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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