Revelation 2:1-7. THE CHURCH IN EPHESUS The Seven Epistles are marked by certain features common to them all. (1) They are all dictated by the Lord Himself. (2) The command to write to the Angel of the particular Church. (3) One or more of the great titles of our Lord taken for the most part from t... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΩ͂Ι�. In all editions the superscriptions of the letters to the Seven Churches vary though we should expect them to be uniform. Westcott and Hort (Vol. ii. p. 137) compare the form in the text with the official style of the chief priests of Augustus, Ἀρχιερεὺς τῆς Ἀσίας ναοῦ τοῦ (or ναῶν τῶν) ἐν …:... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΟῪΣ ΛΈΓΟΝΤΑΣ ἙΑΥΤΟῪΣ�. The participle and the finite verb are combined in a way irregular but not difficult, which is hardly a Hebraism, but might come natural to a writer familiar with Hebraisms. Cf. for the sense 2 Corinthians 11:13 sqq. For the question who these false Apostles at Ephesus were s... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ ὙΠΟΜΟΝῊΝ ἜΧΕΙΣ ΚΑῚ ἘΒΆΣΤΑΣΑΣ with אAB2C (א* adds καὶ θλίψις πάσας after ἔχεις); P 7 read ἐβάστασάς με (is it possible that this is the original on which διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου is a gloss? P does not omit the latter) καὶ ὑπομονὴν ἔχεις; 1 and 152 ἐβάπτισας καὶ ὑπομονὴν ἔχεις; Text. Rec[78] ἐβάστασας κα... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤῊΝ�. It is to be remembered that these words have not in ecclesiastical (or indeed in any) Greek the same sentimental associations as in English; nevertheless it is not unlikely that conjugal love is meant: cf. Jeremiah 2:2, LXX. ἐμνήσθην ἐλέους νεότητός σου καὶ�. Christ is certainly its object; it... [ Continue Reading ]
ΜΝΗΜΌΝΕΥΕ ΟΥ̓͂Ν. Prim. omits οὖν; 38 reads μνημόνευσον; see notes on 16, Revelation 3:3; Revelation 3:19. It is easier to imagine reasons why some verbs should be in the present, others in the aorist, than why some should be followed by οὖν and not others. Accidents of transcription would account fo... [ Continue Reading ]
Ἃ ΚἈΓῺ ΜΙΣΩ͂. A omits ἅ. 6. ἈΛΛᾺ ΤΟΥ͂ΤΟ ἜΧΕΙΣ. This one point in which thou art not wanting. Compare Revelation 2:25; Revelation 3:2; Revelation 3:11, where faithfulness is conceived as a treasure possessed and to be guarded. ΜΙΣΕΙ͂Σ ΤᾺ ἜΡΓΑ. Compatible with love to the persons: cf. St Jude 1:23.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ὁ ἜΧΩΝ ΟΥ̓͂Σ�. A repetition, with a merely verbal alteration, of one of our Lord’s characteristic phrases in His teaching while on earth: St Matthew 11:15, &c. ΤΊ ΤῸ ΠΝΕΥ͂ΜΑ ΛΈΓΕΙ. The Seer is in the Spirit and the Lord speaks to him, and through him to the Churches, by the Spirit; in the Gospel (R... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΝ ΣΜΎΡΝΗΙ. 1 Text. Rec[82] read Σμυρναίων. [82] Rec. Textus Receptus as printed by Scrivener. 8. ΤὨΙ�. Supposed by many of the ancient commentators to have been Polycarp. ὊΣ ἘΓΈΝΕΤΟ ΝΕΚΡΌΣ. See on Revelation 1:18. ἜΖΗΣΕΝ. Lit., “lived,” i.e. came to life, revived. So Revelation 13:14, and Matth... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CHURCH IN SMYRNA... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΤΩΧΕΊΑΝ. Means no more than poverty: πενία, the Greek word for ordinary poverty is unknown to the New Testament, and πένης only occurs once in a quotation from the LXX. (where πτωχεία is a synonym of θλίψις). Here the poverty is perhaps the effect of the persecution, Jewish converts being, as in He... [ Continue Reading ]
