As we start looking at the letters dictated by Jesus Christ to John, we may well ask, why did Jesus want to write to these churches?

Smyrna was an important seaport, about 35 miles north of Ephesus and rivalling it for the lucrative trade between, what is now, Europe, and Asian countries as far as China, along the ancient Silk Road. Now renamed Izmir, and greatly expanded, Smyrna was wealthy and cosmopolitan; but like all prosperous trading hubs there were many poor people and much corruption. It was a significant Roman military staging point too, and one of the first cities in which Emperor worship was enforced. The church struggled.

This third letter in the series is addressed to Pergamum (meaning 'citadel') - the most northerly of the seven churches. The city, now called Bergama, was built on a 1000 foot conical hill and dominated the region. Having been the capital of ancient Asia, it became the centre of Roman government and emperor worship in what is now western Turkey. It was famed for its magnificent library which was considered better than the one in Alexandria. That rivalry led to Egypt putting a trade embargo on sending papyrus to Pergamum.

Each of these letters to the seven churches included this instruction in their conclusion … "Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches." The implication is striking: God is speaking but only some people are bothered to listen with care, to understand and obey. The others who resist His encouragement and rebuke will not be included in the promised blessing. In our computerised age, we are bombarded with information; much of it we ignore or briefly scan without doing anything about it. We are in peril if we treat God's Word in the same way.