Revelation 3
New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel
Revelation chapter 3 is given here in full, verse by verse, in the English Majority Text Version (EMTV), with the Byzantine Majority Text set beneath each verse. The text follows the Byzantine textual tradition used in the Orthodox Church.
7 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from Victorinus of Pettau.
Revelation 3
1“And to the messenger of the church in Sardis write, “ ‘These things says He that has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: I know your works, that you have a name, that you live, but you are dead.Καὶ τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς ἐν Σάρδεσιν ἐκκλησίας γράψον· Τάδε λέγει ὁ ἔχων τὰ ἑπτὰ πνεύματα τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἑπτὰ ἀστέρας· Οἶδά σου τὰ ἔργα, ὅτι ὄνομα ἔχεις καὶ ζῇς, καὶ νεκρὸς εἶ.
2Be watchful, and strengthen that which remains, which you were about to cast out, for I have not found your works perfect before My God.γίνου γρηγορῶν καὶ στήρισον τὰ λοιπὰ ἃ ἔμελλες ἀποβάλλειν, οὐ γὰρ εὕρηκά σου τὰ ἔργα πεπληρωμένα ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ μου.
3Remember therefore how you have received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you like a thief, and by no means shall you know what hour I will come upon you.μνημόνευε οὖν πῶς εἴληφας καὶ ἤκουσας, καὶ τήρει καὶ μετανόησον. ἐὰν οὖν μὴ γρηγορήσῃς, ἥξω ἐπὶ σὲ ὡς κλέπτης, καὶ οὐ μὴ γνώσῃ ποίαν ὥραν ἥξω ἐπὶ σέ.
4You have a few names in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, because they are worthy.ἀλλ᾽ ὀλίγα ἔχεις ὀνόματα ἐν Σάρδεσιν ἃ οὐκ ἐμόλυναν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν, καὶ περιπατήσουσι μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ ἐν λευκοῖς, ὅτι ἄξιοί εἰσιν.
5He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and by no means shall I erase his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.ὁ νικῶν, οὗτος περιβαλεῖται ἐν ἱματίοις λευκοῖς, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐξαλείψω τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐκ τῆς βίβλου τῆς ζωῆς, καὶ ὁμολογήσω τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐνώπιον τοῦ πατρός μου καὶ ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ.
6“ ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ὁ ἔχων οὖς ἀκουσάτω τί τὸ Πνεῦμα λέγει ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις.
7“And to the messenger of the church in Philadelphia write, “ ‘These things says the Holy One, the True One, “He who has the key of David, He that opens and no man shuts, except He that opens, and no man shall open.”Καὶ τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς ἐν Φιλαδελφείᾳ ἐκκλησίας γράψον· Τάδε λέγει ὁ ἅγιος, ὁ ἀληθινός, ὁ ἔχων τὴν κλεῖν τοῦ Δαυίδ, ὁ ἀνοίγων καὶ οὐδεὶς κλείσει αὐτὴν εἰ μὴ ὁ ἀνοίγων, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀνοίξει·
8I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, and no man can shut it; because you have a little strength and have kept My word, and you have not denied My name.Οἶδά σου τὰ ἔργα—ἰδού, δέδωκα ἐνώπιόν σου θύραν ἀνεῳγμένην, ἣν οὐδεὶς δύναται κλεῖσαι αὐτήν—ὅτι μικρὰν ἔχεις δύναμιν, καὶ ἐτήρησάς μου τὸν λόγον καὶ οὐκ ἠρνήσω τὸ ὄνομά μου.
9Behold, I will give those of the synagogue of Satan, those who say they are Jews and are not, but they are lying—behold, I will make them to come and bow down at your feet, and they shall know that I have loved you.ἰδού, δίδωμι ἐκ τῆς συναγωγῆς τοῦ Σατανᾶ, τῶν λεγόντων ἑαυτοὺς Ἰουδαίους εἶναι καὶ οὐκ εἰσὶν ἀλλὰ ψεύδονται—ἰδού, ποιήσω αὐτοὺς ἵνα ἥξωσι καὶ προσκυνήσωσιν ἐνώπιον τῶν ποδῶν σου καὶ γνῶσιν ὅτι ἠγάπησά σε.
10Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those that dwell upon the earth.ὅτι ἐτήρησας τὸν λόγον τῆς ὑπομονῆς μου, κἀγώ σε τηρήσω ἐκ τῆς ὥρας τοῦ πειρασμοῦ τῆς μελλούσης ἔρχεσθαι ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκουμένης ὅλης πειράσαι τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.
11I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no man may take your crown.ἔρχομαι ταχύ· κράτει ὃ ἔχεις, ἵνα μηδεὶς λάβῃ τὸν στέφανόν σου.
12He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and by no means shall he go out any longer. And I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down from heaven from My God. And My new name.ὁ νικῶν, ποιήσω αὐτὸν στῦλον ἐν τῷ ναῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ μου, καὶ ἔξω οὐ μὴ ἐξέλθῃ ἔτι, καὶ γράψω ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Θεοῦ μου, καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τῆς πόλεως τοῦ Θεοῦ μου τῆς καινῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἣ καταβαίνει ἀπὸ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ μου, καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τὸ καινόν.
