Revelation 2:12-3:6
English Standard Version
To the Church in Pergamum
12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has (A)the sharp two-edged sword.
13 “‘I know where you dwell, (B)where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not (C)deny my faith[a] even in the days of Antipas (D)my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of (E)Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might (F)eat food sacrificed to idols and (G)practice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of (H)the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent. If not, (I)I will come to you soon and (J)war against them with (K)the sword of my mouth. 17 (L)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (M)To the one who conquers I will give some of (N)the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with (O)a new name written on the stone (P)that no one knows except the one who receives it.’
To the Church in Thyatira
18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, (Q)who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.
19 (R)“‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman (S)Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants (T)to practice sexual immorality and (U)to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but (V)she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 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, 23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he (W)who searches mind and heart, and (X)I will give to each of you according to your works. 24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call (Y)the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I (Z)do not lay on you any other burden. 25 Only hold fast (AA)what you have until I come. 26 (AB)The one who conquers and who keeps my works (AC)until the end, (AD)to him I will give authority over the nations, 27 and (AE)he will (AF)rule[b] them with a rod of iron, (AG)as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 28 And I will give him (AH)the morning star. 29 (AI)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
To the Church in Sardis
3 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him (AJ)who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
“‘I know your works. You have the reputation (AK)of being alive, (AL)but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works (AM)complete in the sight of my God. 3 (AN)Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, (AO)I will come (AP)like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. 4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not (AQ)soiled their garments, and they will walk with me (AR)in white, for they are (AS)worthy. 5 (AT)The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never (AU)blot his name out of (AV)the book of life. (AW)I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. 6 (AX)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Footnotes
- Revelation 2:13 Or your faith in me
- Revelation 2:27 Greek shepherd
Revelation 2:12-3:6
New Living Translation
The Message to the Church in Pergamum
12 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Pergamum. This is the message from the one with the sharp two-edged sword:
13 “I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you have remained loyal to me. You refused to deny me even when Antipas, my faithful witness, was martyred among you there in Satan’s city.
14 “But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin. 15 In a similar way, you have some Nicolaitans among you who follow the same teaching. 16 Repent of your sin, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
17 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it.
The Message to the Church in Thyatira
18 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Thyatira. This is the message from the Son of God, whose eyes are like flames of fire, whose feet are like polished bronze:
19 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things.
20 “But I have this complaint against you. You are permitting that woman—that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet—to lead my servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to turn away from her immorality.
22 “Therefore, I will throw her on a bed of suffering,[a] and those who commit adultery with her will suffer greatly unless they repent and turn away from her evil deeds. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person. And I will give to each of you whatever you deserve.
24 “But I also have a message for the rest of you in Thyatira who have not followed this false teaching (‘deeper truths,’ as they call them—depths of Satan, actually). I will ask nothing more of you 25 except that you hold tightly to what you have until I come. 26 To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end,
To them I will give authority over all the nations.
27 They will rule the nations with an iron rod
and smash them like clay pots.[b]
28 They will have the same authority I received from my Father, and I will also give them the morning star!
29 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.
The Message to the Church in Sardis
3 “Write this letter to the angel[c] of the church in Sardis. This is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit[d] of God and the seven stars:
“I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God. 3 Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief.
4 “Yet there are some in the church in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes with evil. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5 All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine.
6 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.
