First Baptist Bible Study 7/6/21

The Church in Philadelphia.

The ancient city of Philadelphia, which sits near the Cogamus River, is 44 kilometers (27 miles) from Sardis and 77 kilometers (48 miles) from Laodicea. It is located in the Kuzucay valley, near the bottom of Mount Bozdad, in modern Turkey's province of Manisa. Behind the city are volcanic cliffs which the locals call 'inkwells.'

On one side of the city the land was fertile enough to grow grapes. The quality of wine produced by the fields of Philadelphia was such that the Roman poet Virgil wrote about its excellence.

Philadelphia was founded in 189 B.C. by Pergamon King Eumenes and given its name in honor of the love he had for brother Attalus. The city was also called Decapolis, because it was considered one of the ten cities of the plain. In the first century A.D. the city was referred to Neo-kaisaria. During the reign of Vespasian, it was called Flavia.

The Church of the Laodiceans.

The church of Laodicea is the last of seven churches addressed in Revelation. This harsh pronouncement suggests that the Christians at Laodicea—located in modern Turkey—wavered in their commitments to the Christian faith. The historical and archaeological context of this situation is worth investigating.

Laodicea was a wealthy city during the Roman period. Not only was Laodicea located on major trade routes that connected it to important cities like Ephesus, Smyrna and Sardis, but also it was a center of textile production and banking. Perhaps not surprisingly, the church of Laodicea is noted as being wealthy in the Bible (see Revelation 3:17).