F. To The Church Of Philadelphia (3:7-13)
F. TO THE CHURCH OF PHILADELPHIA (3:7-13)
Philadelphia was founded c.140 BC at the junction of the approaches to Mysia, Lydia and Phrygia. It was not unjustly called ‘the gateway to the East’. Its founder, Attalus II Philadelphus of Pergamum, from whom the city derived its name, intended it to be a centre of missionary activity for the Hellenistic way of life. The city was prosperous, partly from its strategic situation, partly from the grape-growing that flourished in the vicinity. It was a centre of worship of the god Dionysos, but contained also temples to many other gods. Volcanic activity caused hot springs in the vicinity, but also earthquakes from time to time. Philadelphia suffered from the earthquake of AD 17 and received imperial assistance for rebuilding. The church was evidently small (v.8), but of good quality. Its enemies came from outside, not inside, for there is no mention of heresy or factiousness. It had a good deal in common with that at Smyrna. Both receive no blame, only praise. Both suffered from those who called themselves Jews and were not, both were persecuted it would seem by the Romans, both are assured that the opposition is satanic, and both are promised a crown.
7. The church is greeted by one who is holy and true (epithets applied to God in 6:10). Holy denotes connection with deity (cf. Is. 40:25; Hab. 3:3). It is used widely throughout the New Testament. True (alethinos) is not often applied to people, either in the New Testament or elsewhere. It indicates that Christ is completely reliable.
This is the thought also in the rest of the verse. Christ has the key of David (cf. Is. 22:22). What he opens, no-one can shut; and what he shuts, no-one can open (cf. Jb. 12:14). This is the very opposite of caprice. He acts firmly and none can interfere. He does what he wills. Our writer does not tell us what it is that he shuts and opens. Some connect it with the Jews, who, they think, had excluded the Christians from their synagogues. But when Christ opens, the Jews cannot reverse it. More probably it is admission to the city of David, the heavenly Jerusalem, that is in mind, and this Christ alone gives or withholds.
8. The words See, I have placed before you an open door that no-one can shut are best taken as a parenthesis. The main thought is then ‘I know your works, for you have little power and yet you have kept my word ...’. This church had not embraced heretical teaching, nor had it denied Christ’s name. Evidently there had been persecution of some sort, but the people of Philadelphia had stood firm. For those with little strength they had had a noteworthy achievement.
In keeping with the description of Christ in verse 7 there is set before the church an open door (cf. Acts 14:27; 1 Cor. 16:9; 2 Cor. 2:12), a door which no-one can shut. This may be a door of missionary opportunity (Orr notices no other possibility). The thought would then be that the reward of faithful service is greater opportunity for service. It is objected that this book does not elsewhere commend missionary activity and that the context requires the thought of reward. Accordingly some suggest that the open door leads into the messianic glory or perhaps the messianic community. Others think of the door as Christ himself (as in In. 10:7,9), others again of an opened door in contrast to the closed door of the synagogue, and yet others of the door of prayer. There is no lack of suggestions and a decision is not easy. Perhaps there is most to be said for the thought of entrance into the messianic glory (in line with v.7).
9. Instead of I will make, the best MSS read ‘I give’, but the thought is apparently not completed. Instead we are told that those who belong to Satan’s synagogue (see on 2:9) are liars when they claim to be Jews. Christians are the true Jews (cf. Rom. 2:28-29) and Jewish persecutors of the church are not. In contrast to a Jewish expectation that the Gentiles would eventually submit to them (derived from Is. 60:14) Christ says that these Jews will be made to fall down at your feet. It is to the church that all, Jews included, must ultimately make their submission, for Christ is in it. They will also come to know that I have loved you. The love of Christ for his own must not be overlooked.
10. Since introduces the reason, but grammatically it might be the reason for the preceding (the triumph of the Philadelphians over them of Satan’s synagogue), or the following (Christ’s keeping them in the hour of temptation). There seems no way of deciding the point. My command to endure patiently is more literally ‘the word of my steadfastness’ (see on ’perseverance‘, 2:2). It is a curious expression and seems to mean ’the teaching which was exemplified in my steadfastness’ (so Swete; cf. 2 Thes. 3:5; Heb. 12:1-2). The same verb (tereo) is used of Christ’s keeping the Philadelphians as of their keeping his word. There is a justice about it all. He does what is right.
Keep you from (ek) the hour of trial might mean ‘keep you from undergoing the trial’ or ’keep you right through the trial‘. The Greek is capable of either meaning. The trial is a very thoroughgoing test, for it will come upon the whole world, and test those who live on the earth. John usually uses this expression to mean the heathen world (see note on 6:10). Its use here accordingly may be another indication of compassion. The heathen are not simply judged and punished, but tested. God is giving them another opportunity.
11. The risen Lord speaks of his coming again. The present tense is vivid. Hold on is a present imperative with the force ‘keep a firm grip on’. No-one, of course, can steal their crown. But they themselves can forfeit it, as Esau forfeited his place to Jacob, Reuben to Judah, Saul to David. To serve God is a high privilege, but it is withdrawn and given to another when anyone fails to fulfil his task. Crown is stephanos, a ‘garland’ or ’wreath’ (see note on 2:10). It was often used of victory and clearly this is the allusion here.
12. The reward for him who overcomes is to be a pillar (cf. Je. 1:18; Gal. 2:9; 1 Tim. 3:15) in the temple of my God (the last two words receive emphasis from being repeated four times in this verse). This is, of course, symbolical and there is no contradiction with 21:22, which tells us that there will be no Temple in heaven. John is not in the slightest concerned to keep the details of one vision consistent with those of another. In each he is making a point with emphasis, and we should not try to dovetail one vision into the details of another. Here his point is that the believer who overcomes will be permanently in the presence of God. There is a solidity about a pillar which may be meant in contrast to a mere ‘peg’ (Is. 22:22-25).
Charles sees as part of the background to this saying a custom whereby ‘the provincial priest of the imperial cultus at the close of his year of office’ used ’to erect his statue in the confines of the temple, inscribing on it his own name and his father‘s’. This may be so if ep’ auton, on him (the believer), is understood instead to mean ‘on it’ (the pillar). This is possible grammatically, but not necessary. In other parts of this book we have the name written on the head of the faithful (14:1; 22:4).
The triple name that follows is not that of the Trinity, as we might expect, but that of the Father, the new Jerusalem and the Son. The name of my God indicates that the overcomer belongs to God. That of the city of my God signifies that he has citizenship rights in the new Jerusalem (cf. Gal. 4:26; Heb. 11:10; 12:22; 13:14). My new name possibly refers to the new state of affairs brought about by the consummation of redemption. Then Christ appears in a character in which he could not appear until this consummation was reached. The people of Philadelphia would appreciate references to a new name more than most. While the name Philadelphia persisted, twice the city had received a new name: that of Neocaesarea, as a sign of gratitude for Tiberius’s help in rebuilding after the earthquake, and later Flavia, after the family name of the emperor Vespasian.
13. For He who has an ear . . . , see note on 2:7.