Revelation 3
Christian Standard Bible
The Letter to Sardis
3 “Write to the angel[a] of the church in Sardis: Thus says the one who has the seven spirits of God(A) and the seven stars:(B) I know your works; (C) you have a reputation[b] for being alive, but you are dead.(D) 2 Be alert(E) and strengthen[c] what remains, which is about to die,[d] for I have not found your works complete before my God. 3 Remember, then, what you have received and heard; keep it, and repent. If you are not alert, I will come[e] like a thief, and you have no idea at what hour I will come upon you.(F) 4 But you have a few people[f] in Sardis who have not defiled[g] their clothes,(G) and they will walk with me in white, because they are worthy.
5 “In the same way, the one who conquers(H) will be dressed in white clothes,(I) and I will never erase his name from the book of life(J) but will acknowledge his name before my Father and before his angels.(K)
6 “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen(L) to what the Spirit says(M) to the churches.
The Letter to Philadelphia
7 “Write to the angel of the church in Philadelphia: Thus says the Holy One, the true one,(N) the one who has the key of David, who opens and no one will close, and who closes and no one opens: (O) 8 I know your works. Look, I have placed before you an open door that no one can close because you have but little power; yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.(P) 9 Note this: I will make those from the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews and are not, but are lying—I will make them come and bow down at your feet,(Q) and they will know that I have loved you.(R) 10 Because you have kept my command to endure, I will also keep you from the hour of testing(S) that is going to come on the whole world to test those who live on the earth.(T) 11 I am coming soon.(U) Hold on to what you have,(V) so that no one takes your crown.(W)
12 “The one who conquers I will make a pillar(X) in the temple of my God, and he will never go out again. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God—the new Jerusalem,(Y) which comes down out of heaven from my God—and my new name.(Z)
13 “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.
The Letter to Laodicea
14 “Write to the angel of the church in Laodicea: Thus says the Amen, (AA) the faithful and true witness, the originator[h](AB) of God’s creation: 15 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit[i] you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, ‘I’m rich; I have become wealthy and need nothing,’(AC) and you don’t realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I advise you to buy from me gold refined in the fire so that you may be rich,(AD) white clothes so that you may be dressed and your shameful nakedness not be exposed,(AE) and ointment to spread on your eyes so that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline.(AF) So be zealous and repent. 20 See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.(AG)
21 “To the one who conquers I will give the right to sit with me on my throne,(AH) just as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.
22 “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Revelation 3
1599 Geneva Bible
3 1 The first Epistle sent to the Pastors of the Church of Sardis, 7 of Philadelphia, 14 And of the Laodiceans, 16 that they be not lukewarm, 20 but endeavor to further God’s glory.
1 [a]And write unto the Angel of the Church which is at [b]Sardis, These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars, [c]I know thy works: for thou hast a [d]name that thou livest, but thou art dead.
2 Be awake, and strengthen the things which remain, that are [e]ready to die: for I have not found thy work perfect before God.
3 Remember therefore, how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast and repent. (A)If therefore thou wilt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
4 Notwithstanding thou hast a few names yet in Sardis, [f]which have not defiled their garments: and they shall walk with me in [g]white: for they are [h]worthy.
5 He [i]that overcometh, shall be clothed in white array, and I will not put out his Name out of the (B)book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his Angels.
6 Let him that hath an ear, hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches.
7 ¶ [j]And write unto the Angel of the Church which is of Philadelphia, These things saith he that is Holy, and True, which hath the [k]key of David, which openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth.
8 [l]I know thy works: behold I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my Name.
9 Behold, I will make them [m]of the Synagogue of Satan, which call themselves Jews, and are not, but do lie: behold, I say, I will make them that they shall come [n]and worship before thy feet, and shall know that I have loved thee.
10 Because thou hast [o]kept the word of my patience, therefore I will deliver thee from the hour of tentation, which will come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
11 Behold, I come shortly: hold that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
12 [p]Him that overcometh, will I make a pillar in the Temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: [q]and I will write upon him the Name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and I will write upon him my new Name.
