This study was first taught on March 17, 2019

Topic: The Assessment of the Churches (13): The Church in Thyatira (Jezebel in the Church of God!)

(use the audio to study)

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Background
If in a church, all the people are not holding on to sound doctrine, but some are holding on to other doctrines, we have syncretism in that church, just like in the church in Pergamos. To overcome syncretism, we must not only look at the challenges of teaching sound doctrine, but also, the challenges of holding on to sound doctrine with a view to overcoming them and being free of syncretism. Having spent some time looking at the challenges of teaching sound doctrine, last week we turned our attention to the challenges of holding on to sound doctrine—that is, the things that make holding steadfastly to sound doctrine a challenge or the things that contend against our holding on to sound doctrine—which is the other root of false doctrine that must be uprooted if we are to overcome syncretism in the church of God. We noted that these challenges are carnality (spiritual immaturity or being in the flesh), lack of understanding of spiritual things, unwillingness to endure sound doctrine, having itching ears, unwillingness to do the word of God, love for the world (worldliness), and a preference for ‘leaves’ over ‘fruit’.

We saw that the carnal man and the man who lacks understanding of spiritual things, very easily accommodate false doctrines, and therefore, are susceptible to syncretic practices. For such people to be able to overcome syncretism, they need to be taught the word of God and must be willing to learn and put to practice what they have been taught of the word of God. For those who are unwilling to endure sound doctrine, who also have itching ears, they usually want to hear what they want to hear. These individuals are also unwilling to do the word of God and have love for the world—they are worldly. They will gladly practice any other thing, except the word of God. These individuals go in search of false doctrines and are usually harbingers of syncretism. For this group of people, divine intervention through intercession is required, to save and deliver them from the condemnation and judgment of syncretism! Those with a preference for ‘leaves’—miracles, signs, wonders, displays, etc.—over ‘fruit’—the fruit of the Spirit—are easily misled by what they can see, feel, and touch. They are usually excited by, and eagerly seek miracles and short-cuts; they do not manifest the fruit of long-suffering or self-control, among others. They are easily accommodating of false teachers and their false doctrines, because they are not seeking ‘fruit’ in these false ministers. If these individuals are to overcome syncretism, they must scrutinize ministers, their doctrine, and lifestyle, to ensure that they are in line with God’s word. Such individuals also need to be taught proper Christian foundational doctrine. Indeed, they must seek substance rather than shadows, and must be deep in the things of God, rather than being shallow and superficial!

Eliminating syncretism from the church of God will require that the hearer is focused on Christ and His doctrine and doing them! And whilst this may not be the case for all those who claim to be a part of the church, it becomes incumbent on each individual member of the church of God, to realize that it is his/her responsibility to overcome syncretism, and therefore essential that he/she spend time knowing God and His word!

Scripture Text(s)
Revelation 2:18-29
The church in Thyatira had works that the Lord commended. Indeed, they had love (surpassing Ephesus) and were actively serving the Lord, in addition to having faith and perseverance. One major commendation was that their good works were in ever increasing dimension—the last was better than the first!

Unfortunately, these good works paled in comparison to the problem they had in the church. Like the church in Pergamos, the church in Thyatira had a problem with doctrine. It is important to note that the doctrine you follow will manifest in your lifestyle. And so, it is that in the church in Thyatira, they had those who followed the doctrine of Christ, and, sadly, those who followed the doctrine of Balaam (sexual immorality and idolatry). What makes the church in Thyatira distinct from the church in Pergamos, is the teacher who introduced this doctrine into the church in Thyatira. The teacher was a woman, who is described as Jezebel (“… that woman, Jezebel …”), and who had the permission of the church leader to teach. We shall be looking at these matters, and we pray that the Holy Spirit will help us to imbibe the message He has for us, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
The name ‘Jezebel’ should ring loud warning bells in the ears of any serious Christian. And when you hear that she is in the church, you should be more than concerned, knowing the personality of Jezebel. But who was/is Jezebel?
1 Kings 16:31-33; 21:25; 18:4, 13; 19:1-2; 18:19; 21:1ff; 2 Kings 9:30; 2 Chronicles 18:1; 2 Kings 8:18; 2 Chronicles 21:1-6; 2 Kings 11:1-2; 2 Chronicles 22:10-12; 2 Corinthians 6:14-16; 1 Corinthians 15:33; Zechariah 5:5-11; 1 Timothy 4:1; Proverbs 22:14; Ecclesiastes 7:26; 1 Timothy 2:8-14; Titus 2:1-5; 1 Peter 3:1-5.

Conclusion
The problem in the church in Thyatira began when the ‘angel of the church’ permitted a woman, whom the Lord referred to as Jezebel, to teach. The name “Jezebel” ordinarily means “chaste” but when looked at in the light of the person called Jezebel in the Old Testament, we see a contradiction in that name! The Jezebel in the bible was an ungodly, irreverent, and wicked woman, who persecuted and killed the prophets of God, but sustained and promoted false prophets, along with their idolatrous practices. She was a princess in her own rights and became a queen when she married Ahab. Ahab was an evil man by himself, but when he married Jezebel, he became worse, and served Baal! Jezebel is master manipulator and a seductress par excellence, who worked her daughter into the royal family of Judah!

The Jezebel in the church in Thyatira was a woman who pretended to be a prophetess (she called herself so) and was a fun-loving immoral individual whose teachings turned the ministers of God away from God and on to sexual immorality and idolatry. She was unrepentant and had daughters who were propagating her teachings in the church. In many ways the woman-teacher in the church in Thyatira and the Jezebel of Ahab had a lot in common, which was why she was called Jezebel.

“Jezebel in the Church of God” thus speaks of evil, wickedness, iniquity, cruelty, idolatry, and the like, in the church of God. But we know that the church of God is the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15); it is therefore an aberration to have Jezebel in the church of God. It must never be become a den of thieves (Matthew 21:13), a house of prostitution (1 Kings 14:24); nor should iniquity, lies and falsehood be associated with it. Jezebel represents paganism in all its make-up and must never be allowed into the church; something the leader in the church in Thyatira did!

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