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. Therefore God exalted Him and gave Him his own thrown (Philippians 2:5-11). Various thermal installations, which included immense hot basins and pools for swimming, were built to take advantage of the natural resource. The writer speaks to those who had become dull of hearing, meaning they had little to no spiritual discernment. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15 NASB. 19a Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline. I dont think so. Chemicals such as cyanide solution or mercury are introduced to the gold to separate the gold from other metals. We can get so busy doing things for God that at some point, we stop doing them Him and begin doing them for ourselves. In this case, the angel represents the church. The letter to Laodicea was written to Christians who already had the white garments of salvation, so we are led to wonder why they needed to purchase more white garments and how to purchase them. As the water cooled down, it lost its effectiveness. What did Christ mean when He said He would spit them out of His mouth if they did not change? The letter starts as if being written to an angel, but there is no doubt that it is the congregation itself who is the focus of the letter. What was it the Laodiceans were supposed to be victorious over? Incline your ear to his voice. Temples had a joint purpose of worship and medical studies. The city was also known as a health resort, one of the best in the Graeco-Roman world owing mostly to its lukewarm . People came from all over the empire to purchase this medicine. Colossae had been a major trade center on the trade route from Sardis to Konya and was famous for the dark red wool cloth that carried that its name, colossinum (also derived from the madder root). The first question well delve into is why they needed to purchase white garments. 15a I know your deeds. The ancient Greeks thought that only a barbarian would drink undiluted wine. Theater of popular music. 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). It is through our relationship and identification with Christ and His work, and our faithfulness in the conflict with sin as we draw upon Christ, that we get to share in His reign as a reward for faithful service. No, it does not; just dont sit in the center. The first thing we need to look at is what it means to be cold. Why does the church not hear his knock? Then we must take active, practical steps to avoid falling into sin. 1. Thats pretty strong language. Water is an important necessity for any metropolis, and the ancient city of Laodicea accommodated this need. eye salve. Before considering the significance of this term and the rest of the message from Christ, lets note a few things about Laodiceas history. 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). You dont expect (or want) to have lukewarm coffee served to you. Ruins from ancient Laodicea (photo by David Treybig). Laodicea was a town in the Lycus River valley in present-day Turkey. Laodicea was known for three things: It was a wealthy city and a financial center. They probably think they are just like any other church. But this can only happen when we are in the right relationship with him. To hear is to obey. Good deeds (Ephesians 2:10), godliness (1 Peter 1:15), Christ-likeness (1 Peter 2:21), and fulfilling the demands of the Law (Rom 8:4) are all part of the cost in purchasing white garments from Christ.). Laodicea built an aqueduct that ran from the mountains above Colossae to the city center. What did Christ mean? Laodicea lies 40 miles southeast from Philadelphia in the Lycus Valley. Thank you! That the Christians will co-reign with Christ (sitting with Him on His throne) is stated in the New Testament on numerous occasions (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30; 1 Corinthians 6:1-3, 2 Timothy 2:12). Revelation 3:14-22. The Greek word arche, which is translated Beginning, has a range of meanings from beginning, origin to the person or thing that commences to that by which anything begins to be to the first place, principality, rule, magistracy (Thayers Greek Lexicon). For example, lets say that I issued instructions for you to sit either on the left or the right side of the room but not in the center. The time you give Christ to purchase this eye salve, the more results you will see. They are not visiting the shut-ins, the hospitalized prisoners, or serving as Jesus served. Why does the church not hear his voice? More than likely, the members of the church in Laodicea were carnal Christians. A change in behavior will follow true repentance. Spiritual discernment is the ability to tell the difference between truth and error. Although the Bible does not reveal how the Church of God began in Laodicea, a faithful minister named Epaphras served this congregation as well as members in Colosse and Hierapolis sometime during the first few decades after Christs death. Coffee, for example, can be served either hot or iced (cold). Remains of a water pipe in Laodicea (photo by David Treybig). In Gods eyes, the Laodiceans are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. Verse 14 leaves no doubt the Jesus Christ is the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. The eye salve must be purchased, and it is expensive. Youre going to have to spend time reading the Word, studying the Word, memorizing the Word, meditating on the Word, and obeying the Word. Website design, HTML and CSS coding by Steven P. Wickstrom 2. As the faithful and true witness, Jesus is relaying to us what he heard from God the Father. Jesus starts by calling himself the Amen, a term reserved for God himself in the Old Testament. When we say that God imputes Christ's righteousness to us, it means that God thinks of Christ's righteousness as belonging to us, or regards it as belonging to us. Gold mined from rock always has impurities. The therapeutic virtues of the waters became the calling card of the town. Laodicea also had a medical school for training people to become doctors. Following the pattern of the other letters, this one was also to the angel of the church. (Luke 9:23, Luke 