Thursday, April 25, 2013
ALL
The goal was to get us back to united and undivided body, in which all can serve, elders all ages and levels of maturity we see each other as vital.
NW
Blessings
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Inside the looking glass again?
Thank you dear sender, the historical depths appear to be kept in obscurity, I do respect the truth, I am deeply touched by such honesty, I am aware of the back ground history and thank those taking the time to be more concerned about eternal matters than the short term. We welcome discussions such as this seekingto speak the truth is what it;s all about. I like to thank all those who have been with us, I have no intentions of changing coarse, the out reach is moving ahead and full steam... of grace, we;re praying for the night people we meet and allthe the others who live completely different lives.
Our personal quest has been to low deep in the past and the a life of faith in which highly proactive out reach takes place, the lethargic state is a loss in life as one can see the conditions of the seven assemblies in asia minor some of them were completely suffered for it, despite the warnings. It was huge concern to me years back asking the same questions where are we going? That question came up 12 years going when facing eternity things would change in my life as well.
The Roots of Ekklesia, the Assembly.
By Andy Zoppelt
The Greek word Ekklesia (ek-klay-see'-ah) is a word
that most translators, not all, have translated as “church.” Biblically there is
not one single ligament reason for the use of the word church to be in our
bibles other than to support a clergy system, church with the use of a building.
With that said, let us now look at the root, the meaning and the intent of the
word ekklesia found in our bibles.
Basically ekklesia is a word that is made up of
the preposition ek meaning “out” and
the verb kaleo meaning “to
call”. Combining the verb “to call” and
the preposition “out” spoke of a people that were “called out” for some specific
purpose. What makes this word significant is how it was intended by Jesus to fit
into His eternal purposes and His kingdom. Something we cannot afford to lose
sight of. The key to understanding the word ekklesia is in its connection to a city.
We pick up on this connection in Revelation 2 and 3, ekklesia is used seven times directly
referencing to a city function and government: the ekklesia at Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos,
Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and the ekklesia at Laodicea. But also the ekklesia is referred to as the ekklesia at Colossae, at Philippi and
the ekklesia at Corinth, etc.. In
every reference it is connected to a city and a specific people of that city
with a specific purpose. Ekklesia
properly translated should be “assembly”, a Greek word that directly relates to
government and a group of people within the city to set policy and rules for the
city, a far cry from the word church.
There are only a few exception
where the plural is used referring to a number of cities as a whole. In
Galatians 1:2, “To the assemblies [plural] of Galatia”, Galatia represented a
providence with numerous cities, hence the plural. And that is true when
multiple cities are used elsewhere in the scriptures. The other exception is
when ekklesia is used referring to an
ekklesia meeting in some specific
home, we will deal with that later
.
But let one thing be made
crystal clear, the singular us of the word ekklesia always referenced to a single
city, in other words there were
never plural ekklesia(s) in a
city, only one. By the translator’s use of the word church, referring to a
building under the influence of clergy, opened the way for multiple churches in
a city violating Jesus purposes of building His called out assembly on Himself
in each city. The church has no reference to a city except in paganism and a
building. Back in 4500 BC and onward, the pagans built temples for every city
having its own Gods and priest. Any casual reader of scripture would clearly
know that Jesus never intended for our cities to be divided into numerous
churches (John 17 especially).
Recently I had been doing some
studies on Greece, their culture and their government and specifically on the
city of Athens. In the government of Athens I kept seeing this word assembly,
assembly, assembly, assembly and assembly (Greek ekklesia). It was clear that the Greeks
used the word as a political and governing assembly of called out persons
dealing with Athens. Athens had been ruled for centuries by monarchies, tyranny
and an oligarchy dominated by the rich and powerful. But around the period of
500 AD the Athens revolted against the oppression of these systems and created
the first roots of democracy with the use of an ekklesia or assembly.
“The central events of the
Athenian democracy were the meetings of the assembly (ἐκκλησία, ekklêsia).
