Who Was the Church of Laodicea in Revelation?
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Laodicea is one of seven first-century churches Jesus addressed in the book of Revelation. It is also the only church of the group which receives no praise from our Lord, only rebuke. Although the church existed in the first century, Jesus’ message is as much for us as it was for them.
What Do We Know about the City of Laodicea?
In the Greco-Roman world of the first century, the city of Laodicea dwelt in the Lycus River Valley located in Asia Minor, what is now the western region of modern-day Turkey. Within the Lycus River Valley, Laodicea shared a prosperous trade route with two other cities: Hierapolis and Colossae. The city received its name from Laodice, a wife in the Seleucid Dynasty in the 3rd century BC. In some regards, the city reflected the splendor of Rome, as it sat upon seven hills just as did the ancient capital of the world. It contained three marbled theaters, a vast wall encompassed the city, and several prosperous industries bolstered the economy which included banking, clothing manufacture, and a medical school (all three industries are referenced in Jesus’ rebuke).
The surrounding land was rich and fertile due to the abundance of the water which flowed through the valley. Archeologists uncovered a system of aqueducts that entered Laodicea from the south to transport water from the local region. Apparently, the city did not have a useful water supply of its own to draw from like the other two cities. Hierapolis from the north boasted of its hot springs, said to have medicinal properties and Colossae from the south lay claim to cold water, ideal for drinking. The Roman historian, Tacitus recounts a great earthquake around 60 AD that destroyed the city of Laodicea. The proud, wealthy citizens took upon themselves the task to rebuild the city from their own means, refusing any financial aid offered from Rome.
Why Was God Rebuking Laodicea?
Jesus’ rebuke of the church at Laodicea revolves around the idolatry of wealth. The people clearly took pride in providing for themselves through their own material means. This pride was rooted in more than just providing for their basic needs to survive; it was rooted in a life of luxury (Revelation 3:17).
Meanwhile, Jesus reveals the desolate spiritual state of the church. The people measured their success in terms of their financial well-being and failed to understand (or remember) true success is determined by our obedience to the Lord (Matthew 6:19-20). Godly obedience occurs when we conform our attitudes and practices to the commands in Scripture. God does not judge His saints by comparison of material gain, but rather He judges them based on how faithfully they live for Him (2 Corinthians 3:10-15; 1 John 2:28). Success will look different for every believer depending on the life and circumstances the Lord provides. Scripture offers no shortage of warning against the idolatrous pursuit of wealth (Matthew 19:23; 1 Timothy 6:10).
The proud attitude of the Laodicean church which claimed, “I need nothing”, is a far cry from the lesson learned in the Lord’s model prayer, when He said, “give us this day our daily bread.” As believers, we have been enlightened and entrusted with the very truths of God’s Word (1 John 1:1-4). We have an obligation to God and a responsibility to the world to bear witness to the Gospel through the testimony of our lives. It is often the first thing the world notices. People observe our lifestyles and practices before they understand our doctrines. The Laodiceans were living a lie. God clearly tells us He is the true source of provision for our lives. Everything we have, including any wealth, comes from Him. Even the sunshine is a gift graciously given by our heavenly Father (Matthew 5:45).
The Church exists to give Christ glory. The Gospel is not merely about God saving sinners from Hell; it is also a call to repentance where the sinner acknowledges Christ as Lord and strives for His kingdom, not their own. Everything a Christian does should revolve around the relationship they have with Christ. Tragically, the Laodiceans had taken their eyes off Jesus and looked to wealth as the fulfillment of their lives. In essence, they became like the world while bearing the name of Christ. This was blasphemous.
When the Laodiceans turned their hearts toward wealth, they portrayed a distorted image of Christ to the world by their own worldliness. In doing so, they not only sinned against God, but they also destroyed their witness for the Gospel. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns us to be careful not to lose the effectiveness of our witness. He asks, “if salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again” (Matthew 5:13). The rhetorical response of course is it can’t.
Even if we graciously assume the Laodiceans were giving from their wealth to some extent, it is clear it had nothing to do with Christ. They may have even enjoyed regular fellowship, sharing their material blessing amongst each other, gaining favor with the community through their kind deeds. It doesn’t matter. Humanitarian efforts detached from the Gospel do not bring glory to God. Jesus rebuked the church of Laodicea, calling their deeds “lukewarm” (Revelation 3:15-16). Some have incorrectly stated this description implies being average or lacking in zeal for God. Such a notion does not fit the context of the passage because it gives too much credit to the Laodiceans. Even when we are “average” or lacking zeal in our godly living, our actions may still have some use for the Lord. Hot and cold water both have their prospective uses; however lukewarm water is completely useless. In fact, lukewarm water is not merely useless, but it is also detestable. For this reason, Jesus warns the Laodiceans He is about to spew them out of His mount (Revelation 3:16). The literal translation of that phrase means to vomit. This is not just a statement to make the Laodiceans feel bad for making Jesus sick; it is a warning issued by our Lord that He is about to remove the Laodicean Church from their sphere of influence if they don’t change. Jesus does command the Laodiceans to be zealous, but this is coupled with repentance. He is not asking them to put more pep in their step. He is commanding them to yield again to His lordship and restore their fellowship with Him (Revelation 3:19-20).
How Can We Avoid Becoming like the Laodicean Church?
A regular dose of the complete Gospel message is vital to prevent the church from embracing the self-reliant attitude harbored by the Laodiceans. The Gospel is much more than just “fire insurance.” The Gospel makes the very core of a Christian’s life. It reveals God’s glory, love, and holiness. The Gospel shows us our relationship with the Lord far exceeds anything this world could ever offer; to pursue anything else above God is vain and foolish. The Gospel also reveals the truth of our sin nature, including our total depravity. Humans do not merely need a little help getting back on track. Scripture reveals our hearts are desperately wicked and deceitful (Jerimiah 17:9). Outside of Christ, we are incapable of doing anything good according to God’s perfect standard. Only the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit enables the Christian to live in a pleasing manner toward the Lord.
Jesus tells us we can do nothing apart from Him (John 15:4-5). He is not saying we can’t function in everyday activity if we don’t abide in Him. Instead, Jesus teaches us we can’t do anything godly apart from Him. It is essential for Christians to actively depend on the Holy Spirit to cleanse their hearts and minds and bless their actions to yield spiritual fruit in their lives. If we stop depending on the Lord, we will depend on other things.
We live in a society that flaunts independence. People who don’t need to ask for anything are exalted. There’s a place for independence in the church, and God gives all people a workload He expects them to carry (Galatians 6:5). However, we never lose our dependence on God, let alone replace Him with things we acquire through our own efforts. Many pastors make the mistake of confining their preaching to moralistic teachings. They will tell the congregation how to be a better person, but they will fail to remind the people of their complete dependence on the work of the Holy Spirit made possible through the atoning work of Christ.
If you’re like me, you forget things often and need reminders. Christians will never outgrow their need to be reminded of things they already learned. Much like checking the oil in a car or any other form of maintenance work, we need to be reminded of fundamental doctrines, so our lives don’t drift away on the winds of false beliefs. Pastors who only emphasize moral living without stressing the Gospel or our dependence on God, inadvertently encourage a lifestyle built on self-righteous legalism. The people in the congregation may depend on their own efforts and moral behavior to produce their righteousness.
Some people may find it cruel for a pastor to consistently remind them of their depravity and sin nature. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our sin nature poses the greatest threat to our relationship with God (Galatians 5:16-17). When a person is made aware of a danger which threatens their life, they immediately look for any available safety features to see them safely through. In a similar manner, the purpose of reminding people about their sin nature and depravity is to cause them to cling to God and look to Him alone for deliverance. The Gospel makes us aware of our sin, but it also gives us eternal hope. We have the good news Christ has redeemed us. There is nothing which can pluck us from His mighty hand. Furthermore, because of the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, we can now delight our God by living a life that is pleasing to Him. All praise be to God for giving us the means to walk in the footsteps of our loving Savior.
Photo credit: Robin Spielmann/Unsplash