14:26) It costs us something. The Greek word (aggelos) is typically translated as an angel or a messenger. He reckons it to our account.18 The process of reckoning is what we call salvation. Cc trang web thay th tt nht cho Herbert-armstrong.org - Kim tra danh sch tng t ca chng ti da trn xp hng th gii v s lt truy cp hng thng ch trn Xranks. If you think back to the Garden of Eden, clothing was the first thing which Adam felt the need of, after he had sinned. Works, or deeds, are more than simply what we do; they are how we live. Eye salve in Laodicea The city of Laodicea was known for its extraordinary eye salve, as well as a medical school. The time of need is when temptation comes when we see and feel the sin in our flesh when we struggle to keep ourselves from sinning. Confession by itself is not repentance. The mineral water from Hieroplis helped to lock in the color dyes so that the color did not fade after being washed multiple times. In the situations of daily life, when tempted by impatience, irritation, envy, discouragement, etc. Jesus is the power and authority that God utilized in creating the universe. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. 3. Jesus doesnt just look at the actions we perform; he focuses on the heart. They were a prominent banking center for the entire region. Gratitude Vision Optometry offers premier primary eye care, specialty contact lenses & more. The discipline of Christ stated in Hebrews 12:5-11, explains that God's discipline proceeds from his love and seeks to develop righteousness in his people. Hebrews 5:11-14 shows how the eye salve to fix spiritual discernment is utilized. Nine miles to the east of Laodicea lay the town of Colossae. Laodicea was also known as a center for the wool and dye trade. In a letter to the Colossians, Paul wrote: Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. At the foot of Mount Cadmus, it benefited from an endless supply of cold, freshwater coming down from the snow caps. The problem seems to be in their motives. 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. Please understand that this verse does NOT say that hot is good and cold is bad; they are both good. Some have wondered if the last name mentionedthe Beginning of the creation of Godindicates that Jesus was a created Being. This suffering was not the physical suffering on the cross of Calvary. 2. They stood on an important junction of trades routes running more or less north to south and west to west. Verse three follows with, Incline your ear and come unto Me. laodicea means human rightsNitro Acoustic. If you would like to learn more about the Church that Jesus founded, we highly recommend the section on this website titled The Church: What Is It?. It is a process where God makes us holy. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth (Luke 21:34-35). From sexual promiscuity to getting drunk while meeting together to quarreling amongst themselves, these people were far from the ideal loving and thriving church body. The church at Laodicea was not victorious, but Christ had not yet given up on them. Cling to the Vine "I am the vine; you are the branches. 1 Peter 1:5-9 compares faith with refined gold. 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. Here we see Christ speaking as a merchant, advising the church to buy his merchandise. Industry Perhaps the most famous ones they produced were an ointment for the ears (for a time produced only in Laodicea), and an eye salve made from Phrygian powder and oil. When we see mega churches today respond to criticisms they . 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. Only a few are willing; the rest have ears, but they do not have ears to hear (Matthew 7:1314, 2427). To answer these questions, we need to look at Laodicea from the eyes of the Laodiceans. The eye salve must be purchased, and it is expensive. Kris Udd In Revelation 3:18, God advises the church in Laodicea to purchase eye salve from him, "so that you may see." In the context this is clearly a metaphor for gaining spiritual sight and avoiding spiritual blindness, but the metaphor is based off of a well-known Roman practice. You, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. So what does it cost to purchase eye salve from Christ? Dont become lukewarm about Gods way of life! What I said was important! Those who have ears to hear allow the Word to bear fruit to the glory of God. While God sanctifies by grace, Christians are responsible to appropriate God's grace by faith. Laodicea was a church that had not overcome sin but rather been overcome by sin. (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. . The Holy Spirit will come and show us the way out. They think they have need of nothing because they are saved and on their way to heaven. Christs threefold prescription to cure their condition paralleled the physical circumstances that had apparently deceived them. The hot/cold issue begs the question: What exactly is God talking about? Those terms are imputed righteousness and imparted righteousness. There is a difference between transliteration and translation. Repentance is more than a feeling. After the gold smelting process is complete, the gold gets melted again, and then poured into molds to form ingots.17. The name is derived from two words: laos, meaning people and dike, meaning decision (Strongs Concordance). He was diligent and committed to the will of God the Father (John 4:34). Removing those impurities, such as trace metals and ores, requires the gold to go through a process called smelting. In our world filled with technology, material prosperity and modern conveniences, many mistakenly assume that they do not need God. 