Who Are The Laodiceans?
 

            The Lord's stinging message to the Laodicean "type" of church seems to apply to much of the church today. But who will confess it? And do we really know and understand what the metaphor of lukewarmness means so that we can respond appropriately to it?

   

           The juxtaposition of "hot" and "cold" as a linguistic device means something entirely different than what we have presumed, and it is extremely important that we understand and respond to the true meaning as intended by the Lord.
           The Lord's letters to the seven churches given to John by revelation were to seven actual churches in Turkey at that time. There were more than seven churches in existence, but these seven represented churches that would be predominant as characteristic "types" of the church in historic order with the Laodicean type being the predominant church during end times.

            Therefore, it would be prudent to examine this specific church to determine if this type of church represents our own denomination, fellowship, or us individually and then make an appropriate response.

 

            The singular characteristic of the Laodicean church is that they are neither "hot" nor "cold" but "lukewarm", and the characteristic of lukewarmness, whatever that represents, is what causes the Lord to issue His stinging condemnation:

 

            So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.(emphasis is the author's)

 

            The assumption most have had in the modern church is that the designation of the Laodicean church's "works" being neither "hot" nor "cold" is a metaphor for spiritual fervor.

             I have found no studies of the Biblical Greek use of "hot" or "cold" as a metaphor for one's religious fervor. Therefore, it is doubtful that the modern metaphor of "hot" meaning "on fire for Jesus" would hold true at the time this letter was given to John, and our presumption that the scriptural use of "hot" as meaning "on fire for Jesus" in this passage has thrown us off track in regard to the real meaning of this metaphor.

            The juxtaposition of "hot" and "cold" is a linguistic device, a parallel metaphor like "light" and "dark" with "light" meaning the full revelation of God's pupose and will versus "darkness" as the absence of revelation. And, by examining the content of the message we are given distinct clues concerning the true application of "lukewarm" as a metaphor.

 

            'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,...Revelation 3:17 NASB

 

         

           The Lord's definition of lukewarmness is the assumption or attitude that we are spiritually rich and our total lack of ability to recognize the fact that we are spiritually wretched, spiritually poor, spiritually blind, and spiritually naked. And those who assume that they are spiritually "rich" are the least likely to recognize that they are actually "wretched" and "poor" in spirit.

 

            This quote from an article in The Apocalypse Chronicles, Volume XII by James Lloyd makes the application perfectly:

 

            "Anyone who has spent any time in the New Testament also knows the Laodicean identity is juxtaposed against the Philadelphian church examined in the same chapter. This is also thought to be the church of true believers in the end times, and this group is modestly lauded as holding to the truth.

            "I can say with all conviction that, over the years, I've encountered significant numbers of believers who automatically assume the Philadelphian church describes their church, their fellowship, their doctrinal approach, their friends, or their circle of believers. In a breathtaking leap of illogic, these alleged 'Philadelphians' refuse to see that because they all  have doctrinal differences which are voluminous enough to fill the Grand Canyon, the odds are enormously stacked against the possibility that any organized group is being represented by the metaphor of Philadelphia.

            "Furthermore, even though this ministry has brought me into contact with tens of thousands of Christians, I've never encountered a single one who said he or she attends services at the church of Laodicea! This inability to recognize one's own Spiritual condition guarantees the party disavowing any involvement in the allegorical "Laodicean" church demonstrates the group being described is massive and universal."

 

            After reading Mr. Lloyd's article I sent him an email saying that I have never been a part of anything other than the Laodicean type of church or fellowship, and that I was under the assumption that the Philadelphian type of church simply did not exist in this day and time, at least in America.

            I have no judgment concerning what the persecuted underground church might be like in China or elsewhere, but I fear that our own "lukewarmness" has polluted them in some way.

 

            In verse 17 the Lord tells the Laodicean church three things that they need to do in response to His assessment of "lukewarmness."

 

1.      They need to "buy" gold refined by the "fire" of testing from Him (described elsewhere as Christian character);

2.      They need to "buy" white garments of genuine righteousness (i.e. putting on Christ) to hide the sinful nakedness of the old man (nakedness that we should assume is not hidden by religious works devoid of true faith);

3.      They need to "buy" eye salve to anoint their eyes so they can "see" by revelation instead of depending on the "blindness" of intellect apart from the guidance and light of the Holy Spirit.

 

            Before we examine the three things the Laodicean church and Laodicean believers are told to do in response to His charge, we need to note that it is not their lack of effort, their eagerness to do religious works, or their commitment to Christ that is being exposed and admonished by the Lord as qualifying them for the "lukewarm" designation.

