Apocalipse 3
Leon Morris · Citado em PreceptAustin
Apocalipse 3
Morris - This is an amazing manifestation of grace. One who was about to be spewed out of His mouth is invited to sit with Him on His throne. (The Revelation Record - BORROW ) Steven Lawson writes "Overcomers are promised the privilege of sitting down with Christ on His throne. If that promise was not stated her in the Bible, I would say such a statement is blasphemy! Adam
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Morris says "Content with mediocrity, lacking both the enthusiasm to entertain a heresy and the depth of conviction which provokes intolerance, it was too innocuous to be worth persecuting.” When the Voice of the Andes radio station was founded, the men who had the vision for that work asked God to give them a great oak tree, the branches of which would reach all across Latin America. Instead, God gave them an acorn and told them to watch it grow. It is far better to begin small and grow than to begin with great plans, all of which dry up and come to nothing. (Borrow Revelation of St John page 74) Jesus' words to Sardis recall His scathing rebuke of the Pharisees - "“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 “So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." (Mt 23:27-28+) Don't miss the point that Sardis does not appear dead! A dead church may still look like an alive church! Michael Andrus adds that "This church’s deadness is not man’s evaluation but God’s. So I would conclude that not only do the great historic mainline churches and cathedrals need to pay attention to this warning; even conservative, evangelical churches that appear to be vital and growing are susceptible to the curse of the living dead." A name that you are alive - Name refers to the reputation of Sardis, so that others think this church is filled with born again souls because they are actively "playing church" and doing so well enough to fool the natural eye. But Jesus knows their heart and their deeds and His assessment is that they are dead or as Paul would say they are "dead in (their) trespasses and sins in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest." (Eph 2:1-3+) Paul goes on to add how to come to life "But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)." (Eph 2:4-5+) And their fleshly deeds are also dead because "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life." (Jn 6:63+). And how does one know they are truly alive in Christ? The writer of Hebrews says "if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end." (Heb 3:6+) and "if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end." (Heb 3:14+ - See related topic Perseverance of the Saints) Note the repetition of the time phrase "until the end," the end of our life or the end of this age with Christ returns and raptures His beloved bride. Paul makes a similar statement about perseverance in 1Co 15:1-2+ writing "Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved (sozo in present tense - "are being saved" aka progressive sanctification), if you hold fast (katecho) the word which I preached to you (cf Luke 8:15+), unless you believed (pisteuo) in vain (NB: true belief is never in vain, but this refers to spurious belief, intellectual belief)." THOUGHT - The church at Sardis reminds me of the truth that God sees not just the exterior, but also the interior (our heart). Indeed men know our reputation, but God knows our character. How would you assess your spiritual life - active on the outside but dead on the inside? It is a serious and solemn question for all of us to ponder. Michael Andrus - It has a reputation for being alive, but it is, in fact, dead. I can’t think of anything more tragic that could be said about a church–intended to be a light upon a hill, a hospital of hope, a fountain of life–than that it is dead and doesn’t know it. How does a church die? I suggest that a church never dies in a moment of time. Churches don’t have accidents or heart attacks or massive strokes. The death of a church is almost always a slow, gradual process. Let me suggest some of the factors that can cause a church to die. One is doubt, the kind Satan introduced to Eve when he said, “Has God really said...?” Tragically many young would-be pastors are fed a steady diet of doubt in liberal seminaries. In fact, some seminaries should have a sign out front, warning, “Entering here can be fatal to your faith.” You see, most denominations go bad from the top down, not the bottom up. It starts with a seminary president who is more concerned about hiring Ph.D.’s from the right graduate schools than he is with hiring professors who know and love the Lord. Then academic freedom and tenure are used to keep those Ph.D.’s in the classroom even after they have abandoned the historic creeds of the Church. Over time the graduates of those schools, impressed with the credentials and intellectual acumen. of their professors, are appointed to local parishes by liberal bishops and superintendents. These young pastors often use the same language the man in the pew has always heard but they mean something very different by the terms.ii They still preach the