BEMA Episode Link: 181: Revelation — Lukewarm Laodicea
Episode Length: 26:29
Published Date: Thu, 13 Aug 2020 01:00:00 -0700
Session 4
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings travel to the last of the seven churches of John’s apocalypse: Laodicea. We’ve heard the warning against being a “lukewarm Christian.” Is there more context to this idea?

Revelation — Lukewarm Laodicea Presentation (PDF)

Discussion Video for BEMA 181

The Early Church — Ray Vander Laan (Amazon)

TTWMK Faith Lessons on DVD and Digital (Focus on the Family)

Transcript for BEMA 181

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

BEMA 181: Revelation - Lukewarm Laodicea - Study Notes

Title & Source Summary

Episode: 181 - Revelation: Lukewarm Laodicea Hosts: Marty Solomon and Brent Billings Focus: Revelation 3:14-22 (The Letter to the Church at Laodicea)

This episode examines the seventh and final letter in the Book of Revelation, addressed to the church at Laodicea. Marty and Brent explore the often-misunderstood passage about being “lukewarm” by diving deep into the historical, geographical, and cultural context of this ancient city. Through understanding Laodicea’s unique position between Hierapolis and Colossae, its economic prosperity, self-sufficiency, military significance, and water problems, the hosts reveal how John’s letter is saturated with Old Testament references that speak directly to the city’s specific circumstances. The episode challenges common interpretations that use this passage to criticize spiritual apathy, instead showing how the text calls believers to be useful and effective in God’s Kingdom.

Key Takeaways

  • The “lukewarm” metaphor is not about spiritual apathy or sitting on the fence; it is about being useless rather than useful for God’s purposes
  • Laodicea’s lukewarm water was a literal problem caused by hot mineral water from Hierapolis mixing with cold spring water from Colossae, creating undrinkable water that clogged their pipes
  • The city was known for extreme self-sufficiency: they rejected Roman bailout money after the AD 60 earthquake and minted coins that said “We did it ourselves”
  • Every detail in the letter to Laodicea references either their local cultural context or Old Testament scripture
  • John’s apocalypse is deeply rooted in Hebrew scripture, requiring knowledge of the Old Testament to fully understand
  • The Laodicean church ultimately responded well to this rebuke, becoming a significant church in Asia Minor and honoring Polycarp, John’s first disciple
  • God’s discipline is an act of love, refining His people to become more useful in His Kingdom

Main Concepts & Theories

The Geography and Water Problem

Laodicea sat in a triangular relationship between two other cities:

  • Hierapolis: Known for hot mineral springs with healing properties flowing from cliff faces; a major tourist attraction and vacation spot for Roman soldiers
  • Colossae: Had a cold, refreshing freshwater spring; known for its special red wool called “colossinum”
  • Laodicea: Located in the middle, suffered from terrible water quality as the hot and cold waters mixed to create lukewarm, mineral-laden water that was useless for drinking

The archaeological evidence shows a fountain in Laodicea that had to be replumbed multiple times because pipes constantly clogged with white mineral deposits. The city had to pipe water in from 35 miles away, a problem that continues even in the modern city built on the same location.

Economic Self-Sufficiency and Pride

Laodicea was extraordinarily wealthy and self-reliant:

  • Home to a major mint and banking institution for the Roman Empire
  • After the AD 60 earthquake (which also hit Hierapolis and Colossae), Rome offered bailout money to rebuild
  • Hierapolis accepted the money and rebuilt; Colossae received no money and eventually vanished from history
  • Laodicea rejected the bailout and rebuilt on their own, later minting coins with the phrase “We did it ourselves”
  • This self-sufficiency was apparently viewed as respectable rather than insulting to Rome
Military and Cultural Significance

Laodicea served as a regional military and entertainment center:

  • Housed a massive arena seating approximately 60,000 people for gladiatorial combat
  • The best gladiators fought there, and people traveled from across the region to watch
  • Roman military used it as a training station where gladiators would train soldiers in weapons they had invented
  • Large military presence meant soldiers frequently invoked “angaria” law to demand meals from local citizens
  • Unlike neighboring Hierapolis, Laodicea never complained to Rome about this burden
Commercial Products

