Mission 66 Bible Commentary

Revelation 4 and 5 invite us to take a peek beyond our human

limitations, revealing the eternal glory of Jesus Christ. We see him

on his majestic throne, ruling heaven and Earth. The chapters delve

into the vision of the Apostle John, who is shown a door standing

open in heaven, a throne and various heavenly beings. The main

theme revolves around the power and majesty of Jesus Christ, the

Lamb who was slain, who is worthy of all praise and worship, and

who will take back rightful ownership of the Earth.

Today’s Mission 66 study with our teacher, John Mathews, delves

into the messages for the last three of the seven churches in

Revelation Chapter 3: Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. The

overarching theme is “lukewarm,” as Jesus Christ critiques each

church’s actions and spiritual state. The church in Sardis appears

alive but is spiritually dead and needs to wake up. Philadelphia,

though weak, has kept Jesus’ word and is promised protection from

future trials. Laodicea is criticized for being lukewarm — neither

hot nor cold — and is warned about complacency. Jesus stands at

the door and knocks, seeking entrance into the hearts of believers

to restore fellowship and urging them to be zealous and repent.

These messages call for self-examination, urging believers to love

Jesus as their first love, remain vigilant, awake, faithful and never

lukewarm.

Today on Mission 66, our teacher John Mathews takes us through

Revelation 2, where we learn the importance of maintaining our

“first love” for Jesus. The chapter contains letters to four different

churches in Asia Minor, each with its own set of challenges and

commendations. Jesus praises the church in Ephesus for their

hard work and perseverance but points out they have abandoned

their initial passionate love for him. Smyrna is commended for

its faithfulness amid poverty and persecution, while Pergamum

is called out for tolerating false teachings. Thyatira is recognized

for its works and love but reprimanded for tolerating a false

prophetess. The key takeaway is that our actions and endurance

must be fueled by a deep, abiding love for Jesus, who is our primary

reason for living faithfully. These letters remind us to self-reflect

and realign our hearts to Jesus, ensuring we’re serving him out of

love rather than obligation or habit.

Revelation 1 serves as an introduction to the book, revealing

that God showed John, while he was on the island of Patmos, the

coming return of the Lord Jesus Christ. This was a message of hope

to believers who were being persecuted by the Roman Empire.

Even though the theme is “the beginning of the end,” for true

believers in Christ it signifies the end of suffering and the beginning

of eternal happiness. The return of Christ will be so glorious that it

will completely outweigh all our present trials and sufferings.

Today’s theme in the study of Jude 1 is “Contend for the Faith.”

Jude, a leader in the early Christian church and brother of James,

wrote this letter as a warning against false teachers. These teachers

were distorting the truth and leading believers astray. Jude called

for steadfastness in faith and warned against falling into heresy. He

stressed the importance of staying true to the teachings of Jesus

Christ and to resist the temptations of false prophets.

In this chapter, our teacher, John Mathews, explores the third

letter written by the apostle John. The key theme is “Characters in

Contrast,” where John commends the good character of two men,

Gaius and Demetrius, and criticizes the behaviour of Diotrephes.

The importance of walking in truth, showing hospitality, and

respecting authority are emphasized, providing valuable lessons

for us today.

Today’s Mission 66 study brings us to Second John, where our

teacher, John Mathews, delves into the importance of adhering to

the essentials of the Christian faith and the need for discernment

when faced with false teachings. The early church faced challenges

from false prophets trying to introduce harmful ideas, which

required a firm and united stand from church leaders. John

emphasizes love and truth, warning against those who deny Jesus

Christ’s coming in the flesh—a dangerous heresy. It’s stressed

that we must stay true to the core teachings of Christ and not

be led astray by those who offer a different message, even in our

personal interactions and hospitality. Christians are encouraged to

be vigilant, to uphold the truth, and to demonstrate love through

obedience to God’s commandments.

In 1 John 4-5, our teacher John Mathews highlights the importance

of distinguishing between truth and falsehood, light and darkness.

He presents us with tests to determine what comes from God

and what belongs to the devil. A key test is to confess that Jesus

Christ came in the flesh, an affirmation against the false ideas of

the time. John emphasizes God’s nature as love and the necessity

of loving one another as a reflection of our relationship with God.

He assures us that fear has no place in perfect love and that true

believers have the Holy Spirit as a guide. Obedience to God’s

commands, which are not burdensome, is a sign of overcoming the

world through faith. Moreover, believers have eternal life in Jesus,

and we are encouraged to keep ourselves from idols and to love

one another deeply.

In 1 John Chapter 3, the main themes are love and the difference

between God’s children and those led astray by sin. John emphasizes

that true believers don’t make a habit of sinning, because God’s

seed is in them. Instead, they practice righteousness and love.

This love is not just in words but in actions, like helping those in

need. John also tackles a false belief that it’s OK to sin because

Jesus paid for all sins. He clarifies that although everyone makes

mistakes, living in constant sin without remorse shows a lack of

true connection with Jesus. This chapter teaches us to understand

love by looking at Jesus’ example: He laid down His life for us,

and we should do the same for others. It’s not about evolving into

something divine on our own but about reflecting God’s love and

purity in our lives.

1 John Chapter 2, as explained by our teacher John Mathews,

centres on the theme “The True and the False.” John advises

believers on identifying and differentiating between true followers

of Christ and those who are deceptive. He emphasizes the

importance of obedience, love and walking in the way of Jesus as

marks of genuine faith. John also warns against the love of the

world and the dangers of antichrists who lead others away from

the truth.