resurrection, for example, but they don’t believe that Jesus literally rose from the dead. They use the term “resurrection” as symbolic for turning over a new leaf, not to describe a dead body coming alive. A second factor that can lead to the death of a church is self-sufficiency. There is usually no sense of self-sufficiency or overconfidence when a church is young and struggling. Another factor that can lead to a church’s death warrant is clericalism, or more plainly, the hiredgun syndrome. Many churches today take the attitude, “If something needs to be done, hire it done.” They have paid soloists, paid nursery workers, paid Sunday School teachers. I’m obviously not opposed to professional staff, but we must keep in mind that the staff are not the principal ministers of a church; they are the equippers of the ministers. The ministers are the members of the congregation. The goal of any professional pastoral team should be to make sure each person who knows Christ is both challenged and equipped to find a meaningful place to serve Him effectively and wholeheartedly. C H
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Morris says Philadelphia "had a good deal in common with that at Smyrna. Both receive no blame, only praise. Both suffered from those who called themselves Jews and were not, both were persecuted it would seem by the Romans, both are assured that the opposition is satanic, and both are promised a crown. (Borrow Revelation of St John) And to the angel (aggelos) of the church (ekklesia) in Philadelphia write (grapho): Seven times John is commanded to write to the angel (probably the leader or pastor) of the local church. He Who is (the) holy (hagios) ("the Holy One") - Most of the translations add verbs "is...is...has" but literally the Greek reads "the holy, the true, the key of David." He of course refers to Jesus. See God's attribute Holy. Jesus is saying in essence "I am God." Jesus is Holy in His character, in His words, in His actions, in His purposes. He is uniquely set-apart from anything else. Holiness is the most difficult attribute to define because it deals with the essence of God's character. Defining holiness is like defining God! It can't be done completely. We can describe holiness and find ample illustrations of it, but we can't define it entirely. This is what makes God God! Applied to Jesus, holiness is that characteristic that sets Him apart from His creation. He is separated from creation because He is the Creator. Jesus is holy, wholly separated from sin and all that is profane. He is separated from sin because He is the Savior. In many ways holiness is God's central attribute. "Holiness is that which makes God God." Reginald Showers calls it "the foundational truth of revelation." Jesus is described as the Holy One in the Messianic Ps 16:10, quoted by Peter in Acts 2:27+. Jesus is referred to as Holy One multiple times in the NT - Mk 1:24+; Lk 1:35+; Lk 4:34+; John 6:69+; Acts 4:27, 30+; 1Jn 2:20+). Holiness is the only attribute of God mentioned in triplicate. Two times the Bible tells us that God is holy, holy, holy (Isaiah 6:3+, Rev 4:8+). Think about that for a moment. If God says something about his character once, that's enough to settle it! When he says it twice, that's emphasis. But when he says it three times, that means it's of supreme importance. The Bible never says that God is love, love, love or mercy, mercy, mercy, or justice, justice, justice. But it does say that He is holy, holy, holy. R L Thomas - Hagios characterizes Jesus, not so much as the sinless one, but as one especially set apart, belonging exclusively to God. Though opposed and rejected by the synagogue of Satan (cf. Rev 3:9+), Christ remains characteristically holy. Hence, His words are also holy, carrying with them a mandate for obedience. (See Revelation Exegetical Commentary) James Hamilton -The fact that he is “true” speaks to his reliability. He can be trusted. The fact that he is “holy” speaks to his purity and total consecration to God. He will not lead his people into sin. He can be followed. Those who hear Jesus announce himself as “the holy one, the true one” have their confidence in Jesus bolstered. (See Revelation: The Spirit Speaks to the Churches) Related Resource: What does it mean that Christ is holy? What is the holiness of Christ? | GotQuestions.org
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Morris adds that "The Lord's promise of a continuing open door, therefore, is conditioned on the premise that the church (or any Christian ministry, for that matter) have little strength of its own, and thus relies wholly on the strength of the Lord. Worldly marketing methods may seem to yield large numerical results for a time but will also produce gradual spiritual compromise and eventual disintegration. In addition to the "little strength" criterion, the church or other ministry must keep ("guard") the absolute integrity of God's Word and uphold the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. A T Robertson suggests little power could mean "little influence or weight in Philadelphia, the members probably from the lower classes (1 Cor. 1:26-28+)." Rod Mattoon