Sermons to the Seven Churches of Revelation , livre ebook

Cover
Endorsements
“With his trademark care and judiciousness, Weima offers a particularly useful interpretive guide to the seven sermons of Revelation 2–3. He asks what Christ’s message was to the original churches and what it is to the contemporary worldwide church. Weima provides engaging historical detail but also presents inviting contemporary sermon models based on the sermons of Revelation. Weima’s evident faith and compassion make this book a great companion for teachers and pastors.”
— L. Ann Jervis , Wycliffe College, University of Toronto
“Weima has provided an excellently detailed analysis of the seven sermons in Revelation 2–3, which he clearly demonstrates are not letters. He is fully conversant with the historical context of these sermons and shows both how a judicious analysis of that context illumines our understanding of the text in its original setting and how these homilies can be preached today. Further, he is right on target in saying that these sermons are exercises in truth-telling not in foretelling. Highly recommended.”
— Ben Witherington III , Asbury Theological Seminary
“With precision and potency, Weima provides an insightful corrective for some misunderstandings of Jesus’s sermons to the seven churches in Asia Minor. This is one of the most comprehensive and helpful resources on Revelation 2 and 3, equipping preachers to interpret, communicate, and apply Jesus’s timeless instructions for modern listeners. You will want to get your hands on this significant book.”
— Matthew D. Kim , Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary; author of Preaching with Cultural Intelligence and Preaching to People in Pain
“Weima has again written a detailed study of a New Testament text that is both comprehensive and a pleasure to read, both historically informed and theologically focused. He explains the truth of the gospel and assists pastors in their task of preaching the word of God. This is the best commentary on the messages to the seven churches in Revelation 2–3 written in a long time.”
— Eckhard J. Schnabel , Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
Title Page
Copyright Page
© 2021 by Jeffrey A. D. Weima
Published by Baker Academic
a division of Baker Publishing Group
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.bakeracademic.com
Ebook edition created 2021
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4934-2951-6
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are the author’s translation.
Dedication
To my grandchildren: Leo, Graham, Reeva, Elliott, Hendrix, Denver, Clara, and Archer
May you have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying so that each of you will grow up to be a “Nike” Christian
Contents
Cover i
Endorsements ii
Title Page iii
Copyright Page iv
Dedication v
List of Illustrations ix
Preface xi
Abbreviations xiii
Introduction 1
1. Ephesus 27
2. Smyrna 61
3. Pergamum 91
4. Thyatira 129
5. Sardis 167
6. Philadelphia 195
7. Laodicea 231
Appendix: Grammatical Outlines 269
Works Cited 277
Subject Index 283
Back Cover 288
Illustrations
I.1. Patmos and the Seven Churches of Revelation 13
I.2. Marble Inscription from Patmos 14
1.1. Wife and Son of Domitian 29
1.2. Wreathed Head of Hadrian and Crescent Moon with Seven Stars 29
1.3. Marble Relief of Nike, Goddess of Victory 48
1.4. Tetradrachm Coin Bearing Symbols of Artemis 50
2.1. Athlete Wearing Victory Wreath 79
3.1. Relief Depicting Rhomphaia Sword 93
3.2. Sacred Road to Asclepius Healing Center 96
3.3. The Great Altar of Zeus Savior 97
3.4. Marble Statue of Asclepius, God of Healing 97
3.5. Caesar Augustus and Temple of Roma 98
3.6. Antipas Martyred in “Brazen Bull” 99
3.7. Cultic Dining Room in Pergamum 105
4.1. Coin with Image of Trajan and Apollo 130
4.2. Fresco of Banqueting Scene 137
4.3. Relief of Nike, Goddess of Victory 139
5.1. Artemis Temple in Sardis 177
5.2. Wreathed Head of Antiochus III and Inscription 178
6.1. Shebna Inscription 197
6.2. Wreathed Head of Domitian and Nike, Goddess of Victory 213
6.3. Two Inscribed Doric Pillars in Ephesus 218
7.1. Aqueduct at Laodicea 238
7.2. Tri-Cities of the Lycus River Valley 240
7.3. Marble Base for a Statue of Tiberius at Puteoli 243
7.4. The Light of the World , by Hunter Holman 253
7.5. Augustus and Marcus Agrippa Seated on a Bisellium 257
Preface
The origin of this book began fourteen years ago. A group of seven pastors from northwest Iowa invited me to join them for the first weekend of May 2007 and proposed the following plan. First, I would share with them as much information as I could within the allotted time about the seven letters of Revelation 2–3. Second, they would divide up the seven letters among the members of the group, and each pastor would write a sermon on their assigned letter. Finally, they would preach their sermon to all seven congregations as each pastor rotated to the different churches represented by the group. By drafting only one sermon in the series, not only did each pastor save a lot of time in sermon preparation, but each congregation got an opportunity to enjoy variety from listening to the insights of six other pastors. A clever and efficient plan indeed!
I was initially reluctant to accept their invitation since until then I had focused my research and writing exclusively on the Pauline Letters and had done no scholarly work on the book of Revelation. However, at that same time I was planning to expand the variety of biblical tours I offered by including a trip to Turkey, which would afford me an opportunity to teach about the seven letters of Revelation while visiting the ancient sites of the churches that received these messages. So I accepted the invitation from the seven pastors, spent much time and effort researching the seven letters of Revelation 2–3, and then shared with them the exegetical and homiletical results of my studies.
After this initial intensive teaching seminar on Revelation 2–3, I traveled frequently to the ancient sites of western Turkey, and this furthered my interest in the seven letters (or, more accurately, sermons ). Not only did I lead additional preaching seminars on the seven sermons of Revelation 2–3 for pastors all over the United States and Canada, but after recognizing how relevant these seven messages are for the contemporary church, I also began preaching on these texts to churches I visited. Having spent almost fifteen years (1) helping pastors create sermons and teaching series on this material, (2) preaching on these seven sermons to various congregations in North America and abroad, and (3) leading dozens of biblical tours to the ancient sites of the seven churches in western Turkey, I believe that I have developed a unique understanding of this small but special section of Scripture and want to make my insights available to a broader audience.
I gratefully acknowledge the help of others in the long process that led up to the publication of this book. Three people in Turkey deserve special mention. Levent Oral, owner and president of Tutku Tours in Izmir, has played an indispensable role in ensuring the success of the many biblical tours that I have led not only to Turkey but to other biblical and ancient sites around the Mediterranean. Levent is an amazing business partner, whose hard work and attention to detail distinguishes him from others in the religious travel industry. More importantly, he has repeatedly extended a level of hospitality and generosity to my wife and me that has resulted in his becoming a valued friend. Cenk Eronat, vice-president of Tutku Tours, has served often and well over the years as my local guide. He too has become a dear friend whose infectious laughter, compassionate spirit, and inquisitive mind make every trip he guides a joyful experience, regardless of the challenges we may encounter during the tour. Mark Wilson, founder and director of the Asia Minor Research Center in Antalya, is an American biblical scholar who has lived in Turkey for almost two decades. I have appreciated his friendship over the years as well as his ability to use insights from the geography and history of ancient Anatolia to shed light on various aspects of the biblical text, especially on the sermons to the seven churches of Revelation.
Closer to home here in North America, I want to mention Wells Turner at Baker, who again has done a wonderful job editing one of my books, saving me from embarrassing errors, and enhancing the volume’s overall quality. Brittain Brewer, my teaching assistant and budding New Testament scholar, compiled the subject index. I am especially thankful to my wife, Bernice, for her constant support of me and my various ministries outside the classroom; she continues to be my best friend and partner in ministry. Finally, I am grateful for my eight grandchildren and for the love, joy, and laughter they bring into my life, and so it is to them that this book is prayerfully dedicated.
Abbreviations
General and Bibliographic AD anno Domini , in the year of our Lord ASV American Standard Version BC before Christ BDAG W. Bauer, F. W. Danker, W. F. Arndt, and F. W. Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature , 3rd ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000) BDF F. Blass, A. Debrunner, and R. W. Funk, A Greek Grammar of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1961) ca. circa , about CEB Common English Bible cent. century cf. confer , compare chap. chapter CIG Corpus Inscriptionum Graecarum , ed. A. Boeckh, 4 vols. (Berlin: Reimer, 1828–77) CIL Co