Philadelphia: The Apologist Church

• Ever think about who was famous after the apostles?
  • Polycarp of Smyrna
  • Ignatius of Antioch
  • Lydia
  • Judas the Prophet (Acts 15:32)
  • Silas the Prophet (Acts 15:32)
  • Philip the Evangelist (Acts 21:9)
  • Philip’s four prophetess daughters (Acts 21:9)
  • Agabus the Prophet (Acts 21:10-11)
  • Maxmilla
  • Quadratus of Athens
    • Ministry started in Philadelphia, but ended in Athens
    • Replaced Publius of Athens as bishop when Publius was martyred
    • During his time as bishop, he wrote an apologia for Christian faith to Emperor Hadrian
      • His argument was simple: Look at the miracles of Jesus (healings and resurrections) that could be verified by those people in that day
  • Ammia of Philedalphia

*These side characters we see in the Bible become very famous during the second-generation church

Eusebius, “Church History, Book V, Chapter 17”

“ a list of those who prophesied under the new covenant, among whom we enumerate a certain Ammia and Quadratus, saying: But the false prophet falls into an ecstasy, in which he is without shame or fear. Beginning with purposed ignorance, he passes on, as has been stated, to involuntary madness of soul.3. They cannot show that one of the old or one of the new prophets was thus carried away in spirit. Neither can they boast of Agabus, or Judas, or Silas, or the daughters of Philip, or Ammia in Philadelphia, or Quadratus, or any others not belonging to them.4. And again after a little he says: For if after Quadratus and Ammia in Philadelphia, as they assert, the women with Montanus received the prophetic gift, let them show who among them received it from Montanus and the women. For the apostle thought it necessary that the prophetic gift should continue in all the Church until the final coming. But they cannot show it, though this is the fourteenth year since the death of Maximilla.

Philadelphia Context

• Philadelphia was founded by the king Attalus II of Pergamum around the 2 century BC
  • The king named it Philedalphia, meaning “brotherly love” in honor of his brother’s loyalty
• During the times of Revelation, Philadelphia was still under the administrative jurisdiction of Pergamum
• Thus, like Pergamum, it shared in the same religious zeal for Roman/Greek/Occult religion
  • Like Pergamum, Philadelphia held well over 20 temples
  • Both shared a religious zeal, however, Philadelphia was founded as a missionary city

*Where Pergamum shared a zeal for pagan worship, Philadelphia shared a zeal for pagan evangelism

• Additionally, Pergamum and Philadelphia were avid believers in the Roman occult
  • In this city, where Greek/Roman religion was studied to share with the people, they also were avid believers in the Roman occult to spread “The gospel of Caesar agustus”
  • Furthermore, there were many “gospels,” event that of Jesus
• The city was also built on a very active Faultline
  • Three times it had been leveled by an earthquake, and every time, Rome helped them rebuild
  • In honor of the emperor who sent aide, every time they rebuilt the city they would name after the emperor
    • Neocaesaria – 17AD (Same earthquake that ruined Sardis)
    • Reaffirmed when Caligula gave assistance after earthquake around 30AD
    • Flavia under Vespasian in earthquake around 70AD
• Lastly, the Jews in the city were, like elsewhere, zealously persecuting the church

*During the time of Revelation, it was not known as “Philadelphia, rather Flavia “

Revelation 3:7-13

⁷ “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. 

Holy = Set apart

• • In a city where you have apologist, philosophers, “theologians,” etc., Jesus is very clear that I am different than all of them, I am set-apart
• True
  • Again, among a bunch of competing worldviews, where people are constantly trying to evangelize to you, Jesus reminds them “I am true”
• Holds the key of David
  • Messianic promise (See Isaiah 22:22)
  • To hold keys means to hold authority and access over the city and its people
  • Essentially, Jesus is saying “I decide who my people are and how they gain access, not false prophets or false missionaries or false Jews”

*Ironically, there is a Christian cult called the “Church of Philadelphia” with t.v. program called “The Key to David” who spout false prophecy. Again, satan mocking something good

What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 

Jesus has the keys to hades, to life, to salvation, to the door of the new Jerusalem

Implicit reference to Noah’s ark- See Genesis 7:16

• • Remember the Sibbyline Oracles? Noah and this story was included, so this would be a familiar concept to Jew and Greek

*Simply, Jesus is saying “I am the God of Noah”

⁸ I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.

In a city of evangelism, Jesus is showing them that the most brilliant minds of Greek religion cannot shut the door to Jesus because they’ve had success

• To be certain, in order to survive in this city you had to be very clear, and ready to defend your faith (See 1 Peter 3:15)

*Jesus may be giving this church the blueprint of success in the town with his introduction:

1. Jesus is proven by demonstrating He, and those who belong to Him, are set-apart from all other gods and everyone else (HOW WE LIVE)
   1. While all Greek/roman gods had different rituals/temples/clergy, they were all fundamentally the same with the same non-sense: one stood apart different
2. Jesus is proven through the truth, and Jesus is truth, so the closer you draw to Jesus the closer you draw to truth (HOW WE THINK)
   1. “I don’t see everything with Jesus, but without Him, I see nothing”
3. Use the little truth they know to magnify Christ (HOW WE APPROACH)
   1. Greek missionaries would not know Jewish intricacies, but they understood the story of Noah well

I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. ⁹ I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. 

• Imagine the intellectual pressure: everywhere everyone is telling you your wrong, from Greek to Jew. You had to be firm and sure of your faith
• Remember: Ammia and Quadratus are in ministry here as well. Quadratus is chosen to go to the philosophy capital of the world in Athens

*Every church had a different suffering or persecution, this church was under intellectual persecution

¹⁰ Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.

• Look at the difference between the two churches Jesus had nothing bad to say against
  • Smyrna He simply prepares them to endure the coming persecution
  • Philedalphia He spares them from persecution
• Why one and not the other? My take:
  • Smyrna was the home of Homer, the writer of the Illiad and founder of Greek religion
  • Philadelphia was the home to the missionaries of Homer’s religion who believed it to be true

*You know the principle, “the one who starts yelling lost the argument?” The same goes here, “the one who starts killing lost the argument” and Greeks, especially this city, prided themselves on the “the argument”

*JESUS EXPECTS FAITHFULNESS IN THE PERSECUTION WE FACE! Emotional, physical, intellectual, social,nbb nb etc.; this church had already endured their persecution faithfully, where Smyrna was about to go into theirs

¹¹ I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 

• Another interesting comparison: He promises Smyrna He will give them the crown of life if they endure, but here, Jesus says hold on to what you have so no one will take your crown. They already possess it!
• Notice: “so no one will take”
  • Every relationship is transactional. To compromise for their approval means to give them your crown.

¹² The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it.

• In a town of constant earthquakes, He promises them an unmovable pillar in God’s temple, unlike the Greek temples that would fall

I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. ¹³ Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

• Just as the city had renamed themselves after roman emperors i.e. their gods three times, similarly here Jesus gives the victors three names:

1. Name of my God
2. Name of the city of my God (New Jerusalem)
   1. See Revelation 21
3. My new name
   1. Also referenced in the letter to Pergamum, the administrative city/buddy