What was jesus message to the church in ephesus in. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot. The people in laodicea went to great trouble trying to get something hot or cold, but they ended up w neither. But the laodicean church was neither hot nor cold just lukewarm. We are at present at the end of the age of the laodicean church which is described in revelation 3. Every one of us turning and reading that message can learn something from this particular message. It seems more natural to think that this attitude would be the least likely to dominate in such terrible timesthat it ought to be obvious that the return of christ is near. Each of these messages includes information apropos to each church, and from these messages we can draw lessons applicable to our own lives today. Number twentythreetestimony for the church chapter 27the laodicean church. Laodicea was known as the richpoor church, high on reputation, low on substance. A number of expositors down through history have held that the seven churches represent seven sequential stages of church history.
While each church received a unique message, christ told john that all of the messages were to be applied to all of the churches. An updated and expanded commentary on this passage can be found in pauls book letters from jesus. The drifting of the laodicean happens so subtly that he is unaware of the decline of his spiritual perception and vigor. I would say that this is a picture of many, many churches today in the great denominations that have departed from the faith.
Laodicea was also a very wealthy city, thriving economically from the production and sale of wool and cloth, and this has lead biblical scholars to believe that the church of laodicea had grown comfortable in its wealth and position, as noted in verse 17, because you say, i am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing. In johns vision, recorded in the book of book of revelation, christ instructs john to write a message to the seven churches of asia minor. The church of laodicea in the bible and archaeology. What was jesus message to the church in laodicea in.
Laodicea, laodiceans encyclopedia of the bible bible. The laodicean church is a lukewarm, indifferent, insipidly spiritual church. The church of laodicea, what the actual city represent is something we can easily see in america, canada and other parts of the world. One curious feature of many manuscripts of the latin vulgate is the inclusion of the apocryphal epistola ad laodicenses. What was jesus message to the church in laodicea in revelation.
Regarding this condition, macarthur has given us an accurate picture. Darris mcneely the message to the church at laodicea, it is one of the most sobering that the church could hear today. In all the letters, except the letter to laodicea, there is a commendation, and it is vital for gods people at the end of time to take heed of the laodicean counsel because, sadly, we have done nothing to commend. The nasb reads that he is the beginning of the creation of god. The words of the p amen, q the faithful and true witness, r the beginning of gods creation.
Most importantly they didnt recognize their own state in gods eyes. It doesnt make any difference to the laodicean church what it doesnt matter. What happens when a person begins drifting is that human nature deceives him to judge two things wrongly. The church of laodicea in the bible and archaeology biblical. The ancient town stood on a plateau nearly a hundred feet above the river. Laodicea is the seventh of the seven churches listed in the book of revelation. Truth in history is a weekly halfhour television program featuring charles a. The laodicean church became predominant towards the end of the twentieth century.
It is described as a time when m en shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, unholy, luke warm, lacking true knowledge, etc. The message is from the lord jesus christ via an angel or messenger likely a reference to the church s pastor. There is no doubt that apostle john wrote this one book for seven churches and he included the messages for churches. Why does the author of the book of revelation call the church of laodicea lukewarm. The third thing i want to mention about is the church. Revelation 2 begins a series of brief letters to seven churches that existed during the apostle johns time in asia minor modernday turkey. What the church is suffering from is lukewarmness to the things of god. It is a church that is characterized by lukewarmness which becomes a metaphor for being nonsaved people. The seventh and last study about the seven churches of revelation is concerning the letter to the church at laodicea.
Salute the brethren which are in laodicea, and nymphas, and the church which. Index books of the bible revelation church in laodicea. It is the attitude that now permeates the modern western church. A in the book of revelation where jesus is addressing the seven churches, how are we to regard them. Enduring word bible commentary revelation chapter 3. Christ will bring forward this book of life, and show the names of the faithful, before god, and all the angels, at the great day. A commentary on the book of revelation chapter 3 letters. Robert baralepistlespaper on the lukewarm church at laodicea 2032006 adpage 4 abstract st. David guzik commentary on revelation 3 continues the letters jesus wrote to the seven churches. A round trip visit to all the seven churches of revelation, starting at laodicea, would be 523 kilometers or 325 miles. God reveals his love for the laodicean when, rather than giving up on him, he gives him a punishing trial. The final message is addressed to laodicea, the lukewarm church revelation 3. Jesus says to the church there, because your brand of christianity is lukewarm, i want to spit you out of my mouth. This means that all the seven churches with all their rebellion have come together in one church.
The city of laodicea today is nothing but rubble and half buried tombs that have long ago had their contents rifled through. To the church in laodicea 14 to the angel of the church in laodicea write. The amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of god, says this. Christ has his book of life, a register of all who shall inherit eternal life.
What was jesus message to the church in ephesus in revelation. A letter to laodicea nation of judgment the seven churches. There are a lot of books and commentaries written about the book. The epistle to the laodiceans is a lost although witnessed in codex fuldensis letter of paul the apostle, the original existence of which is inferred from an instruction to the congregation in colossae to send their letter to the believing community in laodicea, and likewise obtain a copy of the letter from laodicea greek. The letter to the laodicean church may be the best known of the seven revelations letters.
Lessons from the laodicean church christiantoday australia. In fact, if there were any believers in this church, they arent even referred to in the letter at all. Revelation is the book of end time things, but in the inauguration of its chapters, apostle john mentioned about seven churches. Domitian was notorious for being the first roman emperor who declared himself a god while still alive. The book of revelation was penned during the roman emperor domitians reign r.
Swindoll swindolls living insights new testament commentary revelation tyndale house publishers, inc. Lukewarmness in the church introduction all of the messages to the churches of asia are extremely practical, but perhaps none fits the conditions in both europe and in north america as does the message to laodicea, the church that had become so lukewarm in its deceptive selfsufficiency. These things saith the amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of god. The city, originally named diospolis the city of jupiter and then rhoas, was given the name laodicea by king antiochus ii. Christ in the book of revelation what is in the old testament spoken of jehovah. The people that think because they have money, status, position, and recognition that they dont need anything else. Perhaps not surprisingly, the church of laodicea is noted as being wealthy in the bible see revelation 3. Domitian was notorious for being the first roman emperor who. This age is the age of laodicea, the last of the church ages described in revelation. Age of laodicea the last days of the final church age. The church was established in the apostolic age, the earliest period of christianity, and is probably best known for being one of the seven churches of asia addressed by name in the book of revelation.
The message that christ gives to the church at laodicea is important to every one of us. These are the words of the amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of gods creation. But it is also the most troubling letter for many christians. The laodicean church was a christian community established in the ancient city of laodicea. The seventh and last of the attitudes within the church, laodiceanism is the attitude that dominates the era of the end time. It is not listed as a canonical book or cited as scripture by the church fathers, and it was explicitly rejected by jerome and others in ancient. Are they symbolic of church history, and would that make the church today a correlation or an example of the laodicean church.
This lukewarmness is one of the outstanding characteristics of the laodicean church of the book of revelation. What insight do these verses give to help you understand the meaning of that. All three of these churches are named by paul in the colossian letter, and an epistle, now probably lost, was sent to laodicea. The church of laodicea is the last of seven churches. Aune, david, revelation, word biblical commentary, dallas texas, 1997. Between those positions of hot and cold, you have this lukewarm state. Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters at laodicea, and to nympha and the church in her house. February 2008 this sermon was delivered at the iron hall evangelical church in belfast, northern ireland, by pastor david legge. Laodicea was a wealthy, industrious city in the province of phrygia in the lycos valley. Laodicea was situated in the valley of the lycus, near colosse and hierapolis. Why did the church in laodicea receive a direct message from the lord. A commentary on the book of revelation letters to sardis, philadelphia, and laodicea by tom stewart sardis, philadelphia, and laodicea. Nasb first, the word, amen, literally means so be it. The lord rejects such churches and christians, for christ does not compromise with men.
The church of the laodiceans is mentioned in colossians 4. The lord jesus had nothing good to say about this church. He says to the angel of the church in laodicea now, theres no record of the founding of the church but we can sort of put two and two together. In his physical wealth, the laodicean is poor in the things that really count and blind to his need. And to the angel of the church of the laodiceans write laodicea lay south of philadelphia in the way to return to ephesus. It was transcribed from the tenth recording in his the book of the revelation series, entitled laodicea, the lukewarm church transcribed by preach the word. Laodicea was but one of seven churches in western asia minor at the time that christ gave the message of the book of revelation to john on the island of patmos. Jezebel of thyatira commentary a testimony of jesus. The poignant plea, though directed first to the church at laodicea.
The approach that has the least objection to it is to take jezebel as a symbolical name for some prominent woman in the church of thyatira. The world, the church, and laodiceanism church of the. Study the bible online using commentary on revelation 3. The view is known as the historicalprophetical view. There is a book of life, and it determines if we go to heaven or hell. However, notice that the lord jesus christ is standing outside of the church at laodicea knocking for permission to enter. While the apostle paul was ministering in ephesus, his friend epaphras evangelized the lycus valley. The message to the church of the laodiceans is a startling denunciation, and is applicable to the people of god at the present time. Laodicea, lukewarm, cold or hot, revelation 3 free. Give my greetings to the brothers at laodicea, and to nympha and the church in her house. Revelation 3 bible commentary matthew henry concise. Johns vision of the holy spirits message to the church at laodicea is a message of chastisement for lukewarm faith that had compromised with a pagan world. The message to laodicea is not a message of hopelessness.
268 377 410 720 1065 121 326 270 1084 663 831 1331 796 822 424 712 1491 976 1305 1040 706 844 790 1207 1520 822 224 1153 806 956 1201 610 387 220 21