The city was known for two major exports:

  • Tramata: Black wool garments, a fashion statement similar to a modern leather jacket
  • Eye salve: A medical treatment made from mineral mud from Hierapolis that was famous in the ancient world for healing certain types of blindness
The Letter’s Cultural References

Every element of John’s letter directly addresses Laodicea’s cultural context:

  1. “Neither cold nor hot… lukewarm” - References their actual water problem; not about spiritual fence-sitting but about being useless instead of useful
  2. “I am rich… do not need a thing” - Echoes their “We did it ourselves” attitude and self-sufficient wealth
  3. “Buy from me gold refined in the fire” - Contrasts true spiritual wealth with their banking and minting institutions
  4. “White clothes to wear” - Contrasts with their famous black wool (tramata)
  5. “Salve to put on your eyes” - References their famous eye salve, suggesting they are spiritually blind despite their cure for physical blindness
  6. “I stand at the door and knock” - Alludes to the angaria law where soldiers would knock demanding meals; Jesus knocks but makes no demands and offers to dine with them as equals
  7. “Sit with me on my throne” - Possibly references Zeno, the famous orator from Laodicea whose three children all married royalty and sat on thrones
Old Testament Foundations

The letter is saturated with Hebrew scripture references:

  • Isaiah 55:1-2 - “Come buy wine and milk without money” speaks to those who are wealthy but spiritually poor
  • Isaiah 65:16 - “The God who is Amen” provides the opening title for Jesus in the letter
  • Proverbs 3:11-18 - “The Lord disciplines those he loves” and wisdom being more valuable than gold
  • Hosea 12:7-8 - “I am very rich; I have become wealthy” - the merchant who boasts in riches
  • Leviticus 18:28 and 20:22 - The land will “vomit you out” if you defile it, providing the language for being spit out
The Hermeneutical Principle: Culture and Text

Marty emphasizes the consistent BEMA approach to reading Revelation:

  1. First, understand the cultural and historical context
  2. Second, identify the Old Testament texts being referenced
  3. Only then can you properly understand John’s message

This approach reveals that Revelation is not primarily about future predictions but about applying timeless biblical truths to specific historical circumstances.

Examples & Applications

Modern Misinterpretation vs. Proper Understanding

Common Youth Group Teaching: “God would rather have you against Him than lukewarm. Get off the fence! Stop being apathetic!”

Proper Contextual Understanding: God wants you to be useful. Hot water brings healing (like Hierapolis). Cold water brings refreshment and life (like Colossae). But lukewarm water that is neither healing nor refreshing is useless and even destructive (like Laodicea’s water problem). The point is not that God prefers opposition to neutrality, but that He desires His people to be effective and purposeful rather than ineffective and useless.

Self-Sufficiency and Spiritual Blindness

Laodicea’s economic success and self-reliance had blinded them to their spiritual poverty, just as modern prosperity can blind us:

  • They said “We did it ourselves” and needed no help from Rome
  • Jesus says they are actually “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked”
  • They exported eye salve to heal blindness but could not see their own spiritual condition
  • They wore fashionable black wool but needed white garments to cover their shame
  • They operated a mint and bank but needed gold refined by fire

This mirrors how material success and self-sufficiency can create spiritual complacency in any era.

The Nature of Divine Discipline

The Laodicean church’s positive response to this sharp rebuke demonstrates that:

  • God’s discipline is an expression of love, not rejection (Proverbs 3:11-12)
  • A rebuke received well leads to transformation and usefulness
  • The church at Laodicea went on to become a significant presence in Asia Minor
  • Archaeological evidence shows they honored Polycarp, John’s first disciple, in a beautiful mosaic
  • Sharp correction does not mean failure or abandonment
Jesus’s Invitation vs. Roman Demands

The contrast between soldiers invoking angaria and Jesus knocking:

  • Roman soldiers would knock and demand a meal by law
  • Citizens had no choice but to comply and would never dine with the soldiers as equals
  • Jesus knocks but makes no demands
  • He offers to dine with anyone who opens the door
  • He invites them to sit with Him as honored guests

This illustrates grace: Jesus does not coerce or demand, but invites us into genuine relationship and partnership.

