Revelation 3:4
- (KJV) Thou
hast a few names even in
Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in
white: for they are worthy.
(1611 KJV) Thou hast a few names
euen in Sardis, which haue not
defiled their garments, and they shall walke with me in white: for they are
worthy.
(1587 Geneva Bible) Notwithstanding
thou hast a few names yet in
Sardis, which haue not defiled their garments: and they shal walke wt me in
white: for they are worthy.
Counterfeit Versions
(1881 RV) But thou hast a few names in Sardis which
did not defile their garments: and they shall walk with me in white; for they
are worthy.
(1901 ASV) But thou hast a few names in Sardis that
did not defile their garments: and they shall walk with me in white; for they
are worthy.
(AMP) But you [still] have a few people in Sardis who
have not soiled their clothes [that is, contaminated their character and
personal integrity with sin]; and they will walk with Me [dressed] in white,
because they are worthy (righteous).
(CEB) But you do have a few people in Sardis who
haven’t stained their clothing. They will walk with me clothed in white because
they are worthy.
(CEV) A few of you in Sardis have not dirtied your
clothes with sin. You will walk with me in white clothes, because you are
worthy.
-
(CSB) But you have a few people in Sardis who have not defiled their
clothes, and they will walk with me in white, because they are worthy.
- (Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition) But thou hast a
few names in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments: and they shall walk
with me in white, because they are worthy.
(ERV) “But you have a few people in your group there
in Sardis who have kept themselves clean. They will walk with me. They will wear
white clothes, because they are worthy.
(ESV) Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people
who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for
they are worthy.
(GNB) But a few of you there in Sardis have kept your
clothes clean. You will walk with me, clothed in white, because you are worthy
to do so.
(HCSB) But you have a few people in Sardis who have
not defiled their clothes, and they will walk with Me in white, because they are
worthy.
(JB PHILLIPS) Yet you still have a few names in Sardis
of people who have not soiled their garments. They shall walk with me in white,
for they have deserved to do so.
(LEB) But you have a few people in Sardis who have not
defiled their clothing, and they will walk with me in white, because they are
worthy.
(LB) “Yet even there in Sardis some haven’t soiled
their garments with the world’s filth; they shall walk with me in white, for
they are worthy.
(THE MESSAGE) “You still have a few followers of Jesus
in Sardis who haven’t ruined themselves wallowing in the muck of the world’s
ways. They’ll walk with me on parade! They’ve proved their worth!
(NABRE) However, you have a few people in Sardis who
have not soiled their garments; they will walk with me dressed in white, because
they are worthy.
(NASV) But you have a few people in Sardis who have
not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are
worthy.
(NCV) But you have a few there in Sardis who have kept
their clothes unstained, so they will walk with me and will wear white clothes,
because they are worthy.
(NET) But you have a few individuals in Sardis who
have not stained their clothes, and they will walk with me dressed in white,
because they are worthy.
(NIRV) ‘But you have a few people in Sardis who are
pure. They aren’t covered with evil like dirty clothes. They will walk with me,
dressed in white, because they are worthy.
(NIV) Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not
soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are
worthy.
(NLV) But there are a few people in the church in the
city of Sardis whose clothes are not dirty with sins. They will walk with Me
wearing white clothes. They have done what they should.
(NLT) “Yet there are some in the church in Sardis who
have not soiled their clothes with evil. They will walk with me in white, for
they are worthy.
(NRSV) Yet you have still a few persons in Sardis who
have not soiled their clothes; they will walk with me, dressed in white, for
they are worthy.
(RSV) Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people
who have not soiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white, for
they are worthy.
(VOICE) But there are a few in Sardis who don’t have
the stain of evil works on their clothes. They will walk alongside Me in white,
spotless garments because they have been proven worthy.
(NWT-Jehovah’s Witnesses) “‘Nevertheless, you do have
a few individuals in Sar′dis who did not defile their garments, and they will
walk with me in white ones, because they are worthy.
Textus Receptus - Traditional Text
εχεις ολιγα ονοματα
και εν σαρδεσιν α ουκ εμολυναν τα ιματια αυτων και
περιπατησουσιν μετ εμου εν λευκοις οτι αξιοι εισιν
Hort-Westcott - Critical Text
αλλα εχεις ολιγα ονοματα εν σαρδεσιν α ουκ εμολυναν τα
ιματια αυτων και περιπατησουσιν μετ εμου εν λευκοις οτι αξιοι εισιν
Corrupted Manuscripts
This verse is corrupted in the following manuscripts:
Byzantine Text (450-1450 A.D.)
Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus -
Nineteenth Century Counterfeit
A 02 - Alexandrinus - Fifth century
C 04 - Ephraemi Rescriptus - Fifth century
P 025 - Ninth century
Manuscripts which agree with the Textus
Receptus for this verse
Stephanus 1550 A.D.
Elziver Brothers - 1624 & 1633 A.D.
Published Critical Greek Texts with
Corruptions
Omits “even” after “few names”
Greisbach, Johann - 1805
Lachmann, Karl - 1842
Tischendorf, Constantine - 1869
Tregelles, Samuel - 1857
Alford, Henry - 1849 revised in 1871
Wordsworth, Christopher - 1856 revised in 1870
Westcott and Hort - 1881
Weiss, Bernhard - 1894
Nestle - 1927 as revised in seventeenth edition in
1941
Nestle-Aland - 1979 - Twenty Sixth Edition
Nestle-Aland - 1993 - Twenty Seventh Edition
United Bible Societies - 1983 - Fourth Edition
Von Soden, Freiherr - 1902
Hodges and Farstad - Majority Text 1982 as corrected
in 1985
Affected Teaching
There were some in the church at Sardis who did not
defile their garments, that is, they did not go the way of the world and cling
to false teachings or unbelieving works which is what secular works are. Any
time a Christian adopts any false teachings or false ways it is like defiling
the pure garments we were given at the moment of salvation. All true believers
wear the robe of Christ’s righteousness. (Isa 61:10 KJV) I will greatly
rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me
with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of
righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride
adorneth herself with her jewels. However, those Christians who continue to
persevere in the true teachings of the Lord shall walk with Him in white, which
means they will be with Him throughout all eternity because these are the truly
redeemed. Walking with Christ in white means they are pure before the eyes of
God. We are made worthy only through the shed blood of Christ and the fact that
His righteousness was imputed to us. When the Lord uses the conjunction “even”
He is basically stating that even within the sinful atmosphere of Sardis, the
church has not been infected with the sins totally. There were some “even” in
Sardis who did not forsake the true Gospel and still walks with the Lord. It
would be like saying, “even” in Las Vegas there are some believers who do not
gamble. The Lord is stating that a Christian does not have to become blemished
with the world’s sin and in this case He is pointing to that fact within Sardis.
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