Revelation Monday – To the Church in Sardis

I apologize for being so late with this Revelation post. I’m committed to finishing the messages to the churches by Thursday, then returning to regular posting. The last couple of weeks have been hectic—major decisions and vacation preparations have kept me busy.

We’re now on the final three churches, starting with Sardis. Sardis was the capital of the Lydian Empire in the 6th and 7th centuries BCE, legendary for its immense wealth due to abundant gold deposits in the region (Herodotus, Histories 1.69; Koester, 2014, Revelation, p. 302). In AD 17, a devastating earthquake struck, and Emperor Tiberius aided its rebuilding, likely granting tax exemptions for several years, a common Roman practice for disaster-stricken cities (Tacitus, Annals 2.47; Aune, 1998, Revelation 6–16, p. 219). Sardis thrived as a commercial hub, alongside Thyatira and Laodicea, situated at the junction of five major roads in Lydia, facilitating trade and cultural exchange (Ramsay, 1904, The Letters to the Seven Churches, p. 364). As someone in Central Ohio, where Interstates 70 and 71 and Route 315 intersect, I understand the benefits and drawbacks of such connectivity. Sardis also had a significant Jewish population, as noted by Josephus (Antiquities 14.10.17), which likely influenced its Christian community.

With this background, let’s dive into the text:

Revelation 3:1–6 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Christ’s Authority and the Church’s Condition

The letter opens with Jesus described as holding “the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.” The “seven spirits” symbolize the fullness of God’s Spirit, sent to the churches (Rev 1:4; cf. Isaiah 11:2; Koester, 2014, p. 304), while the “seven stars” represent the churches themselves (Rev 1:20). This imagery asserts Christ’s complete authority, countering Roman imperial claims to divine power, such as those seen in emperor worship prevalent in Sardis as a neokoros city (Friesen, 1993, Twice Neokoros, p. 62).

The rebuke is stark: “You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.” Despite outward appearances, the church is spiritually critical, with only a remnant “about to die” (Rev 3:2). This echoes the message to Ephesus, where the church was called to return to its “first love” (Rev 2:4; Beale, 1999, The Book of Revelation, p. 275). The Sardian church’s “works” are incomplete (pleroo, related to teleios, meaning “perfected” or “brought to completion”; cf. Heb 10:14), suggesting they began their mission but failed to fulfill it fully (Mounce, 1997, Revelation, p. 94). The term pleroo implies a divine standard of maturity and obedience, not merely unfinished tasks (Aune, 1998, p. 224).

A Call to Wake Up

The call to “wake up” and “strengthen what remains” is urgent, evoking the image of a patient in critical condition requiring immediate action. This may reflect Sardis’s historical vulnerability: the city was famously conquered twice (by Cyrus in 546 BCE and Antiochus III in 214 BCE) due to lapses in vigilance, despite its fortified acropolis (Herodotus, Histories 1.84; Polybius, Histories 7.15–18; Beale, 1999, p. 279). Jesus’ warning that he will “come like a thief” alludes to these events and to New Testament teachings about sudden judgment (Matt 24:42–44; Luke 12:39–40; 1 Thess 5:2; 2 Pet 3:10). The church’s spiritual lethargy risks divine judgment if they do not repent (Koester, 2014, p. 306).

The accusation of incomplete works likely points to compromise with the surrounding culture. Sardis’s wealth and commercial success, tied to trade guilds and imperial loyalty, pressured Christians to participate in pagan practices, such as eating food sacrificed to idols or honoring the emperor (Friesen, 2001, Imperial Cults and the Apocalypse of John, p. 170). Some scholars suggest the church may have also faced pressure to incorporate Jewish rituals, given the city’s significant Jewish community, which could dilute the gospel’s distinctiveness (Trebilco, 2004, The Early Christians in Ephesus, p. 312, applied to Sardis).

Your analogy to modern churches obsessed with “counting nickels and noses” is apt. The Sardian church may have prioritized external metrics—attendance, wealth, or social standing—over spiritual vitality, much like some contemporary congregations focus on growth at the expense of depth. As Bill Johnson reportedly said, the modern church can be so well-managed that the Holy Spirit’s absence might go unnoticed for some time (paraphrased). This external focus mirrors Sardis’s reputation for being “alive” while spiritually dead (Keener, 2019, Revelation, p. 139).

The Faithful Remnant and the Promise

Despite the church’s dire state, Jesus acknowledges “a few names in Sardis” who remain faithful, their garments “not soiled.” White garments symbolize purity, victory, and celebration in Revelation (Rev 7:9; 19:8), contrasting with the defilement of cultural compromise (Beale, 1999, p. 281). The faithful will “walk with me in white,” a promise of communion with Christ.

The promise to the one who “conquers” is threefold: they will be clothed in white garments, their name will remain in the “book of life,” and Jesus will confess their name before God and his angels (Rev 3:5). The “book of life” is a biblical motif (Exod 32:32–33; Ps 69:28; Dan 12:1), signifying God’s record of the redeemed. The assurance that their names will not be blotted out counters fears of apostasy, though it implies the possibility of forfeiture through unfaithfulness (Koester, 2014, p. 308). Jesus’ confession of their names echoes his teaching in Matthew 10:32, emphasizing divine acknowledgment of the faithful.

Modern Application

The warning to Sardis resonates today. I’ve visited churches— including a large, well-known one in Central Ohio—that seem alive outwardly but prioritize metrics like giving over spiritual health, even sending collection letters to members who haven’t given “amply enough.” Such tactics alienate rather than attract, driving people away from the gospel. The call to “remember what you received and heard” (Rev 3:3) urges a return to the core of the gospel—obedience and love for Christ—over superficial success.

The message to Sardis challenges us to examine our priorities. Are we building God’s kingdom or chasing numbers? True growth, as you noted, is from spiritual infancy to maturity in Christ (Eph 4:13–15), not merely filling seats with spectators, like fans at a football game whose allegiance is unclear. Let’s heed the call to wake up and strengthen what remains.

Looking Ahead

Next, we’ll explore the message to Philadelphia, a church commended for its faithfulness despite little strength.

Sources

• Aune, David E. Revelation 6–16. Word Biblical Commentary, 1998.
• Beale, G.K. The Book of Revelation. New International Greek Testament Commentary, 1999.
• Friesen, Steven J. Imperial Cults and the Apocalypse of John. Oxford University Press, 2001.
• Friesen, Steven J. Twice Neokoros: Ephesus, Asia, and the Cult of the Flavian Imperial Family. Brill, 1993.
• Herodotus. Histories. Translated by A.D. Godley, Harvard University Press, 1920.
• Keener, Craig S. Revelation. NIV Application Commentary, 2019.
• Koester, Craig R. Revelation. Anchor Yale Bible, 2014.
• Mounce, Robert H. Revelation. New International Commentary on the New Testament, 1997.
• Ramsay, W.M. The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia. Hodder & Stoughton, 1904.
• Tacitus. Annals. Translated by C.H. Moore, Harvard University Press, 1931.
• Trebilco, Paul. The Early Christians in Ephesus from Paul to Ignatius. Eerdmans, 2004.