Potential Areas for Further Exploration

  1. The Earthquake and Parousia: How does the concept of Rome’s “parousia” (coming/presence) through bailout money relate to God’s parousia and the ultimate rescue/restoration He offers?

  2. The Five Churches with Rebukes: A comparative study of the five churches that received sharp corrections to understand patterns in how self-perception differs from God’s perception

  3. Angaria Law in Jesus’s Teaching: How does the practice of Roman soldiers demanding service inform Jesus’s teaching in Matthew 5:41 about going the second mile?

  4. Wealth and Spiritual Poverty: A biblical theology of how material prosperity can create spiritual blindness (see also the rich young ruler, the parable of the rich fool, warnings in 1 Timothy 6)

  5. The Color Symbolism: Why white garments throughout Revelation? What is the significance of the contrast between Laodicea’s black wool and God’s offer of white clothes?

  6. Zeno and His Children: Research into this famous orator and whether his legacy provides additional layers of meaning to the throne-sitting promise

  7. Modern Laodicea: How does the rapid archaeological progress in modern Laodicea compare to the ancient city’s character of self-sufficiency and rapid rebuilding?

  8. Polycarp’s Connection: Why would Polycarp be honored in Laodicea? What was his relationship to this church specifically?

  9. The Amen: A study of how “Amen” functions as a divine title in Isaiah 65 and what this reveals about Jesus’s identity in the opening of the letter

  10. Hot and Cold Language Order: Brent notices the phrase goes “cold nor hot” then “hot nor cold” - is there significance to this reversal?

Comprehension Questions

  1. How does understanding Laodicea’s geographical position between Hierapolis and Colossae change the interpretation of Jesus’s statement about being “lukewarm”? What was He actually criticizing?

  2. What were three major aspects of Laodicea’s self-sufficiency and pride, and how does Jesus’s letter specifically address each one?

  3. Explain the significance of the angaria law and Roman soldiers knocking on doors. How does this cultural practice deepen the meaning of Revelation 3:20 where Jesus says “I stand at the door and knock”?

  4. Identify at least three Old Testament passages that John references in the letter to Laodicea and explain how each one applies to the church’s situation.

  5. How does the Laodicean church’s response to this rebuke challenge common assumptions about the “failure” of the seven churches in Revelation? What evidence exists of their positive response?

Summary

The letter to Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-22 has been widely misunderstood as a condemnation of spiritual apathy or “fence-sitting.” However, when we understand the historical and cultural context of this wealthy, self-sufficient city with its unique water problem, every detail of Jesus’s message comes into sharp focus.

Laodicea sat between Hierapolis, with its healing hot mineral springs, and Colossae, with its refreshing cold spring water. The mixture created lukewarm, mineral-laden water that was useless for drinking and constantly clogged their pipes. Jesus’s point was not that God prefers opposition to neutrality, but that He wants His people to be useful - either hot (bringing healing) or cold (bringing refreshment), but not lukewarm (useless and even nauseating).

The city’s extreme wealth and self-sufficiency, epitomized by their rejection of Roman bailout money and their coins proclaiming “We did it ourselves,” had created spiritual blindness. Despite their banking institutions, fashionable black wool garments, and famous eye salve, they were spiritually poor, naked, and blind. Jesus offered them true gold, white garments, and salve for their eyes - not the physical products they exported but the spiritual realities they lacked.

John crafted this letter by weaving together cultural references familiar to Laodiceans with Old Testament passages from Isaiah, Proverbs, Hosea, and Leviticus. This demonstrates that Revelation is not disconnected prophecy about the distant future but is deeply rooted in Hebrew scripture, applying timeless biblical truths to specific historical situations.

The remarkable outcome is that Laodicea apparently heeded this sharp rebuke. Rather than being “spit out,” the church became a significant presence in Asia Minor, eventually honoring Polycarp (John’s first disciple) in a beautiful mosaic in their church building. This demonstrates that God’s discipline is an act of love, intended to refine and restore rather than to destroy. The letter challenges modern readers to examine whether our own self-sufficiency and prosperity might be blinding us to spiritual poverty, and to respond to God’s loving correction by becoming truly useful in His Kingdom purposes.

Edit | Previous | Next