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 NEVERTHELESS… (REVELATIONS 2:18-29)

The Church in Thyatira commended her love, faith, service and endurance but warned against the promotion of sexual immorality and idol in the church by a fake prophetess referred to as Jezebel.

REFLECTION 

Nevertheless is the theme for our reflection. Nevertheless is an adverb that means ‘in spite of that’ or ‘notwithstanding’. It means there could be a positive state of affairs coexisting with a bad state of affairs or vice versa. In the context of our reflection, it means a church may have all the signs of growth yet be facing significant challenges or experiencing signs of retrogression. Thyatira was a city in the Roman Province of Asia. The church in Thyatira existed in an era where there were trade guilds that participated in paganism. Sexual immorality was also associated with the pagan practices. It was difficult for Christian traders to transact business because one had to belong to one of these guilds to be recognised as a merchant.  The Church of Thyatira was commended by Jesus in the following words, ‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. (Revelation 2:19). In other words, regardless of all the temptations and challenges some believers endured in their faith and love for Jesus in the Church of Thyatira. 

Nevertheless, the church was divided because there were some liberal Christians who accepted the teaching of  a fake prophetess who was referred to as Jezebel because she shared similar attributes of Jezebel in the Old Testement who lured King Ahab and the Israelites into idolatry or the worship of Baal (1 Kings 18:19-19:3). “But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols”(Revelation 2:20). The fake prophetess taught that a believer has the liberty to participate in pagan practices and their associated sexual immorality. She was not any different from the Nicolaitans in the Pergamum Church in Revelations 2:14-16. 

Beloved in the Lord, any church no matter how flourishing it appears in terms of infrastructure and membership that does not insist on the discipline of wayward leaders who do not stress on the unadulterated teaching of Christ but allows its leaders to focus on materialism and liberalism is a representation of the Church of Thyatira in Revelations 2:18-29. In such Churches, although there are faithful Christians, Christian discipline is not stressed. Women wear provocative or revealing dresses, the youth engage in unguided premarital relationships which becomes channels of sexual immorality in the church. Some Christian leaders do not pay attention to messages that challenge the spiritual and moral lives of their church members. There are some prophets and pastors who stress freedom in Christ without paying attention to discipleship and a life of holiness as a child of God.

My dear friend, I find it necessary to quote Apostle Paul’s admonishment to young Timothy which I believe was relevant to the Church of Thyatira and 21 Century Christian that nevertheless “ I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:  preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.  As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:1-5) My dear friend, follow the true teaching of Christ and resist any temptation to participate in any form of idol worship and sexual immorality. Jesus cautions us through the church of Thyatira that “Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. (Revelation 2:22-23) Shalom. 

PRAYER 

The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ Amen (Revelation 2:26-29)

Jean-Paul Agidi (Rev)