Revelation 2:18-29 - Deal with Corrupt Teaching!

Revelation 2:18-29

The Corrupt Church

18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write,

‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: 19 “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. 20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. 22 Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. 23 I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.

24 “Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden. 25 But hold fast what you have till I come. 26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—

27 ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron;
They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’—
as I also have received from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star.

29 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.“‘

This church in Thyatira (meaning “continual sacrifice, or “odor of affliction”) had a some who allowed corrupt teaching which led to sinful living in sexual immorality and idolatry.  Therefore, the Lord spoke through His servant John to the angel over the church to deal with the people there who did not do the good works prepared for them (Ephesians 2:10) which the faithful ones were praised for.  The faithful in Thyatira were known to God for their works of service, their faith, and their patience in dealing with things like bad teaching, but their tolerance was taken too far and they allowed a false prophet to continue and the effect was leading others astray from the truth and incurred God’s wrath.  The seductive teaching was of lawlessness that led people to believe they could go on sinning and even setting up idols that took the place of the Lord God!  Even today we see the misapplied half truth, “once saved, always saved” as an excuse to keep indulging their flesh and pursuing other things as their first love (Revelation 2:4) instead of pursuing holiness and pure worship.  What that church needed to do is what God stepped in to accomplish; they should have called the erring teacher and false prophetess to repentance and stop her teaching to mislead the flock.  The Lord therefore dealt directly and harshly with her and those who followed her licentious ways by sickness and suffering unto death for lack of turning from their sin back to Him.  He reminded them and us that He knows and searches our hearts and minds to sweep away the excused hiding our true motives and desires (Hebrews 4:12) with His word of truth.  We are rewarded according to our works (1 Corinthians 3:12-13, 14-15), either to His glory or our loss and shame.  Those who had not fallen for the lawlessness of this personal prosperity teaching as an excuse to sin and rub some beads in a sense to alleviate their guilt and ignore the need for confession of this sin and of repentance, these faithful ones who stayed the course of truth and avoided the depths of satan’s lies, these were accepted and encouraged to hold fast (1 Thessalonians 5:21, 2 Thessalonians 2:15, 2 Timothy 1:13) to what they knew and possessed in Christ.  They were promised to reign as kings with Him (1 Corinthians 4:8) who will judge the world in righteousness and stop every mouth set against Him and the gospel.  We are again reminded what the Spirit of God told the seven churches then and now to hear and heed His words.  We are called to holiness and purity in mind and heart according to the scriptures and in purity of worship in Christ alone for the glory of God and not to serve our own desires.  We have been bought at such a price that we can do nothing else but live for Him and do works fitting (Matthew 3:8, Acts 26:20, Ephesians 5:3-4) of our deliverance from the judgment to come on the world.  Above all, the warning is for the church to deal with false teachers and to live godly lives without excusing sin that we may please and worship only Him.