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). It was uncontaminated water straight from the mountains. They may have lost their focus and strayed in their Christianity, but they are still a body of believers that Christ wanted to straighten out. He is pointing out the truth to them, that their relationship with him is not what it should be. 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). 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. Repentance is more than a feeling. Gold, spiritual riches ( I Peter 1:7 ), contrasts with the word "poor," and fire symbolizes trial. One of the most common errors associated with this verse is the notion that the door is the door to a sinners heart. The Greek word for "witness" ( - martus) means "one who can or does aver what he has seen or heard or knows. The name is derived from two words: laos, meaning people and dike, meaning decision (Strongs Concordance). Its like lukewarm coffee. Since Christ is referring to spitting something out of his mouth, the image of lukewarm wine comes to mind. 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). The eye salve must be purchased, and it is expensive. The town was built, perhaps unwisely, on a geological fault from which noxious vapors and hot mineral water escaped. Keep in mind as you read about the Laodiceans that they are a church filled with Christians. 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. Thats pretty strong language. The Greek word amen () was transliterated from the Hebrew word for amen (). It costs our life. Never miss a post! Then we must take active, practical steps to avoid falling into sin. 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). Along with Colosse and Hierapolis, it was one of the cities in the fertile Lyous [sic.] He humbled Himself to the Father's will. It is the motive behind the action, or works, that is important. Amen is not an actual Greek word. The Laodiceans were rich and self-sufficient, with no need for God to supply their needs. Lets remember the overall lesson from Christs message to Laodicea. That would not be logical since the church at Laodicea has already accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. The wine was almost always served either hot or warm, as the ancient Greeks had no efficient way to chill the wine. The focus of this verse is on deed or works. His obedience was because, as a man, He had self-will that was in agreement with the Father's. 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. While Colossae was neither as prominent or wealthy as Hierapolis or Laodicea, its location at the end of the valley made it easy to defend from enemies. What is the time of need? Jesus wants you to be hot. "Eyesalve to rub in your eyes" Laodicea was also famous as a healing center. -- Revelation 3: 14 (ESV) . Go to God. 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. Spiritual discernment is the ability to tell the difference between truth and error. The only way to be in a right relationship with God is through forgiveness. Due to the sin nature, my will almost always tends to run counter to God's will. It looks like Laodicea had put their faith in the gold that perishes. For all its wealth, the city had poor water (comments on Revelation 3:14-22). It is showing that all things were created through Him. What did they think it meant to be cold? Trusted Eye Doctor in Baldwin Park, CA. Physical money cannot purchase the merchandise Christ has for sale; it takes something else. Whats valuable both now and in eternity is what God cares about: treating people right, forgiveness, and loyalty (Matthew 23:23, Micah 6:8).Were meant to use possessions and love people, not love possessions and use people. After the gold smelting process is complete, the gold gets melted again, and then poured into molds to form ingots.17. (Luke 9:23, Luke 14:26) It costs us something. 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. Transliteration changes the Hebrew letters (Hebrew is read from right to left but my chart below has it from left to right to make it easy to understand.) He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). As for rebuilding the city after an earthquake, history records that the Laodiceans did this again a few decades later. The church at Laodicea was not victorious, but Christ had not yet given up on them. "And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: 'The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. David Treybig is a husband, father and grandfather. "Laodicea had a famous school of medicine; and a special ointment known as 'Phrygian powder,' famous for its cure of eye defects, was either manufactured or distributed there, as were ear ointments also. "Laodicea had a famous school of medicine; and a special ointment known as "Phrygian powder," famous for its cure of eye defects, was either manufactured or distributed there, as were ear ointments also. As we will see, this was clearly a characteristic of the self-reliant people of this city. The word for love used in this verse is not agape but phileo. It was about 100 miles east of the port city of Ephesus. Only a few are willing; the rest have ears, but they do not have ears to hear (Matthew 7:1314, 2427). What will happen to me? Contrition, on the other hand, is regret for the sin committed against Gods love and regret for having grieved the Holy Spirit. At the foot of Mount Cadmus, it benefited from an endless supply of cold, freshwater coming down from the snow caps. In the situations of daily life, when tempted by impatience, irritation, envy, discouragement, etc. Modern Laodicea: Four Characteristics Similar to its ancient type, 21st-century Laodicea suffers from a number of specific ailments including: (1) pride in financial wealth and abundance of goods, (2) lukewarm temperature, (3) blindness, and (4) nakedness. About Laodicea (See Colossians 2:1; 4:13-16) . 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. Thank you! The positive aspect is that if someone does hear his voice, and does open the door, Jesus will come in. 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. Youre going to have to give him your time. The essential element in real repentance is that we must come to God in humbleness to request his forgiveness. As the water cooled down, it lost its effectiveness. In the first theory, if the angel is an actual angel, then we can infer that each church has its own guardian angel. Suffer in the flesh, cease from sin. The word hot is the Greek word (zestos) and means hot or boil.15 Quite possibly, the Laodiceans may have associated the word hot with the hot waters of Hierapolis. Incline your ear and come to Me. Colossae quickly decreased in importance. But it's written that it was as a man that He humbled Himself, and was obedient. The hot/cold issue begs the question: What exactly is God talking about? It is possible that faith was the refined gold that Christians were told to purchase from Jesus. 