When you compromise the word of God, it is considered violence against the kingdom of heaven. Many churches around the world have adopted a philosophy that conceals their manipulation of God’s word. This is a truly violent and forceful act against God’s kingdom.
This case study is part of the bible study: The 3 Kinds of Violence In The Kingdom of Heaven
In the book of Revelations, Jesus speaks to various churches about their compromise. In this study, we will examine what Jesus said to the churches.
It is important to understand that the different churches in Revelations do not refer to different denominations. They refer to different kinds of people and how they react, twist or keep with integrity, the teachings of Jesus. A denomination, regardless of which one, is the enemy to maintaining the integrity of Jesus’ teachings without compromise.
It’s the denominational exceptions that pull us away from Jesus’ teachings. Or the denominational shunning (persecution, isolation, rejection and reviling) that causes us to remain quiet and be afraid to speak up when we hear something that differs from the words of Jesus.
Examining Compromise in The Book Of Revelations
In Revelations, we can see the different reactions that people have to false doctrine and compromise. Some people compromised their understanding of the teachings of Jesus with the teachings of others (like Jezebel, Balaam and the Nicolotians – today it would be denominational teachings). However, some remain true and reject false teachings after diligently scrutinizing them and comparing these teachings with Jesus’ interpretation.
Revelation 2:1-7 – To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
As followers of Christ, we must also test those who claim to be apostles. In today’s world, very few people actually claim to be apostles. You may think that since you have never met a person claiming to be an apostle, this doesn’t apply to you and you are not obligated to fulfill this scripture. However, this is untrue.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 – For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
Acts 20:28-30 – Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.
Galatians 1:7-8 – not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.
Philippians 1:15 – It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives.
2 Peter 2:1 – But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.
Today’s false apostles and prophets are in the form of the men who came up with the different denominations and doctrines that we have. Denominations such as Pentecostal, Baptist, Presbyterian, Anglican, United, Catholic, Lutheran, Jehovah’s Witness, Mormon, etc. have all been created by false apostles. These are the false apostles that Jesus is speaking of in the book of Revelations. The true apostles, Peter and Paul also warned us of those who will come and cause divisions among the believers once they are gone. As the bible prophesied, this is exactly what has taken place.
Through the false doctrines of these leaders, all of Christ’s believers have been split up into factions that believe different things. However, in some way or another, all the different denominations are incorrect.
As followers of Christ, we must be like the church in Ephesus and scrutinize the doctrinal teachings of our denominations. By closely examining how the church is interpreting Jesus’ teachings, reading the bible with an open mind and a repentant heart, we can determine exactly how and where our denomination has fallen away from the teachings of Jesus.
There Is No Covering For Following A Denominational Doctrine
It is important to remember that there are only 4 types of covering (which I will address more in depth further in this case study): a parental covering for children, a husband’s covering for his wife, a master’s covering for his slaves, and Jesus’ covering for all the rest; which is a form of a master’s covering for his slaves.
Having to obey two different individuals would only cause conflict and confusion and God does not want either. For this reason, whenever God instructs some of us to obey another individual, he allows that person to have a covering. For example, God would not instruct a child to obey his/her parents and Him at the same time. Nor would he instruct a wife to obey her husband and Jesus at the same time. A wife obeys God through obeying her husband in the same way as children obey God through obeying their parents.
Most importantly, there is no such thing as a denominational covering. The false apostles who started their denominations must be scrutinized and examined on a daily basis regarding every facet of their teachings.
Being part of a certain denomination your entire life does not make it the truth. Even if you haven chosen a denomination later in life, that does not mean that you must stay in this denomination because you have become complacent or comfortable with it. Every denomination is incorrect in some way or another. It is our duty as followers of Christ to discern what teachings from our church differ and fall away from Jesus’ teachings. If you agree completely with all of your denomination’s teachings, that is a sign of complacency.