on little - This church was apparently few in number. They had little numerical strength, but were very faithful. Those who follow the Lord usually are never in the numerical majority. Abraham—318 defeated four kings. Gideon—300 defeated thousands of Midianites. Elijah—was against 450 prophets of Baal. FAITHFUL TO JESUS & HIS WORD And have kept (tereo) My word (logos) (NET = "you have obeyed My word") - They guarded and heeded His word, "none of the members losing it by carelessness, deadness, heresy, and lax living." (Lenski) In Rev 1:3+ we noted a similar meaning for tereo - "Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed (tereo) the things which are written in it; for the time is near." Undoubtedly the church at Philadelphia faithfully preached (cf 2Ti 4:2++) and taught His Word as well as faithfully obeyed it. Jesus refers to those who are His in Jn 17:6+ as "they have kept (tereo) My word." In contrast with Sardis who was commanded to keep (tereo) what they had received and heard (Rev 3:3+), this church was faithful and kept Jesus' word, which is most likely the Gospel. In John 14:23-24+ "Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep (tereo) My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. “He who does not love Me does not keep (tereo) My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me." (cf Jn 14:15+, Jn 15:10+) ILLUSTRATION OF NOT KEEPING HIS WORD - Recently (February 13, 1961) a leader in the Episcopal Church spoke of “the myth of the Garden of Eden.” He said, “I do not know a single member of the Anglican Communion—bishop, presbyter, deacon, or layman—who believes this story literally.” The newspaper reported that, “He [speaking of the bishop] described the virgin birth as a myth which churchmen should be free to accept or reject.” Then the bishop concluded his tirade by saying, “Our church has long left room for differing degrees of acceptance as to the details of the narrative late inserted by humans into the gospel accounts.” (Lehman Strauss - The Book of the Revelation: Outlined Studies - BORROW) Henry Morris - The pressures to repudiate His Word, to distort the Word, to dilute the Word, to allegorize the Word, or just to ignore God’s Word, have always been great, and multitudes of believers have compromised their witness throughout the centuries by yielding to these pressures. The modern scene is saturated with innumerable compromise-generating pressures, and most churches today have yielded in one way or another. The Scriptures are filled with warnings: “Keep that which is committed to thy trust” (1 Timothy 6:20+); “Hold fast the form of sound words” (2 Timothy 1:13+); “Earnestly contend for the faith” (Jude 3). “Continue in the faith grounded and settled” (Colossians 1:23+). When a church begins to deal loosely with the word of Christ, it will sooner or later deny the name of Christ. (The Revelation Record - BORROW) And have not denied (arneomai) My Name (onoma) - (cf Pergamum in Rev 2:13+ "you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith") This speaks of spiritual fidelity (faithfulness). Jesus' Name in Scripture stands for all that He is. Denied is in the aorist tense (past completed action) which could refer to some specific occasions in the past when, being put to the test, they had proved themselves faithful to their Lord Jesus by refusing to deny His Name. The Emperor Cult demanded loyalty to Caesar and his name ("Caesar is lord"), but these Christians would not deny Jesus' Name. The Jews from the synagogue of Satan likely also pressured the saints at Philadelphia, for these Jews were liars who did not believe Jesus was their Messiah and did not think belief in Him was the way one attained to the Kingdom of God. THOUGHT - Dear reader, do not be deceived! You may confess Jesus with your lips, but you in effect deny Him with your life. This deceptive mode of thinking will take you straight to the place of eternal punishment! Paul echoes this sobering truth "They (present tense - continually) profess (claim) to know God (ED: AND JESUS! E.G., "I ASKED HIM INTO MY HEART WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER."), but by their deeds they (present tense - continually) deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed." (Titus 1:16+, see Mt 10:33+, Lk 9:26+, Lk 12:9+, 2Ti 2:12+). Henry Morris - The name of a person stands for his character, his position, his work—all that he is and does. The concept of the name of Christ is, therefore, vital. There are at least 125 references to His name, as such, in the New Testament alone. (The Revelation Record - BORROW)
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Morris says that the word of My perseverance "is a curious expression and seems to mean ‘the teaching which was exemplified in my steadfastness’ (so Swete; cf. 2Th 3:5+; Heb 12:1–2+)." (Borrow Revelation of St John) Brian Bell on word of My perseverance - - God has placed all confidence in Jesus Christ to save us, now He wants us to place our all in confidence in Him. So we persevere in our faith. In our trust in Him. In our believing He’ll pull us through. In our attachment to Jesus. In enjoying His presence.
