Philadelphia is a compound word of two Greek nouns meaning love of brother. So Philadelphia was named with an admirable goal in mind: The city of brotherly love. But the Christians there seem not to have been included in the category of the beloved.

The messages to the churches in Philadelphia and Smyrna are the only ones in which Jesus offers no rebuke or correction. The Philadelphia church is weak, meaning that their commitment to Christ has cost them economically and in other ways. They are not looked upon with admiration as was the church in Sardis. They do not have wealth as did the church in Laodicea. But like the suffering church in Smyrna, they are being subjected to persecution from Philadelphia’s Jewish community. Like every generation of Christians, the church in Philadelphia lives in an age of tribulation. This is the perennial ordeal of the church in a fallen and sinful world. And while the Lord does not evacuate his church from those earthly trials he has and will continue to sustain and keep his people till the very end of the age.

Until we reach that great day and are welcomed into the glory of the new creation we are called to patient endurance. In these present trials we walk courageously. We do not lose heart but continue to hold to Christ even when doing so is costly. We do not allow the present evil age to harden our hearts but we remain loving toward our brothers and sisters, serving them as Christ has served us. And no matter how weak we are in this present age we are assured that one day we will rule with Christ.