Revelation 3:2-5

3:2 Wake up then, and strengthen what remains that was about ¹  to die, because I have not found your deeds complete ²  in the sight ³  of my God. 3:3 Therefore, remember what you received and heard, ⁴  and obey it, ⁵  and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will never ⁶  know at what hour I will come against ⁷  you. 3:4 But you have a few individuals ⁸  in Sardis who have not stained ⁹  their clothes, and they will walk with me dressed ¹⁰  in white, because they are worthy. 3:5 The one who conquers ¹¹  will be dressed like them ¹²  in white clothing, ¹³  and I will never ¹⁴  erase ¹⁵  his name from the book of life, but ¹⁶  will declare ¹⁷  his name before my Father and before his angels.

¹ tn The verb ἔμελλον (emellon) is in the imperfect tense.

² tn The perfect passive participle has been translated as an intensive (resultative) perfect here.

³ tn Or “in the judgment.” BDAG 342 s.v. ἐνώπιον 3 states, “in the opinion/judgment of…As a rule…of θεός or κύριος; so after…πεπληρωμένος Rv 3:2.”

⁴ tn The expression πῶς εἴληφας καὶ ἤκουσας (pw" eilhfa" kai hkousa") probably refers to the initial instruction in the Christian life they had received and been taught; this included doctrine and ethical teaching.

⁵ tn Grk “keep it,” in the sense of obeying what they had initially been taught.

⁶ tn The negation here is with οὐ μή (ou mh, the strongest possible form of negation in Koine Greek).

⁷ tn Or “come on.”

⁷ tn Grk “a few names”; here ὄνομα (onoma) is used by figurative extension to mean “person” or “people”; according to L&N 9.19 there is “the possible implication of existence or relevance as individuals.”

⁸ tn Or “soiled” (so NAB, NRSV, NIV); NCV “have kept their clothes unstained”; CEV “have not dirtied your clothes with sin.”

⁹ tn The word “dressed” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

¹⁰ tn Or “who overcomes.”

¹¹ tn Grk “thus.”

¹² tn Or “white robes.”

¹³ tn The negation here is with οὐ μή (ou mh), the strongest possible form of negation in Koine Greek.

¹⁴ tn Or “will never wipe out.”

¹⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

¹⁶ tn Grk “will confess.”