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Morris - Although the Philadelphians were faithful, there is always the danger of backsliding, especially in the face of sustained opposition: hence, the admonition to hold fast. (The Revelation Record - BORROW) Lehman Strauss on how to lose your crown - In every assembly there are various forms of evil to steal our crowns. A cold heart overcame the saints in Ephesus. In Smyrna the believers were tempted by discouragement through tribulation and poverty. In Pergamos there were the opposing doctrines of Balaam and the Nicolaitans. In Thyatira Jezebel held undisputed sway. Sardis had a name to live by and was dead. In Philadelphia there were tares among the wheat. We may lose our crowns through discouragement, worldliness, social life, success, friends, and even our families. (The Book of the Revelation: Outlined Studies - BORROW) Barclay on lost crown - R. C. Trench makes a list of people in the Bible who lost their place to someone else because they had shown that they were not fit to hold it. Esau lost his place to Jacob (Genesis 25:34, Genesis 27:36). Reuben, unstable as water, lost his place to Judah (Genesis 49:4+, Genesis 49:8+). Saul lost his place to David (1 Samuel 16:1+, 1 Samuel 16:13+). Shebna lost his place to Eliakim (Isaiah 22:15–25). Joab and Abiathar lost their places to Benaiah and Zadok (1 Kings 2:25+). Judas lost his place to Matthias (Acts 1:25–6+). The Jews lost their place to the Gentiles (Romans 11:11+). Quickly (5035) (tachu neuter of tachus) is an adjective meaning quick, swift. The adverb tachu (formally a neuter singular of the adjective tachus) means “quickly” or “soon.” The difference between the two ideas— immediacy (soon), suddenness (quickly)—is not always easy to determine (Bauer). Tachu does not appear in the Septuagint, but its related adjective tachus does. Tachu is the form most common to the New Testament. The sense of “immediately” (in a short time) should probably be understood in Mk 9:39+. The notion of “quickly” (with speed) comes through elsewhere in the Gospels (e.g., Mt 5:25+; Matthew 28:7+; Lk 15:22+; Jn 11:29+). Nevertheless, a clear-cut distinction is not always possible. Revelation uses tachu in unique reference to the coming of the Lord or His power in judgment (Rev 2:16+; Rev 11:14+) or reward (Rev 3:11+; cf. Rev 22:7,12,20+). The refrain of Jesus, “Behold (or ”indeed“), I come quickly soon (tachu)” (Revelation 22:7,12,20+) refers to the immediacy of Jesus’ return rather than to His style of coming. Nevertheless, the suddenness of His return cannot be ruled out since we read elsewhere that He will come “as a thief in the night” (1Th 5:2+). Zodhiates - tachú; neut. sing. of tachús, prompt, swift, used as an adv. Quickly, speedily, with haste (Matt. 5:25+; Matthew 28:7, 8+; Mark 16:8+ [TR]; John 11:29+; Sept.: 2 Sam. 17:16+); suddenly (Rev. 2:5+ [TR], 16; 3:11; 11:14; 22:7, 12, 20; Sept.: Ps. 102:3). By implication, carelessly, lightly (Mark 9:39+). (Borrow The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament) Tachu - 14v - before long(1), possible(1), quickly(11), soon afterward(1). Mt 5:25+; Mt 28:7+; Mt 28:8+; Mk 9:39+; Lk. 15:22+; Jn 11:29+; Acts 17:15+; 1Ti 3:14+; Rev 2:16+; Rev 3:11+; Rev 11:14+; Rev 22:7+; Rev 22:12+; Rev 22:20+ Hold fast (seize)(2902)(krateo) has the basic meaning of to be strong or possess power and thus means to take hold of, grasp, hold fast. Krateo is used most often in the sense of “take hold of forcibly” as when Pharisees wanted to “take hold of” Jesus (Mt 21:46+; Mark 12:12+). In the present context Krateō means to “hold fast” with the idea of being loyal to a person, in this case Christ. The Pharisees were admonished for holding the traditions of the elders (Mark 7:3+ff.), while Christians are encouraged to hold to the traditions of Christianity (2 Th 2:15+) Heb 4:14+ Therefore, since we have a Great High Priest Who has passed through the heavens (cf Heb 6:19, 20+), Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast (krateo in present tense - continually hold fast) our confession. (NOTE: What will help us today to "hold fast our confession" as did the saints at Pergamum? In context it behooves us to frequently be recalling to mind the truth that Jesus is our Great High Priest, that He has gone on before us into our eternal home and that He is seated at the right hand of the Throne of God, continually interceding for us! Ro 8:34+, Heb 7:25+). Krateo is a KEY WORD in Revelation 2 because it is used 5 times in this chapter (out of a total of 48x/46v in NT) - Mt. 9:25+; Mt. 12:11+; Mt. 14:3+; Mt. 18:28+; Mt. 21:46+; Mt. 22:6+; Mt. 26:4+; Mt. 26:48+; Mt. 26:50+; Mt. 26:55+; Mt. 26:57+; Mt. 28:9+; Mk. 1:31+; Mk. 3:21+; Mk. 5:41+; Mk. 6:17+; Mk. 7:3+; Mk. 7:4+; Mk. 7:8+; Mk. 9:10+; Mk. 9:27+; Mk. 12:12+; Mk. 14:1+; Mk. 14:44+; Mk. 14:46+; Mk. 14:49+; Mk. 14:51+; Lk. 8:54+; Lk. 24:16+; Jn. 20:23+; Acts 2:24+; Acts 3:11+; Acts 24:6+; Acts 27:13+; Col. 2:19+; 2 Th 2:15+; Heb. 4:14+; Heb. 6:18+; Rev. 2:1+; Rev. 2:13+; Rev. 2:14+; Rev. 2:15+; Rev. 2:25+; Rev. 3:11+; Rev. 7:1+; Rev. 20:2+ Hold On! I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have. Revelation 3:11+ Today's Scripture & Insight: Revelation 3:7-13+ A cowboy friend of mine who grew up on a ranch in Texas has a number of colorful sayings. One of my favorites is “It don’t take much water to make good coffee.” And when someone ropes a steer too big to handle or is in some kind of trouble, my friend will shout, “Hold everything you’ve got!” meaning “Help is on the way! Don’t let go!” In the book of Revelation we find letters to “the seven churches in the province of Asia” (chs. 2–3). These messages from God are filled with encouragement, rebuke, and challenge, and they speak to us today just as they did to the first-century recipients. Twice in these letters we find the phrase, “Hold on to what you have.” The Lord told the church at Thyatira, “Hold on to what you have until I come” (2:25). And to the church in Philadelphia He said, “I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown” (3:11). In the midst of great trials and opposition, these believers clung to God’s promises and persevered in faith. Lord, we cling to Your promise, expect Your return, and hold on with confidence as we say, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” The promise of Christ’s return calls us to persevere in faith. Revelation 3:12 'He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. overcomes: Rev 2:7+ Revelation 17:14+ 1Jn 2:13,14+ 1 John 4:4+ pillar: 1Ki 7:21+ Jer 1:18 Ga 2:9+ I will: Rev 2:17+ Revelation 14:1+ Revelation 22:4+ the city: Rev 21:2,10-27+ Ps 48:8 Psalm 87:3 Ga 4:26,27+ Heb 12:22+ my new: Rev 22:4+ Isa 65:15 Eph 3:15+ Revelation 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Galatians 6:17+ From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks (stigma = recognition of ownership) of Jesus. Revelation 21:22+ I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. Ephesians 2:19-22+ So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. 1 Peter 2:5+ you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:20-21+ For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; Who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. Isaiah 62:2 The nations will see your righteousness, And all kings your glory; And you will be called by a new name Which the mouth of the LORD will designate. Ezekiel 48:35 “The city shall be 18,000 cubits round about; and the name of the city from that day shall be, ‘The LORD is there (Jehovah Shammah).’” PROMISES TO OVERCOMERS I like Grant Osborne's title for this verse "Security and Status." Bob Utley makes an interesting observation - Notice the five-fold repetitions of “My” in Rev 3:12+. This is a wonderful acknowledgment of intimacy with God. He (singular - not the whole church but individuals in that church) who (present tense - continually) overcomes (nikao) - Note that an overcomer is one who keeps on continually overcoming. Note also the idea is that he or she overcomes a vanquished foe (our enemies were defeated at the Cross!) But do not misunderstand what this is saying! Yes, one is truly an overcomer if their general lifestyle is godly and they generally or habitually manifest victory over the world, the flesh and the devil. We are not speaking of course of perfection but the general direction of one's life. The fact that they (we) continually overcome does not merit or earn Jesus' favor, but is clear evidence that they (we) have the supernatural power from the Spirit to overcome. They (we) persevere to the end because of the indwelling Spirit. To say it another way, we (believers) continually overcome because Jesus has overcome all our enemies on the Cross, once and for all time, and He has sent us His Spirit to enable us to continually overcome until we see Him face to face! And so Jesus gets all the glory! See note above for more detailed discussion on who overcomes. See also chart Who is An Overcomer? One other aspect to note is that overcomer was addressed to individuals (He...) in all seven churches, including those tolerating and compromising with sin and those that were nearly dead or were completely dead. One