Sermon Tone Analysis

Background.

Forty miles east of Pergamos was Thyatira, which began as a military garrison.

It changed hands often before Roman rule brought stability to the region.

Nevertheless, Thyatira was in a valley between important commercial centers, a strategic stop along the imperial post road.

Roman protection contributed to its thriving economy; it was famous for its trade guilds for “wool workers, linen workers, makers of outer garments, dryers, leather workers, tanners, potters, bakers, slave dealers and bronzesmiths” (Ramsay 238).

Paul’s convert, Lydia in Philipi, was a “seller of purple” from Thyatira (Acts 16:4, 15).

Thyatira was famous for its “turkey red” dye from the plentiful madder root in the valley (Mounce 85).

“Purple” may have been considered a class of red.

Tyrimnos the sun god was the city deity.

Each guild also had its own patron god, and feasts to such gods included sexual revelry.

Good standing in the guilds meant participating in such activities (Acts 15:28, 29; 1 Cor.

10:20, 21).

Christians, therefore, faced serious economic pressures to compromise with the world in the form of participation in idolatrous guild feasts and the immorality associated with them.

This was necessary to maintain standing with their respective guilds, with economic hardship being the alternative.

Apparently, in dealing with this problem, a faction arose within the church; some suggested that it was not harmful to “tip the hat” to pagan expectations while maintaining belief in Christ—the mistaken belief that one may have it both ways.

Gwyn Pugh, “Commentary on the Book of Revelation,” in 1, 2, 3 John & Revelation, ed.

Robert E. Picirilli, First Edition., The Randall House Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: Randall House, 2010), 180.

The Glory of a Growing Church

The Demise of a Compromising Church

The Victory of a Faithful Church