Church at Laodicea
Lukewarm Church
Laodicea was built on a plateau one hundred feet (30.5 m) above the valley floor on the south side of the Lycus River
No fresh water springs were near Laodicea, although two small tributaries of the Lycus River were nearby. Since those streams dried up in the summer months, the residents of the flourishing city relied primarily on the aqueducts carrying water from the southern city of Denizli
Antiochus II rebuilt the city and named it after his wife Laodice.
Although the attitude of self-sufficiency was respected by Rome, the church of Laodicea would be rebuked for such self-reliance.
Laodicea had three city gates corresponding to its external connections via the road system—the western gate to Ephesus, the northern gate to Hierapolis, and the eastern gate to Syria
Similar to the hot waters of Hierapolis, the water carried through the aqueducts to Laodicea had a high mineral content, as evident by the calcareous deposits that have blocked sections of the pipe
Cicero reports that in 62 BC Laodicea’s governor seized twenty pounds of gold sent by Jews in the region to Jerusalem—a substantial sum potentially the equivalent of the offering of 7,500 Jewish freemen.
The proximity of the two medical schools and the abundance of powdered Phrygian stone near the city suggest that Laodicea was a medicinal center as well.
Laodicea had a famous school of medicine; and a special ointment known as “Phrygian powder,” famous for its cure of eye defects, was either manufactured or distributed there, as were ear ointments
its wealth came from the production of a fine quality of famous glossy black wool—whether dyed or natural in color is not known
A recent interpretation posited by Craig Koester refines the above argument by explaining the ancient view that hot and cold waters had positive medicinal benefits while lukewarm water was considered to be emetic (that is, something that induces vomiting). Koester thinks there are feasting parallels between the hot, cold, and lukewarm references in verses 15–16 and the image of Jesus coming to dine in verse 20. Depicting Jesus knocking at the door suggests that an accepted invitation leads to a shared meal that demonstrates acceptance and fellowship. The earlier analogy of hot and cold should be interpreted according to favorable temperatures of liquids served at a meal (thus hot and cold being preferable), making lukewarm a reference to tepid water used to purge the stomach. Koester concludes that the message to Laodicea is at first threatening (the current emetic effects of the deeds of the church) but then concludes on a hopeful note using feasting imagery to encourage repentance in the church.
While cold and hot are potent and effective elements, the lukewarm middle ground was judged to be inert and powerless. Therefore, the Laodicean church lacked potency.
Rothschild suggests the letter to Laodicea rebukes the church for its impotency, not for its lack of religious conviction
it is not the spiritual temperature but the ineffectiveness of the church that is condemned.
The church of Laodicea thought that they were rich, prosperous, and in need of nothing, but God saw the opposite in them. In their self-reliance they were coming up empty.
When Christ addresses a church that is failing in loyalty and obedience, he is to them the “Amen” of God in faithfulness and in true witness, the only one who has absolute power over the world because he is the source and origin of all creation
they were useless to Christ because they were complacent, self satisfied, and indifferent to the real issues of faith in him and of discipleship
