Peter’s Ladder, Agape and the Seven Churches
Last night I spent some time talking a friend about Agape in the Seven Churches. Our discussion stimulated a number of thoughts on the subject including Peter’s ladder of faith which culminates with Agape.
1 John 4:8 tells us that God is Agape and Peter’s ladder that begins with faith is to lead us to Agape. Song of Solomon 8:5 indicates that the seal is done with Agape which must be the case if God’s people are to live in the presence of Agape (God is Agape) they must sealed with Agape. Brotherly love (Philadelphia) is not enough as the door of the most holy opens, God’s people are invited to be sealed with Agape. The Holy Place experience of Philadelphia is not sufficient for sealing.
Below I have put together an outline from a number of areas. These are preliminary thoughts and I have put this together to stimulate thoughts on this subject.
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Peter’s Ladder (2 Peter 1:5-7) |
Seven Churches (Rev 2 and 3) |
Agape |
Song of Solomon LXX |
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1. Virtue (G703) |
1. Ephesus – Virtuous expansion of Gospel |
Lost Agape Rev 2:4 |
Song 2:5 – I am weak in Agape |
|
2. Knowledge (G1108) |
2. Smyrna – Knowledge of Suffering. Learn the hatred of the world against Christ. |
No mention |
Song 2:7 – Stir not up Agape till it pleases |
|
3. Temperance (G1466) |
3. Pergamos – Temperance amidst compromise (eat wrong things and commit fornication) |
No Mention |
Silent |
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4. Patience (G5281) |
4. Thyatira – Patience during long period of Dark ages. 538-1500’s |
Agape returns Rev 2:19 |
Song 3:1-4 Sought for Agape and found Him |
|
5. Godliness (G2150) or piety |
5. Sardis – The rise of Piety movements in response to Rome. |
No mention |
Song 5:8 loses Agape again. Searching |
|
6. Brotherly kindness (G5360) |
6. Philadelphia |
World will know I agaped you. Rev 3:9 |
Song 8:4 Stir not up Agape till it please |
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7. Agape (26) |
7. Laodicea – Will she respond? |
As many as I Phileo, I rebuke and chasten (to bring to Agape?) |
Song 8:5-7 – travail to give birth. Sealed, waters (multitudes) can’t quench agape |
Pr Robert Wieland in speaking of the corporate nature of man, indicates that God’s final church triumph of agape will then be applied to the whole body of believers from the beginning of time. See also Nader Mansour’s sermon Baptism for the dead which also speaks to this issue of a baptism for God’s last day people that is applied to all of God’s faithful.
One of the things that Kym and I discussed was the questioning of Jesus to Peter. This questioning has a parallel to God’s Last day Church. The Adventist Church was born in the era of Philadelphia and was meant to progress to Agape which is the seventh step of Peter’s ladder. Jesus asks Peter:
1. Peter do you Agape me? – Answer: You know that I Phileo you.
2. Peter do you Agape me? – Answer: You know that I Phileo you.
3. Peter do you Phileo me? (Is that as far as you will go) – Answer: Peter grieved at the question as he realizes he is still holding part of his heart back. Yet still he says I Phileo you.
Not until the Epistles of Peter do we see Agape find its place. See article For God so loved the World
Reading Peter’s experience in response to Jesus reveals how deep the resistance of the human heart is to the full Spirit of Christ. To Agape Christ is a complete giving of oneself to Him in response to His complete giving of Himself to us in death. A person only needs to ask himself how willing is he to knock on doors and tell people about Christ, to begin to realize the reservation that lurks inside most of us. In beholding Christ as revealed in the 1888 message will we be transformed into that perfect image of Agape and give ourselves fully to Him and be sealed for the coming crisis? Plenty to ponder
As an extra note. The bride of Christ in Song of Solomon 3:4 when she finds him the first time, brings Him to her mother (church she came from.) She holds onto to him until He comes into the chamber of her mother. Is this a type of what God’s people do in the last days? Does she hold onto Jesus until He comes into the chamber of the church that bore the bride of Christ?
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