Revelation 2:19
Verse
Context
To the Church in Thyatira
18To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like a blazing fire and whose feet are like polished bronze.19I know your deeds—your love, your faith, your service, your perseverance—and your latter deeds are greater than your first.
Sermons
Chuck Smith
Jim CymbalaSummary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
I know thy works - And of these he first sets forth their charity, την αγαπην, their love to God and each other; and particularly to the poor and distressed: and hence followed their faith, την πιστιν, their fidelity, to the grace they had received; and service, την διακονιαν, and ministration; properly pious and benevolent service to widows, orphans, and the poor in general. And thy patience - Την ὑπομονην σου· Thy perseverance under afflictions and persecutions, and thy continuance in well-doing. I put faith before service according to the general consent of the best MSS. and versions. Thy works - The continued labor of love, and thorough obedience. The last to be more than the first - They not only retained what they had received at first, but grew in grace, and in the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ. This is a rare thing in most Christian Churches: they generally lose the power of religion, and rest in the forms of worship; and it requires a powerful revival to bring them to such a state that their last works shall be more than their first.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
The oldest manuscripts transpose the English Version order, and read, "faith and service." The four are subordinate to "thy works"; thus, "I know thy works, even the love and the faith (these two forming one pair, as 'faith works by love,' Gal 5:6), and the service (ministration to the suffering members of the Church, and to all in spiritual or temporal need), and the endurance of (that is, shown by) thee (this pronoun belongs to all four)." As love is inward, so service is its outward manifestation. Similarly, faith and persevering endurance, or "patient continuance (the same Greek as here, Rom 2:7) in well-doing," are connected. and thy works; and the last--Omit the second "and," with the three oldest manuscripts and the ancient versions; translate, "And (I know) thy works which are last (to be) more in number than the first"; realizing Th1 4:1; the converse of Mat 12:45; Pe2 2:20. Instead of retrograding from "the first works" and "first love," as Ephesus, Thyatira's last works exceeded her first (Rev 2:4-5).
John Gill Bible Commentary
I know thy works,.... Good works, as appears from the particular enumeration of them afterwards, and the commendation of proficiency in them, the last being more than the first, and the distinction from the evil ones in Rev 2:20; this is said to the faithful followers and professors of Christ in this interval: and charity; by which is meant not a relieving the wants of the poor; much less such a charity as connives at the errors and heresies of men; but the divine grace of love to God nod Christ, and the saints, without which a profession of religion is a vain thing; and, generally speaking, this grace is most in exercise in a time of trouble and persecution: and service; or "ministry", meaning either the ministry of the word, which was exercised by many with great zeal, diligence, and faithfulness, as by Wickliff, John Huss, Jerom of Prague, and others; or the ministering to the necessities of the poor saints, as an evidence of their charity or love; or else the service of God is here intended, which is but reasonable, and is his due, and ought to be performed to him only, and that with fear and fervency, in faith, and with a pure conscience, with humility, and without mercenary views, and in righteousness and true holiness; or the service of love which the saints perform to one another, as praying for one another, bearing one another's burdens, admonishing and reproving for sin, restoring such as are gone astray, comforting the distressed, building up one another in their most holy faith, and exhorting and stirring up each other to the duties of religion: and faith; not the doctrine of faith, as preached by the ministers of the word, and held and maintained by the true professors of it; but either the grace of faith, or the profession of both; or rather the faithfulness, both of the ministers and private believers of those times, as the Waldenses and Albigenses, the Lollards and Wickliffites, who abode by, and were faithful to the light which they had received: and thy patience; in suffering for the sake of Christ and the Gospel: and very much it was they did endure, and yet held out to the end: and thy works, and the last to be more than the first; that is, that their works or acts of love to God and Christ and one another, and of service to God and to the saints, and of faith and faithfulness in the cause of God, and of patience in suffering for the Gospel of Christ, were more in quantity, and greater in quality, toward the close of this period, which brought on the Reformation, than at the beginning of it; and which were done by the persons before mentioned, and by others.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
2:19 Christ emphasizes knowing and seeing all things as he praises the Thyatirans.
Revelation 2:19
To the Church in Thyatira
18To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like a blazing fire and whose feet are like polished bronze.19I know your deeds—your love, your faith, your service, your perseverance—and your latter deeds are greater than your first.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
Revelation Overview Pt. 1
By Chuck Smith2.3K56:47RevelationREV 2:2REV 2:9REV 2:13REV 2:19REV 3:1REV 3:8REV 3:15In this sermon, the speaker discusses how John, in the book of Revelation, was taken by the spirit into the future to witness events that would occur. The speaker emphasizes that John had to use familiar figures and language from his time to describe modern concepts, such as tanks firing cannons and jet planes flying through the air. The sermon also highlights the importance of repentance and having a relationship with Jesus, as God's judgment is imminent. The speaker concludes by urging the audience to listen to God's messages to the church and to avoid being deceived by the voice of Satan.
