To the Church in Ephesus (Acts 19:8–12; Ephesians 1:1–2)
1 UST Write{ this message} to the angel of the group of believers in the city of Ephesus:‘I am the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and who walks among the seven golden lamp holders. This is what I say to you: BSB BSB: “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 UST “I am aware of all that you have done.{ I am aware of how hard} you have worked{ for me}.{ I am aware of how} patiently you have endured{ difficult times}.{ I am also aware that} you do not accept wicked people. When people falsely claim to be genuine leaders, you prove that they are lying. BSB BSB: I know your deeds, your labor, and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate those who are evil, and you have tested and exposed as liars those who falsely claim to be apostles.
3 UST { I am aware of} how patiently you have endured.{ I am also aware that} you have suffered for my sake.{ I am also aware that} you have not abandoned your faith in me{ even though you have suffered}. BSB BSB: Without growing weary, you have persevered and endured many things for the sake of My name.
4 UST Nevertheless, I must criticize you about something: You no longer love me as you did when you first believed in me. BSB BSB: But I have this against you: You have abandoned your first love.
5 UST Therefore, remember how you used to love me. Love me again the way you did at first. Now if you do not love me again in that way, I will judge you and I will not allow you to continue being a group of believers. BSB BSB: Therefore, keep in mind how far you have fallen. Repent and perform the deeds you did at first. But if you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
6 UST However, I do praise you for something that you are doing well. You refuse to accept what the disciples of Nicolaus are doing.{ Those disciples eat food that people have sacrificed to idols and they commit sexual sins.} I myself completely reject what they are doing. BSB BSB: But you have this to your credit: You hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7 UST Everyone who is spiritually discerning should pay attention to what the Holy Spirit is saying to the groups of believers. I will permit anyone who is victorious to eat{ fruit} from the tree that gives life. That tree is in the garden of God.”’ BSB BSB: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to eat from the tree of life in the Paradise of God.
To the Church in Smyrna 8 UST Next, write{ this message} to the angel of the group of believers in the city of Smyrna:‘I am the one who began all things and who will cause all things to end. I am also the one who died and became alive again. This is what I say to you: BSB BSB: To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of the First and the Last, who died and returned to life.
9 UST “I am aware that people have persecuted you.{ I am aware that} you are poor, although you have everything you need spiritually.{ I am aware that} people are insulting you. Those people claim to be Jews, but they are not acting as if they truly belong to God. When they gather together, they help the devil{ instead of serving God}. BSB BSB: I know your affliction and your poverty—though you are rich! And I am aware of the slander of those who falsely claim to be Jews, but are in fact a synagogue of Satan.
10 UST Those people are going to make you suffer. Do not be afraid, but watch out! The devil will soon lead them to put some of you in jail. The devil wants to show that you will abandon your faith in me if you suffer. You will have to suffer for ten days. But remain loyal to me even if you have to die. If you do, I will give you{ everlasting} life as a reward. BSB BSB: Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will suffer tribulation for ten days. Be faithful even unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
11 UST Everyone who is spiritually discerning should pay attention to what the Holy Spirit is saying to the groups of believers. Whoever is victorious will never die a second time.”’ BSB BSB: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who overcomes will not be harmed by the second death.
To the Church in Pergamum 12 UST Next, write{ this message} to the angel of the group of believers in the city of Pergamum:‘I am the one who has a sword with two sharp edges. This is what I say to you: BSB BSB: To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of the One who holds the sharp, double-edged sword.
13 UST “I am aware of where you live.{ It is a place} where Satan controls people.{ I am also aware that} you are very loyal to me. You did not abandon your faith in me even when people attacked{ your fellow believer} Antipas. He told others about me, and he remained loyal to me. People killed him right in front of you, because Satan has such an influence in your city. BSB BSB: I know where you live, where the throne of Satan sits, yet you hold fast to My name. You did not deny your faith in Me, even in the days of My faithful witness Antipas, who was killed among you where Satan dwells.
14 UST Nevertheless, I must criticize you about a few things. Some people in your group firmly believe that they should do what{ the ancient prophet} Balaam taught. It was Balaam who showed Balak{, the king of Moab,} how to tempt the people of Israel to sin. Balak led the Israelites to eat meat that people had sacrificed to idols. Balak also led the Israelites to commit sexual sins. BSB BSB: But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.