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. Colossae quickly decreased in importance. We have been warned and cautioned to be ready for His arrival. We cant relax and mistakenly assume we have it made. Laodicea was a city full of merchants. A change of heart will follow honest confession. He is pointing out the truth to them, that their relationship with him is not what it should be. Therefore, since Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 1 Peter 4:1-2. Concluding with encouragement, Jesus reminds them that if they overcome, they will rule with Him (verse 21). All of their success and self-righteousness was nakedness in Gods sight. What are we supposed to overcome? What, or rather, who, are these angels? The Laodiceans were rich and self-sufficient, with no need for God to supply their needs. His entire life was a fulfillment of God's Word, and thereby, Gods will. What is the time of need? Therefore be zealous and repent. If anyone in the church hears Christ's voice and opens the door, he will come and dine with them. Christs words showed them that He knew that the citizens of their city were wealthythey had at least twice declined the governments help to rebuild their city after an earthquake and had rebuilt it with their own funds. It was the suffering of the cross He used daily, when He said No to His own will, the sin in His flesh, even when it bombarded Him incessantly with its demands and deceitful attraction. Giving time to Christ is what Christians must do to develop spiritual discernment. What does it mean to be hot? Have you ever been locked out of your own house? They produced a world-famous salve, reputed to cure certain kinds of eye diseases. He and his wife, Teddi, have two grown children and seven grandchildren. Verse 20 is not a salvation message for non-Christians; it is a warning to Christians. I could wish you were cold or hot. We cannot deny our sin or find excuses to justify it. So how did Jesus overcome? Isaiah 55:1-3 (NASB). Baldwin Park Eye Care | We are located at 4829 New Broad St, Orlando, FL, 32814. It is to have a sense of what is right and what is wrong. And because Jesus was the Creator, He has the rule over it. The word for love used in this verse is not agape but phileo. We must be determined to pursue purity and to do what pleases God (1 Thessalonians 1:9). In John 14:14, Jesus said: You are my friends if you do what I command you. Had this church been filled with non-Christians, Jesus would not have called them friends. Christ told the church (in verse 17) that they were blind, and in verse 18, they are instructed to purchase eye salve. Instead of looking to God to supply their every need, they look to their wealth instead. That the citys banking assets were noteworthy is evidenced by the fact that Cicero cashed huge bank drafts in Laodicea. Hierapolis achieved great renown for its hot springs and day spas. Physical money cannot purchase the merchandise Christ has for sale; it takes something else. Christ told the church at Laodicea to buy____from Him to become truly rich. Jesus knows what it is like to be human. Gods word says that this spiritual gold tried in the fire is more precious than natural gold that perishes. It has everything to do with imparted righteousness. We need to look at this verse in context with the entire passage. (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12) It is the absolute truth and a powerful weapon against temptation and sin. In the New Testament, eyes tend to represent spiritual discernment (Matthew 13:10-17, 1 John 2:11). It is possible the word meant the messenger or the actual person who delivered the letter, but that would require seven different messengers, one from each of the churches to have traveled to Patmos to get the letter to deliver it. They are not taking care of needs, providing moral support, or genuinely caring about people. In this situation, you are not standing for Christ; you are standing for yourself. Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance. 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. 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. Listen, that you may live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, according to the faithful mercies shown to David. It is an often-used phrase that Jesus utilized when speaking in parables. Keep in mind as you read about the Laodiceans that they are a church filled with Christians. It was about 100 miles east of the port city of Ephesus. A cold Christian visits the shut-ins, the hospitalized, and in prison. He took the skins of the sacrifices and clothed him. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. They are not getting people saved or healing the sick, or leading lives that are a pleasant taste and aroma to Christ. Spiritual fire burns away spiritual impurities. In the first theory, if the angel is an actual angel, then we can infer that each church has its own guardian angel. The word zealous is the Greek word (zeleue) and means to be eager, earnest.23 The church is commanded to be earnest or zealous, which means a passionate eagerness to do God's will. Having gotten their attention, Jesus then explains why He described their spiritual condition as lukewarm. Those who do not have "ears to hear" are spiritually dead and cannot obey God until they respond to His work in their hearts (John 6:65; Romans 11:8). 18band white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed. Gods Word is a sword. Laodicea was known for it's black wool. So wealthy was Laodicea that after the great earthquake of A.D. 17, which destroyed it, the people refused imperial help in rebuilding the city, choosing rather to do it entirely by themselves. Jesus is telling the church to have a purpose, to have a focus, and to make sure that Jesus is the reason for their deeds and works. While the original name of the city came from Antiochus IIs wife, the name also has an interesting meaning in Greek. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? 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. It was a central banking center and traded well in black wool and an innovative eye salve used for medicinal purposes. 16 So because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. 