SEV Biblia, Chapter 3:1
¶ Y escribe al ngel de la Iglesia que est en Sardis: El que tiene los siete Espíritus de Dios, y las siete estrellas, dice estas cosas: Yo conozco tus obras; que tienes nombre de que vives, y ests muerto.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Revelation 3:1
Verse 1. The seven Spirits, of God] See the note on Revelation i. 4, 16, &c. Thou hast a name that thou livest] Ye have the reputation of Christians, and consequently of being alive to God, through the quickening influence of the Divine Spirit; but ye are dead - ye have not the life of God in your souls, ye have not walked consistently and steadily before God, and his Spirit has been grieved with you, and he has withdrawn much of his light and power.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 1. And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write , etc.] Of the city of Sardis (see Gill on Revelation 1:11) when, and by whom this church was founded, and who was the present angel or pastor of it, is not now to be certainly known; however, here was a church in the second century, of which Melito was then pastor; and he is thought by some to be the angel here intended; this man wrote upon the book of the Revelation, and an apology for the Christians, sent to the Emperor Antoninus Verus, in whose time he lived f99 ; and in the third century a church remained in this place; and also in the fourth, as appears from the council of Nice, which makes mention of it; and likewise in the fifth, as is evident from the acts of the synod at Chalcedon, in which age it was the metropolitan church of the Lydians; and in the sixth century there was a bishop of this church in the fifth synod at Constantinople; and in the seventh century, Marinus bishop of Sardis assisted at the sixth synod in the same place; and in the eighth century, Euthymius bishop of it was present in the Nicene synod; and even in the ninth century mention is made of an archbishop of Sardis f100 : but now there are but very few Christians to be found here, and who have not a place to worship in, nor any to minister to them f101 . This church represents the state of the church from the time of the Reformation by Luther and others, until a more glorious state of the church appears, or until the spiritual reign of Christ in the Philadelphian period; under the Sardian church state we now are: (this was published in 1747, Ed.) that this church is an emblem of the reformed churches from Popery, is evident not only from its following the Thyatirian state, which expresses the darkness of Popery, and the depths of Satan in it; but from its being clear of Balaam, and those that held his doctrine; and from the Nicolaitans and their tenets, and from Jezebel, and those that committed adultery with her; things which the two former churches are charged with; but from these the present church reformed. This city of Sardis was once a very flourishing and opulent city; it was the metropolis of Lydia, and the royal seat of the rich King Croesus, though now a very poor and mean village; and may denote the magnificence and splendour of this church state, at least in name and figure, it has appeared in, in the world; though now in a very low and mean condition, and may be worse before the spiritual reign of Christ begins in the next period: there may be some allusion in the name of this church to the precious stone sarda, which, Pliny says f102 , was found about Sardis, and had its name from hence; the same with the Sardian stone in ( Revelation 4:2 21:20). This stone, naturalists say f103 , drives away fear, gives boldness, cheerfulness, and sharpness of wit, and frees from witchcrafts and sorceries; which may be expressive of the boldness and courage of the first reformers; of the cheerfulness, joy, and pleasure, which appeared in their countenances, and which they spread in others by preaching the doctrines of the Gospel; and of those excellent gifts and talents both of nature, learning, and grace, by which they were fitted for their service; and of their being a means of delivering men from the witchcrafts of Jezebel, and the sorceries of the whore of Rome: and perhaps some allusion may be in this name, as is thought by Cocceius, to the Hebrew word dyr , sarid, which signifies a remnant, since in this church state there was a remnant according to the election of grace, a few names, whose garments were undefiled; or to the word dr , sered, which signifies a carpenter's rule or line; since the first reformers were endeavouring to bring every doctrine and practice to the rule and line of God's word: these things saith he that hath the seven spirits of God ; the fulness and perfection of the gifts and graces of the Spirit of God, as in ( Revelation 1:4), which Christ, as Mediator, has without measure, and are at his dispose, and which he, having received for men, gives unto them; and at the time of the Reformation bestowed them on many eminent servants of his in a very plenteous manner; for which reason he assumes this character in writing to this church: and the seven stars ; the ministers of the Gospel; (see Gill on Revelation 1:16), (see Gill on Revelation 2:1); these were filled by Christ at this time with evangelical light and knowledge; and were sent, and held forth by him as lights in the world; and were instruments in his hand for great good; and were wonderfully held, kept, and preserved by him, notwithstanding the greatness of their work, their weakness in themselves, and the power, rage, and fury of the antichristian party; Luther is a remarkable instance of this: Christ's making use of the same title here as in the epistle to the church at Ephesus, which represents the apostolic