Revelation 3:14-22 - Indepthbible.org

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456 457 458 How I wish that you were cold or hot. 3.16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and 452 (...continued) who states, "The whole tendency of the Johannine writings and of the Apocalypse in particular...forbids the interpretation 'the first of creatures.'" (P. 59) Beasley-Murray holds that "...The naming of Christ as the prime source of creation in the introduction to the message to the Laodiceans is perhaps intended to emphasize his supreme authority and power to execute the word of which He is the Guarantor and the faithful and true Witness.” (P. 104) Hough comments that "The easy acceptance of the standards of the community is challenged at once by setting over against its busy self-satisfied life the eternal Creator and Truth-Teller Who judges time by that which is beyond time." (P. 559) However, it seems obvious from a simple reading of this “name” of Jesus, that it can easily be understood in the sense that these commentators reject, as being “the first creation.” While this does not fit well with orthodox Christology, it is no wonder that the passage was used as a proof-text by the Arians over against the Athanasians! Aune notes that “Unlike the other letters [to the seven churches], the attributes of Christ enumerated in the introduction [of this letter to Laodicea], Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, and the Beginning of God’s creation...are not drawn from the Patmos vision in 1:9- 20.” (P. 263) 453 This same statement occurs in five of the letters to the seven churches: 2:2, 19; 3:1, 8, and 15 (here). The followers of the risen Lord at Laodicea need not deceive themselves by thinking that what they are doing, and how they are thinking, is unknown to the great risen Lord of the Church! He knows, because He is present in their midst, walking among the golden lampstands! He sees and knows! Never forget that, says Revelation--let every church, in every time and place, never forget that great fact of faith! If they are doing good, and suffering for it, the great Lord of the Church knows it! But if they are lukewarm, and failing to fulfill their purpose for existence as a church, He knows that too! Let them (and us) tremble before that fact! 454 The adjective yucro,j, psuchros means "cold"--but here the context implies "icewater" instead of "tap-water." Here “cold water” is symbolic for “against Me,” over against “hot” which is symbolic for “for Me.” See Aune, p. 257. 455 The adjective æåóôüò, zestos means "hot," but oftentimes implies "boiling hot," or "cooked." Again, Aune holds that “hot water” means “friendly towards Me,” and “cold water” means “hostile towards Me.” (P. 257) 456 The word öåëïí, ophelon used by itself is probably a participle that originally had some form of the verb "to be" alongside it, but which became a fixed form, used by itself to introduce unattained wishes, "O that...," or "Would that..." It is the expression of a wish that something had taken place, or would take place. 233
459 460 461 462 463 464 neither hot nor cold, I am about to vomit you out of My mouth! 3.17 Because 457 The entire sentence, öåëïí øõ÷ñò ò æåóôüò, ophelon psuchros es e zestos, “How I wish that you were cold or hot,” is completely omitted by Alexandrinus, Minuscule 1006 and a few other Greek manuscripts. We think that this is an example of a mistake caused by the eye of the copyist skipping from the earlier æåóôüò, zestos to the later æåóôüò, zestos, leaving out the words in between. Hough comments that the risen Lord "...Finds them spineless and without vigor or virility. They are not good enough to be called good. They are not bad enough to be called bad. And so they are in a situation which is very evil indeed." (P. 559) 458 The adjective cliaro,j chliaros means "lukewarm"--it is used to describe the unpleasant taste of water that has been hot, but now has cooled, or of water that has been cold, but now all the ice has melted, and it has come to room-temperature on a summer day. Aune translates by “tepid” (p. 246). For the person expecting either a hot or a cold drink, it is nauseating to the taste, and can be used as an emetic, to cause vomiting. Beasley-Murray comments that “No charge is laid against the Laodiceans of evils such as find mention in the other letters... The Laodiceans do not reject the gospel of Christ, nor do they affirm it with joy. They maintain it without conviction, without enthusiasm, without reflection on its implications for life. “Paul's language about the world being crucified to him and he to the world (Galatians 6:14), of his being dominated by the one aim of pressing forward to win God's prize of life in the kingdom (Philippians 3:12-13), would have sounded to the Laodiceans like another religion, which indeed it was. So alien to the spirit of Christ is the religious profession of the Laodiceans, John declares that the Lord would prefer them to be out-right pagans...To have enough religion to disguise one's need of a living faith is to be in a worse condition than having no faith at all. An honest atheist is more acceptable to the Lord than a self-satisfied religious man, for such a man's religion has blunted his conscience and blinded him to his need for repentance.” (Pp. 104-05) 459 Instead of the negative adverb ïôå, oute, “neither,” the shorter negative adverb ouv, ou, “not,” is read by Minuscules 1006, 1841, 1854, 2053, 2351, the Majority Text (K) and th Beatus of Liebana (8 century A.D.). The variant reading does not change the meaning of Revelation. 460 The phrase æåóôò ïôå øõ÷ñüò, zestos oute psuchros, “hot nor cold,” is read in the reverse order, øõ÷ñüò ïôå æåóôüò, psuchros oute zestos, “cold nor hot,” by Alexandrinus, P, Minuscule 2050 (see), a few other Greek manuscripts, the Old Latin manuscript a, the Latin Vulgate, the Philoxenian Syriac, the Sahidic Coptic, Victorinus of Petau (who died 304 A.D.), and Apringius Pacensis (531-548 A.D.). The change in word-order does not make any difference for the meaning of Revelation. The threefold repetition of "cold" and "hot" is impressive--perhaps even "wordy." Why the emphatic repetition? Such language drives home the pointed, cutting description. 234
Page 1 and 2: THE LETTER OF THE RISEN LORD TO THE
Page 3 and 4: 446 447 448 449 450 says the Amen,
Page 5: 451 452 453 454 455 the creation of
Page 9 and 10: 465 466 467 you are saying that "I
Page 11 and 12: 472 (...continued) riches that have
Page 13 and 14: 480 481 may be dressed, and so that
Page 15 and 16: and turn around! 491 492 493 3.20 L
Page 17 and 18: 500 3.21 The one who is conquering,
Page 19: 504 (...continued) can look at us o

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