13“ ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ὁ ἔχων οὖς ἀκουσάτω τί τὸ Πνεῦμα λέγει ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις.
14“And to the messenger of the church in Laodicea write, “ ‘These things says the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the beginning of the creation of God:Καὶ τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς ἐν Λαοδικείᾳ ἐκκλησίας γράψον· Τάδε λέγει ὁ Ἀμήν, ὁ μάρτυς ὁ πιστὸς καὶ ἀληθινός, ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς κτίσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ·
15I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were cold or hot.Οἶδά σου τὰ ἔργα, ὅτι οὔτε ψυχρὸς εἶ οὔτε ζεστός· ὄφελον ψυχρὸς ἦς ἢ ζεστός.
16Therefore, since you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth.οὕτως ὅτι χλιαρὸς εἶ καὶ οὐ ζεστὸς οὔτε ψυχρός, μέλλω σε ἐμέσαι ἐκ τοῦ στόματός μου.
17Because you say, “I am wealthy, and have become rich, and have need of nothing”—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked,ὅτι λέγεις, Πλούσιός εἰμι καὶ πεπλούτηκα καὶ οὐδενὸς χρείαν ἔχω, καὶ οὐκ οἶδας ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ ταλαίπωρος καὶ ὁ ἐλεεινὸς καὶ πτωχὸς καὶ τυφλὸς καὶ γυμνός,
18I counsel you to buy from Me gold having been tried by fire, so that you may become rich; and white robes, so that you may be clothed, and the shame of your nakedness may not appear; and eye salve, so that you may anoint your eyes, in order that you may see.συμβουλεύω σοι ἀγοράσαι χρυσίον παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ πεπυρωμένον ἐκ πυρὸς ἵνα πλουτήσῃς, καὶ ἱμάτια λευκὰ ἵνα περιβάλῃ καὶ μὴ φανερωθῇ ἡ αἰσχύνη τῆς γυμνότητός σου, καὶ κολλύριον ἵνα ἐγχρίσῃ τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου ἵνα βλέπῃς.
19As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline. Be zealous therefore, and repent.ἐγὼ ὅσους ἐὰν φιλῶ, ἐλέγχω καὶ παιδεύω· ζήλευε οὖν καὶ μετανόησον.
20Behold, I stand at the door and I am knocking. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, then I will come in to him and I will dine with him, and he with Me.ἰδού, ἕστηκα ἐπὶ τὴν θύραν καὶ κρούω· ἐάν τις ἀκούσῃ τῆς φωνῆς μου καὶ ἀνοίξῃ τὴν θύραν, καὶ εἰσελεύσομαι πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ δειπνήσω μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ αὐτὸς μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ.
21He that overcomes, I will grant to him to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.ὁ νικῶν, δώσω αὐτῷ καθίσαι μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ ἐν τῷ θρόνῳ μου, ὡς κἀγὼ ἐνίκησα καὶ ἐκάθισα μετὰ τοῦ πατρός μου ἐν τῷ θρόνῳ αὐτοῦ.
22“ ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ”ὁ ἔχων οὖς ἀκουσάτω τί τὸ Πνεῦμα λέγει ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις.
The Fathers on Revelation 3
Victorinus of Pettau comments on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.
On Revelation 3:2Victorinus of PettauThe fifth class, company, or association of saints, sets forth men who are careless, and who are carrying on in the world other transactions than those which they ought—Christians only in name. And therefore He exhorts them that by any means they should be turned away from negligence, and be saved; and to this effect...
Read Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John →
On Revelation 3:8Victorinus of PettauThe sixth class is the mode of life of the best election. The habit of saints is set forth; of those, to wit, who are lowly in the world, and unskilled in the Scriptures, and who hold the faith immoveably, and are not at all broken down by any chance, or withdrawn from the faith by any fear. Therefore He says to...
Read Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John →
On Revelation 3:10Victorinus of Pettau10. “And I will keep thee from the hour of temptation.”] That they may know His glory to be of this kind, that they are not indeed permitted to be given over to temptation.
Read Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John →
On Revelation 3:12Victorinus of Pettau12. “He that overcometh shall be made a pillar in the temple of God.”] For even as a pillar is an ornament of the building, so he who perseveres shall obtain a nobility in the Church.
Read Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John →
On Revelation 3:15Victorinus of PettauMoreover, the seventh association of the Church declares that they are rich men placed in positions of dignity, but believing that they are rich, among whom indeed the Scriptures are discussed in their bedchamber, while the faithful are outside; and they are understood by none, although they boast themselves, and say...
Read Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John →
On Revelation 3:16Victorinus of Pettau16. “I will vomit thee out of My mouth.”] Although nausea is hateful, still it hurts no one; so also is it with men of this kind when they have been cast forth. But because there is time of repentance, He says:—
Read Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John →
On Revelation 3:18Open Revelation 3 in the interactive reader Switch translations, hear the chapter read aloud, tap any verse for its patristic commentary, and study the Greek word by word.Victorinus of Pettau18. “I persuade thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire.”] That is, that in whatever manner you can, you should suffer for the Lord’s name tribulations and passions. “And anoint thine eyes with eye-salve.”] That what you gladly know by the Scripture, you should strive also to do the work of the same. And because, if...
Read Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John →