Jesus Christ sent this letter to commend the few faithful Christians in Sardis for their good deeds and to challenge the negligent majority to remember what they knew and to obey Him.
Sardis (modern Sart) stood about 33 miles southeast of Thyatira on a major highway that led all the way to Susa in Mesopotamia.136It had been the capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia. It was famous for its military history, jewelry, dye, and textiles. Due to its situation on a steep hill many people thought the city was impregnable. However Cyrus the Persian had captured it about 549 B.C. by following a secret path up a cliff. Antiochus invaded the city in the same way about 218 B.C.
"The dominant religion of the city . . . appears to be that of the general Anatolian religious forms: a worship of the forces of nature, which were viewed as subject to death but also as having the power of self-reproduction."137
The Lord presented Himself to this congregation as the all-wise God. The "seven Spirits"probably refer to the seven principle angels of God (cf. 1:4). The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches (1:20). Christ also reminded the readers of His lordship over the churches (the "seven stars,"1:20; 2:1).
The Lord gave less praise to this church than to any of the churches except Laodicea, which received none. The only good thing He said to these Christians was that they had a good reputation, evidently among the other churches. However, they were really a dead church and their good works were not as impressive as they should have been. Only a few of their number were faithful to the Lord (v. 4).
"The temple to Artemis (possibly Cybele) equaled in size the famous temple of Artemis in Ephesus. However, the temple at Sardis was never finished."138
This tendency to fail to finish what they had begun characterized the Christians too.
"No city of Asia at that time showed such a melancholy contrast between past splendor and present decay as Sardis."139
"Death was a special preoccupation of the Sardians, as witnessed by the impressive necropolis seven miles from the city."140
"Dr. Vance Havner has frequently reminded us that spiritual ministries often go through four stages: a man, a movement, a machine, and then a monument. Sardis was at the monument' stage, but there was still hope!"141
These believers needed to awake from their spiritual slumber, to examine their condition, and to realize their needs (cf. Matt. 24:42; 25:13; 26:41). Their city had fallen into enemy hands more than once due to the carelessness of sentries who had relied too much on the town's natural fortifications. They also needed to strengthen the areas of weakness in their church, which was almost dead.
As the Ephesians, they needed to remember the rich spiritual heritage of their church and to return to the attitudes and activities their teachers had taught them. Failure to heed these warnings would result in Jesus Christ sending discipline on the believers that would surprise them. It would be similar to the surprise that earth-dwellers will experience at the Second Coming (cf. Matt. 24:43; Luke 12:39; 1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Pet. 3:10; Rev. 16:15). These Christians were not watching expectantly for the Lord to return.142
Jesus Christ held out blessings for the faithful few in the congregation to stimulate the rest to repent. White garments symbolic of one's works (19:8) are pure and free of defilement (cf. 7:9, 13; 19:14; Matt. 22:11-12). Sardis boasted of her trade in woolen goods and dyed stuffs.143Only the Christians who were faithful to Jesus Christ could enjoy His intimate fellowship ("walk with Me;"cf. 7:14; 22:14).
"The reference was to the day of a Roman triumph. All work ceased and the true Roman citizen donned the pure white toga. The specially privileged few--usually the civic authorities and sometimes relations or friends of the victorious general who was being honoured--had a part in the triumphal procession. Clad in white, these Sardian believers were also to walk in triumph with their Captain in the day of His triumph. They had remained loyal to Him and would share His honour in the day of His glory."144
God will eventually clothe all overcomers with special garments that declare their inward purity (cf. 7:9, 13; 19:8).
Second, He will not (double negative for emphasis in Greek) erase their names from the "book of life"(cf. Luke 10:20), another metaphor for eternal life (cf. 2:7). There appear to be several books that God keeps in heaven (cf. 20:12). There is the book of the living, namely, those who are presently alive on the earth including the unsaved (Exod. 32:32-33; Deut. 29:20; Ps. 69:28; Isa. 4:3). There is also a book containing the names of the lost and their deeds (Rev. 20:12). There is a book with the names of the elect in it (Dan. 12:1; Rev. 13:8; 17:8; 20:15; 21:27). A fourth book evidently contains the names of faithful followers of the Lord (Mal. 3:16; Phil. 4:3; Heb. 12:23; Rev. 3:5).145
"The Book of Deeds and the Book of Life are distinguished in Rev 20:12 . . . The motif of having one's name erasedfrom, or blotted outof, the Book of Life is a metaphor for judgment (Exod 32:32-33; Ps 69:27-28; . . .), based on the notion of expulsion or disenfranchisement from the record of citizenship. Originally, however, to be blotted outof the Book of Life meant to die' (Exod 32:32-33; Ps 69:27-28; Isa 4:3)."146
The term "name"(Gr. onoma) also has more than one meaning. Biblical writers used it of the name of a person, his reputation (as in "he has a good name"; cf. Job 30:8; Prov. 22:1; Isa. 56:4-5), a synonym for the person himself, and in prepositional combinations.147In view of the previous use of the word "name"(v. 1), where it means reputation, that is probably what it means here too (cf. 2:17; 3:12). The Christian has a good reputation in heaven that results in his receiving an honorable eternal identity. Yet his good name associates closely with his rewards.148
"Practically every city of that day maintained a roll or civic register of its citizens, and in that record was entered the name of every child born in the city. If one of the citizens proved guilty of treachery or disloyalty or of anything bringing shame on the city, he was subjected to public dishonour by the expunging of his name from the register. (The name was, in any case normally obliterated at death.) He was deemed no longer worthy to be regarded as a citizen of the city. If, on the other hand, a citizen had performed some outstanding exploit deserving of special distinction, honour was bestowed upon him, either by the recording of the deed in the city roll or by his name being encircled in gold (or overlaid in gold) in the roll."149
We should not interpret this statement in verse 5 to imply that some believers will lose their salvation (John 5:24; 6:35-37, 39; 10:28-29). The litotes here (cf. 2:11) means the overcomer's name will be specially glorious forever.150
"The purpose of the promise is to provide certainty and assurance to those who are worthy' (cf. v. 4), not to indicate anything about the fate of those who do not overcome."151
Third, Jesus Christ will acknowledge all overcomers as His own (cf. Matt. 10:32; Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26; 12:8).
"The faithful, in the white toga of the freeborn, would walk in the triumphal procession with the Victor; they would be brought into the banquet and clad in the shining festal robe; their names would be honoured in the civic register of heaven; and finally they would be confessed before the Sovereign of the universe. Just as, in the presence of the emperor and his court, the victorious general related the deeds of the warriors who had done exploits in the battle and presented these men before the august court in acknowledgement of their worth, so the Lord Jesus Christ would recount the deeds of His followers and present them to His father."152
"Faithfulness in trial now is to be rewarded beyond measure in the life to come."153
In view of these coming realities the Christians in Sardis would have felt encouraged to live in keeping with their calling (cf. Eph. 4:1).
During the period of the Protestant Reformation the Protestant church had a reputation for being sound, but really it was quite dead. The reformers affected a return to the doctrines of salvation by grace and the priesthood of all believers, but they and their disciples could not agree on many other doctrines. This resulted in denominationalism that has fragmented the church ever since destroying its unity and marring its testimony. The faithful few of this period were those who held to the truths of Scripture that the Reformation discovered anew but did not agree with the errors of its leaders.154
Even in the present day there are many local churches that have a reputation for being good perhaps because of an imposing building, much activity, or a rich history. However they are really almost dead spiritually.