            The responses they are being charged to make are qualitative, not quantitative. They are not charged to become more fervent in their service of Christ.

            We can't "buy" fervency from Him, and the use of "hot" and "cold" as a metaphor for fervency is, therefore, invalid.

            Instead we must ask the question, "How do we 'buy' Christian character, genuine righteousness, and the ability to see by revelation from Him?"

            All that we have in terms of Christian character, genuine righteousness, and the ability to see by revelation come by "hearing" with spiritual ears and "seeing" with the eyes of our heart the truth, promises, and commands of the Lord and then obeying what we have heard and seen, which is faith.

            The obedience of religious rules and the expectations of men based on the intellectually perceived doctrines, practices, and interpretations of scripture is not faith, and it does not produce Christian character, acts of genuine righteousness, or true obedience.

            Therefore, it is imperative that prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers stop teaching the doctrines of men and demons and begin teaching believers how to rightly divide the scriptures as they are guided by the Spirit of Truth into all truth, thus learning how to "see" truth and "hear" the voice of the Lord in all things.

            This is exactly what Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians.

 

             And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

            As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ...Ephesians 4:11-15 NASB

 

            "Buying" Christian character through the testing of our faith, "buying" eye salve so that we can "see" by revelation, and "buying" genuine righteousness through our obedience to the spiritually revealed voice of the Lord are all activities of genuine faith.

            Therefore, "hot" is the metaphor for Truth (deliberate capital "T"), "cold" is the metaphor for error, and the "lukewarm" designation is the mixture of truth with error, which results in "winds of doctrine" and dead works.

            The reason the Lord would rather we were "cold" than "lukewarm" is because those who are held captive by cold, dead religion, devoid of genuine faith can ultimately recognize their condition when confronted by the Spirit. The shocking revelation of their true condition when they finally "hear" the voice of the Lord will then cause them to repent and be changed.

            Those who are lukewarm, however, will assume that everything they believe and do is of faith and will thus resist any truth, promises, or commands of the Lord that are not in accordance with their established doctrine, practice, and interpretations of scripture.

            Those individuals, fellowships, and denominations that we characterize as being "charismatic", even though they are in disagreement among themselves about doctrine, practice, and interpretations of scripture, are the most likely to assume that the definition of "Laodicean" does not apply to them. But let me remind you again of the Lord's words.

 

            'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,...Revelation 3:17 NASB

 

            Many charismatic believers and fellowships believe that they are "rich" in the Spirit, because the gifts of the Spirit are allowed to flow more freely among them. But these same believers and fellowships continue to distort scripture in many ways in the assumption that the reality concerning the gifts of the Spirit is proof that all they believe concerning doctrine, practices, and the interpretation of scripture is correct.

            Yet, charismatics strongly disagree with one another about many things, proving that they are still impacted by "winds of doctrine" and that they do not have all the truth and are not manifesting the full measure of Christ in the earth as they may assume.

            Therefore, in some ways, the temptation to ignore the message to the Laodicean church, is stronger among charismatics than it is among more traditional denominations.

            A mixture of truth and error naturally produces a "lukewarm" response to the Lord, sometimes responding to the truth by grace through faith, sometimes acting on presumption, and not recognizing the difference.      

            Likewise, the body of Christ is never truly unified, because the presumptions and assumptions that characterize much of our doctrine, practices, and interpretations of scripture, keep getting in the way.

 

            Though none may be willing to confess it, my own assumption is that most of the body of Christ today qualifies for the Lord's definition of the Laodicean church. Those who receive the truth, confirmed by the Spirit, will begin to earnestly examine themselves and the doctrines, practices, and interpretations of scripture that they have identified with and have tenaciously clung to.

            In the end those who do respond to His message will have "bought" the ability to see truth by revelation from Him, "bought" genuine righteousness that comes from hearing and obeying the voice of the Lord, and "bought" Christian character refined by the fire of tribulation. These, then, will be unified with all others who do the same. These are the "wise virgins."

 

            The rest will assume that the Lord's message to the Laodiceans does not apply to them. They will cling to their mixture of truth and error and the precious doctrines, practices, and interpretations of scripture that they identify with and are so heavily invested in. These are the "foolish virgins" who will eventually run out of oil when tribulation comes.

 

            And tribulation is coming.

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Final Instructions - the Lord's final instructions to His disciples on the day He was betrayed and crucified

 

Modeling an inductive, Spirit-guided exegesis of scripture for the purpose of teaching disciples how to more clearly "hear" the voice of the Lord as the Teacher speaks His truth, promises and commands directly into our spirits.

 

by Jim Sayles

 

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