The Jewish element in the Apocalypse has been studied so far, completely neglecting the Greek element in it. How imperfect it is has become more apparent to the writer as he came to understand the nature of the Apocalypse in writing it.
TRANSMISSION OF LETTERS IN THE FIRST CENTURY
Migration and intermingling of peoples was from ancient times the natural law of the Greek world; and the process was greatly stimulated in the fourth century B.C. The Christian letters contained the saving power of the Church; and in his exchange of letters his life-blood flowed.
THE CHRISTIAN LETTERS AND THEIR TRANSMISSION
Christian letters in the next two or three centuries were often inspired by something of the same spirit. Undoubtedly, messengers often had to be sent with letters through the congregations of the province.
THE LETTERS TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES
The idea of the letter as the inevitable Christian form was firmly in the writer's mind. It was also the most devoted to the name of the seven cities of all.
RELATION OF THE CHRISTIAN BOOKS TO CONTEMPORARY THOUGHT AND LITERATURE
In the mind lies the essence of the new thought and new life, not in the words. 60-100, but arose from the circumstances and thoughts, and expressed itself in the words, of the period to which it claims to belong.
THE SYMBOLISM OF THE SEVEN LETTERS
1:20: “the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches; and the seven lamps are seven churches.” On the left side of the platform, another scene from the god's ritual and life is depicted.
AUTHORITY OF THE WRITER OF THE SEVEN LETTERS
Clement's epistle to the Corinthian church is not expressed as his own (though undoubtedly and by general recognition it is his epistle expressing his feelings concerning the Corinthians), but as the epistle of the Roman church. The tone of the letters is the same everywhere. Ignatius has no right, like Paul or Peter or an apostle, to issue commands to the Asian churches.
THE EDUCATION OF ST. JOHN IN PATMOS
He stood on the sand by the seashore and saw the Beast come up out of the sea and come into the land of Asia; and he saw the battle that was fought and the victory. John could read hints in heaven about the wealth and history of his Churches. Unfortunately, the authors have moved away from reading the Authorized Version v.
John was apparently an act of the Emperor and ceased to be valid when his acts were declared invalid. There was also at that later time a misunderstanding about the character of the Flavian persecution.
THE FLAVIAN PERSECUTION IN THE PROVINCE OF ASIA AS DEPICTED IN THE APOCALYPSE
Conversely, the Province was the form under which the people of Asia formed part of the Empire. No scholar now doubts that the account given in these words of the Apocalypse represents fairly accurately the proceedings in the Flavian persecution. Philostratus, it is true, does not represent him as a supporter of the Imperial cult, and rather.
The monster, which stands for the Province, is described as coming up from the earth. Moreover, it is declared in the simplest language that the Apocalypse admits that the streak of the Emperors will continue for another season.
THE PROVINCE OF ASIA AND THE IMPERIAL RELIGION
In Pergamene times, the common cult was probably the worship of characteristic Pergamene deities (whose worship also spread to some Asian cities, as pointed out). F43 The only mention of the Commune in the New Testament outside of the Apocalypse is in <441931>. Again, Christianity in Asia was expressed in Greek, not in any of the native languages.
During the first century, the state religion was simply the worship of the emperor or of Rome and the emperor. For example, she is recognized in the will alongside the native god Zeus and the Pergamenian Asklepios.
THE CITIES OF ASIA AS MEETING-PLACES OF THE GREEK AND THE ASIATIC SPIRIT
Just looking at the list of cities shows how important these Asian foundations of the Greek kings were in the New Testament writings. Moreover, to the Jews, essentially an Oriental race, the strong oriental touch in the politics of the Seleucid kings was much more in keeping with the Greek colonists. The Christian letters must be constantly illustrated from the life of these cities, and must always be read in the light of a careful study of the society in them.
The prosperity, material and intellectual, of the cities was very great under the kings. But prosperity was restored by the triumph of the new Empire, which was welcomed with the greatest enthusiasm by the Greco-Asiatic cities.
