The lack of white clothing does not mean they removed their salvation; it simply means the clothing that symbolized their purity and righteousness was gone. Jesus doesnt just look at the actions we perform; he focuses on the heart. Instead of being victorious over temptation, temptation had been victorious over them. Near the temple of the special god associated with healing there was a market for trading all sorts of goods. In ancient Greek culture, the evening meal was a social event. The residents of Laodicea would have also traveled up to Hierapolis to sit in the hot mineral baths. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version ( 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.). What does it mean to be cold? Theater of popular music. Christ told the church at Laodicea to buy____from Him to become truly rich. 3. Six miles to the north, the town of Hierapolis sat on the top of the cliffs overlooking the valley. But it's written that it was as a man that He humbled Himself, and was obedient. Isaiah 1:18, Acts 3:19, and Revelation 7:17 state that the blood of Jesus washes our sin-stained garments that they would become white as snow. There is a difference between transliteration and translation. The Laodicean Church became predominant towards the end of the twentieth century. They were doing a lot of things (works and deeds). The problem seems to be in their motives. Although it had earlier been called Diospolis and then Rhoas, Antiochus II of Syria named it for his wife Laodike and populated it with Syrians and with Jews who were transplanted from Babylonia to the cities of Phrygia and Lydia (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 1939, Laodicea). Phileo is the Greek word for friend or friendship. It doesnt matter which one you are, as long as you are one or the other. Those terms are imputed righteousness and imparted righteousness. In the context of Revelation 3, then, Christ was standing at the door of the Laodicean church, eager to re-enter the congregation through the genuine repentance of its members. The city also became renowned throughout the empire for it's eye and ear salve. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. After such strong correction, it is especially poignant to note that God wants sinners to repent and will quickly forgive their sins if they do. Jesus also told the Laodiceans to "anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see" (Revelation 3:18). The Holy Spirit will come and show us the way out. Print subscriptions available in U.S., Canada and Europe. One of the famous Laodicean remedies was a "Phrygian eye-salve" which was supposed to cure inflammation. He humbled Himself to the Father's will. The Laodiceans were rich and self-sufficient, with no need for God to supply their needs. The first part of this process is accomplished by pulverizing or crushing the gold ore and then placing it in a furnace. Nine miles to the east of Laodicea lay the town of Colossae. Its like lukewarm coffee. It costs our will. In the medical works of the 2 nd century AD physician Galen of Pergamon, he described an eye medicine made from a Phrygian stone, probably broken down into a powder or made into a clay, and the eye "salve" John mentions in connection with Laodicea is the same word used by Galen and other medical texts of antiquity (Revelation 3:18; Liddell . Listen that you may live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you. Buying gold tried in the fire from God requires several things from us: (15) I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. And it works better than modern antibiotics in both lab and mouse models. The hot Christian should also be like hot wine; the pleasant taste and aroma of a Christ-like life should cause people to want Christs salvation as well. If it were a common practice to refer to the chief person in the church as a messenger, this would be evident in the other letters contained in the New Testament, especially in Paul's. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Jesus desires to come in, sit down at the table, and enjoy the food and company. Laodicea was a city that was so rich; it minted coins that bore the images of Apollo, Asclepius, and Zeus.16 The reproach in verse 17 assumes that the Christians in Laodicea were also rich, as the passage would have no meaning to poor people. 1. It covers a myriad of areas, including pride, impatience, selfishness, unrighteousness, irritation, laziness, vanity, complaining, sexual impurity, unbelief, discouragement, envy, greed, ingratitude, etc. At the foot of Mount Cadmus, it benefited from an endless supply of cold, freshwater coming down from the snow caps. 2. While God sanctifies by grace, Christians are responsible to appropriate God's grace by faith. This messageas well as all of the othersis still important for Christians today. This act concealed the shame of his nakedness. 3. According to Expositors Bible Commentary, A six-mile-long aqueduct brought Laodicea its supply of water from the south. In this case, the angel represents the church. The first question well delve into is why they needed to purchase white garments. via phone at (626) 851-7001. John 1:3 (HSCB) says, All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created. John 1:10 (HSCB) says, He was in the world, and the world was created through Him, yet the world did not recognize Him. 1 Corinthians 8:6 (HSCB) says, yet for us, there is one God, the Father. John did not use the appropriate word if he was addressing an elder, deacon, or pastor. What happens if the church does not hear his voice and does not open the door? 5. All rights reserved. Moses was rebuking the rebellious Israelites by saying, But to this day, the LORD has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear. He was not referring to physical hearing, but to those who may hear the commands of the Lord but who lacked comprehension and desire to act