The doctrine a person follows about Jesus, should have nothing to do with church programs, the building, the pastor or even the people attending. These things should not influence what you believe to be the truth about God. The doctrine you follow must have everything to do with what exactly is being preached. We must ask ourselves questions such as, is this what Jesus preached? Is this teaching in alignment with how Jesus lived his life?
What Is A Covering?
Ultimately, only the doctrine of Jesus can cover you from the judgment and punishment of God and not a denominational interpretation. We are only covered by Jesus’ interpretation, as God himself says in
Luke 9:35 – A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”
You are only covered by Jesus’ interpretation, unless you fall into one of the following categories:
A young child:
Luke 2:51 – And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He was subject to them. And His mother was treasuring up all these matters in her heart.
Other translations:
Luke 2:51 (ESV) – And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
Luke 2:51 (NLT) – Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart.
Ephesisans 6:1 – Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do.
A Wife:
Ephesians 5:22 – Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.
A slave:
Ephesians 6:5 – Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.
Collosians 3:22 – Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.
1 Timothy 6:1 – All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered.
Titus 2:9 – Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, 10 and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.
1 Peter 2:18 – Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.
These are the 3 types of coverings available to those who are commanded to obey someone other than Jesus, but there is no denominational covering. This is because Jesus did not command us to follow our denomination. Once we can clearly understand this concept, we will realize how important it is to make sure we are scrutinizing the teachings of our church and denomination.
Identifying Compromise In Our Doctrines
Revelation 2 continued
4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
In these verses, we see that the church of Ephesus is both praised and rebuked. They did not tolerate false teachings easily, which means they lived by a philosophy of verifying everything they heard. They tested those who claimed to be apostles by checking with the word of God.
However, despite all they had done, this church had still adopted some sort of compromise. Jesus does not reveal in which way they compromised. He tells this church to consider for themselves, how they had compromised God’s word. They are to examine themselves to see where their compromise lay.
We also must closely examine ourselves and the doctrine we follow to determine its accuracy when compared with Jesus’ teachings and separate it from our denominational teachings.
2 Corinthians 13:5 – Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith.
Lamentations 3:40 – Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.
1 Corinthians 11:28 – Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.
Rejecting Compromise And Staying True To Jesus’ Teachings Requires Dedication
Revelation 2 continued
Revelation 2:8-11 – “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
This church did what was right and did not compromise the word of God. But as we can see, this takes a great amount of effort and endurance. There is much persecution involved but the one who endures to the end without compromise will receive eternal life. We must be like this church and put forth the necessary effort and endurance to not compromise the word of God through denominational teachings. The point is not to be loyal to our denomination but to seek the truth about God.
Compromise In One Area Of Your Faith Can Quickly Spread To Others
Revelation 2:12-17 – To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. 13 I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.
14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. 15 Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
17 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.
This church did not compromise in many ways even when threatened with death, which is to their credit. But in other ways, they have failed. They compromised Jesus’ teachings by following the teachings of Balaam (allowing greed in their understanding of God’s word). Their compromise has infected other areas also, leading to sexual immorality and eating food sacrificed to idols. This church also compromised God’s word by adding in the teachings of the Nicolaitans.
Jesus tells this church very clearly to either repent or through their compromise, they would become enemies of God. We too, must weed out ungodly teachings from our understanding of God’s word.
Revelation 2:18-29 – To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: these are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.
20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
This church has persevered with endurance to not compromise many teachings. Nevertheless, they failed in other teachings by following the teachings of Jezebel. Jesus is asking the people to repent from their compromise of Jezebel’s teachings or else they will be punished.
Jesus Encourages Us To Remain Diligent
24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you, 25 except to hold on to what you have until I come.’
26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— 27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give that one the morning star. 29 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
God searches our hearts and minds for compromise (which is sin). So we must diligently and accurately uncover compromise within our understanding of Jesus’ teachings. It is not enough to rely on our denominational teachers and apostles to do this work for us. It is our individual responsibility to work out our own salvation.
Revelation 3
Revelation 3:1-6 – To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.
