The Greek used here, emesai, means to vomit. It was named Laodicea by the Greek ruler Antiochus II Theos around 260 BC in honor of his wife Laodice. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. Even though Jesus spent time with sinners, he never called them friends. The city was also famous for its red dye, made from the juice of the madder root, and the leaves for medicinal purposes. Jesus desires to come in, sit down at the table, and enjoy the food and company. Confession is the mind moving the lips; repentance moves the heart. David Treybig is a husband, father and grandfather. What, or rather, who, are these angels? Pay close attention! The first thing we need to look at is what it means to be cold. Hear God. The second thing we need to look at is what it means to be hot. Laodicea built an aqueduct that ran from the mountains above Colossae to the city center. Revelation 3:20. The word amen conveys the idea of something faithful, reliable, and believable, and is typically used this way in the Old Testament. We must pray and cry out to God, and our lust for sin has to feel the pain of being denied. Because you say, I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothingand do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked (verse 17). Go to God. Chemicals such as cyanide solution or mercury are introduced to the gold to separate the gold from other metals. Near the temple of the special god associated with healing there was a market for trading all sorts of goods. Various thermal installations, which included immense hot basins and pools for swimming, were built to take advantage of the natural resource. About Laodicea (See Colossians 2:1; 4:13-16) . Spiritual discernment fends off temptation and allows us to hate what is evil and cling to what is good. The eye salve must be purchased, and it is expensive. Repentance is more than a feeling. There are several thoughts on who they are: (1) actual angels, (2) a human representative of them, i.e., the bishop of the church, (3) they are a personification of the church. Praying for the sick should also be the norm for a hot Christian. In John 14:14, Jesus said: You are my friends if you do what I command you. Had this church been filled with non-Christians, Jesus would not have called them friends. Copyright 2004 -, Transliteration of Amen From Hebrew to Greek to English. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ. He's locked out of his own house. The word for dine is the Greek word (deipns), which means to eat at a banquet.24 This word for dine is very similar to the Greek word for dinner deipnon, the evening meal. 1. Click the button below for more information about the copyright.Copyright. There is a difference between transliteration and translation. Is that type of failure even possible for an angel? They have a lot in common with the church in Corinth. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15 NASB. They probably think they are just like any other church. Listen, that you may live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, according to the faithful mercies shown to David. The Greek word for faithful, ( - pistos) means true, sure, trustworthy, believable, worthy of credit.9 The Greek for true, ( - alethinos) means loving truth, veracious and hence worthy of credit.10 (According to dictionary.com, the word "veracious" means habitually speaking the truth; truthful; honest.) It has everything to do with imparted righteousness. Gold ore extracted from mines in the earth contains a significant amount of impurities, including traces of other metals. That would not be logical since the church at Laodicea has already accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. Of course, Gods love extends to all humanity. So what does it cost to purchase eye salve from Christ? What was it the Laodiceans were supposed to be victorious over? His names include: the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness and the Beginning of the creation of God (verse 14). The city of Laodicea (Greek Laodikeia) on the Lycus (Laodicea ad Lycum), situated one mile south of the Lycus River in the Lycus Valley west of Colossae and south of Hierapolis, was established and fortified about 261 BC by the Seleucids under Antiochus II Theos. We have been warned and cautioned to be ready for His arrival. Amen is not an actual Greek word. Both of these cities were known for the pure waters that flowed through them. Although Laodicea produced the best eye-salve in the ancient world, the Laodicean Christians were blind when looking at their spiritual state. 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. Hebrews 5:11-14 shows how the eye salve to fix spiritual discernment is utilized. In this situation, you are not standing for Christ; you are standing for yourself. Gods Word is a sword. He has served in the pastoral ministry for over 40 years, pastoring congregations across six states. The stone and salve were later imported throughout the Greek and Roman world but their first known use and preparation was in Laodicea. (Luke 9:23, Luke 14:26) It costs us something. It is important to understand that Jesus does not call just anyone his friend. You, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. The water came either from hot springs and was cooled to lukewarm or came from a cooler source and warmed up in the aqueduct on the way. The fertile valley contained pastures with large flocks of sheep. He was very careful about whom he called friend. Jesus never referred to anyone who was not his disciple as a friend. We know from this introduction that what follows is being said by Jesus. "Eyesalve to rub in your eyes" Laodicea was also famous as a healing center. All rights reserved. Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat. Laodicea was a city full of merchants. It can only come by the revelation of Jesus Christ to the believer, and then must be developed by way of training in righteousness (Hebrews 5:14) and prayer (Ephesians 6:18). Industry Dont become lukewarm about Gods way of life! 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. 2. It doesnt matter if you sit on the hot side of the room, or the cold side of the room, dont sit in the lukewarm center. As the faithful and true witness, Jesus is relaying to us what he heard from God the Father. In John 1:14, we read the astonishing words that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus could be described as the Word personified. Transliteration changes the Hebrew letters (Hebrew is read from right to left but my chart below has it from left to right to make it easy to understand.) 