Thank you! Laodicea was a church that had not overcome sin but rather been overcome by sin. What I said was important! Those who have ears to hear allow the Word to bear fruit to the glory of God. To purchase something requires an exchange. Unfortunately, Colossae did not have the wealth that Hierapolis or Laodicea possessed, and the city did not completely rebound from the earthquake in 60 A.D. as well as they did. What, or rather, who, are these angels? 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. . Be referring to himself as the beginning of the creation of God; he once again ascertains his deity. If we are humble and willing to obey, He will give us the strength and resolve we need to endure in the battle. Youre going to have to give him your time. 3. The Laodiceans needed to turn away from putting their trust in their earthly gold and instead put their trust in Jesus Christ, and that would involve repentance. Another lesson from the message to Laodicea is that we must be doers of Gods Word. The term lukewarm is a key word used to describe Laodicea. Jesus leaves no doubt that what is about to follow is true and should be taken very seriously because they are his words. If this is what Christ had in mind, then being a cold Christian would be like giving someone a cool refreshing drink on a hot summer day. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing . The major idea behind this word is constancy and reliability.8 Isaiah referred to God as the God of amen, due to his truthfulness and trustworthiness (Isaiah 65:16). The focus of this verse is on deed or works. 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. (1 Peter 1:5-9 NASB). 2. Revelation 3:14-22 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 truth is that sometimes the wicked prosper (Jeremiah 12:1). Its another way of saying, Listen up! This act concealed the shame of his nakedness. Jesus used scripture as a weapon. 4. Sanctification is a progressive work of God and man that makes us more and more free from sin and like Christ in our actual lives.19 Imparted righteousness is applied imputed righteousness, or to put in simpler terms; sanctification is applied justification. Hot water is only effective while it is hot. 3. A lustrous black wool was produced there which was woven into much-desired clothing. Theres no time to waste. If there had been a corresponding word in the Greek language, then amen could have been translated. Confession is the mind moving the lips; repentance moves the heart. laodicea means human rightsNitro Acoustic. Colossae quickly decreased in importance. One of the famous Laodicean remedies was a "Phrygian eye-salve" which was supposed to cure inflammation. One of the two Roman theaters is remarkably well preserved, and there may still be seen the stadium, a colonnade, the aqueduct which brought the water across the valley to the city by an inverted siphon of stone pipes, a large necropolis, and the ruins of three early Christian churches (ISBE). Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? 15byou are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 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?. 14bthe faithful and true Witness. The Roman historian Tacitus wrote that the Laodiceans had again refused aid from Rome following an earthquake that badly damaged the city in A.D. 60 (Annals, 14:27). The word beginning (arch) could be translated as that by which anything begins to be, the origin, active cause.12 The New Testament scriptures are very clear about Christ's role in creation. Phileo is the Greek word for friend or friendship. These Christians believe they are rich by believing in Christ and have abundance by their good works. Laodicea was known for three things: It was a wealthy city and a financial center. The first thing we need to look at is what it means to be cold. Your time in the Word should be, at a minimum, four times a week.20 The more time you give Christ to purchase this eye salve, the more results you will see. 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. Laodicea was a city located in what is today the nation of Turkey, then called Asia Minor, in a section of the Roman Empire called "Phrygia" (Acts 18:23). Never miss a post! Therefore, the Lord Jesus tells them to buy eye salve from Him to see their spiritual state. Jesus also told the Laodiceans to "anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see" (Revelation 3:18). It almost always represents purity, righteousness, or wisdom. (Luke 9:23, Luke 14:26) It costs us something. Even Aristotle spoke of the medicines from Laodicea that supposedly helped with eyesight and hearing. 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. . In the New Testament, eyes tend to represent spiritual discernment (Matthew 13:10-17, 1 John 2:11). Listen, that you may live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, according to the faithful mercies shown to David. The eye salve must be purchased, and it is expensive. He often started a statement with Amen, amen, I say to you. (Many verses in the Gospels such as John 5:24 translate amen as truly, or verily.) We are to present ourselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). 19a Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline. The focus of sanctification is the healing of the dysfunctionality of sin (it is imparted). Laodicea boasted of one of the most renowned medical schools in the world, and with it came all of its associated industries like pharmaceuticals. 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. There are two terms that I would like to point out, and those are attrition and contrition. Attrition is regret for sin prompted by fear for oneself: Oh, no. Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat. A change of heart will follow honest confession. In our world filled with technology, material prosperity and modern conveniences, many mistakenly assume that they do not need God. 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). And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ. Church of the Lukewarm: Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22) November 7, 2021. Incline your ear and come to Me. You would have thought that this was the ultimate act of humility. Near the temple of the special god associated with healing, Men Karou (who later became identified with Asclepius), there was a market for trading all sorts of goods (Ramsay, Seven Churches, p. 417). They have a lot in common with the church in Corinth. 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. In terms of textiles, a hot Christian is clean, lives a pure life abstaining from sin, and the colorfastness of the Holy Spirit ensures the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) doesnt fade. Jesus knew how to use God's grace. This occurs as we repent when we learn that we have sinned and as we allow ourselves to be led by Gods Holy Spirit. Imparted righteousness is the righteousness of sanctification, wherein God causes the Christian to become more and more Christlike. 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. In ancient Greek culture, the evening meal was a social event. What did Christ mean? God the Father sanctifies (1 Corinthians 1:30) by the Spirit (2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2) and in the name of Christ (1 Corinthians 6:11). This process causes the gold to coagulate and form nuggets and clumps of gold. The residents would go there daily to fill their jars with the cold refreshing water from Colossae. 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. He humbled Himself to the Father's will. In Gods eyes, anything not done for Him, has no value, no use, no purpose. John is only the recorder of the words, faithfully writing down what Jesus is saying. On the cross daily, they suffer and die. Incline your ear and come to Me. The image is of a Savior who expects that His church will be looking for Him, awaiting His arrival. and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. This messageas well as all of the othersis still important for Christians today. Greek 2854. kollourion -- eye salve. But it's written that it was as a man that He humbled Himself, and was obedient. But hot water also had another use. We know from this introduction that what follows is being said by Jesus. Your time in the Word should be at a minimum, four times a week. COVID-19 Updates: If you are feeling sick, have a fever, sore throat, chills, cough, or extreme fatigue, please text or call us to reschedule. The word amen conveys the idea of something faithful, reliable, and believable, and is typically used this way in the Old Testament. 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. 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. Other sources suggest that the water came from a hot spring with mineralized water containing sulfur, giving it an unpleasant taste and smell. For us to purchase something from Christ, something is required. 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.). The phrase ears to hear is used throughout the Bible, starting with Deuteronomy 29:4. It costs our will. His obedience was because, as a man, He had self-will that was in agreement with the Father's. The black wool of Laodicea produced some stunning dark-colored garments. If you have, you can probably imagine what Jesus is experiencing. The stones were ground up to powder which was mixed with oil producing a well-known eye balm that was distributed throughout the Greek and Roman world. Six miles to the north, the town of Hierapolis sat on the top of the cliffs overlooking the valley. Is that type of failure even possible for an angel? 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. There are several thoughts on who they are: (1) actual angels, (2) a human representative of them, i.e., the bishop of the church, (3) they are a personification of the church. What did they think it meant to be cold? If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches (Revelation 3:14-22). The hot/cold issue begs the question: What exactly is God talking about? 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