technical note is that Grant Osborne sees "seven promises to this church, by far the most of any letter." I will make him a pillar (stulos) in the temple (naos) of My God - A pillar is a support that symbolized stability, permanence, and immovability. This metaphorical description would have had special meaning to the citizens of Philadelphia who experienced frequent aftershocks earthquakes (especially the great earthquake of 17 AD). It is interesting that in areas where earthquakes occurred the structures that often remained standing were the pillars (as shown in pictures of archaeological ruins!) When all else has fallen, a pillar remains strong and erect. In Rev 21:22+ John is describing the New Jerusalem and writes "I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple." And the Lamb says we are pillars in the temple! In Eph 2:19-22+ Paul explains that we are "fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit." Peter adds "you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1Pe 2:5+) John
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Morris - It is obvious that these lukewarm, compromising Christians in Laodicea are, indeed, Christians. Otherwise Christ would not rebuke and chasten them. (ED: Morris is very conservative, but clearly he is staking his conclusion on one verse and seems to minimize the fact that Jesus says they need to buy white garments. Clearly they do not now possess them! White garments in the Revelation are repeatedly seen with true believers. This alone strongly implies this church is filled with dead souls, not compromising Christians.) Monty Mills - The appeal of Rev 3:20+ is addressed to the Church, not to the unsaved; it is an invitation to wayward believers to participate in the deep and wonderful relationship which Jesus Christ longs to have with each believer. Moody Bible Commentary - The Laodicean congregation, like all the churches addressed, consisted of Christians. THOUGHT- DOGMATIC STATEMENTS LIKE THIS FROM AN EXCELLENT CONSERVATIVE COMMENTARY BEG THE QUESTION - WHERE IN THESE 8 VERSES IS THERE UNEQUIVOCAL EVIDENCE THAT THEY WERE GENUINE BELIEVERS? I THINK YOU CAN CLEARLY FIND PASSAGES IN THE OTHER 6 CHURCHES THAT DOCUMENT PRESENCE OF GENUINE BELIEVERS, EVEN IN SARDIS THE "CHURCH OF THE LIVING DEAD." DEAR READER, IF YOU FIND A PASSAGE THAT SUPPORTS THE PREMISE OF BELIEVERS IN LAODICEA PLEASE EMAIL ME AND I WILL ADD THAT COMMENT. THANK YOU. JUST TRYING TO LET THE LITERAL TEXT SAY WHAT IT SAYS AND NOT ADD TO IT OR TAKE AWAY FROM IT LEST WE ARRIVE AT AN INACCURATE INTERPRETATION WHICH THEN POTENTIALLY RESULTS IN A MISLEADING APPLICATION. Alan Carr on Rev 3:20+ - A Personal Promise – “if any man hear my voice, and open the door…” – Jesus does not need for the whole church to get on fire so that He can come in; He merely needs just one person to hear him and to open the door. By the way, this is not a verse calling lost people to come to the Lord. This verse is calling the church to open the door to allow Him back inside. This verses is not about regeneration; it is about repentance. Swindoll's comment is interesting as he describes the deeds of unbelievers and then seems to call them believers - "Similarly, the book of James addresses the issue of those who profess to have faith but fail to demonstrate it in their works. James calls such fruitless faith “useless” (Jas. 2:14+). Christ expressed disdain for the same type of sin in Laodicea: The works of the Christians there were done solely in the flesh and therefore were halfhearted, insincere, and self-indulgent." Here are other writers who feel there are believers in the church at Laodicea - George Ladd (A Commentary of the Revelation of John), Robert Mounce (NICNT), G K Beale (The Book of Revelation, A commentary on the Greek Text), Robert Bratcher (Handbook on the Revelation to John), Leon Morris (The Book of the Revelation). Here are some who say the Laodiceans were unbelievers...
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Morris - Nakedness was in the ancient world the ultimate humiliation (cf. 2 Sam. 10:4+; Isa. 20:4; Ezek. 16:37–39+; Nah. 3:5; etc.), while contrariwise to be clothed in fine clothing was to receive honour (Gen. 41:42; Esth. 6:6–11+; Dan. 5:29+) (Borrow Revelation of St John) Regarding nakedness, recall that before sin entered the world, Adam and Eve "were both naked and were not ashamed." After sin entered the world, shame came coupled with sin, because "the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings." (Ge 3:7, 10,11+) In other words, they tried to hide their sense of shame with fig leaves. Warren