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 writer speaks to those who had become dull of hearing, meaning they had little to no spiritual discernment. The ancient Greeks thought that only a barbarian would drink undiluted wine. 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). One of the two Roman theaters is remarkably well preserved, and there may still be seen the stadium, a colonnade, the aqueduct which brought the water across the valley to the city by an inverted siphon of stone pipes, a large necropolis, and the ruins of three early Christian churches (ISBE). It was a banking center. Near the temple of the special god associated with healing, Men Karou (who later became identified with Asclepius), there was a market for trading all sorts of goods (Ramsay, Seven Churches, p. 417). Christ told the church at Laodicea to buy___from Him so they could see. hippie fest 2022 michigan; family picture poses for 5 adults; unforgettable who killed rachel; pacific northwest college of art notable alumni; adler sense of belonging family constellation; The sin in His nature had received its death sentence when He said, Your will be done, God. As disciples who follow Jesus, we must learn to hate the sin in our own life, deny ourselves, and take up our cross. The fruit of godly repentance is unmistakable: earnestness (zeal) to do what is right in the eyes of God. Laodicea boasted of one of the most renowned medical schools in the world, and with it came all of its associated industries like pharmaceuticals. Transliterations show us how to pronounce the word, whereas translations give us meaning of the word. Gods problem with this church was not that it was an inactive body of believers. Instead of looking to God to supply their every need, they look to their wealth instead. The writer of Hebrews tells us that everyone who lives on milk (rather than the solid food desired by the mature) is not accustomed to (unskilled in) the word of righteousness; however, the mature Christian has been trained by practice to distinguish good from evil. Christs threefold prescription to cure their condition paralleled the physical circumstances that had apparently deceived them. The church at Laodicea stands accused of being shamefully naked. 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. At the foot of Mount Cadmus, it benefited from an endless supply of cold, freshwater coming down from the snow caps. Laodicea SHARE History The leading city in the valley during the first century, Laodicea was destroyed by an earthquake in AD 60. The phrase ears to hear is used throughout the Bible, starting with Deuteronomy 29:4. A change in behavior will follow true repentance. 3. Once again, Jesus Christ begins this message by identifying Himself as the One giving the message. When Jesus speaks, the church needs to listen. What I said was important! Those who have ears to hear allow the Word to bear fruit to the glory of God. (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: 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. EYESALVE i'-sav (kollourion; collyrium; Revelation 3:18 ): A Phrygian powder mentioned by Galen, for which the medical school of Laodicea seems to have been famous (see Ramsay, The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia), but the figurative reference is to the restoring of spiritual vision. To fully understand what amen means, you must turn to the Old Testament. He encourages them to overcome just as He did. The first part of this process is accomplished by pulverizing or crushing the gold ore and then placing it in a furnace. The Holy Spirit will come and show us the way out. Cling to the Vine "I am the vine; you are the branches. The black wool of Laodicea produced some stunning dark-colored garments. Instead of being victorious over temptation, temptation had been victorious over them. Jesus wants you to be hot. By knowing and obeying the Word of God, you will be trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. After letting him ineffectively try to cover himself, God provided clothing for him. Hierapolis achieved great renown for its hot springs and day spas. (19) Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. Your time in the Word should be, at a minimum, four times a week.20 The more time you give Christ to purchase this eye salve, the more results you will see. This promise is amazing because, whenever we do overcome in the battles of life, it is always through Him. A cold Christian visits the shut-ins, the hospitalized, and in prison. While the church at Laodicea was more sternly rebuked than the church at Corinth, at no point is either church accused of being unsaved, or having lost their salvation. I dont think so. It almost always represents purity, righteousness, or wisdom. Ho! As Jesus warned in His Olivet Prophecy, But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. It was uncontaminated water straight from the mountains. What is the time of need? Revelation 3:14-22 In addition, its wealth came from the production of a fine quality of famous glossy black woolwhether dyed or natural in color is not known. While the original name of the city came from Antiochus IIs wife, the name also has an interesting meaning in Greek. First of all, it begins with recognizing with a heart-rending awareness that we have defied God when we sin. The Greek word arche, which is translated Beginning, has a range of meanings from beginning, origin to the person or thing that commences to that by which anything begins to be to the first place, principality, rule, magistracy (Thayers Greek Lexicon). Christ told the church at Laodicea to buy____from Him to become truly rich. More than likely, the members of the church in Laodicea were carnal Christians. This letter was not written by a weary shepherd, hoping to be let in for some comfort and a bite to eat. Jesus' friendship with this church is so deep that he is willing to point out their problems. And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. The city was at the crossroads of north-south traffic between Sardis and Perga and east-west from the Euphrates to Ephesus. Water is an important necessity for any metropolis, and the ancient city of Laodicea accommodated this need. 4. "11 (According to dictionary.com, the word "aver" means to declare positively, or state something as a fact.) (15) I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. Good deeds (Ephesians 2:10), godliness (1 Peter 1:15), Christ-likeness (1 Peter 2:21), and fulfilling the demands of the Law (Rom 8:4) are all part of the cost in purchasing white garments from Christ.). Youre going to have to spend time reading the Word, studying the Word, memorizing the Word, meditating on the Word, and obeying the Word. Laodicea was also known as a center for the wool and dye trade. Greek 2854. kollourion -- eye salve. We must ask God for forgiveness and for strength to avoid sinning. It was about 100 miles east of the port city of Ephesus. The great Roman road stretching to the inland of Asia from the coast at Ephesus ran straight through its center, making Laodicea an important center of trade and communication. The word discipline is the Greek word (paideu) and means to correct, to chastise.22 The basic idea behind this word is correction or guidance. If anyone in the church hears Christ's voice and opens the door, he will come and dine with them. We now come back to the question of how do you buy from Jesus' refined gold? 