not in reality.60 Such persons are not overcomers (by definition) and do fall away either in time or at the end. Such persons apparently were present in Sardis as John wrote. A second key question relates to the nature of the overcomer. Does “he that overcometh” describe a special “class” of Christians or does it refer to all Christians?61 Two key passages from Johannine literature help to clarify the matter. In Revelation 2:11 John indicates that the overcomer is not hurt of (by) the second death.