic structure as the rest. It is also the longest of the seven letters.
- Description of Jesus – Jesus first identified Himself as the “Son of God” (Revelation 2:18), reminding them of His deity (cf. John 5:17-18). He then said He had “eyes like a flame of fire” (Revelation 2:18; 1:14). This was a reminder of His power of perception, His ability to see through them, and that nothing could be hidden from Him. He also has “feet…like burnished bronze” (Revelation 2:18; 1:15), so He could tread them under His feet in an act of divine judgment.
- Current circumstances – These brethren were not facing persecution as others were. However, they did have a woman among them who was identified as “Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess” (Revelation 2:20). She was tempting the Christians in Thyatira to commit immorality and participate in idol worship (Revelation 2:20).
- Commendations – The Lord mentioned their love, faith, service, and perseverance (Revelation 2:19). He also said, “Your deeds of late are greater than at first” (Revelation 2:19), indicating that their growth and progress were admirable.
- Condemnations – Despite the good they were doing, they were also tolerating “Jezebel,” who was leading Christians astray, and not trying to oppose or stop her. This seems to be an actual woman, though it is likely that a different name was used to associate her with the wicked queen over Israel (cf. 1 Kings 21:25). This woman was leading some of the brethren to compromise their faith and morals in order to be like the world. Not all of them were caught up in this (Revelation 2:24), but some had been led astray.
- Punishment for sin – The Lord promised “tribulation” for Jezebel and her followers (Revelation 2:22). This divine judgment – in whatever form it would take – would be apparent to the other churches (Revelation 2:23). This would happen after she was given time to repent and refused to do so (Revelation 2:21).
- Reward for faithfulness – Jesus promised His disciples that they would have “authority over the nations” (Revelation 2:27) and would reign with Him, a reminder that He was the ultimate authority, not the powerful forces around them. They would also be given “the morning star” (Revelation 2:28), which is identified later by Jesus as Himself (Revelation 22:16). In other words, by remaining faithful, they would enjoy the blessings of fellowship with Him.
Main Lesson: We Cannot Be Tolerant of Sin
In some ways, the situation of the church in Thyatira was much like the one described in Paul’s first letter to Corinth: “It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst” (1 Corinthians 5:1-2). The Corinthians were boasting over how “tolerant” they were toward the brother who was engaged in sin and refused to repent. Paul told them to “deliver such a one to Satan” (1 Corinthians 5:4-5). In Thyatira, “Jezebel” was following and promoting “the deep things of Satan” (Revelation 2:24). Paul warned the brethren in Corinth that sin can spread like leaven (1 Corinthians 5:6), and this was happening in Thyatira.
This is the lesson for us today. We must not tolerate sinful behavior within the church.
If a fellow Christian is caught up in sin, we must try to restore him: “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness…” (Galatians 6:1). If a brother is weak, we need to bear with him and encourage him: “We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone” (1 Thessalonians 5:14). However, if a brother refuses to repent, we cannot continue in fellowship with him. Consider what Paul wrote about this:
“But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one” (1 Corinthians 5:11).
“Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us” (2 Thessalonians 3:6).
Jesus also talked about how to deal with a brother in sin: “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector” (Matthew 18:15-17). After efforts have been made to help him see his sin and encourage him to repent, he needs to be marked and withdrawn from (Romans 16:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:14). Failing to do this can be destructive to the church, as Paul warned the Corinthians: “Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?” (1 Corinthians 5:6). When sin is tolerated among brethren, it will inevitably spread to others in the church – not necessarily the same sin, but other sins that we tend to justify as being “not as bad” as someone else’s sin.
Conclusion
We face the temptation to sin all of the time. Yet at times, this influence can even come from within the church. If tolerated, it will spread, and we will no longer be distinguishable as the Lord’s church.
Let us instead continue in love, faith, service, and perseverance and keep ourselves from becoming like the world.
