According to Luke, a woman named Lydia was the first believer at the church of Thyatira, Acts 16:14. This church first met outside along the banks of a nearby river. After the apostle Paul baptized the members of her household, Lydia convinces Paul to stick around for a few days. Following Paul’s departure for Philippi, the disciple whom Jesus loved gives an update on the church at Thyatira. John begins with a list of positives. However, in an attempt to appease others, there was one obvious blemish.
But I have this against you: that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess [claiming to be inspired], and who is teaching and leading astray my servants and beguiling them into practicing sexual vice and eating food sacrificed to idols, Revelation 2:20.
Whenever an individual comes to faith in Christ, God meets us where we are in life. Nonetheless, there is an expectation that as you develop, learn and mature spiritually, you should draw closer to God. The New Testament calls new Christians to be set set apart by living according to the standards of the Bible. Jesus’ goals for his followers is to become Light in this World and Salt of the Earth. Yet, when uninformed Christians become lazy, without checking the Bible first, subtle compromises are conceived.
I gave her time to repent, but she has no desire to repent of her immorality [symbolic of idolatry] and refuses to do so, Revelation 2:21.
The term tolerate allows for the existence, occurrence, or practice of something that one does not necessarily like or agree with. Based upon the acceptance of Jezebel’s teachings, false practices were embraced by the church at Thyatira. This is known as Syncretism, the blending of religion with cultures and schools of thought. Whenever Christians deviate from the Bible to merge with social norms, the fine line between compromise and tolerant is broken. The next time you have an urge to blend in like a chameleon, remember God’s call to shine like the stars, Philippians 2:15.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 