13 Let him that hath an ear, hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches.
14 [r]And unto the Angel of the Church of the Laodiceans write, These things saith [s]Amen, the faithful and true witness, that [t]beginning of the creatures of God.
15 [u]I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou werest cold or hot.
16 Therefore because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, it will come to pass, that I shall spew thee out of my mouth.
17 For thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and knowest not how thou art wretched and miserable, [v]and poor, and blind, and naked.
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried by the fire, that thou mayest be made rich: and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that thy filthy nakedness do not appear: and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see.
19 As many as I love, (C)I rebuke and chasten: be [w]zealous therefore and amend.
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock, [x]If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in unto him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21 [y]To him that overcometh, will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I overcame, and sit with my Father in his throne.
22 Let him that hath an ear, hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches.
Footnotes
- Revelation 3:1 The fifth place is unto the Pastors of Sardis. The exordium is taken out of verses 4 and 16 of the first Chap.
- Revelation 3:1 Sardis is the name of a most flourishing and famous City, where the Kings of Lydia kept their courts.
- Revelation 3:1 The proposition of reproof is in this verse: of exhortation joined with a threatening in the two verses that follow, and of qualification by way of correction unto the comfort of the good which yet remained there, verse 4.
- Revelation 3:1 Thou art said to live, but art dead indeed.
- Revelation 3:2 Other things, whose state is such, that they are now going, and unless they be confirmed, will perish forthwith.
- Revelation 3:4 That is, who have with all religion guarded themselves from sin and moral contagion, even from the very show of evil, as S. Jude exhorteth, verse 23.
- Revelation 3:4 Pure from all spot and shining with glory. So it is to be understood always hereafter as in the next verse.
- Revelation 3:4 They are meet and fit, to wit, because they are justified in Christ, as they have truly showed it: for he is righteous that worketh righteousness: but so, as the tree bringeth forth fruit. See Rom. 8:18.
- Revelation 3:5 The conclusion standing upon a promise and a commandment as before.
- Revelation 3:7 The sixth place is unto the Pastors of Philadelphia. The exordium is taken out of verse 18 of the first chapter.
- Revelation 3:7 All power of rule in commanding and forbidding, delivering and punishing. And the house of David is the Church, and the continual promise of David’s Kingdom belongeth to Christ.
- Revelation 3:8 The proposition of praise is in this verse, of promises, to bring home again them that wander, verse 9, and to preserve the godly, verse 10, and of exhortation, verse 11.
- Revelation 3:9 I will bring them to that case.
- Revelation 3:9 That is, fall down and worship either thee civilly, or Christ religiously at thy feet (and thus I had rather take it) whether here in the Church (which seemeth more proper to the argument of this place) or there in the world to come. For Christ verily shall fulfill his word.
- Revelation 3:10 Because thou hast been patient and constant, as I would my servants should be.
- Revelation 3:12 The conclusion, which containeth a promise and a commandment.
- Revelation 3:12 That is, the new man shall be turned after his Father, Mother, and head Christ.
- Revelation 3:14 The seventh place is unto the pastors of the Church of Laodicea. The exordium is taken out of verse 15 of the first chapter.
- Revelation 3:14 Amen soundeth as much in the Hebrew tongue, as Truly, or Truth itself.
- Revelation 3:14 Of whom all things that are made, have their beginning.
- Revelation 3:15 The proposition of reproof is in this verse, whereunto is adjoined a threatening, verse 16, with a confirmation declaring the same, verse 17, and of exhortation unto faith and repentance, verses 18, 19, whereunto is added a conditional promise, verse 20.
- Revelation 3:17 The spiritual misery of men is metaphorically expressed in three points: unto which are matched as correspondent those remedies which are offered, verse 18.
- Revelation 3:19 Zeal is set against them which are neither hot nor cold.
- Revelation 3:20 This must be taken after the manner of an allegory, as John 14:23.
- Revelation 3:21 The conclusion, consisting of a promise, as Rev. 2:26, and of an exhortation. Hitherto hath been the first part of the book of the Apocalypse.
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