The Church That Fought Itself

Robert Lewis Stevenson wrote a famous story about a doctor who found a scientific breakthrough that allowed him to split into two separate persons so that he could be both the respected Dr. Jeckel and the notorious criminal, Mr. Hyde. He quite literally became his own worst enemy and one of his selfs did everything it could to destroy the other. He was the man who fought himself. And Stevenson's story has become so famous, I think, because it symbolizes a persistent reality. So often, people really are their own worst enemy. So many people end up fighting themselves—undoing with one hand what they do with the other.

And that is something like what was going on at the church in Thyatira. As we read Christ's words to this church in Revelation 2:18-29, we find that the biggest problem the church at Thyatira had was the church at Thyatira. It didn't need opposition from the government or the world around it, because it had opposition enough within its own walls. It was its own worst enemy. It was the church that fought itself.

The problems at Thyatira seem to have centered around one figure, a woman identified as Jezebel. This name is symbolic, pointing us back to the Old Testament. You remember Queen Jezebel as one of the most notorious figures of the period of the kings. She was a scheming, unscrupulous, murderous queen—but that isn't so much why she is important. The important point about Jezebel was that she was instrumental in bringing the worship of false gods into Israel. I posted an article last year about Jeroboam, who set up his own idols in Israel. And that was a terrible thing. But Jezebel and her husband Ahab took Israel much farther, by setting up the worship of Baal and making it an organized state religion.

And in Thyatira, seemingly within the church itself, there was a new Jezebel, a teacher who was trying to introduce a false god into the church, a false god of selfishness and compromise. Verse 20 mentions the two things specifically that this Jezebel was teaching, and both involved removing specifically Christian restrictions and bringing the church closer to the world. 

First, she taught the church to commit fornication. The first-century world, like ours, was a very permissive one, against which the Christian ideal of sexual purity stood out as something stark and startling. But Jezebel wanted to loosen those restrictions; to take an easier, less radical route. 

Second, she taught the church to eat food sacrificed to idols. That seems distant to us because explicit idolatry is not common in our world. But in the world of the first century, this was a very pressing problem the church faced. Nearly everyone worshipped an idol and that often meant offering food to them before eating it. And while, obviously, food is still food and it wasn't really harmed be being offered, yet by eating it Christians were participating in idol worship. That was why the New Testament laid down the rule that Christians were not to eat food that had been so offered. But one this point also Jezebel wanted to roll back so that the church could live more easily and comfortably with the world.

This is the picture we have to grasp. In Thyatira, within the church, there was a very vocal and influential teacher who had a significant following within the church; and the main thing she was using her influence to do was to undermine the specifically Christian marks of the church. The church Jezebel was creating would have been much more like the world around it; in the end, it might have been indistinguishable from the world. The church was being undermined from the inside. 

And I think if we look at Christianity as a whole today, we would have to admit that there is a parallel. As I said in a previous article, there are definitely people outside the church who want to silence its message, but I sometimes think—in America—that the church's worst enemy is itself. We also have many influencers within the church who want to undermine what the church is, making it indistinguishable from the world. And there are many leaders of the church who, by their lives, give a lie to the gospel no matter what their doctrine. The American church often, like Thyatira, is the church that fights itself.

And that's obviously a bad thing. I don't think I need to belabor that point. What Jezebel was doing was wrong; what many leaders in the American church are doing is wrong. But that isn't so much the point of this letter. Because this letter isn't addressed to Jezebel, though it has a message for her. This letter is addressed to the church. And so, by implication, the letter is also addressed to us. There is a message for us, no matter who we are or where we are in the church. The state of the church often changes and fluctuates, but the Lord of the church remains the same. This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ and this letter shows us three things about Christ.

Jesus knows our state. Verse 19 begins: “I know thy works.” That should sound familiar because that is exactly the same thing Jesus says to all of the churches in these letters. In chapter 1 of Revelation, John had a vision of Jesus walking among seven candlesticks which represented the seven churches. The picture is that Jesus is very near to his churches. The apostle John had watched Jesus ascend and disappear; he had seen His lord tread on Earth for the last time. And yet, though Jesus' earthly life was over, He was not distant or far away. He was still in the midst of his church. He knew what was going on with each of these churches; he was aware of everything going on in Thyatira.

He knew good things about the church. Verse 19 goes on: “I know thy... charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works.” Despite the dark cloud which hung over this church, there was much to praise about it. This was a church filled with love for God and for one another; a church in which the members engaged in service for God and his ministry, where people were faithful to their commitment and endured through hardships and, in general, did good things such as a church should be doing. 

And perhaps the most remarkable point is the end of verse 19. You remember the church at Ephesus—they started out with a dedication to God but had allowed that dedication to cool. This often happens to Christians. But the exact opposite happened to the church at Thyatira. Jesus said that the last was more than the first; in other words, that their charity, service, faith, patience, and good works were increasing rather than decreasing. So far from cooling off or losing their first love, the church at Thyatira—or at least a good part of it—was picking up steam and gaining ground.

