Philadephia
Letter to the Church at Philadelphia
Rev 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith
he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth,
and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
The key of David, the keys of hell and death where held by Jesus Christ, the rock and foundation of the
church is none other than Jesus Christ. Peter and the apostles built upon that
foundation. Peter was not the rock upon which the church was built but Jesus
Himself was. Peter was equal to all the other apostles. He was precious and
wonderful but He was not any higher than any other believer and was not the
first Pope. Actually there is not any proof that Peter was even in Rome.
This church is one that most of us hope we are a part of. Christ has opened the
door to them that no man can shut. All good things of God are promised to this
church. This can apply to any church of this same description. This is the
church of brotherly love.
Those that hold the church age view see this church as about 1750 to 1925 in
which there was many revivals and great awakenings. John Wesley's revivals, DL
Moody, Charles Spurgeon and many other preached during this period. Also the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit in North Carolina, Tennessee and Azusa Street
California occurred. The holiness movement started when people started to repent
and seek and deeper walk with God during this period.
This church was a literal church in Asia Minor in John's day but it also could
represent many since then and now who live the same and have the same testimony
of faithfulness as they had. According to church history we don't see a
Philadelphia type of church after the apostolic age until after the reformation
but knowing God, I believe they existed somewhere. Most of the churches we hear
about were apostate and without the word of God during the Middle ages and
beyond. Yet God always has a remnant. There was a Philadelphia church somewhere
at all times, I am sure of it.
Rev 3:8 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.
They had a little strength, they kept the word and did not deny His name.
Perhaps they were a little in strength because they were small in number as
compared to larger churches or assemblies. Perhaps they had been persecuted to
the point that they were weak in strength but still faithful in all things
pertaining to the truth.
I personally believe they were strong in the Lord but humble and of small
number.
Keeping the word is important today as well as then. This is the key to truth
and faithfulness. The word was laid down during the dark ages and not picked
back up again until the Protestant Reformation. There is a trend today toward
unity and some have laid aside the sound doctrine of the word to bring that
about. This would definitely be a false unity and not one that is sanctioned by
the spirit of God. How can the Holy Spirit bless something that denies the
authority of God's word?
Without the word of God, we wouldn't even know about Jesus Christ the author of
our eternal salvation. If we lay aside the word and the sound doctrine the word
teaches, we are asking to be deceived as Jesus warned us about in the gospels.
Denying His name could be denying His authority, denying His right to instruct
us in the way we should live, denying His word, commandments and teachings or
denying He is the Son of God or the name by which we can be saved.
Mat 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive
you.
Mat 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive
many.
Many also come in the name of Christ, saying I am of Christ and deceive many.
They may not say they are actually the person of Jesus Christ but if they stand
in the way and try to be the sole mediator between or in place of Christ, they
are deceivers. We have seen them in this past century. Jim Jones, Joseph Smith,
Rev Moon and others. Jesus is the only mediator between God and man. Not the
pope, not Mary, not any departed saint, not a priest, not a prophet and not a
pastor. Pastors are to lead us to Christ, teach us the word and then step aside
and encourage us to enjoy our own personal relationship and fellowship in Jesus
Christ. They are never to be a mediator between us and God. This may have
been before Christ but not after Christ came. That is why He came.
He came that all of us who repent and believe in Him can know Him ourselves and
be able to pray straight to the Father without any other mediator. Christ
was the bridge or the way to God.
Rev 3:9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are
Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship
before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
These may have been the Jews who tried to require the Gentile believers to
return to the law of God in order to add to or perfect their salvation. The book
of Galatians by Paul refutes this doctrine. It also may be the religious
Pharisees who persecuted believers in Jesus Christ. A new thought I recently
came across is that in these modern times those churches which teach the
replacement theology or that the church replaces Israel could be those that say
they are Jews and are not. This is not taught in the scriptures. Israel is
always Israel. We may join them but never replace them. We must see Israel
as future believers in Jesus Christ. They will be grafted into their own
vine from which they were temporarily broken off.
Leaving this time in history the same thought could apply to any church leaders
who depart from the word of God, claim to be of God but draw followers after
themselves instead of Jesus Christ. They use only parts of scripture taken out
of context and substitute the doctrines and commandments of man. The Roman
church and the papacy have done this for centuries. The bible was kept from the
common people.
Joseph Smith of the Mormons or Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints
also departed from the scriptures and substituted his own doctrine that he
claims to have come to him by revelation. I'm reminded of the words of the
beloved apostle Paul:
Gal 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you
than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
I don't' care if we see a vision from an angel; if salvation is not taught that
Jesus Christ alone is the way to God and eternal life, then it is false.
