Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia In their Local Setting - Colin J. Hemer

[Bong Hwan Goo]

콜린 제이 헤머 (Colin J. Hemer)는 소아시아의 일곱 교회에 대한 저명한 역사학자이다. 그의 논문과 기고문들에 실린 내용들은 여러 성서백과사전과 성경사전, 그리고 주석 등에서 인용된다. 요한계시록의 7 교회에 관한 고고학적 자료와 고대역사학의 연구로 사도행전과 신약성경의 내용이 실재했던 사실임을 증명한 학자이다. 그의 저서 Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia In their Local Setting (지역적 배경에서 본 소아시아 7 교회에 보낸 편지들)은 계시록 2-3장을 공부하면서 함께 보아야 할 중요한 참고자료이다.

Mounce는 그의 NICNT 주석에서 두아디라 교회, 사데교회, 빌라델피아 교회 등의 부분에서 그의 글을 인용하고 있다. 그 일부를 보면 다음과 같다.

Thyatira, Hemer writes, ‘ ‘The longest and most difficultof the seven letters is addressed to the least known, least important, and least remarkable of the cities.”¹ The difficulty in interpreting the letter grows out of its numerous references to details of daily life that have become obscured with the passing of time and the lack of archaeological evidence that would reveal its past.

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¹ Local Setting, 106.

Mounce, R. H. (1997). The Book of Revelation. The New International Commentary on the New Testament (84). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

여기서 Local Setting 은 이 책을 가리킨다.

한편 키스트메이커는 그의 베이커 주석에서 버가모 교회에 보낸 편지 중 흰 돌에 관한 부분의 설명에서 이 책을 인용하여 다음과 같이 설명한다.

The meaning of the white stone remains a mystery, which commentators have tried to solve in numerous ways:

•     Precious stones fell from heaven along with manna. But this is only a legend.

•     White stones were cast in courts of justice to signify exoneration of the accused and black stones to condemn him. On the Judgment Day, a white stone would mark the Christian’s acquittal. But the text does not say that the overcomer casts a white stone but that he receives a white stone. Also, the stones cast in a court case had no names inscribed on them.

•     A white object made of steel, wood, or stone called tessera granted its possessor certain privileges in society. The durability of these substances is questionable, however.

•     A white stone could be used as an amulet or charm. But this custom belongs to the practice of sorcery, not to the doctrine of salvation.

•     Buildings in Pergamum in John’s day were made out of dark brown stone. Inscriptions in these edifices were cut into blocks of white marble. Hemer observes, “Honorific decrees of the city repeatedly stipulate that the record of its benefactors shall be engraved on [white stone].”⁵² The objection is that the Greek word psēphos in the text means “pebble,” not “stone.”

•     The breastplate of the high priest had twelve stones, each of which had the name of a tribe written on it (Exod. 28:21). Similarly, a white stone with the name of the individual believer written on it is always in God’s presence.

•     The stone may be a translucent precious stone like a diamond on which the name of Christ is written. The name of Christ is written on the foreheads of the saints (3:12; 14:1; 22:4).⁵³

The last two interpretations are the most helpful. In the context of Revelation, the last one seems the strongest and receives support from other passages. The name of Christ means that the saints belong to him. Already on this earth, believers are known as Christians, that is, followers of Jesus Christ, in whose footsteps they walk.

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⁵² Hemer Letters to the Seven Churches, p. 244 n. 108.

⁵³ Consult Hendriksen, More Than Conquerors, pp. 69–71.

^[1]Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 20: New Testament commentary : Exposition of the Book of Revelation. Accompanying biblical text is author's translation. New Testament Commentary (134). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

아래의 구글북스에서 일부를 읽을 수 있다.

https://books.google.co.kr/books?id=r8_eBAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&hl=ko#v=onepage&q&f=false