church, may show that this church state bore some degree of likeness to that, and that it was a sort of renewing of it: I know thy works ; good works chiefly; the nature and imperfection of them; and also bad works: that thou hast a name that thou livest : the reformed churches have had a name for spiritual living, by faith on Christ's righteousness only for justification, that article being the great article of the Reformation: there was in them an appearance of liveliness, by their zeal for Gospel doctrine and worship, and a form of living according to godliness; they were esteemed, were celebrated, and famous for these things, especially for living by faith on Christ's righteousness: and art dead ; or but art dead; for, the most part, or greater part of the members of these churches, are dead in trespasses and sins; and as for the rest, they are very dead and lifeless in their frames, in the exercise of grace, and in the discharge of duties; and under great spiritual declensions and decays, just as it were ready to die; and but few really alive in a spiritual sense, and especially lively, or in the lively exercise of grace, and fervent discharge of duty; yea, dead as to those things in which they had a name to live: and this seems to be our case now, who, it is to be hoped, are at, or towards the close of this period.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-6 - The Lord Jesus is He that hath the Holy Spirit with all his powers graces, and operations. Hypocrisy, and lamentable decay in religion are sins charged upon Sardis, by One who knew that church well, and all her works. Outward things appeared well to men, but there was only the form of godliness, not the power; a name to live, not a principle of life. There was great deadness in their souls, and in their services numbers were wholly hypocrites, others were in a disordered an lifeless state. Our Lord called upon them to be watchful against their enemies, and to be active and earnest in their duties; and to endeavour, in dependence on the grace of the Holy Spirit, to revive an strengthen the faith and spiritual affections of those yet alive to God, though in a declining state. Whenever we are off our watch, we lose ground. Thy works are hollow and empty; prayers are not filled u with holy desires, alms-deeds not filled up with true charity, sabbath not filled up with suitable devotion of soul to God. There are no inward affections suitable to outward acts and expressions; when the spirit is wanting, the form cannot long remain. In seeking a revival in our own souls, or the souls of others, it is needful to compare what we profess with the manner in which we go on, that we may be humbled an quickened to hold fast that which remains. Christ enforces his counse with a dreadful threatening if it should be despised. Yet our blesse Lord does not leave this sinful people without some encouragement. He makes honourable mention of the faithful remnant in Sardis, he makes gracious promise to them. He that overcometh shall be clothed in whit raiment; the purity of grace shall be rewarded with the perfect purit of glory. Christ has his book of life, a register of all who shal inherit eternal life; the book of remembrance of all who live to God and keep up the life and power of godliness in evil times. Christ wil bring forward this book of life, and show the names of the faithful before God, and all the angels, at the great day.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 τω 3588 αγγελω 32 της 3588 εν 1722 σαρδεσιν 4554 εκκλησιας 1577 γραψον 1125 5657 ταδε 3592 λεγει 3004 5719 ο 3588 εχων 2192 5723 τα 3588 {2: επτα 2033 } πνευματα 4151 του 3588 θεου 2316 και 2532 τους 3588 επτα 2033 αστερας 792 οιδα 1492 5758 σου 4675 τα 3588 εργα 2041 οτι 3754 το 3588 ονομα 3686 εχεις 2192 5719 οτι 3754 ζης 2198 5719 και 2532 νεκρος 3498 ει 1488 5748
Vincent's NT Word Studies
1. Sardis. The capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia. It was situated in a plain watered by the river Pactolus. The city was of very ancient origin. Herodotus (i., 84) gives the account of its siege and capture by Cyrus, and of its previous fortification by an old king, Meles. It was ruled by a series of able princes, the last of whom was Croesus, celebrated for his wealth and his misfortunes. In the earlier part of his reign he extended his dominion over the whole of Asia Minor, with the exception of Lycia and Cilicia. The Lydian rule was terminated by the conquest of Cyrus. From the Persians it passed into the hands of Alexander the Great, after which, for the next three hundred years, its fortunes are obscure. In B.C. 214 it was taken and sacked by Antiochus the Great after a siege of two years. The kings of Pergamus next succeeded to the dominion, and from them it passed into the hands of the Romans.
In the time of Tiberius it was desolated by an earthquake, together with eleven or twelve other important cities of Asia, and the calamity was increased by a pestilence.
Sardis was in very early times an important commercial city Pliny says that the art of dyeing wool was invented there, and it was the entrept of the dyed woolen manufactures, carpets, etc., the raw material for which was furnished by the flocks of Phrygia. It was also the place where the metal electrum was procured. Gold was found in the bed of the Pactolus. Silver and gold coins are said to have been first minted there, and it was at one time known as a slave-mart. The impure worship of the goddess Cybele was celebrated there, and the massive ruins of her temple are still to be seen. The city is now a heap of ruins. In 1850 no human being found a dwelling there.
The seven Spirits of God. See on chapter i. 4.
