2:18 Thyatira. Thyatira was a city about forty miles east of Pergamos. Lydia, whom Paul met at Philippi, was from Thyatira. The letter to Thyatira is the central and longest of the seven epistles.

2:20 Jezebel. Jezebel had been the pagan queen of Israel in the days of Elijah (II Kings 9:22); she introduced Baal worship into Israel (I Kings 16:30-33). A similar seductress in the Thyatiran church had somehow obtained a position of leadership in the church, despite Paul’s warnings against women prophesying or teaching in the church (I Corinthians 14:34; I Timothy 2:11-12). Her anti-nomian teachings (that is, teachings “against law,” purportedly giving license to sin as one pleased), given with the claim that she had the gift of prophecy, had led the church into gross immorality while simultaneously manifesting love, faith and good works (Revelation 2:19). This church is typical of many churches since then that profess spirituality and “love” while downgrading doctrine and separation.