This audio sermon and transcript is entitled laodicea, the lukewarm church, and is from the ministry of david legge, a christian preacher and bible teacher from belfast, northern ireland. In the list, the old testament contained 22 books, and these books were arranged in a manner that is similar to what can be found in the present english bible. 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. Revelation 3 commentary the message to laodicea bible gateway. A round trip visit to all the seven churches of revelation, starting at laodicea, would be 523 kilometers or 325 miles. I think a better explanation is that he is saying you are completely useless to. A message to the messengers a bible study on what jesus has to say to the ministerial force entrusted with feeding his flock ministers, the messages of revelation 3 are directed to you. Laodicea was a wealthy banking center and proud of her rich resources. Revelation is the scariest book in the bible, yet its also one of the most comforting, reassuring, and exciting books in the bible. Laodicea, laodiceans encyclopedia of the bible bible. The apostle john recorded jesus christs messages to seven churches in revelation 2 and 3. To the church in laodicea revelation 3 kjv the bible. In his letter to the church of laodicea, jesus warns us about the danger of selfsufficiency.
I say unto you, is equivalent to the old testament formula, as i live, saith jehovah. The laodicean church was a christian community established in the ancient city of laodicea on the river lycus, in the roman province of asia, and one of the early centers of christianity. The city, originally named diospolis the city of jupiter and then rhoas, was given the name laodicea by king antiochus ii. Everyone one here in southern california looked down at their bible and started looking at whats in chapter 10. The seventh and final letter to the churches of ancient asia minor is to the church in the city of laodicea. Water is an important necessity for any metropolis, and the ancient city of laodicea accommodated this need.
Laodicea was the chief city of phrygia in the lycus valley, strategically located where three highways converged. Laodiceans, epistle to the international standard bible. Open your bible to revelation chapter 3 and we will look again at our text, verses 14 to 22, the final of the seven letters to the churches in asia minor, namely the letter to the church at laodicea. The amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of god, says this. And unto the angel of the church of the laodiceans write. But that is not the message of the bible and certainly not the message of revelation. To the church in laodicea and unto the angel of the church of the laodiceans write.
Aune, david, revelation, word biblical commentary, dallas texas, 1997. But because of the great light that god has given them, the great bible truths for our time, which should have caused them to be zealous unto good works, living and sharing these precious truths with the rest of the world. To the angel of the church in laodicea write and here were introduced to the correspondent the amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of god, says this. They are taken chiefly from the epistle to the philippians, but here and there one is borrowed elsewhere, e. I was listening to a radio show about the church of laodicea, the commentator was saying that the definition of laodicea is rule of the people and i wondered if this could actually mean social justice since this is what a lot of modern churches are striving for instead of the gospel.
Laodiceas strategic position helped to make it one of the richest commercial and financial centers in the roman empire. It is not listed as a canonical book or cited as scripture by the church fathers, and it was explicitly rejected by jerome and others in ancient. On the radio you are sharing the services of the first baptist church in dallas. All kjv books old testament only new testament only apocrypha only. The city of this name mentioned in scripture lay on the confines of phrygia and lydia, about 40 miles east of ephesus revelation 3. And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the laodicea ns. Firstcentury laodicea sat astride two major trade routes. The message jesus to the church of laodicea reveals the christless character of many. By 1991, many of the churches had changed their hymnals to suit the trends of the time.
In his book, the revelation of jesus christ, on pages 51 and 52, and we have this in our revelation unveiled booklet. Laodicea laodicea the city of this name mentioned in scripture lay on the confines of phrygia and lydia, about 40 miles east of ephesus rev. Why did the church in laodicea receive a direct message from the lord. It was originally called diospolis and then rhoas, but afterwards laodicea, from laodice, the wife of antiochus ii. Furthermore, jeremiah was considered to be associated with the terms baruch and the. The amen, the faithful and true witness, the head of gods creation, says these things. Laodicea, on the other hand, was wealthy and powerful, but its abundance produced a spirit of indifference and apathy, which was especially evident in the church. Now i want you to show me that in the scriptures, because as i read scripture, i find. But if that evil servant says in his heart, my master is delaying his coming, and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards. Nasb first, the word, amen, literally means so be it. Salute the brethren which are in laodicea, and nymphas, and the church which is in his house. As head of the church, christ cannot use them in the spiritual state in which he finds them. Lessons from the church of laodicea prophecy for today.
This is part 10 of a chapterbychapter bible study series in the book of revelation. The book of hebrews begins, in the past god spoke to our forefathers. Some have printed a new bible which puts god in the feminine, and now we see the overspreading of abominations daniel 9. And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the laodiceans. They cannot be said to be cold and so utterly disregardful of religion, or of christian faith and custom. The epistle to the laodiceans is a lost although witnessed in codex fuldensis letter of paul the apostle, the original existence of which is inferred from an instruction to the congregation in colossae to send their letter to the believing community in laodicea, and likewise obtain a copy of the letter from laodicea greek. As many as i love, i rebuke and chasten, he thundered, therefore be zealous and repent. Of course, it closes with an injunction to the laodiceans to exchange epistles with the colossians. This is the eighth and final part in the bible study series. According to expositors bible commentary, a sixmilelong aqueduct brought laodicea its supply of water from the south.
