Berean Standard Bible
Revelation 3:1
1“To the angel of the church in Sardis write:
These are the words of the One who holds the seven spirits1 of God and the seven stars.
I know your deeds; you have a reputation for being alive, yet you are dead.
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 of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of the One who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation for being alive, yet you are dead. 2Wake up and strengthen what remains, which is about to die; for I have found your deeds incomplete in the sight of My God. 3Remember, then, what you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know the hour when I will come upon you.
Read all of Revelation 3Revelation 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
- ·καίkai · andG2532
- To theὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- angelἄγγελοςaggelos · angelG32
- churchἐκκλησίαekklēsia · assemblyG1577
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- SardisΣάρδειςSardeis · SardisG4554
- writeγράφωgraphō · to writeG1125
- Theseὅδεhode hēde tode · thisG3592
- the wordsλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- holdsἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- sevenἑπτάhepta · sevenG2033
- spiritsπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- starsἀστήρastēr · starG792
- I knowεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
- yourσύsu · youG4771
- deedsἔργονergon · workG2041
- ·ὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- reputationὄνομαonoma · nameG3686
- being aliveζάωzaō · to liveG2198
- you areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- deadνεκρόςnekros · deadG3498
Cross-references for Revelation 3:1
- Revelation 1:11saying, “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
- Revelation 1:4John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from Him who is and was and is to come, and from the seven spirits before His throne,
- Revelation 4:5From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder. Before the throne burned seven torches of fire. These are the seven spirits of God.
- Revelation 5:6Then I saw a Lamb who appeared to have been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
- John 1:16From His fullness we have all received grace upon grace.
- John 3:34For the One whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.
- John 7:37On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
- John 15:26When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—He will testify about Me.
- John 20:22When He had said this, He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
- Acts 2:33Exalted, then, to the right hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.
- 1 Peter 1:11trying to determine the time and setting to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
- Revelation 1:16He held in His right hand seven stars, and a sharp double-edged sword came from His mouth. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest.
- Revelation 2:1“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of Him who holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands.
- Revelation 2:2I know your deeds, your labor, and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate those who are evil, and you have tested and exposed as liars those who falsely claim to be apostles.
- Luke 15:24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again! He was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.
- Ephesians 2:1And you were dead in your trespasses 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
In the dictionaries
Notes
- 1. Revelation 3:1 Or the sevenfold Spirit ↩
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
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