Homilies on the Seven Letters of the Apocalypse: The Letter to the Bishop of the Church of Pergamum

 

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

Sunday, August 2nd 2026

In interpreting the Letters that Christ sent, through the Evangelist John the Theologian, to the Bishops of the Churches of Asia Minor, we shall examine the Letter to the Bishop of the Church of Pergamum, which is the third Letter in sequence. It reads:

“And to the angel of the Church of Pergamum write: These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: I know your works and where you dwell, where the throne of Satan is. Yet you remain faithful to My name and did not deny your faith in Me, even when My faithful martyr, Antipas, was killed in your city, where Satan dwells. But I have something against you: you have there some who hold to the teaching of Balaam. He taught Balak to lead the Israelites astray, to eat meat from sacrifices offered to idols and to commit fornication. Thus, you also have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent, therefore, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the two-edged sword that comes out of My mouth. Whoever has ears, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches. To the one who overcomes the devil I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone, and upon the stone will be written a new name, which no one else knows except the one who receives it” (Revelation 2:12–17).

The city of Pergamum was north of Smyrna and was renowned for the wealth that had been accumulated there. It was a political center, probably the seat of a Roman governor of the province of Asia, as well as a religious center. It was “a city full of idols, more than all Asia.” It had many idols, among them those of Zeus, Augustus of Rome, Athena Nikephoros, and Asclepius the Savior.

Homilies on the Seven Letters of the Apocalypse: The Letter to the Bishop of the Church of Smyrna

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

Sunday, July 26th 2026

Today we will look at the Letter that God sent, through the Evangelist John the Theologian, to the Bishop of Smyrna, concerning his personal situation and the situation of the entire Church of Smyrna. The Letter reads:

“And to the angel of the Church in Smyrna write: These things says the First and the Last, who became dead and yet lived. I know your works, and your tribulation, and your poverty—and yet you are spiritually rich. I know that you are slandered by people who claim that they are Jews, and yet they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear any of the things that you are about to suffer. The devil will cast some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and the tribulation will last ten days. Remain faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches. The victor has nothing to fear from the second death” (Rev. 2:8–11).

The Smyrna to which this Letter was sent is located approximately eight kilometers north of Ephesus and competed for preeminence among the cities of Asia Minor, after Pergamum and Ephesus. In this city, as in other cities, a Jewish community flourished. The Bishop of this city receives many commendations from Christ. From history we know that the first Bishop of Smyrna was Boukolos, and his successor was Saint Polycarp, who was martyred in A.D. 155. Many interpreters write that the Bishop to whom this Letter refers is Saint Polycarp. Indeed, the first surviving martyrdom account that records his martyrdom has also been preserved, and it indicates the existence of a Jewish community in Smyrna, as the Letter states.

Homilies on the Seven Letters of the Apocalypse: The Letter to the Bishop of the Church of Ephesus

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

Sunday, July 19th 2026

The first Letter that Christ sends through the Evangelist John the Theologian, and which is written in the book of the Revelation of John, is addressed to the Bishop of Ephesus. It reads:

“To the angel of the Church of Ephesus write: These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the seven lampstands. I know your works and your labor and your patience, and that you cannot tolerate evil people; and you have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and have found them to be false. And you have patience and have endured for My name’s sake and have not grown weary. Nevertheless, I have this against you: that you have abandoned your first love. Remember, therefore, from where you have fallen, repent and do the first works. Otherwise, if you do not repent, I will come to you quickly and will remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Whoever has ears, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches. To the one who conquers I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of My God.” (Revelation 2:1–7)

Homilies on the Seven Letters of the Apocalypse: The Central Points of the Seven Letters

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

Sunday, July 12th 2026

As we said last Sunday, Christ appeared to the Evangelist John on Patmos, on the Lord’s Day, in His glory, in the midst of the lampstands, which are the Churches, holding in His right hand the seven stars, which are the Bishops of those Churches. This means that the local Churches are not human organizations, nor some human association, but are golden lampstands. They are golden because they hold fast to the Orthodox faith, and they are lampstands because they have the mercy and Light of Christ. The persons responsible for these Churches are the Bishops, who are stars because they are illumined by the Sun of Righteousness, Christ, and shine among Christians.

The Letters, which are sent to specific Churches of Asia Minor, are instructions and commandments which the Bishops must put into practice, and they also refer to matters that concerned these Churches. There is an interaction between the Bishops and the Churches. Thus, we have the God-man Christ, the Evangelist John, who knows the Churches of Asia Minor, and the Bishops of the Churches. This is the system of the administration and functioning of the Churches, as we see it in the first period of ecclesiastical life. In the course of time this received a particular structure, but its spiritual and theological content must remain, which means that the foundation is Christ in the Light; the Churches are golden (faith) and luminous (truth); and the Bishops are the angels who convey the truth, the faith, and the light to people.

Homilies on the Seven Letters of the Apocalypse: The Appearance of Christ in John's Book of Revelation

 

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

Sunday, July 5th 2026

The sermons on the Sundays of this summer (2026) will refer to the Epistles that Christ sent through the Evangelist John to the seven Churches of Asia Minor, which are called the Churches of the Apocalypse. They are written in the last book of the New Testament and of the whole of Holy Scripture, which is called the “Revelation of John.” This is a revelation of Jesus Christ to His beloved Disciple, the Evangelist John, when he was on the island of Patmos on the Lord’s Day, because he was preaching the word of God and bearing witness to Jesus Christ (Rev. ch. 1).

First of all, the phrase “Revelation of Jesus Christ” signifies the manifestation of Christ to the Evangelist John after Pentecost. We know that the Evangelist John was Christ’s beloved disciple, who was together with Peter and James on Mount Tabor and saw the glory of Christ’s divinity, who followed Christ to the Cross on Golgotha, and to whom Christ entrusted His mother, the Most Holy Theotokos, so that he might protect her. Afterwards, he saw the risen Christ, and on the day of Pentecost he received the Holy Spirit and became a member of the Body of Christ. Then, in the New Testament are included his Gospel, which was characterized as the “spiritual Gospel,” his three theological Epistles, which are called Catholic Epistles because they were sent to all the Churches, and the Book of Revelation, that is, the manifestation of Christ to him, when he was in exile on the island of Patmos.