Revelation 2:12-3:6
Amplified Bible
Message to Pergamum
12 “And to the angel (divine messenger) of the church in [a]Pergamum write:
“These are the words of Him who has and wields the sharp two-edged sword [in judgment]:
13 ‘I know where you dwell, [a place] where Satan sits enthroned. Yet you are holding fast to My name, and you did not deny [b]My faith even in the days of [c]Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed (martyred) among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there some [among you] who are holding to the [corrupt] teaching of Balaam, who taught [d]Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, [enticing them] to eat things that had been sacrificed to idols and to commit [acts of sexual] [e]immorality.(A) 15 You also have some who in the same way are holding to the teaching of the [f]Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, your sinful behavior—seek God’s will]; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war and fight against them with the sword of My mouth [in judgment]. 17 He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God], to him I will give [the privilege of eating] some of the [g]hidden manna, and I will give him a [h]white stone with a new name engraved on the stone which no one knows except the one who receives it.’(B)
Message to Thyatira
18 “And to the angel (divine messenger) of the church in [i]Thyatira write:
“These are the words of the Son of God, who has eyes [that flash] like a flame of fire [in righteous judgment], and whose feet are like burnished [white-hot] bronze:(C)
19 ‘I know your deeds, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your last deeds are more numerous and greater than the first. 20 But I have this [charge] against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess [claiming to be inspired], and she teaches and misleads My bond-servants so that they commit [acts of sexual] immorality and eat food sacrificed to idols.(D) 21 I gave her time to repent [to change her inner self and her sinful way of thinking], but she has no desire to repent of her immorality and refuses to do so. 22 [j]Listen carefully, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her [I will bring] into great anguish, unless they repent of her deeds. 23 And I will kill her children (followers) with [k]pestilence [thoroughly annihilating them], and all the churches will know [without any doubt] that I am He who searches the [l]minds and hearts [the innermost thoughts, purposes]; and I will give to each one of you [a reward or punishment] according to your deeds.(E) 24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not explored and known the [m]depths of Satan, as they call them—I place no other burden on you, 25 except to hold tightly to what you have until I come. 26 And he who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God] and he who keeps My deeds [doing things that please Me] until the [very] end, to him I will give authority and power over the nations;(F) 27 and he shall shepherd and rule them with a rod of iron, as the earthen pots are broken in pieces, as I also have received authority [and power to rule them] from My Father;(G) 28 and I will give him the [n]Morning Star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Message to Sardis
3 “To the angel (divine messenger) of the church in [o]Sardis write:
“These are the words of Him who has [p]the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your deeds; you have a name (reputation) that you are alive, but [in reality] you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen and reaffirm what remains [of your faithful commitment to Me], which is about to die; for I have not found [any of] your deeds completed in the sight of My God or meeting His requirements. 3 So remember and take to heart the lessons you have received and heard. Keep and obey them, and repent [change your sinful way of thinking, and demonstrate your repentance with new behavior that proves a conscious decision to turn away from sin]. So then, if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. 4 But you [still] have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes [that is, contaminated their character and personal integrity with sin]; and they will walk with Me [dressed] in white, because they are worthy (righteous). 5 He who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God] will accordingly be dressed in white clothing; and I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, and I will confess and openly acknowledge his name before My Father and before His angels [saying that he is one of Mine].(H) 6 He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Footnotes
- Revelation 2:12 Pergamum (modern Bergama, Turkey) was built on a promontory about sixteen miles from the Aegean Sea. It was famous as a worship center for many pagan gods including Zeus (Jupiter, king of gods), Dionysus (Bacchus, god of wine and intoxication), and Asklepios (god of healing). The enormous altar dedicated to Zeus is on display in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. Pergamum also had an important temple dedicated to the worship of Caesar. Refusal to take part in the imperial cult was considered treason. A culturally sophisticated city as well as a center for pagan worship, Pergamum’s library, believed to contain over 200,000 volumes, was second only to the Library of Alexandria.
- Revelation 2:13 I.e. your faith in Me.
- Revelation 2:13 Antipas was a pastor or leader of the church at Pergamum.
- Revelation 2:14 The king of Moab in the time of the exodus, who hired Balaam to curse Israel.
- Revelation 2:14 Pagan worship often included the use of temple prostitutes who served as “priestesses.”
- Revelation 2:15 See note v 6.
- Revelation 2:17 This probably refers to the pot of manna placed in the Ark of the Covenant by Moses (Ex 16:33; Heb 9:4). Manna was a food supernaturally provided to Israel by God during their wanderings in the wilderness after the exodus from Egypt.
- Revelation 2:17 White stones were sometimes used as tickets of admission to public assemblies. Here the white stone may symbolize admission to the Messiah’s banquet.
- Revelation 2:18 Thyatira (modern Akhisar, Turkey) was famous for its dyeing and indigo trade. It was the home of Lydia, the seller of purple fabrics, who was converted under the ministry of Paul (Acts 16:14). Located in a valley, midway between Pergamum and Sardis, it was originally established as a military base by one of the generals in the army of Alexander the Great.
- Revelation 2:22 Lit Behold.
- Revelation 2:23 Lit death.
- Revelation 2:23 Lit kidneys, i.e. inner man. In Jewish thought, the kidneys were considered a source of wisdom (cf Ps 16:7).
- Revelation 2:24 I.e. participated in and experienced evil.
- Revelation 2:28 In 22:16 this expression designates Christ as the true Messiah, the root and the descendant of David. Here, the gift probably is the privilege of knowing Christ at a much higher level (see Phil 3:8).
- Revelation 3:1 Sardis (modern Sart, Turkey), in Roman times, was a wealthy city known for the manufacture and dyeing of woolen fabric and carpets. Originally, it was the capital of the ancient Lydian Empire and was the first city to mint coinage (600 b.c.). A stream that flowed through its market place carried gold dust from a nearby mountain. King Croesus of Lydia (560-546 b.c.) financed the building of the great Temple of Artemis in Ephesus (550 b.c.). The city was conquered twice, under Cyrus the Great and under Antiochus, due to lack of adequate watchfulness.
- Revelation 3:1 See note 1:4.
Revelation 2:12-3:6
The Message
To Pergamum
12 Write this to Pergamum, to the Angel of the church. The One with the sharp-biting sword draws from the sheath of his mouth—out come the sword words:
13 “I see where you live, right under the shadow of Satan’s throne. But you continue boldly in my Name; you never once denied my Name, even when the pressure was worst, when they martyred Antipas, my witness who stayed faithful to me on Satan’s turf.
14-15 “But why do you indulge that Balaam crowd? Don’t you remember that Balaam was an enemy agent, seducing Balak and sabotaging Israel’s holy pilgrimage by throwing unholy parties? And why do you put up with the Nicolaitans, who do the same thing?
16 “Enough! Don’t give in to them; I’ll be with you soon. I’m fed up and about to cut them to pieces with my sword-sharp words.
17 “Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches. I’ll give the sacred manna to every conqueror; I’ll also give a clear, smooth stone inscribed with your new name, your secret new name.”
To Thyatira
18 Write this to Thyatira, to the Angel of the church. God’s Son, eyes pouring fire-blaze, standing on feet of furnace-fired bronze, says this:
19 “I see everything you’re doing for me. Impressive! The love and the faith, the service and persistence. Yes, very impressive! You get better at it every day.
20-23 “But why do you let that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet mislead my dear servants into Cross-denying, self-indulging religion? I gave her a chance to change her ways, but she has no intention of giving up a career in the god-business. I’m about to lay her low, along with her partners, as they play their sex-and-religion games. The bastard offspring of their idol-whoring I’ll kill. Then every church will know that appearances don’t impress me. I x-ray every motive and make sure you get what’s coming to you.
24-25 “The rest of you Thyatirans, who have nothing to do with this outrage, who scorn this playing around with the Devil that gets paraded as profundity, be assured I’ll not make life any harder for you than it already is. Hold on to the truth you have until I get there.
26-28 “Here’s the reward I have for every conqueror, everyone who keeps at it, refusing to give up: You’ll rule the nations, your Shepherd-King rule as firm as an iron staff, their resistance fragile as clay pots. This was the gift my Father gave me; I pass it along to you—and with it, the Morning Star!
29 “Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches.”
To Sardis
3 Write this to Sardis, to the Angel of the church. The One holding the Seven Spirits of God in one hand, a firm grip on the Seven Stars with the other, speaks:
“I see right through your work. You have a reputation for vigor and zest, but you’re dead, stone-dead.
2-3 “Up on your feet! Take a deep breath! Maybe there’s life in you yet. But I wouldn’t know it by looking at your busywork; nothing of God’s work has been completed. Your condition is desperate. Think of the gift you once had in your hands, the Message you heard with your ears—grasp it again and turn back to God.
“If you pull the covers back over your head and sleep on, oblivious to God, I’ll return when you least expect it, break into your life like a thief in the night.
4 “You still have a few followers of Jesus in Sardis who haven’t ruined themselves wallowing in the muck of the world’s ways. They’ll walk with me on parade! They’ve proved their worth!
5 “Conquerors will march in the victory parade, their names indelible in the Book of Life. I’ll lead them up and present them by name to my Father and his Angels.
6 “Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches.”
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson