Jesus promises in the letter that it will never be blotted out. The blessed Paul declared that your name is written in the book of life. You have a privilege and a responsibility. It is more important to present a welcoming, loving atmosphere. Ignatius: Do you tell your Jewish friends that Jesus died according to scripture, was buried, and was raised according to scripture? Do you tell them that he is the promised Jewish messiah?Ĭlement: That will come in time. ![]() Why raise a problem when it is not necessary? We retain the Jewish exemption regarding honoring Domitian. Our relationship with the synagogue is strong. ![]() Ignatius: Do you affirm that Jesus is Lord, not Caesar?Ĭlement: We don’t have that issue here. We always have to be alert.Ĭlement: What does that have to do with my congregation? Ignatius: Remember when the Persians and Greeks took the city by surprise. Living in our eyes can be dying in God’s. Ignatius speaks up: Overconfidence leads to blind spots. We get along quite well with the Jewish rabbis and with town officials. I’m proud of our standing in the community. Way-followers don’t need to alienate others. (Rev.3:1-6 ESV)Ĭlement: Our congregation is a living witness. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. Ignatius looks troubled as reads the letter aloud. The bishop Clement has a good reputation. Frequent bands of robbers disrupt the normal day-to-day flow. Sardis retains a reputation for having a wealthy citizenry, but it is unlikely to ever regain its previous exalted status. “Is that why the upper city is mostly abandoned?” More recently, Sardis was demolished by a massive earthquake. A few hundred years went by and the Greeks repeated the insult. ![]() But then, under Cyrus the Great, Persian climbers unexpectedly scaled the cliffs and destroyed the city. He was, by far, the richest man in the world. About five hundred years ago, King Croesus ruled the region. Other local products include expensive ornaments and precious stones.Īs I look to the upper city, I comment: “It seems impregnable.” At the present time, strong guilds drive the economy, marketing fruits and wool. Ignatius tells me that these deposits have long since been exhausted. Sardis minted coins are still a popular commodity for commerce. This region was the first to successfully separate gold and silver from mined impurities. The black sands on the banks of the Pactolus are known for their vast gold deposits. Two miles on the foothills of the Tmolus are popular hot springs. About six miles away is a large necropolis, a memorial to the city’s past greatness. This temple resembles the one in Ephesus, but till now, it remains unfinished. A quarter mile south stands a huge Jewish synagogue, a gymnasium and a temple of Artemis. A small altar to Cybele appears to the north. Sardis continues along the Pactolus River. I suppose that these provide some minimal protection from attack. We see a number of terrace walls entwined with the jagged landscape. Most of the population now live in the lower mostly west-facing city along the major trade route. ![]() The ground ruggedly slopes to the fertile plain on which we travel. A high wall, some 60’ wide and 50’ high, protects the south-facing fourth side. The upper city is set on a plateau, perched atop steep 600’ vertical cliffs on three sides. What subtleties might we uncover? Here we go.Īfter traveling south about 32 miles, we approach Sardis. It is time for Ignatius and me to continue our journey to visit the last three cities of John’s Revelation.
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