(This isn't the main point, but I just want to note something in passing. Of these seven churches, most had some issue or problem. And yet to all of them, except one, Jesus also spoke words of praise and commendation. And perhaps it would be good practice for us, with people or organizations about which or which we have to speak words of criticism to also look for something good to say as well.)

But Jesus also knew about the sin and false teaching in the church. In verse 21 Jesus describes Jezebel and her influence in very concrete terms. Jesus knew the content of this false teaching and its source. He didn't have to conduct any sort of investigation to get to the bottom of the mess. He knew. As you read the letters of St. Paul, you'll notice many of them were situational. Some problem would come up in a church and somehow news of it would come to Paul and so he would sit down and write a letter to deal with the problem. But that isn't what happened here. Jesus hadn't just found about the problems in Thyatira. Look at verse 21: “And I gave her space to repent.” Jesus had known about Jezebel's false teaching from the very beginning, even though until now he hadn't made any sort of move to correct it.  Jesus may have been silent, but he was not inattentive. He knew exactly what was going on in the church.

In verse 18, Jesus describes Himself as the one who has “eyes like unto a flame of fire.” The picture is of something all piercing and irresistible. The writer of Hebrews described it this way: “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” (Hebrews 4:13)

God is omniscient, that is, God naturally and intrinsically knows everything there is to know. Imagine a painting. You might look at the painting and not notice every detail. There might be subtle shades and shapes you would miss; there might even be some deliberately hidden pattern or symbol. But obviously, the painter himself knows everything that is in the picture. Because God is God; because He is outside of the world-process and is the one who oversees and superintends all, He naturally knows everything.

The book of Revelation exists because we, as human beings, do not know everything. There are things we could never know unless someone told us. We need a revelation. But God does not need any such thing. He gives Revelation but he needs no revelation. He knows everything. And yet this knowledge isn't some abstract, general knowledge, but something very intimate and very personal. He knew the church at Thyatira as fully, completely, and personally as those who attended it—and far more. And therefore he also knows our church and our lives.

And this should remind us to be faithful to him. Perhaps the orthodox and superficially righteous church at Ephesus looked down on Thyatira for its problems. Perhaps to the Ephesians, they could see nothing in Thyatira except its false teaching. But Jesus knew that there were some who were faithful even in Thyatira. And if we are faithful to Him, God will know it—even if we live in a world where others are turning away from Him; even when others in the church are falling away; God knoweth those that are His.

But also remember that God knows our sin and our compromises. If we are not faithful to God, then He knows that as well. With God, nothing slips through the cracks; nothing is shoved under the rug. If the church is unfaithful; if we are unfaithful; God will know. We must be faithful to God because we realize that He is all-knowing. 

And, secondly, we know that Jesus is faithful to His law. I mentioned already verse 18, but look at it again: Jesus describes himself as the one who has eyes like a flame of fire and feet like fine brass. Besides the piercing nature of his sight, I think this also gives us the picture of something glorious and majestic. There is something awe-inspiring and striking about the burning of fire or the luster of polished metal. And certainly, if we look at Revelation as a whole, that is the picture of Jesus we get. 

It's a little strange if you think about it. The apostle John was one of the closest disciples Jesus had during his life. For years, the two of them were together for every moment. John knew how human Jesus was. He saw him eating in the upper room and napping in a boat. He saw him cry and pray and bleed and die. And yet he also saw the vision which opens Revelation: “His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.” (Revelation 1:14-16) The picture is of someone far exalted above all things, blinding and glorious, untainted and undiminished. This is a picture of God Himself. Jesus is God, pure and holy, and He will always remain faithful to Himself. And this has several implications:

Jesus will judge sinners. This is one of the main themes of Revelation. It is largely a book of judgment. The Bible makes it clear that God had no delight in punishment; He does not desire the death of sinners; He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But though that is true, it is also true that God will bring judgment; both to individuals and ultimately to the entire world. You see this tension in this letter. In verse 21, Jesus comments that he gave Jezebel time to repent of her sin. Considering what she was doing, some people would have been quick to write her off and just lower the boom. But Jesus wanted her to have a second chance. But the ominous comment at the end of the verse is “She repented not.” And because of that, he was going to bring judgment.  Verse 22: “I will cast her into a bed” which seems to mean a time of great sickness. And those who listened to her teaching and followed her teaching would meet great tribulation and even death—unless they repented. Jesus is merciful but He is not a pushover. The door into God's presence is the door of mercy which stands open to all. But there is coming a time when that door will be closed. Jesus is faithful to His law and won't simply excuse it simply because it exists within His church. God plays no favorites.

Jesus will not hold us guiltless for tolerating sin. That's the point to remember. The judgment coming would not just be on Jezebel herself but on her followers. Verses 22-23 speaks of those who committed adultery with her and then her children, which probably means, metaphorically, those who listened to her teachings and supported her cause. In verse 20, after listing all the good things the church at Thyatira had, Jesus adds: “Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants.” Jezebel was just one woman in the church. And yet the whole church is called to account because they allowed her to teach in the church.

