Tag: The Daily Word

Revelation, The Daily Word1 Comment

Suffering: The Second Mark of the Ideal Church (Revelation 2:8-11)

georgepwood

The first mark of the church is love. The second is suffering. Please do not misunderstand me. Christians are not masochists. We do not fetishize suffering or go looking for martyrdom. But if two thousand years of Christian history are a reliable guide, martyrdom may come looking for us. I freely concede that persecution and martyrdom are far from the minds of most American Christians. For all the religiously conservative complaints about secular humanist domination of the media, the fact is that Americans have near-total freedom to practice, publicize, and proselytize for their respective faiths—or non-faiths, as the case may … Continue reading Suffering: The Second Mark of the Ideal Church (Revelation 2:8-11)

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Love: The First Mark of the Ideal Church (Rev. 2:1–7)

georgepwood

As Christians, we know who we are: sinners who need to repent. But who should we be? According to John Stott, Jesus’ letters to the seven churches describe “seven marks of the ideal church”: love, suffering, truth, holiness, sincerity, mission, and wholeheartedness.[i] Let us take a closer look at each, beginning with love. Love is perhaps the most indiscriminately used word in the English language. The statements “I love God,” “I love my children,” and “I love crispy tacos at Taco Bell” use the same words to describe radically different affections. After all, if you love God and Taco Bell … Continue reading Love: The First Mark of the Ideal Church (Rev. 2:1–7)

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Church—Why Bother? (Revelation 2-3)

georgepwood

Why bother joining a church filled with sinners who need to repent? I regularly hear people say, in effect, “Jesus is just alright with me,” to quote the Doobie Brothers. Very few, on the other hand say the same thing about the church. As far as they are concerned, the church is corrupt. “Christ? Yes! Church? No!” They like their Jesus neat. Now I understand this attitude quite well. In fact, I sympathize with it. Ever since the televangelist scandals of the late 1980s, I have been sensitive to the ways in which church leaders abuse their positions of power … Continue reading Church—Why Bother? (Revelation 2-3)

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The Fleas Come with the Dog (Revelation 2-3)

georgepwood

Perhaps you are ready to concede that the modern church is a sinful one in need of correction. But surely the early church was different! Surely the churches of the apostolic age were exemplary congregations, their holiness refined by the fires of martyr-making persecution! Well, no. With the exception of Smyrna and Philadelphia, Jesus Christ finds something to correct at each of the churches of Roman Asia: Loveless orthodoxy at Ephesus (Rev. 2:5), heretical teaching at Pergamum (2:14–15), sexual immorality at Thyatira (2:20–23), hypocrisy at Sardis (3:1), and spiritual apathy at Laodicea (3:15–17). The pages of the New Testament are … Continue reading The Fleas Come with the Dog (Revelation 2-3)

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Letters from Jesus (Revelation 2-3)

georgepwood

In Revelation 1, Jesus Christ appears in glory, standing in the midst of his churches. In Revelation 2–3, he writes letters to those same churches, filled with words of affirmation, correction, and promise.[i] Although originally addressed to churches in first-century Roman Asia, Jesus’ letters speak to issues faced by twenty-first-century American churches as well. Indeed, as John Stott points out, they identify “seven marks of an ideal church,”[ii] which make them perpetually relevant to each church in every age. Throughout Christian history, pastors have written letters of spiritual direction for entire congregations, as well as for individual seekers, converts, and … Continue reading Letters from Jesus (Revelation 2-3)

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Jesus Christ, Now! (Revelation 1:17–20)

georgepwood

Have you ever wondered what Jesus Christ is doing at the present moment? His resurrection and ascension into heaven occurred 2,000 years ago, after all. What is he up to now? Revelation 1:12–20 answers that question. It describes Jesus Christ in glory, standing in the midst of his churches. We have already seen that verses 12–16 are theology not portraiture, and we must make a similar judgment about verses 17–20, which are figurative rather than literal. You should get comfortable with the figurative language, by the way; the Apocalypse is full of it. How do we know when John’s language … Continue reading Jesus Christ, Now! (Revelation 1:17–20)

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The God-Man (Revelation 1:12–16)

georgepwood

Revelation 1:9–11 introduces John’s vision of Jesus Christ by reporting his commission to “write what you see.” Verses 12–20 describe what John actually saw: Jesus Christ in glory (verses 12–16) standing in the midst of his churches (verses 17–20). We should pay close attention to John’s description of Jesus Christ. General appearance: “one like a son of man” Clothing: “a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest” Hair: “white like wool, as white as snow” Eyes: “like a flame of fire” Feet: “like burnished bronze” Voice: “like the roar of many waters” Now, this is not the … Continue reading The God-Man (Revelation 1:12–16)

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The Christian Life (Revelation 1:9–11)

georgepwood

Revelation 1:9–11 introduces a new section of the Apocalypse, a vision of Jesus Christ in glory, dictating letters to John for the seven churches. The vision extends from 1:9 to 3:22. Before we look at Jesus, however, let us look at John, noting these things especially: Self-description: “your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus” Location: “the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus” Situation: “in the Spirit on the Lord’s day” Commission: “Write what you see in a book and send … Continue reading The Christian Life (Revelation 1:9–11)

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An Outline of the Christian Faith, Part 4: Sovereignty (Revelation 1:8)

georgepwood

The word amen is Hebrew for “So be it!” We use it at the end of our prayers as an expression of hope that God will answer our requests. Used at the end of a doxology, however, the word has a different connotation. It is not so much an expression of hope as one of confidence: “It most definitely is!” rather than “So be it!” The reason for the difference between the amen of hope and the amen of confidence is that in our ignorance, immaturity, and iniquity, we too often ask for things we should not have or cannot … Continue reading An Outline of the Christian Faith, Part 4: Sovereignty (Revelation 1:8)

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An Outline of the Christian Faith, Part 3: Atonement and Advent (Revelation 1:5–7)

georgepwood

John follows his statement about revelation (Revelation 1:1–3) and his trinitarian greeting (verses 4–5) with a doxology to Jesus Christ (verses 5–7). A doxology is a word (logos) in praise of the glory (doxa) of God, or in this case, of Jesus Christ. There are several doxologies in Revelation (e.g., 4:6–11, 5:9–13, 7:12, 19:1–2). The sequence of verses 1–7 is instructive. Theology gives rise to doxology, faith to praise. A man or woman who thinks correctly about God but fails to worship him wholeheartedly has not understood him at all. Why praise Jesus Christ? Two reasons: Atonement and advent. Atonement: … Continue reading An Outline of the Christian Faith, Part 3: Atonement and Advent (Revelation 1:5–7)