“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write…” Revelation 2:18
There is a second aspect of Thyatira that is important to understanding the Lord’s words to the church in that city. Despite its small size, Thyatira was a thriving commercial center. It had a special
capability in in the trade of woolen goods. And in dyeing cloth. We read in Acts 16 that Lydia, the first European convert to Christianity, was a seller of purple from Thyatira. That sounds like a normal conversion until we learn more about the economy of Thyatira.
Because of its location on the road between Sardis sand Pergamum
and because of its lack of any natural formation that it could exploit to its benefit, Thyatira focused on building craftsmen in many areas. As already noted it became a major distributor of purple dye and woolen cloth. In Thyatira the purple dye used was made from the madder root, which was much easier to obtain and therefore a cheap knock-off of the much more expensive purple dye made from the murex snail found on the Mediterranean coast. Thus the purple dye in Thyatira was high volume, low cost that made the sale of purple garments accessible to other than the “elites”.
Inscriptions archaeologists have found in the city tell us other trades flourished in the city as well such as leather workers, potters, bakers, coppersmiths, tanners. leather workers, and even slave traders. What is significant is that in Thyatira a guild or trade association developed for each of these crafts. While religious persecution was practically non-existent in Thyatira the guilds were extremely powerful in the economy. Guilds were incorporated organizations that could bid for projects. As a result, they wielded a significant amount of influence over local craftsmen. Like unions today, it was virtually impossible for one to engage in a trade of their choice unless he became a member of the guild.
We are told that the guilds in Thyatira had three main features. First each guild had its own deity, a “guardian god” that the guild believed protected its success. Second, each guild had its own feasts. These were times when the members were required to gather and fellowship together. These feasts were often held in a temple and would begin and end with a formal sacrifice to the guild’s idols. The meat prepared for the members would be offered to its dols. Finally, each guild had its own seasonal festivals, wild parties with immoral revelry specifically limited to guild members. Thus Christians were placed under extreme pressure by the economic guilds to participate in idolatrous practices of the guild. The guild’s feasts were the heart of the social (and commercial) life of the city. If a member refused to participate in these idolatrous and immoral parties they would be ostracized and lose any chance of being able to practice their craft and earn an income.
What can we learn? In Thyatira Satan use the tactic of economic assimilation to force Christians to bend their knee to his idols rather than God. It is a tactic he will use to extreme in the Tribulation where believers cannot buy or sell if they do not take the mark of the beast. This was a real test in Thyatira. Worship the guild’s idol or you cannot work and take care of your family. The temptation to rationalize one’s faith in the living and true God would be intense. Think of Lydia. She hears of Jesus Christ, is convicted of her sin and repents and turns to Christ. This seller of purple returns to Thyatira but can no longer worship its idol. She trusts God fully to provide for her – her devotion is seen as she starts a church in her home. Would we?