Churches of the Revelation

Day 6-8

Before Ephesus, we visited Thyatira, Sardis, and Philadelphia. These churches were mainly "house Churches", and so needless to say, there were no physical buildings to see in some of these places; just markers to indicate that a community of faithful Christians existed among the vast majority of idol worshipers and adherents to the Imperial Cult (Emperor Worship). It couldn’t have been easy being a Christian in those days and in those parts of the world. Yet the early Christians were admonished to hold fast to their faith. It is hard to imagine living the Christian life with so many HUGE temples and theaters dedicated to gods and human emperors! The fact that these temples which were clearly built to last forever are now in ruins (several earthquakes in many generations) show the impermanence of life and of human effort. The church of Sardis was berated for projecting a facade of being alive when in actuality, they were dead! (Rev. 3:1) Their wealth and affluence made them very conceited and self-possessed! [I don't think the modern Church has people like that :)]