Unlike a parliament, the assembly's members were not elected, but attended by
right when they chose…In the 5th century at least there were scarcely any limits
on the power exercised by the assembly. If the assembly broke the law, the only
thing that might happen is that it [the assembly] would punish those who had
made the proposal that it had agreed to. If a mistake had been made, from the
assembly's viewpoint it could only be because it had been misled.” Athenian
democracy, From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ekklesia is translated every time as assembly and never
as church. The assembly, in its most simple definition was a group of men of the
city that basically governed the area around Athens. We see this use of this
governing assembly concerning the city of Ephesus in Acts 19 dealing with the
uprising over the effects of Christianity on the sale and trade of the silver
shrines of the goddess Diana. Here a riot broke out lead by Demetrius the silver
smith because of the fear of the loss of their trade. With tension building up
in this mob or unlawful assembly, the city clerk, representing the city
assembly, stood up and spoke, “For you have brought these men here who are
neither robbers of churches
[Tyndale used the word churches instead of temples here because he knew that
churches were pagan temples] nor blasphemers of your goddess. Therefore, if
Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a case against anyone, the
courts are open and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one
another. But if you have any other inquiry to make, it shall be determined in
the lawful assembly [ekklesia]. For we are in danger [as an unlawful assembly
to deal with the rules of Ephesus] of being called in question for today's
uproar, there being no reason which we may give to account for this disorderly
gathering."
The first place where ekklesia is used is in Matthew 16:18-19
and let’s see how it fits within the idea of government, “On this rock I will
build My called out assembly [ekklesia, His governing body of saints],
and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it [a war-like people
overpowering God’s enemies. This assembly that Jesus points out has both
delegated power and authority within the kingdom of God not church]. And I will
give you the keys of the
kingdom of heaven [passing down of authority from the King], and
whatever you bind [as an assembly] on earth will be bound in heaven, and
whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
The ekklesia was a body of saints under the
government of God in each city; this is no small matter, they were the light of
that city as one body receiving His power and authority…all references refer to
one body, one government and one kingdom.
Jesus was not going to collect
money to build a bunch of pagan houses of worship in each city called churches,
He was going to establish His rule in every city though His body of disciples.
They were a called out, holy people, one people assembled in every city. They
were never to be a bunch of divided churches with a clergy overseeing them,
hence our churches are not representative of His government and thus they are
not prevailing against the gates of Hell as Jesus’ representatives and
government. Scripture clearly and irrefutably shows that we were to be a tightly
knitted assembly of saints, knowing and loving one another and all sharing
together without the use of a clergy dominating it. This descending power
through the kingdom of heaven is scripturally made clear
“Now, therefore, you are no
longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the [all]
saints and members of the household of God, having been BUILT on the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself [and by Himself]
being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building [the body of
Christ not a physical building], being fitted together, [it] grows into a holy temple in the
Lord, in whom you also are being
BUILT together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” NKJV
Today the church dominates our
thoughts and doctrine. Jesus never
intend for us to build churches that divide His body in any city, but man has
done this through a clergy ruling system over the churches. Jesus intended His
called out assembly to be uniquely related in a tight bond with one another.
Whatever and whomever divides, conquers and breaks down those bonds is His
enemy, regardless how ignorant or sincere they may be. “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does
not gather [together as one] with Me scatters abroad.”
A few verses further down in
Ephesians, Paul gives God’s eternal purpose relating to our being built
together, “TO THE INTENT that
now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known [How?] by the called out
assembly [of the cities, not church] to the principalities and powers in the
heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose
which He accomplished in Christ Jesus
our Lord,” Ephesians 3:10-12
No place does the idea of
church fit here. Paul is only repeating what Jesus said earlier about the gates
of hell using principalities and powers. This united assembly in each city would
be given Jesus’ power to bring down, through the wisdom of God, “the
principalities and power in heavenly places.” This again is not happening
because we are churches and not the governmental assembly under our one King
Jesus. No amount of preaching behind a pulpit can patch the massive hole between
the idea of church and the kingdom of God. At some point we must go by God’s
word and not a clergy inspired translation. We say we love Jesus, but do we
follow Him or man? The work we are doing as church will never come close to the
work we would be doing as an assembly. In fact the work of the church is
destroying the work of Jesus by eliminating the assembly.
