Revelation 2:25

Rev 2:25. Πλὴν) Amo 3:2, רק. Septuagint, πλὴν.—ἄχρις οὗ ἂν ἥξω) Ἤκω, derived from the preterite of the verb ἵημι, already in the present involves the preterite [I am come, I am present]. And so the future, ἥξω, I will be present, ch. Rev 3:3, is nearer than the present ἔρχομαι itself, when taken alone. Thus, ἥκω, ἥκει, ἥκουσι, Joh 8:42; Joh 2:4; Joh 4:47; 1Jn 5:20; Luk 15:27; Mar 8:3, note. Whence, Heb 10:7; Heb 10:9, ἥκω is used for the preterite באתי, Psa 40:7; and thus the Septuagint everywhere: Num 23:1 (or Num 22:36); Deu 33:2; Jos 23:14-15; Jdg 16:2; 1Sa 16:2; 1Sa 29:6; 1Sa 29:10; 2Sa 3:23. There is a remarkable instance in Ecc 5:14, ἐπιστρέψει, ὡς ἥκει.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

that which ye have already-- (Jde 1:3, end).

hold fast--do not let go from your grasp, however false teachers may wish to wrest it from you.

till I come--when your conflict with evil will be at an end. The Greek implies uncertainty as to when He shall come.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 25. That which ye have] That is, the pure doctrine of the Gospel, hold fast till I come-till I come to execute the judgments which I have threatened.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

25. that which ye have] Comparing Rev_2:6, we shall probably understand this “what thou hast to thy credit,” thy present faithfulness: so that the sense will rather be like Php_3:16 than Jdg_1:3. Cf. Rev_3:11.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But that which ye have already,.... Which was something good, even the faithful word, the form of sound words, the mystery and doctrine of faith; this they had received from Christ and his apostles; they had it in their hearts, and a comfortable experience of the truth and power of it, and had made a profession of it, which they now held, and are here exhorted to hold fast:

hold fast till I come; meaning the coming of Christ, either at the Reformation by Luther, Calvin, and others, which began at the close of this church state, when the hands and hearts of those professors would be more strengthened, which seems to be the first sense of the words; or to judge Jezebel, destroy antichrist, which will be by the brightness of his coming; till which time the doctrine of the Gospel is to be held fast: and such an exhortation will be always necessary, since, till then, there will be always more or less an opposition to it, and attempts made to wrest it out of the hands of its professors, to cause them to hesitate about it, and to intimidate them in the profession of it, by loading them with reproaches, calumnies, and persecution.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

25 But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.

Ver. 25. Hold fast] κρατησατε, hold by strong hand, tug for it, with those that would take it from you.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But that which ye have ... - All that there is of truth and purity remaining among you, retain faithfully. Compare Rev 3:11.

Till I come - To receive you to myself, Joh 14:3.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

But that which ye have already; than you already groan under. Or, no other precepts than what you have had from the apostles: the precepts of God are called burdens, Mat 11:30; Act 15:28.

Hold fast till I come; hold fast your profession, your faith and holiness, till I come to judgment.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

25. But—Closely following upon the last words. That purity is theirs now, only hold it fast.

Till I come—Till the hour when your final account with me shall be settled.

We have elsewhere remarked, (1Co_15:23,) that while the Greek word parousia always designated, unequivocally and solely, Christ’s second advent, yet the words come and coming often refer to other interpositions and spiritual presences. The hour of death is never spoken of as such a coming. (See our note, Joh_14:3.) Yet perseverance to the end of our probation is perseverance even to the judgment day. Note on Mat_24:13. So, (Rev_2:10,) faithfulness unto death is faithfulness unto the final reward. And (Rev_2:11) overcoming in life is verbally connected, instantaneously, with the eternal deliverance. The two things— the probation and the reward, the life passed and the coming to judgment—are connected as antecedent and consequent, irrespective of time. The intermediate time is dropped out of thought, and the close of life and the commencement of the eternal state are joined in unbroken connection. For the Thyatirans to hold fast until their closing hour, was to hold fast till I come. So next verse.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Howbeit. Not simply alla or de , but plhn , which occurs nowhere else in St. John"s writings. Although no other burden than this is imposed, yet remember what it implies. Hold fast the love, and faith, and service, and patience, and the growth in these virtues, for which thou hast been commended (ver. 19). Comp. Rev_3:11, where a similar charge is given to the Church at Philadelphia. The Greek for "till I come" is remarkable acriv ou an hxw ; where the an conveys a touch of indefiniteness as to the date specifieduntil the time whensoever I shall come. We have a similar construction in 1Co_15:25.

Christian excellence.

"But that which ye have already hold fast till! come." These few words give us three ideas concerning Christian excellence.

I CHRISTIAN EXCELLENCE IS AN ATTAINMENT. The words are addressed to Christians at Thyatira, and they are represented as having "charity," or love to Christ, and "patience," or holy fortitude and magnanimity under all the trials of life. These are all elements of Christian excellence, and these they are represented as having attained. They had reached the goodness they possessed by holy efforts in the use of means.

1. Christian excellence is an attainment in contradistinction to a native growth. It does not spring up in the soul as an indigenous germ. It is a seed that has been taken in and cultivated.

2. Christian excellence in contradistinction to an impartation. In a sense it is a gift of God; not in the sense in which life, and light, and air, and the seasons of the year, are the gifts of God, blessings that come upon us irrespective of our own efforts; but rather in the sense in which the crops of the husbandman, the learning of the scholar, the triumphs of the artist, are the gifts of God, blessings that come as the result of appropriate labour. We shall neither grow good nor be made good. We must become good; we must struggle after it.

II CHRISTIAN EXCELLENCE IS AN ATTAINMENT THAT REQUIRES FAST HOLDING. "Hold fast" whatever is attained. Little or much should be retained:

1. Because it is worth retaining. Its value will appear by considering three things.

(1) The priceless instrumentality employed to put man in possession of it. The mission of Christ.

(2) Its essential connection with man"s spiritual well being. There is no true happiness apart from it.

(3) Its capability of unlimited progress. It may be as a grain of mustard, but it can grow. What glorious harvests are enfolded in one grain of true goodness! It should be held fast.

2. Because there is a danger of losing it.

(1) Men who have had it have lost it before now.

(2) Agencies are in constant operation here that threaten its destruction. Hold it fast, therefore.

III CHRISTIAN EXCELLENCE IS AN ATTAINMENT THAT WILL BE PLACED BEYOND DANGER AT THE ADVENT OF CHRIST. "Hold fast till I come." An expression this implying that it will be secure enough afterwards, tie comes to every Christian at death. "I will come again, and receive you unto myself." When he thus comes:

1. He crushes forever our enemies. He bruises the head of Satan under our feet.

2. He removes from us everything inimical to the growth of goodness.

3. He introduces us into those heavenly scenes where there will be nothing but what ministers to the advancement of goodness. Take heart) Christian; the struggle is not for long! D.T.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

What ye - Both the angel and the church have.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

25. Hold fast. To the gospel as it has been taught to you.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

25. ὃ ἔχετε. Comparing Rev 2:6, we shall probably understand this “what ye have to your credit,” your present faithfulness and zeal: so that the sense will rather be like Php 3:16 than Jud 1:3. Cf. Rev 3:11.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.