15 UST Just as Balak followed Balaam’ s advice, some people in your group firmly believe that they may similarly do what the disciples of Nicolaus teach.{ They eat food that people have sacrificed to idols and they commit sexual sins.} BSB BSB: In the same way, some of you also hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
16 UST But what the disciples of Nicolaus teach is wrong. So everyone in your group must stop doing those things! Now if some of you do not stop, I will immediately judge those people. I will pronounce a sentence of judgment against them and punish them. BSB BSB: Therefore repent! Otherwise I will come to you shortly and wage war against them with the sword of My mouth.
17 UST Everyone who is spiritually discerning should pay attention to what the Holy Spirit is saying to the groups of believers. To the one who is victorious I will award some special bread that I have hidden for him. I will also give him a white pebble upon which I have written a new name for him. No one will know what this name is except the one to whom I give it.”’ BSB BSB: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will give the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone inscribed with a new name, known only to the one who receives it.
To the Church in Thyatira (Acts 16:11–15)
18 UST Next, write{ this message} to the angel of the group of believers in the city of Thyatira:‘I am the Son of God, whose eyes shine like a fiery flame and whose feet shine like bronze. This is what I say to you: BSB BSB: To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like a blazing fire and whose feet are like polished bronze.
19 UST “I am aware of all that you are doing.{ I am aware that} you love one another because you love me.{ I am aware that} you are very loyal to me.{ I am aware of how} you are serving me.{ I am aware that} you are enduring patiently.{ Finally, I am aware that} you are now doing more than you did when you first believed in me. BSB BSB: I know your deeds—your love, your faith, your service, your perseverance—and your latest deeds are greater than your first.
20 UST Nevertheless, I must criticize you about something. You tolerate a woman in your assembly{ who is like that wicked queen in the Old Testament whose name was} Jezebel. She claims{ falsely} that she teaches the truth from God. But in fact, by what she teaches, she is misleading people who believe in me. She is teaching them to commit sexual sins and to eat meat that other people have sacrificed to idols. BSB BSB: But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads My servants to be sexually immoral and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
21 UST Although I have allowed her{ sufficient} time to stop teaching these things, she refuses to stop. She continues to act immorally. BSB BSB: Even though I have given her time to repent of her immorality, she is unwilling.
22 UST Pay attention! I am going to punish her with a terrible sickness. I will also cause those who act immorally as she does to suffer greatly if they do not stop doing what she does BSB BSB: Behold, I will cast her onto a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer great tribulation unless they repent of her deeds.
23 UST And{ as a judgment against her,} I will kill the children{ she has had as a result of her sexual immorality}. Then all the groups of believers will recognize that I examine what everyone thinks and desires. I will punish or reward each one of you as you deserve. BSB BSB: Then I will strike her children dead, and all the churches will know that I am the One who searches minds and hearts, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
24 UST But the rest of you believers in the city of Thyatira have not obeyed this woman’ s teachings. You have not taken part in what she calls the secret practices that Satan taught her. I have something to say to you as well. I am going to ask you to do just one thing. BSB BSB: But I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned the so-called deep things of Satan: I will place no further burden upon you
25 UST Just continue to obey the true teaching that you have received until I return. BSB BSB: than to hold fast to what you have until I come.
26 UST To the one who is victorious, who continues to do what I command until he dies, I will give power to rule the people groups on earth. BSB BSB: And to the one who overcomes and continues in My work until the end, I will give authority over the nations.
27 UST Those to whom I give this authority will rule the people groups with irresistible power. They will destroy evildoers as completely as if they were smashing clay pots. BSB BSB: He will rule them with an iron scepter and shatter them like pottery—just as I have received authority from My Father.
28 UST { They will rule so powerfully because} I will share with them the authority that I myself have received from God my Father. I will also give them the assurance that God is beginning a wonderful new era. BSB BSB: And I will give him the morning star.
29 UST Everyone who is spiritually discerning should pay attention to what the Holy Spirit is saying to the groups of believers.”’ BSB BSB: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.