The Word Am I

The Revelation of St. John the Divine

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- Chapter 3 -

1
“And to the Angel of the Church of Sardis write: Thus says he who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know your works, that you have a name which is alive, but you are dead.
2
Be vigilant, and confirm the things that remain, lest they soon die out. For I do not find your works to be full in the sight of my God.
3
Therefore, keep in mind the way that you have received and heard, and then observe it and repent. But if you will not be vigilant, I will come to you like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.
4
But you have a few names in Sardis who have not defiled their garments. And these shall walk with me in white, because they are worthy.
5
Whoever prevails, so shall he be clothed in white vestments. And I will not delete his name from the Book of Life. And I will confess his name in the presence of my Father and in the presence of his Angels.
6
Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches.

To the Church in Philadelphia

7
And to the Angel of the Church of Philadelphia write: Thus says the Holy One, the True One, he who holds the key of David. He opens and no one closes. He closes and no one opens.(a)
8
I know your works. Behold, I have set an open door before you, which no one is able to close. For you have little power, and you have observed my word, and you have not denied my name.(b)
9
Behold, I will take from the synagogue of Satan those who declare themselves to be Jews and are not, for they are lying. Behold, I will cause them to approach and to reverence before your feet. And they shall know that I have loved you.
10
Since you have kept the word of my patient endurance, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation, which shall overcome the whole world in order to test those living upon the earth.
11
Behold, I am approaching quickly. Hold on to what you have, so that no one may take your crown.
12
Whoever prevails, I will set him as a column in the temple of my God, and he shall not depart from it anymore. And I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem that descends out of heaven from my God, and my new name.
13
Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches.

To the Church in Laodicea

(Colossians 2:1–5)
14
And to the Angel of the Church of Laodicea write: Thus says the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, who is the Beginning of the creation of God:(c) (d)
15
I know your works: that you are neither cold, nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot.
16
But because you are lukewarm and are neither cold nor hot, I will begin to vomit you out of my mouth.
17
For you declare, ‘I am wealthy, and I have been enriched further, and I have need of nothing.’ And you do not know that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.
18
I urge you to buy from me gold, tested by fire, so that you may be enriched and may be clothed in white vestments, and so that the shame of your nakedness may disappear. And anoint your eyes with an eye salve, so that you may see.
19
Those whom I love, I rebuke and chastise. Therefore, be zealous and do penance.
20
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone will hear my voice and will open the door to me, I will enter to him, and I will dine with him, and he with me.
21
Whoever prevails, I will grant to him to sit with me on my throne, just as I also have overcome and have sat down with my Father on his throne.
22
Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches.”

Footnotes

(a)3:7 Since ancient languages, such as Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, had no punctuation and no spaces between words, words like ‘and’ sometimes functioned like punctuation and spaces. So a translation need not translate every instance of the word ‘and,’ as long as the meaning is preserved.(Conte)
(b)3:8 The meaning of ‘virtutem’ here must be power and not virtue, because, having observed Christ’s word and having not denied his name, they could not have little virtue, but they could still have little worldly power.(Conte)
(c)3:14 The Amen,:that is, the true one, the Truth itself; the Word and Son of God.(Challoner)
(d)3:14 The beginning:that is, the principle, the source, and the efficient cause of the whole creation.(Challoner)
1
“And to the angel of the assembly in Sardis write: “He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars says these things: “I know your works, that you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
2
Wake up and strengthen the things that remain, which you were about to throw away, (a) for I have found no works of yours perfected before my God.
3
Remember therefore how you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If therefore you won’t watch, I will come as a thief, and you won’t know what hour I will come upon you.
4
Nevertheless you have a few names in Sardis that didn’t defile their garments. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.
5
He who overcomes will be arrayed in white garments, and I will in no way blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
6
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.

To the Church in Philadelphia

7
“To the angel of the assembly in Philadelphia write: “He who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, he who opens and no one can shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says these things:
8
“I know your works (behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one can shut), that you have a little power, and kept my word, and didn’t deny my name.
9
Behold, I make some of the synagogue of Satan, of those who say they are Jews, and they are not, but lie—behold, I will make them to come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.
10
Because you kept my command to endure, I also will keep you from the hour of testing which is to come on the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
11
I am coming quickly! Hold firmly that which you have, so that no one takes your crown.
12
He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will go out from there no more. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, and my own new name.
13
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.

To the Church in Laodicea

(Colossians 2:1–5)
14
“To the angel of the assembly in Laodicea write: “The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning (b) of God’s creation, says these things:
15
“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot.
16
So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth.
17
Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing,’ and don’t know that you are the wretched one, miserable, poor, blind, and naked;
18
I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich; and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see.
19
As many as I love, I reprove and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent.
20
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with me.
21
He who overcomes, I will give to him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.
22
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.”

Footnotes

(a)3:2 NU &TR read “which were about to die” instead of “which you were about to throw away”.
(b)3:14 or, Source, or Head
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