Deep dive into archetypal churches

Spiritual resource to share: understanding church

I've been giving tons of thought to church lately. So I was happy to see that that was the weekly topic of a weekly Bible Lesson Sermon that I study.

For those of you who attend a church, or have been giving the idea of church a working over, I hope you find these notes interesting.

One of my favorite Bible reference books is the Thompson Chain-Reference Bible - 5th improved edition.

In one section (p. 1692 to be exact) they take a look at the seven churches of Asia described in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 and give a comparative analysis of the virtues and sins of each one and then - most interesting to me - they use each of these churches as a type of archetype for modern churches today and give an analysis of these same conditions in today's churches.

In reviewing this list, I have also reviewed my individual actions and how they relate when I am sharing Christian Science with someone, giving treatments, etc. (my personal expression of church). It's also given me a helpful tool to look at the strengths and weaknesses of my own church of choice (my community expression of church). It's been very enlightening.

Enjoy and let me know what you have found surprising in this list! Here is the list:

NAME of Church: Ephesus – The orthodox church (Rev 2: 1-7)
VIRTUES commended: good works, patience, sound doctrine, church discipline, steadfastness, hatred of evil
SINS and weaknesses rebuked: Loss of love, backsliding
CONDITIONS in Modern Churches: Active churches over emphasizing orthodoxy, but lacking in spiritual fervor.

NAME of Church: Smyrna – the poor, rich church (Rev 2: 8-11)
VIRTUES commended: spiritual endurance, heavenly treasures
SINS and weaknesses rebuked: no reproof
CONDITIONS in Modern Churches: missionary and other churches enduring persecution

NAME of Church: Pergamos – the church with bad surroundings (Rev. 2: 12-17)
VIRTUES commended: steadfastness amidst evil environment
SINS and weaknesses rebuked: tolerance of corrupt doctrines and heretics
CONDITIONS in Modern Churches: churches supported by the government

NAME of Church: Thyatira – the church of the evil prophetess ( Rev 2: 18-29)
VIRTUES commended: charity, spiritual service, faith and patience
SINS and weaknesses rebuked: lax discipline, tolerance of a corrupt prophetess
CONDITIONS in Modern Churches: the development of numerous modern cults

NAME of Church: Sardis – the dying church (Rev. 3: 1-6)
VIRTUES commended: none for the majority of members; a few commended for purity
SINS and weaknesses rebuked: extreme formalism, spiritual death imminent, inactivity
CONDITIONS in Modern Churches: churches which manifest a growing formalism accompanied by spiritual declension (a downward slope or bend)

NAME of Church: Philadelphia – the weak but loyal church (Rev. 3: 7-13)
VIRTUES commended: Keeping of “the Word”, testimony
SINS and weaknesses rebuked: none recorded
CONDITIONS in Modern Churches: all earnest spiritual churches

NAME of Church: Laodicea – the rich, poor church (Rev 3: 14-22)
VIRTUES commended: none recorded
SINS and weaknesses rebuked: lukewarmness, spiritual conceit, no conscious need, spiritual poverty, spiritual blindness, spiritual wretchedness
CONDITIONS in Modern Churches: popular, self-satisfied, worldly churches







To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.