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). What did they think it meant to be cold? Never miss a post! Baldwin Park Eye Care | We are located at 4829 New Broad St, Orlando, FL, 32814. In terms of healing, the hot Christian will be bringing souls to Christ, healing them of their sinful condition. This occurs as we repent when we learn that we have sinned and as we allow ourselves to be led by Gods Holy Spirit. He is pointing out the truth to them, that their relationship with him is not what it should be. Consider the following: Jesus then tells the Laodiceans that He has given them this strong correction because He loves them and wants them to be zealous and repent (Revelation 3:19). John is only the recorder of the words, faithfully writing down what Jesus is saying. It was a central banking center and traded well in black wool and an innovative eye salve used for medicinal purposes. Those who do not have "ears to hear" are spiritually dead and cannot obey God until they respond to His work in their hearts (John 6:65; Romans 11:8). Remains of a water pipe in Laodicea (photo by David Treybig). It would appear so. People traveled from around the world to obtain these supposed healing elixirs. Its like lukewarm coffee. Actions, behaviors, motives, and the heart are all intertwined; they cannot be separated. This process causes the gold to coagulate and form nuggets and clumps of gold. 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. Uniquely situated on a large flat-topped hill, the town was protected from the flooding in the spring when the snow melted off the nearby mountains. The discipline of Christ stated in Hebrews 12:5-11, explains that God's discipline proceeds from his love and seeks to develop righteousness in his people. Faith is the means (produces the results) of sanctifying grace, Now to the business of how to purchase white garments from Christ. There are a couple of points that I need to make here that you might not have seen before. They think they have need of nothing because they are saved and on their way to heaven. 18a I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich. But we have to invite Him inside. Verse 14 leaves no doubt the Jesus Christ is the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. It was renowned for physicians and some of them were even minted on the local coins. Temples had a joint purpose of worship and medical studies. God has appointed Him heir of all things and made the universe through Him. Also, read Proverbs chapter eight. The word zealous is the Greek word (zeleue) and means to be eager, earnest.23 The church is commanded to be earnest or zealous, which means a passionate eagerness to do God's will. Colossae had been a major trade center on the trade route from Sardis to Konya and was famous for the dark red wool cloth that carried that its name, colossinum (also derived from the madder root). The time of need is when temptation comes when we see and feel the sin in our flesh when we struggle to keep ourselves from sinning. There was still hope for the church at Laodicea. The truth is that sometimes the wicked prosper (Jeremiah 12:1). 14cthe Beginning of the creation of God. Website design, HTML and CSS coding by Steven P. Wickstrom Gold mined from rock always has impurities. 20a Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him. 3. (22) He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.. His obedience was because, as a man, He had self-will that was in agreement with the Father's. Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance. The word hot is the Greek word (zestos) and means hot or boil.15 Quite possibly, the Laodiceans may have associated the word hot with the hot waters of Hierapolis. The phrase he who has an ear qualifies everyone who will listen and obey. Therefore, since Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 1 Peter 4:1-2. into Greek letters, and then into English letters. Before considering the significance of this term and the rest of the message from Christ, lets note a few things about Laodiceas history. You would have thought that this was the ultimate act of humility. Time. Throughout the ages Satan has blinded the minds of most people (. 2. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version ( 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.). Laodicea was known for it's black wool. Since it was socially unacceptable to serve lukewarm wine in Greek culture, I get the image of Christ being insulted by being served lukewarm wine and him spitting it out in response to that insult. They produced a world-famous salve, reputed to cure certain kinds of eye diseases. It is to have a sense of what is right and what is wrong. The time you give Christ to purchase this eye salve, the more results you will see. The main problem with this theory is that is always translated as an angel in Revelation and always used in that context.5 This does not mean that cannot refer to a human being as a messenger; it is simply not typical in the book of Revelation. Jesus is telling the church that He doesnt simply know their deeds; He knows the motives in their hearts. It looks like Laodicea had put their faith in the gold that perishes. There was no corresponding word in the Greek language to match the Hebrew word amen. Along with Colosse and Hierapolis, it was one of the cities in the fertile Lyous [sic.] The focus of sanctification is the healing of the dysfunctionality of sin (it is imparted). There is a major problem associated with being an angelic angel. He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). The first question well delve into is why they needed to purchase white garments. In other words, the name indicated that people made their own decisions. Fortunately for us, Jesus is that friend. What happens if the church does not hear his voice and does not open the door?
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