Revelation 3:4 BSB — MannaFest

Revelation 3:4

But you do have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments, and because they are worthy, they will walk with Me in white.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

But thou hast a few names in Sardis that did not defile their garments: and they shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy.

KJV

Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

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Commentary

5 voices

Tertullian

On the Resurrection of the Flesh (220)

Thus in the Revelation of John it is said: "These are they which have not defiled their clothes with women," -indicating, of course, virgins, and such as have become "eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

Yet it was no virtue of his, that they were unspotted; whereas it was his fault that they were but few. Who have not defiled their garments - Either by spotting themselves, or by partaking of other men's sins. They shall walk with me in white - in joy; in perfect holiness; in glory.

The Nineteenth Century3 voices

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible (1832)

Thou hast a few names even in Sardis - A few persons, names being put for those who bore them. And as the members of the Church were all enrolled, or their names entered in a book, when admitted into the Church or when baptized, names are here put for the people themselves. See Rev 3:5. Have not defiled their garments - Their souls. The Hebrews considered holiness as the garb of the soul, and evil actions as stains or spots on this garb. So in Shabbath, fol.

Charles Spurgeon

1834–1892

The New Park Street Pulpit, Sermon No. 68: “A Solemn Warning for All Churches” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) (1856)

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

21 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
ἀλλ᾽	all᾽	But	G235 →
ἔχεις	echeis	you have	G2192 →
ὀλίγα	oliga	a few	G3641 →
ὀνόματα	onomata	people	G3686 →
ἐν	en	in	G1722 →
Σάρδεσιν	Sardesin	Sardis	G4554 →
ἃ	ha	who	G3739 →
οὐκ	ouk	not	G3756 →
ἐμόλυναν	emolunan	soiled	G3435 →
τὰ	ta	the	G3588 →
ἱμάτια	himatia	garments	G2440 →
αὐτῶν,	autōn	of them,	G846 →
καὶ	kai	and	G2532 →
περιπατήσουσιν	peripatēsousin	they will walk	G4043 →
μετ᾽	met᾽	with	G3326 →
ἐμοῦ	emou	Me	G1473 →
ἐν	en	in	G1722 →
λευκοῖς,	leukois	white,	G3022 →
ὅτι	hoti	because	G3754 →
ἄξιοί	axioi	worthy	G514 →
εἰσιν.	eisin	they are.	G1510 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Revelation 3:5
Like them, he who overcomes will be dressed in white. And I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and His…
leads to
- Matthew 10:32
  Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father in heaven.
- Revelation 21:27
  But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices an abomination or a lie, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
- Luke 12:8
  I tell you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God.
- Revelation 20:15
  And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Through
Revelation 7:9
After this I looked and saw a multitude too large to count, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes…
leads to
- Revelation 5:9
  And they sang a new song: “Worthy are You to take the scroll and open its seals, because You were slain, and by Your blood You purchased for God those from every tribe and…
- John 12:13
  They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting: “Hosanna!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!”
Through
Revelation 6:11
Then each of them was given a white robe and told to rest a little while longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers, were killed, just as they had been…
leads to
- Revelation 7:9
  After this I looked and saw a multitude too large to count, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes…
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
- Revelation 3:4–5
  But you do have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments, and because they are worthy, they will walk with Me in white.
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.

Featured studies on this passage

On Revelation 3:4

The Seven Churches of Revelation

Asia Minor, late 1st century. Seven cities along a clockwise postal route — Ephesus to Laodicea — each receiving a letter from the risen Christ. Praises, rebukes, promises. A Matt-13 parallel reading discoverable for those who want it.

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