Observations

Now we move on to make observations about our passage.

Literary:There is a cruciality in verse 18 where Jesus calls upon the the Laodiceans “to buy from me gold refined by fire.” It is the only place where Jesus is calling the Laodiceans to a specific action. There is a contrast between riches in verse 17 and 18. Being rich in verse 17 is based on material goods, however being rich in verse 18 comes from buying “gold refined by fire”. The “gold refined by fire” seems to be explained by being “reproved and disciplined” that Jesus talks about in verse 19.

Grammatical:Jesus is the one speaking and he references himself being the one taking action nine different times, “I know”, “I will spit”, “I counsel you”, “I love”, “I reprove”, “I stand”, “I will come”, “I will grant”, “I also conquered”. Jesus then calls the Laodiceans to action only once in verse 18.

Historical:Laodicea was extremely wealthy and we know this because they were able to rebuild the city without the aid of Rome after an earthquake and also “The major weakness of Laodicea was its lack of a water supply. This need was met by bringing water six miles north from Denizli through a system of stone pipes” which also points to their extreme wealth. “Laodicea was also known for its medical school which concocted a spice nard for the treatment of ears and an eyesalve”(Holman). These historical facts help us understand that the readers would have really understood the metaphors of lukewarm water and also the reference of “salve to anoint your eyes”.

Cultural:The people were falling into a prideful mindset due to their wealth “you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing”(v17). The Laodiceans seemed to find their honor and value in their material wealthiness.