upon those words (Jeremiah 5:21; Ezekiel 12:2). According to Romans 12:3, God has given everyone a measure of faith (gold) with which we receive salvation and use our varying gifts. What is the time of need? Incline your ear to his voice. Two of the doctors from Laodicea were so famous that their names appear on the coins of the city (Zeuxis and Alexander Philalethes). ""To the angel of the church in Laodicea write the following: "This is the solemn pronouncement of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the originator of God's creation: 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. Making an everlasting covenant with God (salvation is only the starting point). It costs our life. No, it does not; just dont sit in the center. And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. The eye salve must be purchased, and it is expensive. Laodicea SHARE History The leading city in the valley during the first century, Laodicea was destroyed by an earthquake in AD 60. Laodicea was known for it's black wool. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be . eye salve. This process causes the gold to coagulate and form nuggets and clumps of gold. The reward here seems to be one of sharing royal honor, victory, and authority with Christ in His future kingdom. What did Christ tell the Laodiceans to buy to cover their nakedness? Whenever Christ says, He who has ears to hear, let him hear, He is calling for people to pay careful heed. For all its wealth, the city had poor water (comments on Revelation 3:14-22). Youre going to have to spend time in the reading the Bible to learn the truth and by meditating on the Word, reinforce the truth. The culture of the city had infiltrated the church, and the members didnt know how spiritually wretched and weak they were. Both churches needed a severe rebuke. He reckons it to our account.18 The process of reckoning is what we call salvation. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. The church at Laodicea was very active. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. David Treybig is a husband, father and grandfather. A third lesson is that we need to vigilantly maintain our spiritual eyesightour ability to see things from a spiritual perspective. It looks like Laodicea had put their faith in the gold that perishes. We need to look at this verse in context with the entire passage. The phrase he who has an ear qualifies everyone who will listen and obey. Get the latest blog posts from Life, Hope & Truth straight to yourinbox. Church of the Lukewarm: Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22) November 7, 2021. Christ told the church at Laodicea to buy___from Him so they could see. Local resources of zinc and alum became the basis for the production of eye ointments, known as kollyria, also sold by merchants from Laodicea.3 The powder would be mixed with water to give it a paste-like consistency and then applied to the eyes. In this situation, you are not standing for Christ; you are standing for yourself. And because Jesus was the Creator, He has the rule over it. Fertile ground of the valley was good grazing for sheep. Laodicea quickly became a rich city, rich enough to be able to rebuild itself without outside help after the destructive earthquake of 60 A.D. In our world filled with technology, material prosperity and modern conveniences, many mistakenly assume that they do not need God. They produced a world-famous salve, reputed to cure certain kinds of eye diseases. In other words, the name indicated that people made their own decisions. Fortunately for us, Jesus is that friend. The third theory (I tend to side with this one) is that the angel is simply a personification of the church itself.6 A personification is an imaginary person or creature conceived to represent something. His motivation is His Sovereign rule over the Church He built and bought, as well as by His unfailing fierce love for those He has redeemed and called. Of course, Gods love extends to all humanity. In the New Testament, a believer dies with Christ to live a new holy life in the power of Christ's resurrection and identification with Christ's suffering (Romans 6:1-11, Galatians 2:20; Philippians 3:8-10). I wish you were either cold or hot! You will know Gods character and will, and that is the heart of spiritual discernment being able to distinguish the voice of God from the voice of the world. The Bible is the weapon God has given us; words to use against Satan's deceit like Jesus did, words that show us what to do, words of comfort. What did we read in Isaiah 55:1-3? It almost always represents purity, righteousness, or wisdom. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. When the messages to the churches of Revelation 2-3 are viewed as a chronological development of the Church, this passage also indicates that the return of Christ is near. Remains of a water pipe in Laodicea (photo by David Treybig). You see Laodicea was a very wealthy city. According to Roman writer Tacticus, Rome offered to pay for the city to be rebuilt, but the people declined, saying that they were wealthy enough to restore their own city. A lustrous black wool was produced there which was woven into much-desired clothing. That would not be logical since the church at Laodicea has already accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. You must know the truth so well that, when the lies of the enemy appear, you can recognize them. Baldwin Park Eye Care | We are located at 4829 New Broad St, Orlando, FL, 32814. It is up to the hearer to decide whether to take the Word seriously and try to understand it, and obey it. Having gotten their attention, Jesus then explains why He described their spiritual condition as lukewarm. He would vomit them out of His mouth because their works were so distasteful to Him. The city of Laodicea (Greek Laodikeia) on the Lycus (Laodicea ad Lycum), situated one mile south of the Lycus