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. He wants to be a friend with whom we enjoy spending time. St. John mentioned Laodicea as one of the Seven Churches of Asia in the Book of Revelation But it's written that it was as a man that He humbled Himself, and was obedient. Youre going to have to spend time reading the Bible to learn the truth, and by meditating on the Word, reinforce the truth. Faith is the means (produces the results) of sanctifying grace, Now to the business of how to purchase white garments from Christ. Are they so focused and preoccupied with prosperity that they cannot hear Christ's voice or hear his knock? He had to take up a battle against the sin, and carry out His pledge: Not My will, but Yours, be done! The word amen conveys the idea of something faithful, reliable, and believable, and is typically used this way in the Old Testament. -- Revelation 3: 14 (ESV) . Consider the following: Jesus then tells the Laodiceans that He has given them this strong correction because He loves them and wants them to be zealous and repent (Revelation 3:19). If we pray for help as Jesus did, with humility and desperation to gain victory, then we will get help. The Bible exposes Satan's lies and deceit and is the tool to overcome all the sinful tendencies in our flesh. Phileo is the Greek word for friend or friendship. 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. The act of hearing implied obedience. With so much wealth pouring into Laodicea, one of the most noted banks in the Greek and Roman world was located there. Gold, clothing, and eye salve represent the three major industries of Laodicea: banking, textiles, and medicines. The whole point of this verse is that lukewarm has no use. The verse is not talking about salvation; it is talking about usefulness or purpose. Revelation 3:20. gold. 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. Since Christ is referring to spitting something out of his mouth, the image of lukewarm wine comes to mind. After letting him ineffectively try to cover himself, God provided clothing for him. Fertile ground of the valley was good grazing for sheep. Therefore, the Lord Jesus tells them to buy eye salve from Him to see their spiritual state. Jesus wants you to be cold. Jesus is standing at the door, expecting his servants to open it. Revelation 3:14-22 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 the Old Testament, the sacrifice could not be slain until it had been presented to the priest. While this is not impossible, as John could have summoned a messenger from each of the churches to receive the appropriate correspondence, it is not probable. Confession is the mind moving the lips; repentance moves the heart. (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, For all its wealth, the city had poor water (comments on Revelation 3:14-22). Making an everlasting covenant with God (salvation is only the starting point). But in this verse, Jesus is telling the church that they are naked and in need of white garments that only he can provide. According to Romans 12:3, God has given everyone a measure of faith (gold) with which we receive salvation and use our varying gifts. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Theres no time to waste. We're currently processing your request and we'll be in touch soon. The Greek word for deeds ( - ergon) means means denotes comprehensively what a man is and how he acts.13 Typically translated as works or deeds, these words do not accurately convey the richness of the Greek word. It is the motive behind the action, or works, that is important. It is to have a sense of what is right and what is wrong. Whatever were doing, or however were serving, we need to examine our hearts and our motives and see if were doing it for the right reason. The promise in this verse is that the church will reign with Christ if they overcome. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. There are a couple of points that I need to make here that you might not have seen before. David Treybig is a husband, father and grandfather. Christ told the church at Laodicea to buy___from Him so they could see. The sin in His nature had received its death sentence when He said, Your will be done, God. As disciples who follow Jesus, we must learn to hate the sin in our own life, deny ourselves, and take up our cross. He humbled Himself to the Father's will. Two of the doctors from Laodicea were so famous that their names appear on the coins of the city (Zeuxis and Alexander Philalethes). To heal their weak spiritual condition, Jesus said, I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see (verse 18). 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. It costs our will. 3. He wants to hear about how our day went and share in our victories and sorrows. Jesus was in heaven with God, but voluntarily became a man for our sakes. Go to God. Other sources suggest that the water came from a hot spring with mineralized water containing sulfur, giving it an unpleasant taste and smell. For the Laodiceans, this meant forsaking whatever might perpetuate the lack of spirituality and unwarranted self-sufficiency in which they languished. The keys, according to this passage, are becoming skilled in the Word of God (by which we define righteousness) and practice (through which we gain experience). Laodicea boasted of one of the most renowned medical schools in the world, and with it came all of its associated industries like pharmaceuticals. What images came into their minds? The mineral water was used to clean the wool and set, or lock, the color of the dyes (this ensures the wool holds its color when washed). Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat. It is showing that all things were created through Him. You would probably spit it out at the first sip. He has given us Gods Word as a guide, help, and a weapon. It was part of a long trade route that included the four previous cities to the north. After he sinned, he felt his nakedness and shame. It was a banking center. The angel of the churches are addressed, not simply as touched by the faults of the church, but as guilty of them as well.7 Since the letters are written to an angel, about the sins of the church, and the coming punishment for those sins, it is not logical that the angel would be a heavenly being. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ. Imputed righteousness is the righteousness of Jesus Christ, credited to a person enabling him/her to be justified in the eyes of God.

Two Adjectives For Battle Of Bunker Hill, Articles L