John's Letter to Laodicea

John’s letters to the seven churches in the New Testament book Revelation or the Apocalypse have been the subject of diverse interpretation and debate for two thousand years. This is particularly true of his letter to Laodicea, believed by many evangelicals to represent the Christian Church at the period of Christ’s second coming. Other scholars view the letter as an isolated communication, describing historical observations apart from allegorical motivations.

 

Laodicea as an Important Roman Metropolis in Asia Minor

 

John’s letter is detailed in Revelation 3:14-22 and describes a Christian community in the midst of a thriving city. Established between 261-246 BCE, Laodicea was located on an important eastern trade route as well as a site of military movements. It was where King Louis VII of France was defeated by the Muslims in AD 1147 during the Second Crusade.

 

During the time of imperial Rome, Laodicea was known as an important medical site, notably for the treatment of eye problems with a locally produced ointment. Its woolen industry, characterized by black wool, was highly prized. Finally, the city was located less than ten miles from the hot springs at Pamukkale.

 

The Christian Community Critiqued by John’s Final Letter

 

John’s admonition begins with the words of Christ, identified as the “Amen.” The Laodicean Christians were branded as “lukewarm,” neither hot nor cold. Some scholars suggest that John’s metaphor referred to the city’s proximity to Pammukale. By the time the water from the hot springs reached Laodicea, it was lukewarm.

 

The term lukewarm” suggests that the Christian community had allowed compromise with their wealthy community to silence their witness and testimony. They were no different in their everyday lives from others in the community. Their “goodness” was not unconditional and their faith was obscured.

 

The focus of the admonition shifts to the prosperity of the Roman city: “I am rich and affluent and have no need of anything…” The Christians are advised to “buy ointment to smear on your eyes so that you may see.”

 

Here John refers to the medical treatment Laodicea was known for. According to his observation, Christians had no need of God because they were blinded by their own prosperity.

 

Jesus Stands at the Door and Knocks

 

At the end of the passage, Jesus, through John’s writings, “stands at the door and knocks…” Significantly, he is standing outside of the community of believers and hopes that someone will “hear my voice.” The Christians were so preoccupied and self-absorbed, they did not even hear Christ beyond the door.

 

Anyone opening the door would receive Christ in their home, taken to mean their entire being. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus broke bread with those that came to hear him and be taught a different path. Some of the most important and long-reaching fellowships Jesus had were over dining together such as the Last Supper and the evening meal at Emmaus.

 

These were the victors whose garments were white and who had bought from Jesus “gold refined by fire.” The white garments were in contrast to the black wool that made Laodicea so prosperous while the gold represented purity set apart from the gold of commerce.

 

Spiritualizing and Allegorizing the Revelation Passage

 

Are contemporary Christians “Laodiceans?” Observers that highlight the lukewarm nature of 21^st Century Christianity not only believe this but view it as a sign of the “end times.” This is particularly true in industrialized nations where religion has been marginalized by wealth.

 

Like the ancient Laodiceans whose wealthy community was home to a vast banking industry, Christian communities today are often motivated by the gold of greed and power. Laodicea was destroyed during the Middle Ages, conquered by the Turks. Its early Christian churches are merely ruins, hardly attesting to the once proud and prosperous metropolis.

 

Sources:

 

E. J. Banks, “Laodicea,” The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Volume III (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1939)

Fatih Cimok, A Guide to the Seven Churches (Turizm Yayinlari, 2001)

Anna G. Edmonds, Turkey’s Religious Sites (Damko Istanbul, 1998)

New American Standard Bible (Moody Press, 1973)

The author's visit in 2007

Published 3/4/11 Decoded Past, M.Streich