Chapter
Verse

Revelation 2:19

ESV "‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.
NIV I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.
NASB ‘I know your deeds, and your love and faith, and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first.
CSB I know your works—your love, faithfulness, service, and endurance. I know that your last works are greater than the first.
NLT 'I know all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things.
KJV I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.
NKJV “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first.

What does Revelation 2:19 mean?

In this verse Jesus commends the believers at Thyatira for good works, love, faith, service, and patient endurance. The believers produced good works that were evidence of their salvation by grace (Ephesians 2:8–10). Also, they evidenced love, the quality said to be lacking in the church at Ephesus (Revelation 2:4). While many residents of Thyatira worshiped the sun god, the faith of believers at Thyatira was in the Son of God.

Furthermore, they engaged in service. The word "service" comes from the same Greek word translated into the term deacon. It suggests relief work. Apparently the church reached out compassionately with assistance to the poor. In Thyatira, if a person did not belong to a trade union, he found it difficult to provide for his family. Fortunately, the church was there to help the needy.

The church also exhibited patience in the face of difficult circumstances. Persecution must have been strong in idolatrous Thyatira, where trade unions held banquets at which their members ate food dedicated to idols. Refusal to participate would undoubtedly mark Christians for persecution, not to mention hindering their businesses. Nevertheless, the church was progressing spiritually at an unprecedented rate.
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