Sardis

Sardis was located 30 miles southwest of Thyatira.  It stood near the River Hermus, and just to the north was the ridge of Mt Tmolus.  Behind the ridge was a series of rolling hills, this is where the original Sardis stood.  Tall and almost impregnable on the highest plateau, which left little room for growth.  Therefore, there was smaller growth around the foot of the plateau where a great citadel stood.  It was the lower town which had the River Pactolus that much of the wealth of Sardis was generated.

 In the 6th century it was ruled  by Croesus, he was named "the Midas" and is known for his vast amounts of golden treasures.  Croesus grew "cocky" and took on Cyrus of Persia and lost.   This ended the the greatness of Sardis.  This ending was not without warning from a man called Solon, a wise Greek who visited the city.   Croesus showed him all of the wealth and splendor Sardis had.  Solon warned Croesus that the city grew soft and was starting to degenerate.  Croesus, sadly, did not listen.  Prior to taking on Cyrus, Croesus was given a second warning by a famous oracle at Delphi with the message that, "If you cross the River Halys, you will destroy a great empire."  Croesus took this as a promise and not prophecy for the ending of his city and own rule.

Sardis means "a remnant" or, "those who have escaped.   Sardis was one of the great State-churches  that managed to escape Rome only to fall into degeneration and loss.  The church meet in the ornate, beautiful citadel and was a "Formalistic Church" getting into the formal or ritualistic type of worship.    It had the form of Godliness but no power.   Like the city surrounding it, it too was in decay.

That is about the best that could be said about Sardis.  The Persians had taken control in 546 B.C.,  after that, the Greeks had it in 334 B.C.  Natural distaster by way of an earthquake hit in  17 A.D. and the city was rebuilt by Tiberius after the quake and was now ruled by Rome.  

When John wrote the letter, Sardis was wealthy but well into degenerating.  There was life but, sadly, no spirit.  This is the issue with this Church.  Sound familiar?  Do you know of a church that has life but no spirit?   Christ's warning is plain: Rev. 3:3 "Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you."

We will start with Rev. 3:1 on the next Blog.  Until then,

Blessing to all,


Calabash