River in the Lycus Valley west of Colossae and south of Hierapolis, was established and fortified about 261 BC by the Seleucids under Antiochus II Theos. It is showing that all things were created through Him. What, or rather, who, are these angels? As Jesus warned in His Olivet Prophecy, But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. Temples had a joint purpose of worship and medical studies. Revelation 3:14-22. Spiritual discernment is the ability to tell the difference between truth and error. Hebrews 5:11-14 shows how the eye salve to fix spiritual discernment is utilized. This promise is amazing because, whenever we do overcome in the battles of life, it is always through Him. Their wealth has become their savior who supplies their every need. Uniquely situated on a large flat-topped hill, the town was protected from the flooding in the spring when the snow melted off the nearby mountains. To purchase something requires an exchange. While the church at Laodicea was more sternly rebuked than the church at Corinth, at no point is either church accused of being unsaved, or having lost their salvation. Suffer in the flesh, cease from sin. Nevertheless, the sin nature, also known as the natural man, is the impurity that interferes with a souls faith coming forth as pure gold just as impurities in nature prevent pure gold from being found. Christ told the church (in verse 17) that they were blind, and in verse 18, they are instructed to purchase eye salve. Youre going to have to give him your time. The city's reputation was for its money transactions and the good quality of raven-black wool grown in the area.1 The black wool, spun into dark yarn, was added to yarn dyed in other colors and made some very intricately patterned colored clothing, which sold for a high price in Rome. As a man, Jesus also had this self-will and was tempted, but His firm resolve from the very start was, Not My will, but Yours! For us to overcome as He overcame, we need to make that same decision and faithfully stick to it, no matter what happens or how we feel. The great Roman road stretching to the inland of Asia from the coast at Ephesus ran straight through its center, making Laodicea an important center of trade and communication. Laodicea lies 40 miles southeast from Philadelphia in the Lycus Valley. The fertile fields below the city were excellent for growing crops, and the foothills had good pastureland. Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat. (21) He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. It is a process where God makes us holy. Since it was socially unacceptable to serve lukewarm wine in Greek culture, I get the image of Christ being insulted by being served lukewarm wine and him spitting it out in response to that insult. A change of heart will follow honest confession. Laodicea boasted of one of the most renowned medical schools in the world, and with it came all of its associated industries like pharmaceuticals. Listen, that you may live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, according to the faithful mercies shown to David. The problem lies in that it seems improbable that Christ would use a human to write a physical letter to an angel, rebuking it for falling short in its duties as a Christ-follower.4 If the angel is an actual angelic representative of the local church, and answerable for its failure, then the seven angels in chapters 1 through 3 failed miserably. EYESALVE i'-sav (kollourion; collyrium; Revelation 3:18 ): A Phrygian powder mentioned by Galen, for which the medical school of Laodicea seems to have been famous (see Ramsay, The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia), but the figurative reference is to the restoring of spiritual vision. For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you, and those who are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis (Colossians 4:12-13, also see Colossians 1:7). The second thing we need to look at is what it means to be hot. In the situations of daily life, when tempted by impatience, irritation, envy, discouragement, etc. Laodicea was so conscious of its medical skill in the care of the eyes that it never realized that it was spiritually blind. Hebrew writing has no vowels, so the Greek leter for "e" was added by the translaters to make the word easier to read and speak. Repentance comes from the heart and involves confessing from the heart. When they heard this letter for the first time, what did they hear? We now come back to the question of how do you buy from Jesus' refined gold? It was about 100 miles east of the port city of Ephesus. For a faster response, please call us directly at 888-666-8135. (17) Because you say, I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing, and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, One of the most common errors associated with this verse is the notion that the door is the door to a sinners heart. The same logic applies to hot or cold. The only way to be in a right relationship with God is through forgiveness. As a result of not being either hot or cold for Jesus, they are like a rancid drink or repugnant drink that leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. Dinner was a time for everyone to catch up on the daily activities of the rest of the family, and whatever friends were in attendance. The city of Laodicea, currently located in modern Turkey, was situated in the Lycus valley, about 45 miles southeast of Philadelphia and about 100 miles east of Ephesus. Once again, Jesus Christ begins this message by identifying Himself as the One giving the message. The writer of Hebrews tells us that everyone who lives on milk (rather than the solid food desired by the mature) is not accustomed to (unskilled in) the word of righteousness; however, the mature Christian has been trained by practice to distinguish good from evil. 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