The pillars of the Byzantine Church of Saint John in Philadelphia frame the view of a mosque in present-day Alaşehir … the church in Philadelphia is addressed in the sixth of seven letters in the Book of Revelation (Photograph: Simon Jenkins / Wikipedia)Patrick Comerford
The celebrations of Epiphany-tide continue today (12 January 2023). The week began with the First Sunday of Epiphany (7 January 2024). Christmas is a season that lasts for 40 days that continues from Christmas Day (25 December) to Candlemas or the Feast of the Presentation (2 February).
Today, the Calendar of the Church of England in Common Worship remembers Aelred of Hexham (1167), Abbot of Rievaulx, and Benedict Biscop (689), Abbot of Wearmouth, Scholar. Before today begins, I am taking some time for reading, reflection and prayer.
My reflections each morning during the seven days of this week include:
1, A reflection on one of the seven churches named in Revelation 2-3 as one of the recipients of letters from Saint John on Patmos;
2, the Gospel reading of the day;
3, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary.
The Churches of the Book of Revelation: 6, Philadelphia:
Philadelphia is one of the seven churches in Asia Minor to receive a letter from Saint John as he describes his revelation on Patmos: Ephesus (Revelation 2: 1-7), Smyrna (Revelation 2: 8-11), Pergamum (Revelation 2: 12-17), Thyatira (Revelation 2: 18-29), Sardis (Revelation 3: 1-6), Philadelphia (Revelation 3: 7-13) and Laodicea (Revelation 3: 14-22).
The sixth letter in these chapters is addressed to the Church in Philadelphia (Revelation 3: 7-13), which is known for its patient endurance and keeping God’s word (3: 10).
Several ancient cities bore the name of Philadelphia, but the city named as the sixth city church in the Book of Revelation is a small town in Lydia identified present-day Alaşehir. This Philadelphia (Φιλαδέλφεια) is also located in Manisa province. It lies in the valley of the Kuzuçay, at the foot of the Bozdağ or Mount Tmolus, about 105 km from Smyrna.
Philadelphia was established in 189 BCE by King Eumenes of Pergamon, who named it so because of his love for his brother, who succeeded him as Attalos II.
This region still produces some of the best grapes and wine in Turkey, and as a centre of vine-growing and wine-making, Philadelphia was a centre for the worship of Dionysius (Bacchus), the god of wine and merry-making. Under Roman rule, the city was in the administrative district of Sardis.
When the city suffered badly in an earthquake in 17 CE, the Emperor Tiberius relieved it from having to pay taxes. It was renamed Neo Caesarea and became a centre of the imperial cult. It remained an important centre in the early Christian and Byzantine times.
In the sixth century, prosperous Philadelphia was known as ‘little Athens’ because of its festivals and temples, which indicates the city was not entirely converted to Christianity. Ammia, the Montanist prophetess, was from Philadelphia.
The domed Basilica of Saint John was built around the year 600. Its remains are the principal archaeological attraction there today, and include three of the six original pillars, with some barely visible 11th century painting; a fourth pillar is half-buried in the soil.
In the 14th century, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople made Philadelphia the metropolis of Lydia, a status it still holds. Philadelphia was the last Byzantine stronghold in inner Asia Minor.
Philadelphia remained a strong centre of Orthodox Christianity until the early 20th century. During the Asia Minor ‘catastrophe’ and the war between Greece and Turkey in the aftermath of World War I, Philadelphia was attacked by Atatürk’s supporters was razed to the ground by fire. Atatürk’s biographer Patrick Kinross wrote, ‘Alaşehir was no more than a dark scorched cavity, defacing the hillside. Village after village had been reduced to an ash-heap.’ It is estimated that in the genocide that followed at least 3,000 people were killed, and 4,300 out of 4,500 buildings were destroyed in the burning of Philadelphia or Alaşehir.
In Athens and Thessaloniki, the suburbs of Nea Filadelfia (Νέα Φιλαδέλφεια, New Philadelphia) are named after Greek refugees from Philadelphia who settled in the cities after the war and the ‘population exchange’ between Greece and Turkey in 1923. Today it is known as Alaşehir.
The letter from Patmos to the Church in Philadelphia gives the impression that it was small in numbers, or poor, or both. But it had remained faithful, and had not denied Christ. In this letter, Philadelphia, like Smyrna, receives no warning or condemnation. The Church has lived through difficult circumstances and is urged to hold fast in the face of further difficulties.
Verse 7: The key of David is a symbol of authority and allows access to the king’s palace (see Isaiah 22: 15-22), but earlier in Revelation we have also encountered the keys of Hades and Death (1: 18) that give access to the eschatological kingdom.
Verse 8: An open door symbolises opportunity.
Verse 9: According to this letter, the Christians in Philadelphia were suffering persecution at the hands of the local Jews, who are called the ‘synagogue of Satan.’ Once again, this is a difficult passage to deal with, and refers to clashes at the time rather than anything in the future – it cannot be applied to Jewish communities today.
Verse 12: Those Christians in Philadelphia who are persistent in the faith and are victorious are to become the pillars of the temple of God. This means that the people themselves become the temple of God. The metaphor may refer to the pillars of Solomon’s Temple (see I Kings 7: 21 and II Chronicles 3: 17).
But the city’s history of earthquakes may lie behind the reference to making this church a pillar in the temple, for permanency was of vital importance to the city’s residents. These pillars are given new names – there is the name of God, the name of the city of God, Jerusalem, and the new name of the Lamb, Christ. Each of these promises point to a new and promised reality.
As with all seven churches, the church in Philadelphia is called on to hear the message: ‘Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches’ (Revelation 3: 13).
Mark 2: 1-12 (NRSVA):
1 When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. 3 Then some people came, bringing to him a paralysed man, carried by four of them. 4 And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’ 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 ‘Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ 8 At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, ‘Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven”, or to say, “Stand up and take your mat and walk”? 10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’ – he said to the paralytic – 11 ‘I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.’ 12 And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!’
Today’s Prayers (Friday 12 January 2024):
The theme this week in ‘Pray With the World Church,’ the Prayer Diary of the Anglican mission agency USPG (United Society Partners in the Gospel), is: ‘Whom Shall I Send’ – Episcopal Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East. This theme was introduced on Sunday by the Revd Davidson Solanki, USPG Regional Manager, Asia and the Middle East.
The USPG Prayer Diary today (12 January 2024) invites us to pray in these words:
O God of all justice and peace, we cry out to You amid the pain and trauma of violence and fear that prevails in the Holy Land. We pray for an end to violence and the establishment of peace in the region.
The Collect:
Almighty God,
who endowed Aelred the abbot
with the gift of Christian friendship
and the wisdom to lead others in the way of holiness:
grant to your people that same spirit of mutual affection,
so that, in loving one another,
we may know the love of Christ
and rejoice in the eternal possession
of your supreme goodness;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
The Post-Communion Prayer:
Merciful God,
who gave such grace to your servant Aelred
that he served you with singleness of heart
and loved you above all things:
help us, whose communion with you
has been renewed in this sacrament,
to forsake all that holds us back from following Christ
and to grow into his likeness from glory to glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Yesterday’s reflection (Sardis)
Continued tomorrow (Laodicea)
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition copyright © 1989, 1995, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org
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