Do Not Be Mislead
Each church in Revelations is graded on whether they compromised their understanding of Jesus’ teachings with another’s or not. Since our salvation depends on it, we must make sure that our understanding of Jesus’ teachings are not compromised. Denominational (mis)interpretations must not mislead us. Our loyalty must be directed towards Jesus and not the denominational interpretation of Jesus’ teachings. No church is perfect and so, we must remain diligent in our pursuit of Jesus’ teachings which must remain unadulterated by denominational perceptions.
5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. 6 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Jesus is warning this church to return to how they were in the beginning when they received the word of God without compromise and hold fast to it. They should not change what they hear over time by adding exceptions, which is easy to do.
Revelation 3 continued…
Revelation 3:7-13 – To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.
9 I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. 10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.
11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. 13 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Through much suffering and endurance, this church did not compromise any of Jesus’ teachings. None of them denied his name. They kept his commandments and so, they will enter the Kingdom of God. Not compromising the word of God is no easy task. As Jesus mentions, this type of devotion takes patience, endurance and integrity.
Like the church of Philadelphia, we must not allow anyone to infect us with false teachings. We must hold fast to the teachings of Jesus in a diligent and accurate manner.
Revelation 3 continued…
Revelation 3:14-22 – To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
Making Ourselves Rich By Becoming Poor
The church of Laodicea is being warned to change their way of thinking. They think they are rich due to the amount of money and possessions they have acquired. But as per the standard of the kingdom of God, they are poor. God is advising them to ask for help with their lack of faith by buying gold (which symbolizes faith).
Mark 9:24 – Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
1 Peter 1:7 – These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
Job 23:10 – But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.
By receiving faith, this church will be truly rich with everlasting riches. Through this faith, they will be able to understand the word of God (they will be able to see) and will no longer be unrighteous (naked).
Accepting God’s Rebuke And Discipline
Revelation 3 continued…
19 Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
21 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches
This church had compromised in so many ways. If they did not repent soon, they would perish. Like Jesus, we must overcome the world. This means we must not allow any of the world’s philosophies to compromise and mix in with our understanding of the word of God through Jesus’ interpretation of it. This is what it means to overcome the world: do not add exceptions to the word of God.
John 16:33 – I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Two Churches Out Of Seven Met Jesus’ Standards
Only two churches out of seven had no compromise in their understanding of Jesus’ teachings. This was achieved through great effort, suffering, endurance. In both cases, the churches also experienced persecution, isolation and reviling. If we remain loyal to Jesus’ teachings and point out the errors in our denomination’s doctrines, this type of behavior will come from our denomination and its congregants.
There is no other way to enter the kingdom of God. We must spend our lives uncovering the truth about the word of God, through Jesus’ teachings and not let denominational prejudices get in the way. Our very soul depends on this.
We must seriously examine ourselves and our denominational beliefs and compare them to the actual teachings of the bible (independent of our denomination). Our goal must be to determine whether we are actually following the pure, uncompromised teachings of Jesus or just ‘following the party line’.
It is important to remember that our denominational teachings are not a covering that God will accept. Only the covering of Jesus will be accepted by God. Only Jesus’ teachings will suffice (except for a wife who has the covering of her husband’s interpretation and children up to a certain age who are under their parents’ covering).
A covering for a wife and children means that as long as a wife obeys the teachings of her husband and a child obeys his/her parents, even if the husband or parents are incorrect, they are saved from God’s judgment (covered). The only way a child or a wife would be seen as wrong in the eyes of God, would be due to disobedience to their parents or husband respectively. This is an important biblical fact to understand.
So then, we cannot blindly follow denominational teachings thinking that God will accept this as a covering. The seven churches in the book of Revelations were told to change or else face the consequences. This same ultimatum is given to us. It is critical to study the word of God for ourselves and make sure that we are following it without compromise.
This means we must test what our denominations are teaching us in comparison with Jesus’ words and actions (the way he lived his life). Our loyalty must lie with Jesus and not our denominations.
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