Any church or organization that claims you must be a member of, baptized into or
be part of their church, organization or group in order to be saved and enter
eternal life is teaching another gospel.
Jesus is the way the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father but by Him.
Churches are places to have fellowship in the Lord, study the word, and preach
the gospel. They are not the way of salvation. They may point the way to Jesus
but they cannot save apart from Jesus. No church is exclusive and the only one.
God desires all to be saved. Why would He limit Himself to only one particular
group? He gave Jesus and Jesus is the only way. Jesus died for sins and Jesus
ushered in the perfect way of salvation. Through Jesus we are "born again" by
the Spirit of God. The church can't cause one to be born again. The spirit of
God given by Jesus Christ is the only one that can cause us to be born again and
receive eternal life.
Rev 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee
from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them
that dwell upon the earth.
They were kept through the awful persecutions that were to come upon the earth
caused by the Roman Empire.
Some believe this also has a latter day fulfillment in that the faithful church
will escape the future day of tribulation that will try them that dwell upon the
earth. Either they die before that day comes or they are raptured out. There are
other scriptures that bear this theory that I will include in this study.
Others deny this saying that there is tribulation now and many are suffering at
this present time persecutions for the cause of Christ. However, the bible says
that all that live godly will suffer persecution of some kind so I don't
believe this tribulation is the same as persecution that comes as a result of
the gospel. It seems to be that this one is more severe and is a time that will
trouble the whole earth, especially the Middle East and Jerusalem. Also the
tribulation in Revelations is not persecution only but the wrath of God being
poured out on those that reject Jesus Christ and those that persecute believers.
We may not escape persecution but true believers will not suffer the wrath of
God.
Here is some scriptures the support the Pre-tribulation rapture theory.
Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy
to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son
of man.
Jesus was describing the days coming when the earth will experience great
trouble just before the Second Coming of the Lord.
We are to pray to escape all these things and stand before Jesus.
1
Thessalonians 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a
thief in the night.
1Th 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction
cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
1Th 5:4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you
as a thief.
The day of the Lord is a day of judgment. It is a time to fear. Paul encourages
us to not walk in darkness so that day does not overtake us. We are to be
spiritually ready.
1Thessalonians 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also
which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are
alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are
asleep.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall
rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with
them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the
Lord.
1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one with these words.
2Thessalonians 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2Th 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit,
nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except
there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of
perdition;
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that
is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself
that he is God.
2Th 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
2Th 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth
will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with
the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and
signs and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish;
because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they
should believe a lie:
2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had
pleasure in unrighteousness.
another with these words.
Jude 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying,
Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
It appears that when Jesus returns the saints who have died previously will be
with Him. Some believe these rose from the dead seven years prior to the
Tribulation and that the ones returning are those.
Also the church is not mentioned in the judgment section of the book of
Revelation. There are martyred saints but the church itself is not mentioned as
in the first three chapters.
We can decide for ourselves whether there is to be a rapture or not by studying
the scriptures but let us not accuse one other. The Lord said that no man knows
the day and the hour. I've heard those that do not teach the rapture accuse
those that believe in it as being ones who want to escape trouble and live the
easy life. That is not so. As one who has been raised among people of that
persuasion, that is not their reasons for believing in the rapture.
Actually no matter which way it turns out to be, we need to be spiritually
ready. If we have to go through tribulation, we will need to be strong
spiritually and not be asleep. If we are asleep spiritually, we would not be
ready for the rapture also.
Rev 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man
take thy crown.
Hold onto that which the scripture teaches and that which has brought us
salvation. Don't be influenced by men or women who try to draw followers after
themselves even performing miracles, claiming revelations or teach false
doctrine.
Pray for discernment. Following man is a form of idolatry. Love your pastors but
do not idolize them. Follow Christ and adhere to the word of God so that we are
not deceived. All prophecy, revelations and visions are not false, but some are.
We are to try the spirits and search the scriptures daily. True prophecy will
never contradict the already written word of God.
Rev 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and
he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the
name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of
heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
Rev 3:13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the
churches.
Let us hear what God says to the churches. Let us be among the overcomers and
seek the Lord with all our hearts.
God and even the angels are for us, not against us.
Mat 18:14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one
of these little ones should perish.
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that
the world through him might be saved.
Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is
condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten
Son of God.
Letter to the Church at Laodicea
Ephesians
Ephesians Bible Study
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