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 encourages them to overcome just as He did. Laodicea was a town in the Lycus River valley in present-day Turkey. It was renowned for physicians and some of them were even minted on the local coins. Some have wondered if the last name mentionedthe Beginning of the creation of Godindicates that Jesus was a created Being. People came from all over the empire to purchase this medicine. 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). It was part of a long trade route that included the four previous cities to the north. It is an often-used phrase that Jesus utilized when speaking in parables. 1 Peter 1:5-9 compares faith with refined gold. Following the pattern of the other letters, this one was also to the angel of the church. Jesus also told the Laodiceans to "anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see" (Revelation 3:18). So what does it cost to purchase eye salve from Christ? There was still hope for the church at Laodicea. The red dye was added to white wool and then spun into a brilliant red colored yarn. Because you say, I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothingand do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and nakedI 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. A lustrous black wool was produced there which was woven into much-desired clothing. As we await the return of Jesus Christ to earth, we need to avoid becoming callous to Gods way of life and His expectations of us. It was named Laodicea by the Greek ruler Antiochus II Theos around 260 BC in honor of his wife Laodice. 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. Hear God. This act concealed the shame of his nakedness. The salve is responding to the work of God's Spirit as His word . The mineral water from Hieroplis helped to lock in the color dyes so that the color did not fade after being washed multiple times. These Christians believe they are rich by believing in Christ and have abundance by their good works. Laodicea boasted of one of the most renowned medical schools in the world, and with it came all of its associated industries like pharmaceuticals. The fertile fields below the city were excellent for growing crops, and the foothills had good pastureland. Justification by its very nature does not have a progressive character. 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. 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.) 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 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). (16) So because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. 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. What does it mean to purchase something? Jesus used scripture as a weapon. All things are through Him, and we exist through Him. Colossians 1:16 (HSCB) says, For everything was created by Him, in heaven, and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things have been created through Him and for Him. Hebrews 1:2 (HSCB) says, In these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son. In addition, its wealth came from the production of a fine quality of famous glossy black woolwhether dyed or natural in color is not known. 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. The phrase ears to hear is used throughout the Bible, starting with Deuteronomy 29:4. laodicea means human rights Tatko na pesmaricu. He was very careful about whom he called friend. Jesus never referred to anyone who was not his disciple as a friend. Jesus is standing at the door, expecting his servants to open it. 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. First of all, it begins with recognizing with a heart-rending awareness that we have defied God when we sin. 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. To be a hot Christian could have several different meanings (or a combination of them) to the Laodiceans. Here we see Christ speaking as a merchant, advising the church to buy his merchandise. The ancient Greeks thought that only a barbarian would drink undiluted wine. Laodicea was a city full of merchants. We now come back to the question of how to purchase white garments from Christ, but before we do that, there a couple of terms that I need to define. Instead of being victorious over temptation, temptation had been victorious over them. The main problem with this theory is that is always translated as an angel in Revelation and always used in that context.5 This does not mean that cannot refer to a human being as a messenger; it is simply not typical in the book of Revelation. We cant relax and mistakenly assume we have it made. Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance. Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat. Knowing this historical fact sheds light on why the church in Laodicea would have been told that Jesus would give them salve to put on their eyes so they could truly see. After identifying Himself, Jesus immediately tells the church at Laodicea that He knows their worksthat they are neither cold nor hotand because they are lukewarm, He will vomit them out of His mouth (Revelation 3:15-16). On the cross daily, they suffer and die. People commonly but mistakenly believe that wealth means that God is pleased with them. Natural fire burns away natural impurities. What did they think it meant to be hot? This occurs as we repent when we learn that we have sinned and as we allow ourselves to be led by Gods Holy Spirit. 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. The Bible speaks of eye-salve. Since Scripture tells us that the Word (Jesus) was in the beginning with God and that all things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made (John 1:1-3), we know that Jesus was not a created Being. He and his wife, Teddi, have two grown children and seven grandchildren. The phrase he who has an ear qualifies everyone who will listen and obey. I got caught. Even though Jesus spent time with sinners, he never called them friends. It was a banking center. Incline your ear to his voice. Gold ore extracted from mines in the earth contains a significant amount of impurities, including traces of other metals. 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