D. Letters to the Seven Churches (2:1-3:22)

John organized the seven letters around a literary pattern. See chart above.

“Say to” is an introductory address in the decrees of Persian kings and OT prophetic utterances. Except for 3:14, the Christ titles recall symbols from 1:12-20. The conquering promises relate to the contents of the letters to Smyrna, Pergamum, and Sardis. They correspond with later rewards as follows:

The tight organization of Revelation undoubtedly imparted a sense of order to the chaotic lives of its listeners and readers.

Five conflicts challenged the seven churches. First, defining true and false apostles and teachers spawned doctrinal tensions (2:2, 14-15, 20). Second, a crisis of self-definition arose after the Jerusalem War as the emergence of rabbinic Judaism forced Christians to distinguish themselves from Jews (2:9; 3:9). Third, differences existed between rich and poor (2:9; 3:8, 17-18). Fourth, Roman society required assimilation into Roman ways. But John called Christians to abstain from food sacrificed to Roman idols. Avoidance of sacrificial meat set the church at odds with Roman society and fostered social stress. Fifth, occasionally social stress resulted in political strife as symbolized by the martyred Antipas (2:13). John depicted Pergamum as the site of Satan’s throne because it was the center of emperor worship in Asia Minor.

These tensions provide a context for appreciating the motif of conflict. The verb nikao (“to conquer”) and its derivatives occur seventeen times in the book. John promised eventual citizenship in the New Jerusalem to those faithful conquerors who hold fast to Christ. The saints are to persevere until the demise of Rome and the return of Christ bring ultimate victory. The seven conquering promises generate resistance to pagan society and inspire willingness for martyrdom if necessary. Wesley’s insistence that “the gospel of Christ knows of no religion but social; no holiness but social holiness” pertained to the seven churches. Christ calls the church to be a social alternative to pagan society. For the Christian, life is a process of overcoming sin and conflict.