And unto the angel of the church in (a) Sardis (1) write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a (b) name that thou livest, and art dead.
(a) Sardis is the name of a most flourishing and famous city, where the kings of Lydia kept their courts. (1) The fifth passage is to the pastors of Sardis. The introduction is taken from (Revelation 1:4; Revelation 1:16).
(b) You are said to live, but are dead indeed.