Ik e Church That WaA ¿uketoarm
By G . Coleman Luck
Seventh and Final Message on the Churches of the Revelation W HAT is the spiritual temperature of your church? As we come to the last three churches of Asia Minor we find that their condition may be described in terms of heat and cold. Sardis (Rev. 3:1-6) was cold — the coldness of death. Philadelphia (Rev. 3:7-13) was warm — the warmth of “brotherly love.” Laodicea was lukewarm (Rev. 3:15, 16), and to the Lord this is the most objectionable condition of all. Let us examine in some detail the important epistle to this church in Laodicea— THE CHURCH THAT WAS LUKE WARM. 1. Address. “And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write— ” (Rev. 3:14a). Laodicea was situated in the Lycos valley in the Province of Phrygia and was founded by Antiochus II (261-246 B.C.) of Syria. It was a great and wealthy center of industry, especially noted for the fine black wool o f its sheep, and for its manufacture of medic inal powder for the eyes. When in 60 A.D. it was practically destroyed by an earthquake, Rome proffered aid in rebuild ing, but so wealthy and proud were its citizens that they refused this proffered aid and reconstructed the city en tirely at their own expense. There is a slight but significant difference in the way the Lord addresses this church from the expression He uses in the other letters. In each of the other epistles the formula “the church in........... ” is used. (Note— “ of Ephesus” found in Rev. 2:1 A. V. should really read “in Ephesus” as in the R. V .) But of Laodicea He uses the words “the church of the Laodiceans.” The church at Laodicea had ceased to be a true church of Christ and had become instead the church of the people. Laodicea means “the people’s rights.” This church was controlled by the people with Christ and His will left on the outside. This brings up the question as to what kind of an institution the church should be— an autocracy ruled by a bishop, an oligarchy ruled by the clergy, or a democracy ruled by the people? Regardless of the value of these types of government in the civil realm, none is satisfactory in the church. The true church is a theocracy— under the immediate direction of the living Christ Himself. Neither clergy nor people should rule, but Christ alone. 2. Description of the Lord. “These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God,” (verse 14b). Knowing that Christ was given no place at all in this church, it is interesting to note the way in which He describes Himself. He is “the Amen.” Probably most people think that amen means: “this is the end of my prayer,” but actually it means “verily” or “truly.” We place it at the end of our prayers as an affirmation that we have spoken truly and sincerely rather than hypocritically as the Pharisees did. “Amen is generally used as an adverb of assent or confirmation” (International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia). Christ is the Amen personified; He is ever true and all of God’s promises are confirmed in Him. “ For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us” (2 Cor. 1:20). O C T O B E R , 1 9 4 9
He is “the faithful and true witness.” A witness is one who tells what he knows. One of the chief purposes of Christ’s coming to this earth was the work of His prophetic office— that He might witness to men and reveal to them the Heav enly Father. Surely, we can depend on His testimony. He said, “ Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go . . . I speak that which I have seen with my Father” (John 8:14, 38). How sad to find churches following the fallible teachings of men which contradict the Word of God, when they could be guided by His truth. To complete this description, Christ styles Himself as “the beginning of the creation of God.” The reference here is not to the original creation, for Christ, the Son of God, was Creator there and not a part, even though the first part, of that work. But there is another creation of which He through His Incarnation and Death has become the first Member, and that is the New' Creation. Each believer in Christ, at the New Birth, likewise becomes a member of this New Creation of which Christ is the Head. 3. Commendation of Good Works. None. Only' two of these seven churches have no good works to be commended by the Saviour— Sardis and Laodicea. 4. Complaint. “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth” (verses 15, 16). Christ characterizes this church as lukewarm or tepid. The way to obtain luke warm water is to pour a lot of cold water on a little hot water. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon states that the term is used “metaphorically of the condition of a soul wretchedly fluc tuating between a torpor and a fervor of love.” This condi tion is more obnoxious to our Lord than any other. If a man is not warm for Him it is better that he be cold, for then he may realize his condition and seek some remedy. Did you ever wake up in the night and find yourself not warm enough, but still not cold enough to get up and do anything about it? That is what it means to be lukewarm. Such a condition our Page Seven
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