Revelation 3:1

Revelation 3:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
• New International Version (NIV)“To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: 'The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. "'I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.

Context of Revelation 3:1

“To the angel (divine messenger) of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of Him who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your deeds; you have a name (reputation) that you are alive, but [in reality] you are dead. 2Wake up, and strengthen and reaffirm what remains [of your faithful commitment to Me], which is about to die; for I have not found [any of] your deeds completed in the sight of My God or meeting His requirements. 3So remember and take to heart the lessons you have received and heard. Keep and obey them, and repent [change your sinful way of thinking, and demonstrate your repentance with new behavior that proves a conscious decision to turn away from sin]. So then, if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.

Revelation 3:1 word by word

Καὶ τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς ἐν Σάρδεσιν ἐκκλησίας γράψον· τάδε λέγει ὁ ἔχων τὰ ἑπτὰ πνεύματα τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἑπτὰ ἀστέρας· οἶδά σου τὰ ἔργα ὅτι ὄνομα ἔχεις ὅτι ζῇς καὶ νεκρὸς εἶ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• unto the angelὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• unto the angelἄγγελοςaggelos · angelG32
• of the churchἐκκλησίαekklēsia · assemblyG1577
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• SardisΣάρδειςSardeis · SardisG4554
• writeγράφωgraphō · to writeG1125
• These thingsὅδεhode hēde tode · thisG3592
• saithλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• he that hathἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• theπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
• sevenἑπτάhepta · sevenG2033
• Spiritsπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• theἀστήρastēr · starG792
• I knowεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
• thyσύsu · youG4771
• worksἔργονergon · workG2041
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• a nameὄνομαonoma · nameG3686
• thou livestζάωzaō · to liveG2198
• artεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• deadνεκρόςnekros · deadG3498

Cross-references for Revelation 3:1

• Revelation 1:11saying, “Write on a scroll what you see [in this revelation], and send it to the seven churches—to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”
• Revelation 1:4John, to the seven churches that are in [the province of] Asia: Grace [be granted] to you and peace [inner calm and spiritual well-being], from Him Who is [existing forever] and Who was [continually existing in the past] and Who is to come, and from the seven Spirits that are before His throne,
• Revelation 4:5From the throne came flashes of lightning and [rumbling] sounds and peals of thunder. Seven lamps of fire were burning in front of the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God;
• Revelation 5:6And there between the throne (with the four living creatures) and among the elders I saw a Lamb (Christ) standing, [bearing scars and wounds] as though it had been slain, with seven horns (complete power) and with seven eyes (complete knowledge), which are the seven Spirits of God who have been sent [on duty] into all the earth.
• John 1:16For out of His fullness [the superabundance of His grace and truth] we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift].
• John 3:34For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God [proclaiming the Father’s own message]; for God gives the [gift of the] Spirit without measure [generously and boundlessly]!
• John 7:37Now on the last and most important day of the feast, Jesus stood and called out [in a loud voice], “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink!
• John 15:26“But when the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of Truth who comes from the Father, He will testify and bear witness about Me.
• John 20:22And when He said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
• Acts 2:33Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured out this [blessing] which you both see and hear.
• 1 Peter 1:11seeking to find out what person or what time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He foretold the sufferings of Christ and the glories [destined] to follow.
• Revelation 1:16In His right hand He held seven stars, and from His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword [of judgment]; and His face [reflecting His majesty and the Shekinah glory] was like the sun shining in [all] its power [at midday].
• Revelation 2:1“To the angel (divine messenger) of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of the One who holds [firmly] the seven stars [which are the angels or messengers of the seven churches] in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands (the seven churches):
• Revelation 2:2‘I know your deeds and your toil, and your patient endurance, and that you cannot tolerate those who are evil, and have tested and critically appraised those who call themselves apostles (special messengers, personally chosen representatives, of Christ), and [in fact] are not, and have found them to be liars and impostors;
• Luke 15:24for this son of mine was [as good as] dead and is alive again; he was lost and has been found.’ So they began to celebrate.
• Ephesians 2:1And you [He made alive when you] were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of your transgressions and sins,

Commentaries on Revelation 3:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1The seven Spirits, of God - See the note on Revelation 1:4, Revelation 1:16; (note), etc. 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…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1The Epistle to the Church at Sardis The contents of the epistle to the church at Sardis Revelation 3:1-6 are: (1)The usual salutation to the angel of the church, Revelation 3:1. (2)the usual reference to the attributes of the Saviour - those referred to here being that he had the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars, Revelation 3:1. (3)the assurance that he knew their works, Revelation 3:1. (4)the statement of the uniqueness of the church, or what he…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Epistles to the church at Sardis; (1-6) at Philadelphia; (7-13) and Laodicea. (14-22) 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…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1Sardis was about 80 kilometers (50 miles) east of Smyrna on the southeast highway from Pergamum and Thyatira. It was home to a large community of wealthy Jews. They were called “Sephardic” because this name came from an ancient name for the city. The city also had a strong, fortified acropolis, which often gave its people too much confidence in their own safety. Other churches may have thought the Christians in Sardis were active and strong. However…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-221. Sardis--the ancient capital of Lydia, the kingdom of wealthy Croesus, on the river Pactolus. The address to this Church is full of rebuke. It does not seem to have been in vain; for Melito, bishop of Sardis in the second century, was eminent for piety and learning. He visited Palestine to assure himself and his flock as to the Old Testament canon and wrote an epistle on the subject [Eusebius Ecclesiastical History, 4.26]; he also wrote a commentary on…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 3:1

• Angel of the Churches
• Church
• Hypocrisy
• Lukewarmness
• Sardis
• Seven
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Seven Stars
• Angel
• Chasten
• Cold
• Counsel
• Dead
• Lukewarm
• Naked

Commentaries on Revelation 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings