Church of False Assumptions- Pt 4

Attributes of Jesus

Revelation 3:14 ESV

14 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.

Knowledge of Jesus

Revelation 3:15 ESV

15 “ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!

Spiritual Condition of the Church

Revelation 3:16 ESV

16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

Revelation 3:17 ESV

17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

Jesus’ Offer of Help

Revelation 3:18 ESV

18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.

Revelation 3:19 ESV

19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

Who is Jesus addressing in v. 19?

If in vv. 15-18 Jesus is addressing counterfeit Christians, does he now abruptly end his message to the lukewarm and turn his attention to the true believers in the church?

Option #1- The discipline here applies to those who are born again, but who have become indistinguishable from the lukewarm pretenders around them (Walvoord).

Option #2- the same group as addressed in vv. 15-18, or lukewarm people.

“Those whom I love” or “As many as I love” leaves the option open that lukewarmness is not a terminal condition.

How would you describe the words of Jesus to the lukewarm in vv. 15-18? Are they meant as hostile words? What is the purpose of the words? Are the words borne out of love?

Proverbs 3:11–12 ESV

11 My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, 12 for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.

Reprove? What does that mean?

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. ἐλέγχω

① to scrutinize or examine carefully, bring to light, expose, set forth

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. ἐλέγχω

② to bring a pers. to the point of recognizing wrongdoing, convict, convince

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. ἐλέγχω

③ to express strong disapproval of someone’s action, reprove, correct

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. ἐλέγχω

④ to penalize for wrongdoing, punish, discipline

John 16:8 ESV

8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:

Revelation 1–7: An Exegetical Commentary Exegesis and Exposition

Elenchō refers to a verbal rebuke designed to bring a person to acknowledge his fault. It attempts to correct by word as compared with paideuō, which accomplishes the same goal by act. The latter word has the basic connotation of “instruct” or “educate” and developed a meaning of “chasten” when the education process was expedited with correction. Here, it is the severe discipline of love. Hopefully, the goal can be achieved by verbal rebuke only, but if this fails, chastening must follow. This is Christ’s constant75 method of dealing with person after person who falls into this category of need.

What is the appropriate response the verbal chastening of Jesus and, if the verbal warnings do not suffice, the act of chastening?

Commands- be zealous and repent

Zealous- what was their current condition? Lukewarm

Revelation 1–7: An Exegetical Commentary Exegesis and Exposition

By derivation the verb relates to zestos (“hot”) in 3:15, 16, a connection that clarifies the fervency that Christ wants to become the spirit of this church

Repent- what does it mean to repent?

What about the order of the commands? If Jesus is speaking to unbelievers- why does he tell them to become zealous first and then to repent? Isn’t it the other way around?

Faith / repentance two sides of the same coin-

Why Zeal and not Faith? A biblical faith leads to obedience or zealous devotion.

John 3:36 ESV

36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

Revelation 1–7: An Exegetical Commentary (Exegesis and Exposition)

“Let My strong criticisms of you open your eyes at once to the need of repentance and also to the fact that it is really love on My part that prompts Me to reprove and chastise you. A realization of My loving concern, as well as your own desperate condition, should bring a resolute change of purpose and kindle within you a warm fervor of devotion that will dispense with lukewarmness.”

Important- message to the church as a whole! The church as a whole needs to respond to this warning in order to avoid further chastening of the Lord.

Revelation 3:20 ESV

20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Jesus expression of love and nearness continues in v. 20. Christ pictures himself right on the verge of entering in order to give the church great incentive to open the door.

Jesus is compelling people to open, out of a desire for close fellowship with Himself. God mysteriously works in people’s hearts so that only those who open the door are those that want to.

What is the door?

Option #1- The human heart.

Non-Christian- this would be an offer of the gospel for salvation.

Christian- this would be an offer of restored fellowship.

Option #2- it is an eschatological door that Christ will enter at His second advent.

This figure was used among early Christians as a way of portraying the Lord’s return

Matthew 24:33 ESV

33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates.

Luke 12:36 ESV

36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.

It also follows the similar format of previous letters to the churches

Revelation 2:5 ESV

5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

Revelation 2:16 ESV

16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.

Revelation 3:3 ESV

3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.

Revelation 3:20 ESV

20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Revelation 1–7: An Exegetical Commentary Exegesis and Exposition

With allowance for a legitimate secondary application to a foretaste of ultimate fellowship with Christ, the primary reference of Christ’s standing at the door and knocking must be to His eschatological coming that is pictured as imminent throughout these messages. Because of His longsuffering (cf. 1 Pet. 3:20; 2 Pet. 3:9), He keeps on knocking, but at some point, unknown to human beings, that knocking will come to an end and He will enter earth’s scene once again, both to deliver His faithful followers and to punish the rebellious. The promise of v. 20 predicts the fate of the former group, and the warning of v. 16 foresees that of the latter.

I will come in to him and eat with him and he with me? What is this referring to?

1- Lord’s supper

2- symbolic for close fellowship withe Christ

3- the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Revelation 19:9 ESV

9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

Luke 12:35–37 ESV

35 “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.

The Promise to the Overcomer

Revelation 3:21 ESV

21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.

Revelation 1–7: An Exegetical Commentary Exegesis and Exposition

The genuine Christian, the one who overcomes by faith and is victorious over the world (cf. 1 John 5:4–5) (Walvoord), will join Christ not only in the great eschatological supper, but also will sit with Him on His throne to participate in ruling the world.

Revelation 5:10 ESV

10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

Revelation 11:15 ESV

15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”

Revelation 20:4 ESV

4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

Revelation 3:22 ESV

22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ”