3. This letter was not written by a weary shepherd, hoping to be let in for some comfort and a bite to eat. 18a I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich. The term lukewarm is a key word used to describe Laodicea. There is a major problem associated with being an angelic angel. 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. The image is of a Savior who expects that His church will be looking for Him, awaiting His arrival. 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). 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. "Eyesalve to rub in your eyes" Laodicea was also famous as a healing center. It is the motive behind the action, or works, that is important. Gold, clothing, and eye salve represent the three major industries of Laodicea: banking, textiles, and medicines. Even Aristotle spoke of the medicines from Laodicea that supposedly helped with eyesight and hearing. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches (Revelation 3:14-22). What I said was important! Those who have ears to hear allow the Word to bear fruit to the glory of God. Removing those impurities, such as trace metals and ores, requires the gold to go through a process called smelting. Youre going to have to spend time reading the Word, studying the Word, memorizing the Word, meditating on the Word, and obeying the Word. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth (Luke 21:34-35). 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. The phrase he who has an ear qualifies everyone who will listen and obey. ointment made from spice nard and an eye salve made from Phrygian stones. Thank you! Revelation 3:14-22 Hydrotherapy for the sick became accompanied by religious practices in the local temples. This process causes the gold to coagulate and form nuggets and clumps of gold. It was important for ancient Greeks to eat with company. 15byou are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. If there had been a corresponding word in the Greek language, then amen could have been translated. Industry It costs our life. Never miss a post! A lustrous black wool was produced there which was woven into much-desired clothing. The Laodicean church is not hot. and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). God's discipline may be gentle persuasion to return to right behavior, or he may use punitive action if persuasion fails. Similar to how some people likely spewed the citys unpleasant drinking water out of their mouths, Jesus said He would do the same, yet more violently. One of the most common errors associated with this verse is the notion that the door is the door to a sinners heart. It applied to the water of the city, and it was part of the message from Jesus Christ to the Church of God that was located there (Revelation 3:16). Isaiah 55:1-3 speaks of buying from God without money things that dont have a price. It was a medicine used for treating eye diseases. It is a process where God makes us holy. Colossae quickly decreased in importance. To look at being cold in context, we need to look at it from the Laodicean perspective. The Bible exposes Satan's lies and deceit and is the tool to overcome all the sinful tendencies in our flesh. There is also a problem with assigning the pastor or bishop to the role of the messenger because they are not referred to as messengers anywhere in the New Testament. Mrs Salve Aldea Pineda, RPH is a Pharmacist based in Baldwin Park, California. 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. We are to present ourselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). God advises them to obtain spiritual riches produced through trials, which the self-sufficient Laodicean avoids by compromising. If we are humble and willing to obey, He will give us the strength and resolve we need to endure in the battle. A change of heart will follow honest confession. Zeus, the supreme god, was also worshiped in the city (Expositors). Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance. 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). First of all, it begins with recognizing with a heart-rending awareness that we have defied God when we sin. About Laodicea (See Colossians 2:1; 4:13-16) . 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. In this situation, you are not standing for Christ; you are standing for yourself. As the faithful and true witness, Jesus is relaying to us what he heard from God the Father. Jesus knows what it is like to be human. Then we must take active, practical steps to avoid falling into sin. 4. To purchase from God gold tried in the fire is not only inclining your ear to the Lord, hearing him, going to him and making an everlasting covenant with him, but also loving, believing, and rejoicing as per 1 Peter 1:5-9, (quoted earlier). Your time in the Word should be at a minimum, four times a week. It is showing that all things were created through Him. It is very important to understand that this verse is NOT saying that Jesus was the first thing created; rather, it is stating that Jesus was the source of creation. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. The white clothing we need to purchase from Christ is imparted righteousness. Laodicea also produced a special eye salve that was made by powdering a special Phrygian stone. Keep in mind as you read about the Laodiceans that they are a church filled with Christians. Rather this is the Creator of the Universe, adjuring those He loves to recognize and admit their spiritual emptiness and turn to Him for complete healing and righteousness. Jesus knew how to use God's grace. Isaiah 55:1-3 (NASB). 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. Time. 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. 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). What does it mean to be cold? 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. The first part of this process is accomplished by pulverizing or crushing the gold ore and then placing it in a furnace. Thats pretty strong language. Have you ever been locked out of your own house? Be referring to himself as the beginning of the creation of God; he once again ascertains his deity. 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. Hot water is only effective while it is hot. Laodicea is the seventh of the seven churches listed in the Book of Revelation. 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. 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. This messageas well as all of the othersis still important for Christians today. The city was at the crossroads of north-south traffic between Sardis and Perga and east-west from the Euphrates to Ephesus. Please understand that Christ is not referring to saving faith in this passage. Our eternal perspective affects our earthly priorities. Lets remember the overall lesson from Christs message to Laodicea. Confession by itself is not repentance. "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. Youre going to have to spend time reading the Bible to learn the truth, and by meditating on the Word, reinforce the truth. Laodicea was a town in the Lycus River valley in present-day Turkey. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be . Repentance is more than a feeling. He wants to be the friend that we invite over to dinner. The church is being called on to pay close attention and seek Gods wisdom concerning the written Word. Just in case you're beginning to get the point that the person referred to here is truthful, honest, believable, and worthy of credit (trustworthy); that is exactly the idea that John is pointing out. The Bible speaks of eye-salve. The words of Jesus Christ arise directly from the prosperity and the skill in which Laodicea took so much pride and which had in the minds of its citizens, and even of its Church, eliminated . Jesus himself used the word amen in this context many times. The hot/cold issue begs the question: What exactly is God talking about? People traveled from around the world to obtain these supposed healing elixirs. And it fits not only with the larger context of Jesus' teaching; it fits perfectly with the flow of this passage. Water is an important necessity for any metropolis, and the ancient city of Laodicea accommodated this need. What does it mean to purchase something? NPI number for Mrs Salve Aldea Pineda is 1669536868 and her . We must pray and cry out to God, and our lust for sin has to feel the pain of being denied. What exactly is forgiveness? Used by permission. 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. This occurs as we repent when we learn that we have sinned and as we allow ourselves to be led by Gods Holy Spirit. So what does it cost to purchase eye salve from Christ? It was a central banking center and traded well in black wool and an innovative eye salve used for medicinal purposes. Hebrews 5:11-14 shows how the eye salve to fix spiritual discernment is utilized. That, I believe, is the point. Sign up to receive the week's latest articles, blog posts andupdates. The church at Laodicea was not victorious, but Christ had not yet given up on them. 1. 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. Jesus also told the Laodiceans to "anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see" (Revelation 3:18). Six miles to the north, the town of Hierapolis sat on the top of the cliffs overlooking the valley. The fertile valley contained pastures with large flocks of sheep. But in this verse, Jesus is telling the church that they are naked and in need of white garments that only he can provide. The city also became renowned throughout the empire for it's eye and ear salve. He humbled Himself so that He could achieve His purpose in God's plan by putting God's will before His own. So, as a faithful shepherd, He commands the church to repent immediately. 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