Revelation 2:19 - Exposition

I know thy works … and thy works . This glaring tautology is a mistranslation. The Revised Version is correct both in the order of the words and in the rendering. We have first the general statement, found in most of these epistles, asserting intimate personal knowledge: "I know thy works." Then we have, in two pairs, these works particularized, "thy love and faith," and "thy ministry and patience." Finally, we have the knowledge "that thy last works are more than the first." "Thy," in the central clause, belongs to all four substantives. Whatever may be thought of 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 ., ἀγάπη in St. John's writings must certainly be translated" love," and not "charity." Love and faith produce as their natural fruit ministry to the sick and needy and patience in enduring tribulation. διακονία , excepting here and Hebrews 1:14 , occurs only in the writings of St. Luke and of St. Paul; it is specially frequent in the Acts ( Acts 1:17 , Acts 1:25 ; Acts 6:1 , Acts 6:4 ; Acts 11:29 , etc.) and in 2 Corinthians ( 2 Corinthians 3:7 , 2 Corinthians 3:8 , 2 Corinthians 3:9 ; 2 Corinthians 4:1 ; 2 Corinthians 5:18 , etc.). That thy last works are more than the first. With the momentous change of πλείονα for χείρονα , this looks like a reminiscence of Matthew 12:45 . πλείονα probably means more in value rather than more in number; compare πλείονα σημεῖα τούτων , ( John 7:31 ); πλείονα καρπόν ( John 15:2 ); πλείονα θυσίαν ( Hebrews 11:4 ). But both excellence and number may be included. In any case, the Church at Thya-tira exhibits growth in good works, which is the surest sign of life. Like Ephesus, Thyatira is both praised and blamed; but whereas Ephesus has gone back ( Matthew 12:5 ), Thyatira is going forwards. The two Churches are in some respects the exact opposite one of the other. In Ephesus there is much zeal for orthodoxy, but little love; in Thyatira there is much love, but a carelessness about false doctrine.