Letters to the Churches: Sardis

Today we begin Revelation chapter three, and continue on with John's letters to the churches. Today's church is Sardis:

¹ “To the angel^[a] of the church in Sardis write:
   These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits^[b] of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. ² Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. ³ Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
   ⁴ Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. ⁵ The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. ⁶ Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.


Sardis was once the capital of the Lydian empire and one of the greatest cities of the ancient world. It was conquered by Cyrus of Persia, Alexander the Great, and finally it became a Roman city. Sardis was an extremely rich city that boasted one of the largest temple to Artemis the goddess of the hunt, the moon and fertility. There was also a very large population of Jews living in Sardis as well as many Christians.


Jesus begins by stating that He holds the seven spirits, which may be the seven angels of the church, or the pastors.  He also holds the seven spirits of God, which stands for the Holy Spirit. Jesus has nothing good to say about the church, he immediately begins to admonish the church for looking alive but being dead.  This means that the church outwardly seems to be doing what it is supposed to, but they had no spiritual life. Jesus tells them to wake up and repent. If they do not, they will not know when Jesus returns, and will not be ready. Jesus then points out that there are a few people in Sardis that were true Christians, and says that they will join Christ and live forever.