Holy Uncertainty

Below are questions for the Revelation Series & questions for Brad Carr’s talk ‘Holy Uncertainty.’

Session 4: Revelation 2:1-17

Cheat Sheet

Ephesus was a provincial capital, a busy trade centre, and a place of cultural and religious significance within the Roman Empire. It contained temples worshipping various Roman emperors and Greek gods. When Revelation was written, Ephesus had a population of around 250,000 people.

The Nicolaitans were a small group in the early church who taught the first Christians that their freedom in Christ allowed them to act however they pleased. One aspect of this that particularly concerned John was how the Nicolaitans encouraged Christians to continue attending pagan worship services and eating food that had been used in the temple rituals.

Smyrna was an important trade and cultural centre with a strong affiliation and love for Roman culture and empire. Smyrna also had a large Jewish population, many of whom hated the first Christians. As such, Smyrna was a difficult place for the early church to endure, and records from the second century indicate that some Christians in this city were killed for their faith.

A Victor’s Crown is the ancient version of a gold medal, awarded to a winning athlete.

Pergamum was another influential city in the Roman empire, containing a healing shrine, a library, multiple temples and altars to Greek and Roman gods, and many key government buildings and officials.

Antipas was one of the first Christians in Pergamum to be executed for his faith.

“The teaching of Balaam” is a reference to a story in Numbers 25 where a group of Israelite men were talked into sleeping with some local Moabite women. (One suspects they didn’t take much convincing.) Over time, these men eventually began worshipping Moabite gods and taking part in Moabite religious rituals alongside their new girlfriends. In Numbers 31, the false prophet Balaam is identified as the one who talked the men into this practice. Over time, this story has become a metaphor for any situation where faithful believers are persuaded to compromise and dilute their standards of behaviour.

“Hidden Manna” referred to a popular Jewish legend that described how the Exodus people hid a piece of manna (the bread of heaven that nourished them during their journey in the desert) inside the ark of the covenant. The legend then claimed that the prophet Jeremiah hid the ark before the Jerusalem temple was destroyed. As such, the idea of hidden manna became a metaphor for the hope that Jewish people held that one day the presence of God (in the ark) would return to Jerusalem and both temple and nation would be rebuilt.

A white stone was used for a range of things in the ancient world. Similar to the victor’s crown, white stones were given to winning athletes at ancient games. In legal trials, jurors could indicate a vote for innocence by throwing a white stone into an urn. White stones were also used as an ancient “ticket” that allowed the individual access to a private function.

ReadRevelation 2:1-17

Some interpreters of the book of Revelation argue that each of the churches identified in these first few chapters are highlighted to give specific lessons on how Jesus wants all churches to operate. While this can be stretched too far, there are some helpful insights that can come from us considering this approach:

• The Christians in Ephesus are challenged to return to their first love.
• The Christians in Smyrna are commended for their suffering.
• The Christians in Pergamum are encouraged to hold to correct doctrine.

How can these three things can be viewed in a universal sense, as something that all Christians should uphold?

Note that both Ephesus and Pergamum struggled with teachers who encouraged the first Christians to compromise their faith. (See the cheat sheet above for more details.)

Why do you think compromise was of such major concern for John?

How are modern Christians in New Zealand tempted to compromise their faith?

Part of the trouble in Ephesus and Pergamum was that the wider society in these cities provided many attractive opportunities for compromise, such as eating a delicious meal at a pagan temple or worshipping an idol alongside your business associates. The cost of not doing these things was both social and financial, as many business deals were made at local temples. This is seen clearly in the language John uses to encourage the Christians in Smyrna (2:9). There, the church had successfully resisted the temptation to compromise their faith, and it had caused some members to miss out on business and social opportunities.

This is an important point in living out the Christian faith in any society. We are called to forsake some opportunities, and there are often good, clear reasons for doing so. Yet we must not act as though there isn’t also a cost to us in refusing to take part in particular things. Consider the following list. In each case, see if, as a group, you can articulate both the reason why Christians should not fully participate in an activity, and the cost of refusing to participate:

• Casual Sex
• Materialism – Buying whatever you want, to benefit yourself
• Gambling
• Drinking to Excess
• Celebrity Culture – Idolising famous personalities

What other things would you add to this list? In each case, what would the “reason why not” and the “cost” be?

Close this week by identifying areas where you each are at risk of compromise. See if you can come up with any strategies that might help you resist the temptation to participate in things which dilute or compromise your walk with Jesus.

Optional Extra Resources:

• “Revelation 1-11 Overview” by The Bible Project. The first four minutes provide a good summary of the story so far. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nvVVcYD-0w
• “To The Overcomers” by Michael Card. Michael Card is a biblical scholar and songwriter who often puts his studies into song. Here he sings about the letters to the seven churches. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV2w66vdWsI

https://open.spotify.com/track/77XizulyWt6AwhRoRc0RG2?si=d265122ec62f4eb8&nd=1

HOLY UNCERTAINTY

Read James 4:13-17

What stand out to you from this passage?

Discuss

How do you handle uncertainty? Think back to a time in your life that’s characterised by uncertainty. What was it like for you? What did you learn?

What do you think James is saying about making plans?

How does your faith in God help you during times of uncertainty?

Brad shared quote from John Mark Comer:

“Holy uncertainty is the capacity to live with a really loose grip – or no grip at all – on our plans because our security is rooted in a relational connection with God, not in a false sense of control”

What do you think about this description of how to live with the plans we make?

Pray for each other as the Holy Spirit leads.