Clarke's Bible Commentary - Revelation 3:3
Verse 3. Remember] Enter into a serious consideration of your state. How thou hast received] With what joy, zeal, and gladness ye heard the Gospel of Christ when first preached to you.
Hold fast] Those good desires and heavenly influences which still remain.
And repent.] Be humbled before God, because ye have not been workers together with him, but have received much of his grace in vain.
If therefore thou shalt not watch] If you do not consider your ways, watching against sin, and for opportunities to receive and do good.
I will come on thee as a thief] As the thief comes when he is not expected, so will I come upon you if ye be not watchful, and cut you off from life and hope.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 3. Remember, therefore, how thou hast received and heard , etc.] That is, hast received upon hearing; for hearing goes first, and then receiving: the design of the advice is to put this church in mind of the doctrines of grace she had heard at the beginning of the Reformation, from Luther and others; such as justification by the righteousness of Christ, pardon through his blood, and atonement by his sacrifice, doctrines now almost lost and buried in forgetfulness; wherefore Christ would have her remember these things; how that she heard them with attention, reverence, humility, and without prejudice; and with much affection, so as to approve and love them, believe them, feel the power of them, and taste the goodness in them; and how she received them with all meekness, readiness, and joy, when now they are greatly disliked and rejected by many; very few attend to the doctrines of the Reformation. This is exactly our case: and hold fast ; the above doctrines, though the majority is against them, and learned men despise them, and they are charged with enthusiasm and licentiousness. It looks as if there was danger, as there is, that they would be entirely wrested out of her hands: and repent : of her deadness, coldness, and indifference to these truths; of her unwatchfulness over them, and imperfection in them; not carrying truth to its fulness and perfection, resting in her first light and knowledge, and even going back from that: if therefore thou shalt not watch : and preserve truth, and hold fast the form of sound words, and keep to the order, as well as the faith of the Gospel, and constantly attend divine worship, and look for the coming and kingdom of Christ: I will come on thee as a thief ; in the night, and at unawares, unthought of, and unexpected; which must be understood of coming to her in a way of rebuke and chastisement, by bringing some affliction, or suffering some sore distress to fall upon her: the phrase, on thee, is left out in the Alexandrian copy and in the Ethiopic version: and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee : which, though applicable to the spiritual coming of Christ in the next church state, and to his second coming in his kingdom and glory, which will be both sudden and unexpected, yet these will be to the joy and comfort of the church; whereas what is here spoken is by way of threatening, and must relate to some severe dispensation on her; and which we might now justly expect, were we not in the unwatchful, unthoughtful, and ignorant situation here described.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-6 - The Lord Jesus is He that hath the Holy Spirit with all his powers graces, and operations. Hypocrisy, and lamentable decay in religion are sins charged upon Sardis, by One who knew that church well, and all her works. Outward things appeared well to men, but there was only the form of godliness, not the power; a name to live, not a principle of life. There was great deadness in their souls, and in their services numbers were wholly hypocrites, others were in a disordered an lifeless state. Our Lord called upon them to be watchful against their enemies, and to be active and earnest in their duties; and to endeavour, in dependence on the grace of the Holy Spirit, to revive an strengthen the faith and spiritual affections of those yet alive to God, though in a declining state. Whenever we are off our watch, we lose ground. Thy works are hollow and empty; prayers are not filled u with holy desires, alms-deeds not filled up with true charity, sabbath not filled up with suitable devotion of soul to God. There are no inward affections suitable to outward acts and expressions; when the spirit is wanting, the form cannot long remain. In seeking a revival in our own souls, or the souls of others, it is needful to compare what we profess with the manner in which we go on, that we may be humbled an quickened to hold fast that which remains. Christ enforces his counse with a dreadful threatening if it should be despised. Yet our blesse Lord does not leave this sinful people without some encouragement. He makes honourable mention of the faithful remnant in Sardis, he makes gracious promise to them. He that overcometh shall be clothed in whit raiment; the purity of grace shall be rewarded with the perfect purit of glory. Christ has his book of life, a register of all who shal inherit eternal life; the book of remembrance of all who live to God and keep up the life and power of godliness in evil times. Christ wil bring forward this book of life, and show the names of the faithful before God, and all the angels, at the great day.
Greek Textus Receptus
μνημονευε 3421 5720 ουν 3767 πως 4459 ειληφας 2983 5758 και 2532 ηκουσας 191 5656 και 2532 τηρει 5083 5720 και 2532 μετανοησον 3340 5657 εαν 1437 ουν 3767 μη 3361 γρηγορησης 1127 5661 ηξω 2240 5692 επι 1909 σε 4571 ως 5613 κλεπτης 2812 και 2532 ου 3756 μη 3361 γνως 1097 5632 ποιαν 4169 ωραν 5610 ηξω 2240 5692 επι 1909 σε 4571
Vincent's NT Word Studies
3. Thou hast received and heard (eilhfav kai hkousav). The former of these verbs is in the perfect tense: thou hast received the truth as a permanent deposit. It remains with thee whether thou regardest it or not. The latter verb is ill the aorist tense, didst hear (so Rev.), denoting merely the act of hearing when it took place.
Watch. See on verse 2.
On thee. Omit.
As a thief (wv klepthv). Thief, as distinguished from hp lhsthv robber, a plunderer on a larger scale, who secures his booty not by stealth, but by violence. Hence the word is appropriate here to mark the unexpected and stealthy coming of the Lord. Compare 1 Thess. v. 2, 4; 2 Peter iii. 10.
Thou shalt not know what hour l will come upon thee. The Greek proverb says that the feet of the avenging deities are shod with wool. The sentiment is voiced in the two following fragments from Aeschylus:
"Whether one sleep or walk or sit at ease, Unseen and voiceless Justice dogs his steps, Striking athwart his path from right or left; Nor what is foully done will night conceal: Whate'er thou doest some God beholdeth thee." "And dost thou deem that thou shalt e'er o'ercome Wisdom divine? That retribution lies Somewhere remote from mortals? Close at hand, Unseen itself, it sees and knows full well Whom it befits to smite. But thou know'st not The hour when, swift and sudden, it shall come And sweep away the wicked from the earth."