Of course, we often have very limited control of what goes on around us. We often do not have the power or the right to put a stop to the actions of other people. But the general truth holds firm—that God holds us responsible not just for what we do but what we allow. Like God, we should be merciful. And we must recognize that often we do not and cannot fully understand the actions and attitudes of others. But there does come a time when we must put a foot down in regards to sin; we must be willing to confront false teaching and wrong actions. Mercy and grace are Christian virtues; apathy and complacency are not.

We must be faithful to Jesus just as Jesus is faithful to his law; not turning away or becoming careless and indifferent to sin. We cannot always affect the actions of others. Often, as laypeople, we cannot affect the course of the church. Certainly, we cannot change the action of other churches. But we can remain faithful. 

And that brings us to our next, the fact that Jesus will bring victory. As with all these letters, even when there are words of judgment and condemnation, the final note is one of hope.  Given the problems within the church at Thyatira, it would have been easy for God to just throw up his hands and give up. Perhaps that is what the other churches of Asia did as they looked at Thyatira. But that wasn't Jesus' message to the church. Verse 25 gives Jesus' command to those in the church who remained faithful: “That which ye have already hold fast till I come.” They weren't to give up in despair because of the problem in the church; they were to remain faithful. And if they did, there was a reward. 

Each of these letters ends with a promise to “he that overcometh.” Each of these churches was unique. Each had a different situation. All of them had problems, either within or without or both. But to each of them, there is this promise—that some of them would overcome—that some of them would conquer—that some would find victory in the middle of their trials and temptations.

Thyatira was the church that fought itself, but to the church, there was a hope of victory in the fight. The situation might have seemed hopeless to some in the church, but they did have a hope, a hope of victory. To many of us in the church today, as we see what is going on in the world around us; as we see what is going on in many churches; the situation may seem hopeless, but there is a hope. And that hope is in overcoming. And with the overcoming, comes a reward. 

In verses 26-28, Jesus pictures the reward he would bestow on the overcomer. The main idea seems to be one of authority. He pictures them ruling over the nations, as kings or judges. I don't know if this is literal and refers to something in the Resurrection or is something more metaphorical. But I think the general picture is this: Jesus is promising power to the powerless, and authority to those who had no authority. 

There were those in the church at Thyatira, perhaps, who had tried to stand against the tide of false teaching; who had tried to oust Jezebel and her influence. And they had been ignored and pushed aside. They had not been able to do anything to change the course of the church. The leaders of the church may have ignored them and thrown them aside. Perhaps some in the church were pushed out of their positions and ostracized because of the stand they took against Jezebel and her followers. These faithful few might have seemed weak and ineffectual to the leaders of the Thyatrian church. But Jesus promises them power over the nations. Perhaps they had been shamed and disgraced; perhaps some had called them names and made fun of them for their stand. Perhaps they had been ignored, forgotten, and pushed into the darkness. But Jesus promises them the morning star.

And while these promises were specifically for the church at Thyatira, the statement of the promise is universal: “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end.” In other words, it seems that this promise is for anyone who overcomes and remains faithful; for all those who refuse to give in to compromise; who refuse to listen to the siren call of false teachers; to any who overcomes there is this promise—a promise of exaltation and recognition.

In Revelation, the focus is on our decision, our commitment. But if we look at the New Testament as a whole, we realize that this decision on our part is only possible because of God's grace. In other words, the only reason we can overcome is because of God's help. And that's why this promise is relevant to us exactly as it was to the church at Thyatira because we can overcome in exactly the same way they did. And therefore if we do, we know that God will remember.

I said before, with God nothing slips through the cracks or gets swept under the rug. And that holds true for the faithful as well as for the sinner. If we remain true to God, we never have to fear that He will forget about us. If we live our life to please the church, then the church may fail to notice our work. The church may change direction so that its former friends become its enemies. If we live our life to please our families, our families may not appreciate our efforts. If we live our life to please the world, most likely we will never be able to make any waves that catch the world's attention. But if we live our life to please God, then we know that God will remember.

As I've mentioned before, there are certain phrases that occur in every one of these seven letters. And one of those reoccurring phrases is verse 29: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” Basically, that is Jesus' way of saying: “This is important. Listen very closely. Open your ears and pay attention.” Primarily this was probably addressed specifically to the churches to which the letters were first sent. But the words are general—they are addressed to anyone who has ears.

And that means that even though 2000 years have passed and the specific problems and situations which Jesus was addressing in Thyatira have long since passed away, there is still a message here for us. Because often the case is still today that the church fights itself. Sometimes there are those within the church who spread false doctrine and try to bring sin and compromise into the church. Sometimes, like at Thyatira, the church is its own worst enemy.

And so this letter still has a message for us; there is still something we should listen to here. And that message is that Jesus knows our state. No matter what others say; no matter what the world or the rest of the church thinks, God knows. He knows our virtues and vices, our losses and our victory. He knows exactly where we are. And he will remain faithful to his law. If we give in to sin or false doctrine, if we allow and endorse it, He will bring judgment. But if we remain faithful to him, we can overcome and he will give us the victory.

Revelation is a book of war and with every war, there are winners and losers, there are the victors and the vanquished. But what makes this war unique is that nobody has to lose. There is a victory for all who we seek for it and they shall have recognition and reward from God Himself.