ΜΗΔῈΝ with Tisch[83] אP and Latins. Lach[84] and Treg[85] read μὴ with AB2C. [83] Tischendorf: eighth edition; where the text aud notes differ the latter are cited. [84] Lachmann’s larger edition. [85] Tregelles. ΚΑῚ ἝΞΕΤΕ ΘΛΊΨΙΝ ἩΜΕΡΩ͂Ν ΔΈΚΑ. Lachmann reads καὶ ἔχητε with AP Prim.; C 1 read καὶ ἔ... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟΥ̓ ΜῊ�. “Shall take no hurt from the second death.” This sense of ἀδικεῖν as “injure” (=hurt), with at the very most an evanescent moral reference, is characteristic of this book. In Thuc. ii. 71, when the Peloponnesians were about to lay waste the land of Platæa, the Platæans at the beginning of t... [ Continue Reading ]
Ὁ ἜΧΩΝ ΤῊΝ ῬΟΜΦΑΊΑΝ. Mentioned because He threatens to use it, Revelation 2:16.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CHURCH IN PEROAMUM... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟἾΔΑ ΠΟΥ͂ ΚΑΤΟΙΚΕΙ͂Σ. B2 and almost all cursives arm[89] syr[90] and Text. Rec[91] read οἶδα τὰ ἔργα σου καὶ ποῦ κατοικεῖς. [89] Armenian. [90] Syriac. [91] Rec. Textus Receptus as printed by Scrivener. [ΚΑῚ] ἘΝ ΤΑΙ͂Σ ἩΜΈΡΑΙΣ ἈΝΤΊΠΑΣ. With AC Vg[92] Cop[93] Bed. Harym.; אB2P 1 Primas[94] omit καὶ;... [ Continue Reading ]
ἜΧΕΙΣ. A reads ἔχει. βαλεῖν. A reads βασιλεῖ. 14. ΚΡΑΤΟΥ͂ΝΤΑΣ ΤῊΝ ΔΙΔΑΧῊΝ ΒΑΛΑΆΜ. As we should say “who adhere to the practice taught by Balaam, of eating …” It is called _doctrine_, because it is a thing that was _taught_. For the fact of Israel being taught such practices, see Numbers 25:1-2 : f... [ Continue Reading ]
ὉΜΟΊΩΣ. P adds, 1 and Text. Rec[98] substitute, ὃ μισῶ. [98] Rec. Textus Receptus as printed by Scrivener. 15. ΚΑῚ ΣΎ. As well as Israel of old. ὉΜΟΊΩΣ. “In like manner” (see critical note). This makes it certain that we are not to suppose two immoral sects prevailing at Pergamum. those who held t... [ Continue Reading ]
ΜΕΤΑΝΌΗΣΟΝ. So T. with אP 1, and Latt.; L. and Tr. add οὖν with AB2C. See n. on μνημ. οὖν, Revelation 2:5. 16. ΜΕΤΑΝΌΗΣΟΝ. The Angel, i.e. the whole body of the Church represented by him, is bidden to repent: because not only are the Nicolaitans guilty of the sins their doctrine involved, but the w... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΟΥ͂ ΜΆΝΝΑ. א reads ἐκ τοῦ μάννα; Primas[99] _de manna_; P 1 Text. Rec[100] prefix φαγεῖν�; P substitutes ξύλου (cf. sup. 7) for μάννα. [99] Primasius, edited by Haussleiter. [100] Rec. Textus Receptus as printed by Scrivener. 17. ΤΩ͂Ι ΝΙΚΟΥ͂ΝΤΙ. This form, which Westcott and Hort refuse to accept... [ Continue Reading ]
ὩΣ ΦΛΌΓΑ. Tisch[101] read ὡς φλόξ with א; Primas[102] _ut flamma_. [101] Tischendorf: eighth edition; where the text aud notes differ the latter are cited. [102] Primasius, edited by Haussleiter. 18. Ὁ ΥἹῸΣ ΤΟῪ ΘΕΟΥ͂. Here only in the Apocalypse. So designated, perhaps, because it is the power whi... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CHURCH IN THYATIRA... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤᾺ ἜΡΓΑ ΣΟΥ ΤᾺ ἜΣΧΑΤΑ ΠΛΕΊΟΝΑ ΤΩ͂Ν ΠΡΏΤΩΝ. In contrast to Ephesus Revelation 2:4. These words shew that the Church of Thyatira had already existed for some time. Yet it was made an objection to the book as early as the second century that no Church was then known to exist or to have existed at Thyat... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤῊΝ ΓΥΝΑΙ͂ΚΑ. AB2 Primas[103] read τὴν γυναῖκά σου. [103] Primasius, edited by Haussleiter. Ἡ ΛΈΓΟΥΣΑ. With א*AC; אcP 1 Text. Rec[104] read τὴν λέγουσαν; B2 And[105] ἣ λέγει. [104] Rec. Textus Receptus as printed by Scrivener. [105] Andreas Archbishop of Caesarea. 20. ἜΧΩ ΚΑΤᾺ ΣΟΥ͂, ὍΤΙ. “I have... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ ΟΥ̓ ΘΈΛΕΙ ΜΕΤΑΝΟΗ͂ΣΑΙ ἘΚ ΤΗ͂Σ ΠΟΡΝΕΊΑΣ ΑΥ̓ΤΗ͂Σ. א* 1 Text. Rec[106] omit καὶ … μετανοῆσαι; 1 Text. Rec[107] add καὶ οὐ μετενόησεν. [106] Rec. Textus Receptus as printed by Scrivener. [107] Rec. Textus Receptus as printed by Scrivener.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕἸΣ ΚΛΊΝΗΝ. Arm[108] reads εἰς κάμινον, A reads εἰς φυλακὴν. It is not easy to connect either with the text. We might account for A by supposing that a scribe was misled by a reminiscence of Revelation 2:10 _sup_.; if κάμινον were substituted for κλίβανον the latter might be contracted into κλῑν, so... [ Continue Reading ]
ΓΝΏΣΟΝΤΑΙ ΠΑ͂ΣΑΙ ΑἹ ἘΚΚΛΗΣΊΑΙ. Cf. All flesh shall know, Isaiah 49:26; All flesh shall see, Isaiah 40:5; Ezekiel 20:48. “All the Churches” though less extensive than “all flesh” (cf. John 17:2, and for the limitation John 14:22) must still be taken as widely as possible, it means not merely all the... [ Continue Reading ]
ὙΜΙ͂Ν ΔΈ. The form of address to the Angel of the Church is dropped, and the Church addressed directly. The sense is “to the rest of you in Thyatira,” or more literally, “to you, namely to the rest.” ΟἽΤΙΝΕΣ ΟΥ̓Κ ἜΓΝΩΣΑΝ ΤᾺ ΒΑΘΈΑ ΤΟΥ͂ ΣΑΤΑΝΑ͂, ὩΣ ΛΈΓΟΥΣΙΝ. The heretics condemned in the preceding ver... [ Continue Reading ]
Ὃ ἜΧΕΤΕ. Comparing Revelation 2:6, we shall probably understand this “what ye have to your credit,” your present faithfulness and zeal: so that the sense will rather be like Philippians 3:16 than Jude 1:3. Cf. Revelation 3:11.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ Ὁ ΝΙΚΩ͂Ν ΚΑῚ Ὁ ΤΗΡΩ͂Ν. “He that overcometh and he that keepeth” are one; in most parts of the New Testament there would only be one article. This is the only passage where the promise to him that overcometh is introduced by καί. Here and Revelation 3:12 and Revelation 3:21 the writer begins with... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΟΙΜΑΝΕΙ͂. Lit., “shall be their shepherd,” cf. Psalms 2:9 (LXX.), ποιμανεῖς αὐτοὺς ἐν ῥάβδῳ σιδηρᾷ. The word as pointed in the received Hebrew text means ‘bruise’ or ‘break them.’ Here and in Revelation 12:5; Revelation 19:15 St John follows the LXX., see note on Revelation 1:7. ὩΣ ΤᾺ ΣΚΕΎΗ ΤᾺ ΚΕΡΑ... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤῸΝ�. The only illustration of this image is Revelation 22:16, where Christ Himself is called the Morning Star: and the meaning here can hardly be “I will give myself to him.” Some compare 2 Peter 1:19, others, perhaps better, Daniel 12:3 : taking the sense to be, “I will give him the brightest star... [ Continue Reading ]
Ὁ ἜΧΩΝ ΟΥ̓͂Σ�. For the position of these words see on Revelation 2:7.... [ Continue Reading ]