The Apocalypse of St. John by Rev. E. Sylvester Berry [1921]

[Stone]

TO THE CHURCH OF PHILADELPHIA

CHAPTER III

7. And to the angel of the church of Philadelphia write: These things saith the Holy One and the true one, he that hath the key of David; he that openeth and no man shutteth; shutteth and no man openeth.

8. 1 know thy works. Behold, I have given before thee a door opened which no man can shut: because thou hast little strength and hast kept my word and hast not denied my name.

9. Behold I will bring of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie. Behold. I will make them come and adore before thy feet. And they shall know that I have loved thee.

10. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I will also keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon the whole world to try them that dwell upon earth.

11. Behold I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

12. He that shall overcome, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God: and he shall go out no more: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and my new name.

13. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith to the churches.



7. By following the valley of the Cogamus south eastward from Sardis for about thirty miles St. John's messenger would come to Philadelphia. The city was founded by Philadelphus, king of Pergamon, but became a Roman possession in 133 B. C. It was practically destroyed by an earthquake in 17 A. D. On account of the assistance then given by Tiberius the name was changed to Neocaesarea. The modern city, known as Ala-Shehr, is a station on the Smyrna-Dinair railway and has a population of about 20,000.

According to the Constitutions of the Apostles, Demetrius was the first bishop of Philadelphia.1 He must have been appointed by St. John and is probably the "angel 7 here addressed. The apologist Miltiades mentions a prophetess Ammia who must have belonged to the primitive church of Philadelphia.2

As true God, Christ calls Himself the True and Holy One. He holds the key of David since He possesses the eternal kingdom promised to David:3 "The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob forever. And of his kingdom there shall be no end." 4 In this kingdom our Lord reigns supreme. There is none to challenge His authority; He opens and no man closes; He closes and no man opens.


8-10. The bishop of Philadelphia has but few of those natural qualifications which human wisdom deems necessary for the high office entrusted to him. Yet he has been faithful to his trust: he has kept Christ's commandment of patient perseverance. Christ now promises him protection in time of persecution and temptation. He shall even have the grace to make converts from among the obstinate Jews, from that "synagogue of Satan."

Not to the great and learned, but to the humble and faithful does God promise His graces. The weak things of this world hath God chosen that He may confound the strong." In choosing the weak to overcome the strong our Lord plainly teaches that He is supreme pastor in His Church. He needs not human power nor human wisdom. For this reason did He choose twelve poor ignorant men as Apostles to carry the Gospel to all nations.

Through this faithful bishop our Lord promises special grace and protection to all faithful pastors at the time of Antichrist "that hour of temptation which shall come upon the whole world to try them that dwell upon earth." This is the first intimation that apostacy from the Faith will not be general in the days of Antichrist. There will always be souls faithful to Christ with faithful shepherds to guide them.

11. Grace is always promised on condition of perseverance: "Guard well what thou hast, lest another receive the crown destined for thee."

12. All faithful bishops are apostles and pillars of the Church here on earth.8 They shall also be blessed and honored citizens of the Church
triumphant, the new Jerusalem.


(1) Constitutions of the Apostles vii, 45.
(2) Eusebius, "Church History Y xvii.
(3) II Kings vii, 16.
(4) St. Luke i, 32, 33.
(5) I Corinthians i, 27.
(6) Cf. Galatians ii, 9.