My name is Pavlos and I live in Thyatira. There is really nothing especially notable about me that you might have heard, and I’m sure that by the time you finish this letter to you, you will definitely agree! But anyway, please, do read on.

You should understand that we reviewed the letter carefully, analyzing just where we stand in comparison. As you no doubt know, some of the others were praised and some were called out. And most received both praise and criticism. Notably, ours is the only one to hear criticism alone. Frankly, we were shocked to receive any criticism, any at all!

In this time of mourning Moses’ death, I often saw Joshua, my friend, and our new leader, who Moses appointed as his successor, sitting on the eastern bank of the Jordan River. He was looking west, across the river into Canaan, to the Promised Land. The east side was harsh, rocky, and dry. It was a desert. But to the west, the Promised Land was beautiful, lush, and full of the land’s bounty, the Lord’s bounty.