Revelation 2:19 Commentary and Bible Study

Love for God characterised them. They had gratitude to him. They admired him, they reflected on him. They valued the attributes of God. They consciously preferred him – or most of them did – to the world. There were people in their ranks who were very poor because of being cut out of their trades for their refusal to compromise and worship the trade gods, and they cared for each other, and they looked after each other. The service of the church was extremely vigorous. They are noted for their ministry, and this could include their evangelism and their concern to witness wherever they were found. Then particularly singled out is their faith. They were a church characterised by faith, which meant they were a praying church. They prayed believingly that God would strengthen them and bless them and use them, and they carried out self-denial, believing that God would help them, that God would be with them. They did not need unnecessary luxuries, and most of them practised separation from the world, by faith believing that any disadvantage and any hardship would be more than compensated in the eternal glory. Then too they are commended for their patience also, which means endurance in the Greek. Their steady continuance in the work of God. They did not start things and not finish them. They made constant effort. The word in its usage in classical Greek also implies cheerfulness. They were a cheerful people, even when they were suffering, even when they knew shortage. They thanked God for their blessings, and they had this steady continuance.‘And the last to be more than the first,’ which means that this church had made tremendous progress. Though it is now over 40 years old, it seems to have more zeal, more vigour, more effort than even in the first flush of Christian experience when the people were newly saved. Instead of fading away, they had increased their love and their activity for the things of God. These are powerful commendations and they are genuine too.