The first 50 to 60 years of the Christian faith...was a miracle in itself.....
The Early Christian church started out as another segment...of the Jewish faith. Just like there were Pharisees and Sadducees...now there were the Christianeese (just kidding).
Then when Saint Paul came along,,,and announced the Good News to the Gentiles and there was no need to follow strict Jewish Law...Christianity became a belief of its own. This of course led to persecution of the young Christian church...yet through the power of the Holy Spirit...beginning on the Day of Pentecost...the church took form and began to grow and spread.
After a period of 50 to 60 years, Christian churches had been established in Gentile regions outside the Jewish communities, and Saint Paul through his missionary journeys had become the true leader in establishing these new churches.
These churches were located in Asia minor, the provinces closest to the Aegean Sea, which is today a part of the country of Turkey...in ancient times referred to as Macedonia. There were 7 distinct churches in this region...and they are identified in the Bible we read today...in a letter or book called..."The Book of Revelation".
In Revelation chapter 2 through chapter 3:22, there are direct messages to each one of these 7 churches through the author John...that is directly from the Lord Jesus.
These churches are in various cities throughout the province and are identified as Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamon, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Although many of the churches are not really previously mentioned in the Sacred Scriptures, Ephesus is an exception as it is mentioned throughout the New Testament, including a letter Saint Paul wrote directly to the Ephesians.
The author of the Book of Revelation identifies himself simply as "John". Many Christians believe the writer to be the apostle John, although this decision came much later, in the 2nd century A.D. One thing for sure, the author of the Book of Revelation was well known throughout the entire region, and John the apostle himself by this time had been banished to the island of Patmos (which was within close proximity to the Asia Minor province)...to work in the mines (most likely marble and granite), and would be quite old by at the time of this writing...perhaps even in his early 90's. The author "John" calls this book a prophecy and the Lord Himself had instructed him to write this letter.
The island of Patmos where the apostle John had been banished to by the Roman Empire, was a sterile island about 30 miles in circumference. This is the only time in the Sacred Scripture the island of Patmos is mentioned, and the word Patmos means "my killing".
The island itself was defined as sterile because of its inability to grow crops or plants...being infertile. The Roman Empire would send their criminals to the island of Patmos...to work the mines.
From a visual standpoint, the island of Patmos had a magnificent landscape to view. The Aegean Sea with the beauty of the open sea, and the white crags that engulfed the shore lines, would certainly be inspirational as "John" began to write this letter.
Today Patmos has a population of about 3000, and the main community is its capital city named Chora. The only commercial port on the island is at a village named Skala. The Christian communities today on Patmos is of the Eastern Orthodox tradition.
I would like to break down and go through each of the 7 churches named in Revelation 2 and 3...with this thought in mind. After approximately 60 years after the birth of the Christian church, how had it progressed and what issues were they facing at this time?
As I begin, I have to ask myself....How has the message of Christianity affected my life, and do I identify with the words the Lord Jesus gave in a personal manner...to any of these 7 churches...and what issues do I face...in comparison to what the Lord spoke to these 7 churches?
Let me begin with the church in Ephesus...obviously I will need a part 2...lol
The Early Christian church started out as another segment...of the Jewish faith. Just like there were Pharisees and Sadducees...now there were the Christianeese (just kidding).
Then when Saint Paul came along,,,and announced the Good News to the Gentiles and there was no need to follow strict Jewish Law...Christianity became a belief of its own. This of course led to persecution of the young Christian church...yet through the power of the Holy Spirit...beginning on the Day of Pentecost...the church took form and began to grow and spread.
After a period of 50 to 60 years, Christian churches had been established in Gentile regions outside the Jewish communities, and Saint Paul through his missionary journeys had become the true leader in establishing these new churches.
These churches were located in Asia minor, the provinces closest to the Aegean Sea, which is today a part of the country of Turkey...in ancient times referred to as Macedonia. There were 7 distinct churches in this region...and they are identified in the Bible we read today...in a letter or book called..."The Book of Revelation".
In Revelation chapter 2 through chapter 3:22, there are direct messages to each one of these 7 churches through the author John...that is directly from the Lord Jesus.
These churches are in various cities throughout the province and are identified as Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamon, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Although many of the churches are not really previously mentioned in the Sacred Scriptures, Ephesus is an exception as it is mentioned throughout the New Testament, including a letter Saint Paul wrote directly to the Ephesians.
The author of the Book of Revelation identifies himself simply as "John". Many Christians believe the writer to be the apostle John, although this decision came much later, in the 2nd century A.D. One thing for sure, the author of the Book of Revelation was well known throughout the entire region, and John the apostle himself by this time had been banished to the island of Patmos (which was within close proximity to the Asia Minor province)...to work in the mines (most likely marble and granite), and would be quite old by at the time of this writing...perhaps even in his early 90's. The author "John" calls this book a prophecy and the Lord Himself had instructed him to write this letter.
The island of Patmos where the apostle John had been banished to by the Roman Empire, was a sterile island about 30 miles in circumference. This is the only time in the Sacred Scripture the island of Patmos is mentioned, and the word Patmos means "my killing".
The island itself was defined as sterile because of its inability to grow crops or plants...being infertile. The Roman Empire would send their criminals to the island of Patmos...to work the mines.
From a visual standpoint, the island of Patmos had a magnificent landscape to view. The Aegean Sea with the beauty of the open sea, and the white crags that engulfed the shore lines, would certainly be inspirational as "John" began to write this letter.
Today Patmos has a population of about 3000, and the main community is its capital city named Chora. The only commercial port on the island is at a village named Skala. The Christian communities today on Patmos is of the Eastern Orthodox tradition.
I would like to break down and go through each of the 7 churches named in Revelation 2 and 3...with this thought in mind. After approximately 60 years after the birth of the Christian church, how had it progressed and what issues were they facing at this time?
As I begin, I have to ask myself....How has the message of Christianity affected my life, and do I identify with the words the Lord Jesus gave in a personal manner...to any of these 7 churches...and what issues do I face...in comparison to what the Lord spoke to these 7 churches?
Let me begin with the church in Ephesus...obviously I will need a part 2...lol
No comments:
Post a Comment