THE JEWS IN THE ASIAN CITIES. 52
F57 But it was an outrage to the old mind and an almost unthinkable thing, that people could be fellow citizens without getting involved in the worship of the same city gods. The manner in which this result was achieved must be clearly understood, as it throws much light on the position of the Jews in the Greco-Asiatic cities. The position of the Jews in the Ionian cities is illustrated by an incident which occurred in 15 B.C.
Andronicus and some others are identified as members of the same city and "tribe" as Paul. It highlights all the experiences of the Jews of Asia Minor.
THE PAGAN CONVERTS IN THE EARLY CHURCH
Many of the pagan devotees carried in their processions small shrines with representations of their gods. One of the most characteristic and significant features of Ignatius' writings is the emphasis he places on silence as something peculiar. Marcellus of Ancyra, about the middle of the fourth century, was probably similarly influenced when he declared that God was with silence (ei+nai to
To him the "mysteries" of faith would have been very inadequately described by such a cold scientist. Ignatius probably derived his idea of the "mysteries" at least in part from the experiences of his pagan days.
THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF ASIA
F77 Troas, then, undoubtedly played a very important part in the development of the Asiatic Church; yet it is not mentioned among the seven. Of the seven cities implied in the Magnesian title, five can be counted with practical certainty, viz., the three rivals. Similarly, it is clear that the Church of Asia taken as a whole is in turn representative of the entire Catholic Church.
Province; and the Church of the Province stands in its turn for the whole Church of Christ. In the facts just stated, it seems to be implied that the principal churches of the Lycus valley already in a.d.
ORIGIN OF THE SEVEN REPRESENTATIVE CITIES
In these two circles—the general Anatolian circle of First Peter and the specific Asiatic circle of the Apocalypse—it is evident that it is. What applies to Laodicea must be applied to the remaining seven Churches. The whole arrangement would have to be adapted to the means of communication which existed in the province of Asia, the roads and.
Therefore, that part of Caria was little disturbed in the old ways, since most of the rest of Asia was heavily imbued with Christianity. The meaning of the seven letters becomes clear even in such a small but interesting matter as this.
PLAN AND ORDER OF TOPICS IN THE SEVEN LETTERS
Every one of the seven churches was a mission center; but Philadelphia alone is depicted as the missionary church. The opposition to the Nicolaitans is the main factor in determining the nature and form of the seven letters. The literary form loved above all others by the author of the seven letters is comparison and contrast.
The modern reader has almost everywhere to add one side of the comparison, only for the author. In the general estimation of the world, and in their own, they formed a group apart, while the others were second-rate.
EPHESUS: THE CITY OF CHANGE F97
Smyrna, the abandoned place of the Ionian Ephesus, was now behind the city (as Hipponax says). The Anatolian element has always been strong in the population of the Greek city; the Ephesians. The importance of this type of change arises from the character of the Great Goddess.
The coins of the city once again began to bear the old name of Ephesus. The Ephesian Artemis and the god or goddess of the city to which the other contracting party belonged.
THE LETTER TO THE CHURCH IN EPHESUS
The history of the Church in Ephesus was one of labor and achievement, perseverance and energy. But the cooling off of the initial enthusiasm in Ephesus was a shortcoming that lies in human nature. There is one characteristic that belongs to Ephesus, distinctive and unique among the cities of the Seven Churches: it is change.
In an issue which seemed to the writer more than any other to be the critical problem of the time, the Ephesians agreed with him and hated the works of the Nicolaitans. The Ephesians who overcomes is promised to eat from the tree of life which is in the garden of God.
SMYRNA: THE CITY OF LIFE
We now know that the Crown of Smyrna was the head and flower of the city's flower. Her image was one of the most common types on the coins of the city, and. It comes loaded with moisture, and it prevents free passage of the drainage from the city to the open gulf.
According to Strabo, the one defect in the situation of Smyrna was that the lowest parts of the city were difficult to drain. However, the difficulty of drainage was not only due to the low level.
