08/09/2024
The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. -Revelation 3:12
Make you a pillar
Piller: Greek. στύλον (stulos) pillar.
From stuo (to stiffen; properly akin to the base of histemi); a post ("style"), i.e. (figuratively) support -- pillar.
..the word is perfectly translatable from the original Greek to English.
In roman culture at the time, when temples or churches were built, the pillars would be donated by the rich. They would inscribe the name of the donor on the pillar.
Using pillars as an example would’ve made perfect sense to the audience.
The city of Philadelphia area (modern-day Turkey) was plagued by earthquakes. At the time,the huge pillars were often the only structures left standing.
Many of those pillars remain to this day.
This interesting tie in between Roman culture and scripture is a simple example of why contextual information is so important in the study of scripture.
One thing a pastor taught me years ago is to do two things when you need better understanding:
1. Pick a key word and define it
Look up the greek or hebrew, check a couple different translations. Study the key word first.
2. Ask the five Ws: Who, What, When, Where, Why.
Who is it talking to?
What is it saying?
When was it written?
What region or culture was it intended for?
Why was it being said?