Laodicea was a wealthy, industrious city in the province of phrygia in the. The message to laodicea is not a message of hopelessness. After each message, everyone is told, he who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches revelation 3. The major weakness of laodicea was its lack of a water supply. All three of these churches are named by paul in the colossian letter, and an epistle, now probably lost, was sent to laodicea. This need was met by bringing water six miles north from denizli through a system of stone pipes water conveyed to laodicea through these pipes was lukewarm by the time it reached the city holman bible dictionary, 1994, laodicea.
Study the bible, learn about jesus christ, get christian living advice online. In all the letters, except the letter to laodicea, there is a commendation, and it is vital for gods people at the end of time to take heed of the laodicean counsel because, sadly, we have done nothing to commend. Does christ aim this message directly to the church in our timethe most critical moment in world history. The epistle to the laodiceans is included in all 18 german bibles printed prior to luthers translation, beginning with the first german bible, issued by johann mental at strassburg in 1488. Revelation 10 and the laodicean church prophecy, seven thunders, and laodicea. This is not the first time we read about the church at laodicea. In august 1987, a wellknown evangelist in the church of god said, you would be surprised how often the work internally mirrors the world externally. These things saith the amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of god. Lessons from the church of laodicea september 30, 2017 charles cooley this is the last letter out of seven that jesus dictated and it is perhaps the saddest for it highlights how easy it is for all of us to get complacent and satisfied with the status quo. The first to timothy was written from laodicea, which is the chiefest city of phrygia pacatiana. Now, at the beginning of the series, in the introductory bible study, we read a section from our booklet on the book of revelation wherein we quoted a work by a man named john walvoord. Now lets open our bibles to revelation chapter 3, and we come to the last of the letters to the seven churches, the letter to the church at laodicea.
Laodicea was a wealthy city during the roman period. The church at laodicea was most likely established sometime. Someone who is hot is obviously zealous, actually living the faith that they proclaim. Christ in the book of revelation what is in the old testament spoken of jehovah. Read hot, cold, and lukewarm from christian radio ministry thru the bible with dr. The church was established in the apostolic age, the earliest period of christianity, and is probably best known for being one of the seven churches of asia addressed by name in the book of. The church of laodicea in the bible and archaeology. Christs message to his church at laodicea was direct and unyielding. A letter to laodicea nation of judgment the seven churches. Robert baralepistlespaperon the lukewarm church at laodicea2032006 adpage 4 abstract st. That there was a flourishing church at laodicea, in the primitive times of. This is the final segment of my notes from a weekly study of the book of revelation covering the church at laodicea.
You could certainlyand ive seen some even in former soviet republics that are that way, as well, with money from the west. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot. What was jesus message to the church in laodicea in. His immediate audience is the 1st century church at laodicea, but his warnings are. It was thereby a highly commercial and wealthy city.
In johns vision, recorded in the book of book of revelation, christ instructs john to write a message to the seven churches of asia minor. Beyond laodicea was the romes eastern province of phrygia. Therefore the church, instead of giving way to the bible, has been trying to bend the bible to the church. The lord rejects such churches and christians, for christ does not compromise with men. Revelation 10 and the laodicean church bible tools. Also notice what jesus says in a parable concerning the time just before his return. Why does the author of the book of revelation call the church of laodicea lukewarm. The church of laodicea in the bible and archaeology biblical. In our preaching through the bible, we have come to the. The poignant plea, though directed first to the church at laodicea.
Epistle to the laodiceans the lost books of the bible. Very few among us wish to be associated with the church of the laodiceans. Laodicea forbids use of epistles of barnabus, council of. The beloved disciple john is almost certainly the author of the book, but unlike other new testament letters, the first few chapters of this book seem to be like a dictation straight from jesus. Perhaps not surprisingly, the church of laodicea is noted as being wealthy in the bible see revelation 3. The ancient town stood on a plateau nearly a hundred feet above the river. Among the seven churches, laodicea is the last before the return of christ, and it is unquestionably dominant today. The church of laodicea is the last of seven churches. Members of the church must take this observation into consideration because we have an urgent and critical responsibility to prevent the world from. Not only was laodicea located on major trade routes that connected it to important cities like ephesus, smyrna and sardis, but also it was a center of textile production and banking. In these the pauline epistles, with the epistle to the hebrews, immediately follow the gospels, with laodiceans standing between galatians and ephesians. Johns vision of the holy spirits message to the church at laodicea is a message of chastisement for lukewarm faith that had compromised with a pagan world.
Now, you remember that in each case the letter begins with an identification of the one who writes, none other than the lord jesus christ. King james bible dictionary reference list laodicea. Philadelphia, both chronologically and organizationally, has now virtually disappeared from the scene, leaving only patiently enduring individuals scattered. Laodicea was situated in the valley of the lycus, near colosse and hierapolis. The laodicean church was a christian community established in the ancient city of laodicea. Laodicea was built at the junction of the lycus and maeander valleys and at the intersection of three major roman highways. In the council of laodicea, cyril of jerusalem provided a list of scriptures that were considered to be divine. Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Index books of the bible revelation church in laodicea. The muslims have been buying up the churches and using them, converting them to mosques, but you could certainly find many churches today that represent laodicea, at least in america. What was jesus message to the church in laodicea in revelation. One curious feature of many manuscripts of the latin vulgate is the inclusion of the apocryphal epistola ad laodicenses. Rather than accepting aid from the roman empire, the people of laodicea refused any help and rebuilt the city themselves with. Since revelation is an endtime book, the overview given in revelation 2 and 3 is especially significant at this time.
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