The Ecclesia at Sardis
Yahweh is not the author of confusion, and cannot contradict HimselfThere is one passage which those who seek to remain in fellowship with those who walk disorderly always appeal to, and that is the Letter to Sardis in Rev 3:1-6Rev 3:1-6 1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. 3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. 4 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. 5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. 6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.. However, as Yahweh is not the author of confusion, and cannot contradict Himself, neither the Letter to Sardis, nor the other six Letters can contradict the teaching of the rest of Scripture, which says that we should withdraw ourselves "from every brother that walketh disorderly". In Sardis the ecclesia were told to "strengthen the things that remain, that are ready to die". They were told to "repent". Then in verse 4 and 5 we read, "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. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels."
Although the Sardis Ecclesia was dying, there is no mention whatsoever of wrong doctrine or immorality! "Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead" (Rev 3:1). The few who had not "defiled their garments" were the only sign of life in an otherwise "dead" ecclesia. Bro. H. P. Mansfield, in the Expositor on Revelation, page 56, says, "The Lord does not specify any prevailing form of error or false doctrine". And of the "few names" of verse 4 he says, "This was the redeeming feature in this otherwise dead Ecclesia". Notwithstanding the general laxity of the Ecclesia, there was a little strength. Bro. John Knowles supports this view in his book, Hear What The Spirit Saith To The Ecclesias. He says (page 34), The only failure of the Sardis Ecclesia was one of increasing apathy"Despite all the appearances of vigour and vitality, the real state was that they were spiritually dead". He goes on to say, "Whilst the elders were warned that they were spiritually dead, there were some who were not yet dead but about to die". As the record suggests that there was no false doctrine or disorderly walk, the only failure of the Sardis Ecclesia was one of increasing apathy, the duty of those few still awake was not to stand aside, but seek to re-invigorate the Ecclesia. This would be completely in line with the teaching of the rest of Scripture, and would not deny the requirement to withdraw from error or disorderly walk!
The Letter to Smyrna, and the Letter to Philadelphia also contain no mention of wrong doctrine or wrong behaviour, but both mention a third party, which is called "the synagogue of satan". The members of the "synagogue of satan" claimed to be spiritual Jews, but were not! In both these cities the true believers were maintaining a lightstand separately from those who were in error.
We are told that the Ecclesia at Ephesus "hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate" (Rev 2:6). In view of this there is no way that the Ecclesia at Ephesus would have fellowship with an ecclesia which harboured those whom Christ hated.