In looking over the general course of the churches we find in Ephesus, declension; in Smyrna, persecution; in Pergamos, worldliness; in Thyatira, corruption; in Sardis, deadness; in Philadelphia we find the blessed Lord comforting a faithful remnant without characterizing their works, though well He knew them. He speaks not here, as in His address to the church in Sardis, of His authority in government, or of the plenitude of the Spirit in blessing, but of Himself in His moral glory. "These things saith He that is holy, He that is true." This is the grand feature of this epistle-personal communion with the Lord Himself, as the Holy One and the True. He thus reveals Himself to the feeble few who are witnessing for Him. He speaks not of what He has, but of what He is. Although they had but "a little strength," they were in close connection, in intimate communion with Himself.
Seeing the outward ruin of the church all around, and feeling that it is now a hopeless thing to expect its restoration to the principles of the word of God, they cleave to Him alone who changes not. Thankful, indeed, for the fellowship of saints who are walking in the truth, but all dogmas, theories, and mere prudential arrangements, are cold and heartless things to a true Philadelphian. Christ in the word, Christ in the glory-a written Christ and a living Christ-is alone appreciated by him. But would not this narrow his mind and his service? some may inquire. Just the opposite; we believe that it would separate him from the world and the world's religion. The great apostle of the Gentiles writes his life and service in one word-Christ. "For me to live is Christ." To have Christ as our object, our motive, and power, would be to extend our sphere of service by prayer and testimony to the wide circle of the Holy Spirit's action. John also, in his first epistle, when speaking to the "little children" in the family of God, says, "But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things." And again, "We are in Him that is True, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols." If the Christian has not Christ before him as his all-governing object, he has an idol. Christ, in His moral glory, is the true object for our affections, and the only standard for service, fellowship, and discipline. Christ is "He that is holy, He that is true."
It is natural to many of us to shrink from the painful work of discipline, and to allow things to pass easily if we are not personally offended, or the respectability of the community not touched. But this is falling short of our standard. The question is not, as to church fellowship, what suits us, but what suits Christ. Is it holy? is it true? Holiness and truth should be the two great pillars of the church's practical ways. The question must always be-Will this suit Christ, according to the character in which He presents Himself? Christ is "He that is holy, He that is true."
There can be no doubt that the condition of the church in Philadelphia was entirely different from that of Sardis. The one was negative, the other positive. "I know thy works," says Christ speaking to Sardis, "that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain:... for I have not found thy works perfect before God." There was a fair outward appearance, but nothing was perfect, or complete. Their works fell short of the divine word; nothing was in full accordance with scripture. That which characterized the church in Philadelphia was keeping the word of Christ's patience, and not denying His name. And this is what characterizes a true Philadelphian, wherever he is found, from that day even until now. It is not a question of power, or of anything outwardly great, but of close, intimate, personal communion with Christ Himself, through the written word by the power of the Holy Spirit. All around may be going wrong, or going on with rites and ceremonies, and worldly show. He walks with Christ through it all, and, like the few names in Sardis, his garments are not defiled.
We further see here the grace of the Lord Jesus meeting the faithfulness of the Philadelphians with many privileges and blessings. "These things saith he that.... hath the key of David; he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth. 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." Christ not only reveals Himself in His Personal glory to these faithful ones, but also in His divine power and authority, because of their "little strength." He has the key of David, according to the ancient prophecy -"And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open." (Isa. 22:2222And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. (Isaiah 22:22).) Thus all the treasures of knowledge, all the riches of grace, all the power of the Spirit, all the resources of the royal house of David, are under His hand and at His disposal.
Should the preaching of the gospel be forbidden in any place, except according to canonical law, the preacher has only to wait on the Lord in the faith of a true Philadelphian. The key, he knows, is in the Master's hand. He must not seek to force the door open; the Lord's time may not be come. Paul was forbidden to speak in Asia at one time, but the door was afterward opened to him, and he labored there for years. It is said of the blessed Lord Himself, in John 10, "To him the porter openeth," and the scribes and Pharisees could not hinder the lost sheep of the house of Israel from hearing the voice of the Good Shepherd. The waiting one is in the sympathy of Jesus, and can count on His promise, "Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it."
Three things are here said of the Philadelphians, which are particularly to be noticed. "Thou hast a little strength, and hast kept My word, and hast not denied My name." Their condition was not marked by any outward display of power; they were of little note in the sight of the world. There was no assumption of strength. They had not the "sign-gifts" of Corinth, which were a testimony to the unbelieving world, and we gather from the Lord's words that they were despised by Sardis-"Behold, I will make them to come and worship before Thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee." Weakness characterized them, but they were without reproach from the Lord. And this very weakness, when mixed with faith, is strength. "When I am weak, then am I strong." If outwardly weak, they were inwardly strong. The needed grace and inward power of life, which flows from the exalted Head in glory, for the nourishment of His members on earth, can never fail. And mark the emphasis on the word "My." It is personal association with Christ in the sweetest way. "And hast kept My word, and hast not denied My name." -"My word," and "My name." The written word is Christ's own word, and is our only security and authority at all times, and is the means of direct communion with Himself. The name of the Lord means the revelation of what He is. We know Him as the Savior, on whom the soul rests for salvation, and as the center around whom we gather as the assembly of God by the power of the presence of the Holy Ghost. "Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matt. 18:2020For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20).)
The Lord, in verse 10, evidently looks forward to a period of seductive power, from which He will deliver His own. "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."
"Evil men and seducers," says the apostle, "shall wax worse and worse." The promise is, not that He will keep them when they pass through the tribulation-like Noah through the waters-but from it, like Enoch, who had been translated to heaven before the flood came. We are to hold fast the word of His patience, which is the hope of His return, and when He comes, He meets us with a crown. "Behold, I come 'quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." This is very different from His coming as represented to Sardis-as a thief in the night.
Then come the promises. "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. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." Here the promises are all connected with the glory, the New Jerusalem, the home, the rest, the dwelling-place-not only of the true Philadelphian, but of every true believer in Christ Jesus. Still, there appears to be an answer in the glory to what we were here. Those who have taken the place of weakness in themselves, but of holy firmness against evil, shall be made pillars there. And because they denied not His name here, He will write His own new name upon them there.
The blessed thought of association with Christ Himself is still kept up. And being associated with Him who is the object of the Father's infinite delight, we have this place of blessed nearness to Him in the temple, where He is worshipped in the beauty of holiness. Then these precious "Mys," which indicate the wondrous place we have in the temple-"My name," "My word," "My patience," "My God," and "My new name." Oh! what wondrous, marvelous, inconceivable, indescribable blessedness! To be pillars in the temple of God, and to go no more out! To have the name of God, the name of the city of God-the new Jerusalem-and the new name of Christ as the exalted Man in the glory, written upon us! A few moments' meditation of this scene of unmingled, unending, blessedness arrests the activity of our thoughts. We can only praise, wonder, adore, and long to be there.
"Lord of the worlds above,
How pleasant and how fair,
The dwellings of Thy love,
The heavenly mansions are!
To Thine abode our hearts aspire,
With warm desire, to see our God."