In today’s culture, tolerance is often held up as the highest virtue. On the surface, that doesn’t seem so bad. Who wants to be harsh or hateful toward others, especially those with differing beliefs? Christians, in particular, are called to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Tolerance, in that light, can sound quite biblical.
But there’s a problem: tolerance can also mean something very different. It can turn into the willingness to overlook what God calls evil. It can become an excuse for passivity in the face of immorality. That kind of tolerance isn’t loving—it’s dangerous.
Jesus addressed this very issue in His letter to the church in Thyatira, recorded in Revelation 2:18–29. Though it was the smallest and least significant city addressed in the letters to the seven churches, Thyatira received the longest message. Why? Because Jesus had both encouragement and correction for His people there. His words are a wake-up call to every church today.
Jesus begins by commending the church: “I know your works—your love, faithfulness, service, and endurance. Your latter works exceed the first.” (v. 19) This is not a stagnant church. It’s growing in faith and love. Their service and perseverance reveal that they’re not simply going through the motions.
But even healthy activity can be undermined by compromise.
Jesus says, “But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel.” (v. 20)
This “Jezebel” wasn’t literally the Old Testament queen who led Israel into idolatry and immorality, but her behavior mirrored that same spirit. She was likely a real woman in the church, actively leading people astray by promoting participation in the city’s idol feasts—feasts that involved sexual immorality and food sacrificed to false gods.
Why would any Christian think that was okay?
Because compromise often comes disguised as necessity. In Thyatira, trade guilds dominated civic and economic life. If you wanted to work, you had to belong. And to belong, you had to attend those feasts. Refusing could mean financial ruin. So someone in the church said, “It’s okay. God understands. Just go along with it.”
The church knew about this—and did nothing.
Jesus doesn’t just correct the woman; He rebukes the entire church for tolerating her teaching. The problem wasn’t simply the presence of false teaching. It was their unwillingness to lovingly confront it. The leadership was silent, possibly out of fear, comfort, or a misguided view of grace.
But grace doesn’t ignore sin—it confronts it with truth and love.
Jesus had given her and her followers time to repent. That window was closing. And judgment would begin not in the world, but in God’s household (1 Peter 4:17).
Jesus calls His people to hold fast to what they have—to keep the gospel central. He warns that following Him will result in thinning the crowd. Some will walk away. But those who remain—who persevere in faith and obedience—are the true overcomers.
To them, Jesus promises authority and His presence. He doesn’t promise safety or popularity. He promises Himself. And for the church that clings to the gospel and the Great Commission, His presence and power are more than enough.
Jesus offers boundaries that help keep the church on track:
- Guard against a personality cult. Are you drawn more to the messenger than the message? Then you may be following charisma, not Christ.
- Guard against an authority problem. Jesus disciplines those He loves. Church discipline isn’t about punishment—it’s about restoration.
- Guard against a theology problem. Test every teaching against the Word of God, not personal opinion or cultural trends.
- Guard against a morality problem. Feelings are not facts. “I feel” and “I think” must always bow to “Thus says the Lord.”
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:12, “So, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall.” Jesus’ message to Thyatira—and to us—is clear: endurance matters. Holiness matters. And love without truth is not love at all.
So let us be a church that refuses to settle for tolerance when Jesus calls us to faithfulness. Let us persevere—not in cultural comfort or spiritual passivity—but in bold obedience to Christ, holding fast to the gospel, until the day we see Him face to face.
He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
MichaelStovall 