The Church at Philadelphia: Seven Churches of Asia

CHURCH ARTICLE | Marshall McDaniel | Athens, Alabama

– Small Churches Can Make a Big Difference –

A recent survey of American churches determined that the median size of a congregation is 60 regular participants. Half the churches are bigger than 60 and half smaller, though 70% of churchgoers attend larger groups.¹ Still, most churches are not big churches. They, like the church in first-century Philadelphia, appear only to have “a little power” (Revelation 3:8 NASB).² But they are not really without strength. Small churches can make a big difference in the world. It is imperative, then, that we, especially if we are members of little congregations, listen carefully to what Jesus said to Philadelphia in Revelation 3:7-13 because his message for the churches then is the same for churches now, whether they be small or big (verse 18).

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this: ‘I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” (Revelation 3:1, NKJV).

Jesus opens doors for his people (and shuts doors on their enemies). He has every right to do so because of who he is and what he does. He is “holy” and “true” (verse 7a). He holds “the key of David” (verse 7b, cf. Isaiah 22:23). The mention of “the key of David” echoes the prophecy concerning Eliakim in Isaiah 22:20-25. God replaced a prideful steward, Shebna, with his pious servant, Eliakim. Eliakim is a picture of Jesus. Jesus is the “servant” of God and “father” (or “king”) of his people (Isaiah 22:20,21). God has “drive(n Jesus) like a peg in a firm place” and caused him to “become a throne of glory to his father’s house” (verse 23). Jesus opens the doors of salvation and service for his people, and no one, not even the powerful “Shebnas” of the world, can close them.³ Thus, as William Boyd Carpenter eloquently affirms,

Jesus Christ is the true Steward of the house of David … The faulty, self-seeking stewards, the Shebnas of Jerusalem and Philadelphia, vainly claimed a right of exclusion from synagogue or church, where Jesus, the God-fixed nail in the sure place, upon which the bundle of earth’s sorrows and sins might securely be suspended…, the Eliakim of a greater Zion, had the key of the sacred and royal house.⁴.

Christians with “little power” need not fear rejection because the King holds the key and will not allow them to be excluded from his kingdom.

Though small churches may feel that their works are insignificant and that no one appreciates what they are doing, Jesus affirms that he knows their deeds (verse 8a). Similarly, though some Christians may assume that they have few, if any, opportunities, Jesus promises to “put before (them) an open door” (verse 8b). Even if small churches possess only “a little power,” when they commit themselves to the word of Jesus and refuse to renounce his name, he offers them opportunities to use their “little power.” Instead of comparing ourselves with others who are stronger than us, whether the “synagogue(s) of Satan” or even other, bigger churches of Christ, small churches should look to Jesus and trust that he by his royal, divine power is going to open doors for them. Small churches do not need more power, they need only opportunities to use their power, and Jesus promises to give them an open door. Are we praying for God-given opportunities to serve (Colossians 4:3-4; 1 Corinthians 16:8-9; 2 Corinthians 2:12-14)? We should! Jesus wants to answer those kinds of prayers.

Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie – I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown. He who over-comes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation 3:9-13).

Small churches, though they possess little power, still receive great rewards. Jesus promised the Philadelphians that he would give them prominence (verse 9; cf. 11), protection (verse 10), and permanence (verse 12). In other words, he pledged to exalt his “weak” people (“the church in Philadelphia”) over and above their “strong” enemies (“the synagogue of Satan”) and to place a victor’s crown on their heads. He sheltered them from the worldwide conflict to come and made each one of them “a pillar in the temple of … God” (verse 12). The imagery of an immovable pillar must have been especially meaningful to the Philadelphians, who lived in a city that was “ever subject to earthquakes” and that was devastated by seismic activity earlier in the first century.⁵ Jesus would judge those who had subjugated, shamed, and shaken his people. He makes similar promises to small churches today. Though Christians may suffer oppression from outsiders, they need not fear because Jesus vows to reward them now and in eternity.

Nevertheless, the promises of Christ are not unconditional. Christians must keep “(the) word (of Jesus),” that is, “the word of (his) perseverance” (verses 8, 10). The “word of (his) perseverance” likely refers to Jesus’s own perseverance, that is, his facing suffering and death and emerging victorious. Consequently, only those who are willing to suffer for the sake of the gospel will triumph with their Lord. Christians must also “hold fast what (they) have” (verse 11). What they have may be “little,” but they must use their “little power” to cling to the Christ. Christians must overcome (verse 12). But what must they overcome? The church in Philadelphia faced various challenges (e.g. religious opposition, social exclusion,

temptation to compromise). Do we not face the same kinds of pressures today? Yet, the first-century Christians overcame. Jesus therefore promised them a place in the heavenly Jerusalem, so long as they remained faithful to the end. The same promise stands for us. Will we overcome, as the Philadelphians did? We can, we must, for it will be worth whatever we must sacrifice. Churches with “little power” will face trials and temptations, but God gives them hope (Romans 8:28-39). Whether members of small or big churches and whether we face minor or major struggles, we should remember that,

“the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us” (verse 18)

Whether Jesus keeps us from “the hour of testing,” we can rest assured that he will keep us for “a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:5). Let us remain faithful to him, knowing that he will be faithful to us.

A word of warning! We live in a culture that allows or even encourages the shifting of blame, and some Christians and churches participate in it. “If our young people hadn’t moved away,” little groups sometimes say, “we would be a thriving group,” “If we had a more eloquent preacher,” others add, “we would reach the community.” “It’s not our fault that local Christians choose other congregations.” These excuses are ultimately inexcusable, for they betray a “victim mentality.” Akos Balogh defines a “victim mentality” and its consequences:

If you have a victim mentality, you will see your entire life through a perspective that things constantly happen “to” you. Victimization is thus a combination of seeing most things in life as negative, beyond your control, and as something you should be given sympathy for experiencing as you “deserve” better. At its heart, a victim mentality is actually a way to avoid taking any responsibility for yourself or your life. By believing you have no power, then you don’t have to take action.⁶

Churches – small or big – must be careful not to try to justify their own failures by asserting victimhood. Jesus did not want the Philadelphians to see themselves as less than victors. We, like they, have the power of God working in us (Philippians 2:12-16). We to find purpose in Christ (3:12-16). We ought, then, to “hold fast what (we) have, so that no one will take (our) crown,” and what we have, though perhaps “little,” is great (Revelation 3:11b).

The “little power” of small churches may not actually be a liability. Jesus gives little congregations unique opportunities. For instance, small churches can specialize in close connections with other members since they have fewer members. (This does not mean that members of large churches cannot have close connections.) Members of small churches can more easily have all the other members into their home at once for singings or meals. Since small churches need the participation of every member, they can find work for every member – thus making every person feel valuable to the group. Older members have the opportunity to mentor younger ones on a one-on-one basis. All the members can comfort one another, pray together, evangelize together, and the list goes on and on. The “little power” of small churches becomes one of the greatest assets as they work and grow together in Christ.

Small churches are not alone; Jesus is with them. They are not powerless; Jesus is their strength. They are not worthless; they can make a big difference for the Lord. Will we, like the church in Philadelphia, persevere through the trials and influence others for good? Each of us must give an account to God for what we do with our own little or great power. May we continually remember the words of Jesus: “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much” (Luke 16:10a). And may we use our little power to his glory.

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¹ This survey was conducted in 2023 by the organization Faith Communities Today and is available on the Hartford Institute for Religious Research website: http://hirr.hartfordinternational.edu/fast-facts-on-american-religion. See also https://faithfcommunitiestoday.com

³ John Stott, What Christ Thinks of the Church: An Exposition of Revelation 1-3 (Baker, 2003), 104-9

⁴ William Boyd Carpenter, “The Revelation of St. John the Divine” in Ellicott’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: A Verse by Verse Explanation, ed. Charles John Ellicott (Zondervan, 1959). 8:548.

⁵ Strabo, Geogr, 13:4.10 (Jones, LCL); see also Stott, What Christ Thinks of the Church, 97-98, 109-10.

⁶ Akos Balogh, “Beware The Dangers of a Victim Mentality,” The Gospel Coalition Australia, August 12, 2020, https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/article/beware-the-dangers-of-a-victim-mentality

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GROW magazine | July 2026 PDF
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