Sunday, March 13, 2016

Revelation 3:14-22 comments: Laodicea

14 ¶  And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20  Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 22  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Christ is the faithful and true witness of the truth.
John 18:37  Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
Christ is the beginning of and the initiator of God’s creation and every creature.
Colossians1:15  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
John 1:3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
This church of Laodicea is lukewarm and blind to its condition but Christ loves them anyway. This speaks to the patience of Christ.
Verse 18 – Note Peter’s statements;
1Peter 1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 8  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9  Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
As many as Christ loves, He rebukes and chastens.
1Corinthians 11:32  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
Wonderful verses are 20 through 22. Notice He gives no qualification to that. Just open the door to Him and He will come in to sup with you. Those who overcome will sit with Him in His throne.
There are additional verses about reigning with Him. You are all in or all out. There is no middle ground and lukewarm is not an option. This church is warned.
2Timothy 2:11  It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: 12  If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 13  If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
Revelation 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Some commentators say that, along with representing historical churches in a physical location at John’s writing, these churches represent types of churches or even the dominant attitude of Christian belief in different stages of history. This method of understanding refers to ages of church history. If that is the case then here is the condition of the churches at the end of church history, the Laodicean period, as defined by Paul. The context here is the church, not the world, as the world has always been like this. But, this is the church!
1Timothy 4:1 ¶  Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2  Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3  Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
2Timothy 3:1 ¶  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6  For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7  Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8  Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 9  But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.
    10 ¶  But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, 11  Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12  Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 13  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

These seven churches in what is now western Turkey are gone and did not survive the Muslim/Turkish invasions and the destruction of the Eastern Roman Empire. 

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