Room for More
By Jim Cymbala56516:34ChurchMAT 6:33JHN 10:10ACT 1:81CO 15:58PHP 3:13HEB 10:25REV 2:19In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of not allowing anyone to rob believers of their love, faith, service, and perseverance. The speaker highlights that love and faith are interconnected, with love motivating believers to serve others. The sermon emphasizes the need to continually grow and not become complacent in one's faith, as this can lead to a loss of fervency and involvement in God's work. The speaker challenges believers to examine their lives and ensure they are continually growing and doing more for God, rather than allowing distractions and worldly desires to hinder their spiritual progress.
Making a Purity Covenant: Seven Practical Commitments
By Mike Bickle2653:22PurityAccountabilityREV 2:19REV 3:8Mike Bickle emphasizes the need for a purity covenant within the church, drawing from Revelation chapter 3, where he highlights the Church of Philadelphia's faithfulness and the dangers of tolerating immorality as seen in the churches of Thyatira and Pergamos. He calls for a commitment to uphold God's standards, warning that as God's glory increases, so does the accountability for sin within the community. Bickle outlines seven practical commitments to maintain purity, including refusing to participate in conversations that promote immorality and holding each other accountable through confession and support. He stresses the importance of a culture of repentance and the grace of immunity to overcome past failures, urging the congregation to stand united against the rising tide of immorality in society.
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
I know thy works - And of these he first sets forth their charity, την αγαπην, their love to God and each other; and particularly to the poor and distressed: and hence followed their faith, την πιστιν, their fidelity, to the grace they had received; and service, την διακονιαν, and ministration; properly pious and benevolent service to widows, orphans, and the poor in general. And thy patience - Την ὑπομονην σου· Thy perseverance under afflictions and persecutions, and thy continuance in well-doing. I put faith before service according to the general consent of the best MSS. and versions. Thy works - The continued labor of love, and thorough obedience. The last to be more than the first - They not only retained what they had received at first, but grew in grace, and in the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ. This is a rare thing in most Christian Churches: they generally lose the power of religion, and rest in the forms of worship; and it requires a powerful revival to bring them to such a state that their last works shall be more than their first.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
The oldest manuscripts transpose the English Version order, and read, "faith and service." The four are subordinate to "thy works"; thus, "I know thy works, even the love and the faith (these two forming one pair, as 'faith works by love,' Gal 5:6), and the service (ministration to the suffering members of the Church, and to all in spiritual or temporal need), and the endurance of (that is, shown by) thee (this pronoun belongs to all four)." As love is inward, so service is its outward manifestation. Similarly, faith and persevering endurance, or "patient continuance (the same Greek as here, Rom 2:7) in well-doing," are connected. and thy works; and the last--Omit the second "and," with the three oldest manuscripts and the ancient versions; translate, "And (I know) thy works which are last (to be) more in number than the first"; realizing Th1 4:1; the converse of Mat 12:45; Pe2 2:20. Instead of retrograding from "the first works" and "first love," as Ephesus, Thyatira's last works exceeded her first (Rev 2:4-5).
John Gill Bible Commentary
I know thy works,.... Good works, as appears from the particular enumeration of them afterwards, and the commendation of proficiency in them, the last being more than the first, and the distinction from the evil ones in Rev 2:20; this is said to the faithful followers and professors of Christ in this interval: and charity; by which is meant not a relieving the wants of the poor; much less such a charity as connives at the errors and heresies of men; but the divine grace of love to God nod Christ, and the saints, without which a profession of religion is a vain thing; and, generally speaking, this grace is most in exercise in a time of trouble and persecution: and service; or "ministry", meaning either the ministry of the word, which was exercised by many with great zeal, diligence, and faithfulness, as by Wickliff, John Huss, Jerom of Prague, and others; or the ministering to the necessities of the poor saints, as an evidence of their charity or love; or else the service of God is here intended, which is but reasonable, and is his due, and ought to be performed to him only, and that with fear and fervency, in faith, and with a pure conscience, with humility, and without mercenary views, and in righteousness and true holiness; or the service of love which the saints perform to one another, as praying for one another, bearing one another's burdens, admonishing and reproving for sin, restoring such as are gone astray, comforting the distressed, building up one another in their most holy faith, and exhorting and stirring up each other to the duties of religion: and faith; not the doctrine of faith, as preached by the ministers of the word, and held and maintained by the true professors of it; but either the grace of faith, or the profession of both; or rather the faithfulness, both of the ministers and private believers of those times, as the Waldenses and Albigenses, the Lollards and Wickliffites, who abode by, and were faithful to the light which they had received: and thy patience; in suffering for the sake of Christ and the Gospel: and very much it was they did endure, and yet held out to the end: and thy works, and the last to be more than the first; that is, that their works or acts of love to God and Christ and one another, and of service to God and to the saints, and of faith and faithfulness in the cause of God, and of patience in suffering for the Gospel of Christ, were more in quantity, and greater in quality, toward the close of this period, which brought on the Reformation, than at the beginning of it; and which were done by the persons before mentioned, and by others.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
2:19 Christ emphasizes knowing and seeing all things as he praises the Thyatirans.