There are several things
attached to the word assembly for His saints, one, they were a unified called
out people and second they dealt with the government being on His shoulders and
of His authority over them and the gates of hell under them; issues under Jesus’
authority within the kingdom of God. The government is on His shoulders and if
we are a part of that government we will all be tightly knitted together as one
by drawing from Him as our Head. We are to be a city on a hill lighting up that
city with Jesus our King. When the Ephesian assembly lost its first love
mentioned in Revelation 2, Jesus said He would remove His candlestick, in other
words they would no longer be His
light in Ephesus. They were a good people, they were one in the city,
they had many virtues and work, yet Jesus made it clear that without first love
they were not His. Hence being bound together in love is one of the essentials
that we cannot do without if we are going to belong to Him and go to heaven.
Paul further makes the point
of love binding them together later in Ephesians 4:15-16, “but, speaking the
truth in love, may grow up [as one unified body] in
all things into Him who is the head — Christ —
from whom the whole
body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies [not a
clergy system but a body system], according to the effective working by which every
part [not likely to be a church service led by the clergy] does its
share, causes growth of the
body for the edifying of itself in
love.”
The Ephesian assembly toward
the end of the first century evidently lost that first love. The question now
is, did we ever have the first love that they had in the first place? Our
foundation is not built on Jesus where all is being governed from heaven; this
is no minor flaw or side issues leaving us to do other things. Most of us started out with some church in
the city that specifically spent their money promoting themselves and they
maintained their own identity with their own leaders, with their own name on the
building, they divided themselves from the rest of the assembly with their
clergy doing the ministry in each city…this is a one hundred and eighty degree
turn from scripture, God’s eternal purpose is to be a united light in our city;
otherwise we will experience the gates of hell prevailing against us…something
we are seeing in this country. God’s enemies divide, the church divides, God’s
body is a tightly loving group, the church is an indifferent, lethargic
audience, God has everyone sharing, the church has only one person sharing and
the rest silent, God has no clergy, the church has a clergy, God has no building
with names on them, the church has buildings with names on them. We are not a
governmental ekklesia giving light to
our cities and working within the kingdom of God in our cities. What we are
doing is not the path to eternal life. There was no head of the Athenian
assembly, there is no local head in the Christian assembly and our only head is
Jesus. .
Part II the clergy
Because it is the purpose of
westernized Christianity to support the career of the clergy in his business
[incorporation] within our cities we have established a building, churches for
him or her to conduct their religious activities in Jesus‘ name… not so
according to scripture.
“But Jesus called them [His
disciples] to Himself and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord
it over them [them=laity=people], and those who are great exercise authority
over them [laity]. Yet IT SHALL NOT BE SO AMONG YOU
[not rule over the laity]; but whoever desires to become great among you, let
him be your servant [diakonos
(dee-ak'-on-os); the word we get deacon from, means on who serves like a
waiter.]. And whoever desires to be
first among you, let him be your slave [doulas, (doo’-los) bondslave, one bound
to his master] — JUST AS the Son of Man did not
come to be served, but to serve [diakoneo (dee-ak-on-eh'-o) same as diakonos, a servant], and to give His
life a ransom for many [the full extent of a servant]." NKJV
Again Jesus pushes the point
to include titles, “But you, do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your
Teacher, the Christ, and you are all
brethren [no clergy/laity]. Do
not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in
heaven. And do not be called
teachers [I am sure that would include pastor etc.]; for One is your
Teacher [Jesus embodies the position of teacher, all that teach, teach from
Him “the” teacher], the Christ. But he
who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled,
and he who humbles himself will be exalted” Matthew 23:8-12, NKJV
It is also clear from
Philippians 2 that Jesus “made Himself of no reputation,” He didn’t advertise
Himself or some church. Jesus is our example. Those disciples after Pentecost
aspired to be servants and bondslave and often referred to themselves as such.
They never referred to anyone as Pastor Jim or Elder Bill like we do; Paul
didn’t even refer to Himself as Apostle Paul. He referred to himself as Paul a
sent one of Jesus Christ. Apostle is the Greek word brought into English and
then redefined. Where apostolos in
Greek means “one sent” and comes from the verb apostello, to send. It is like our
runner and run, remove the verb and we have a title. Our translators again well
knew what they were doing. Today the titled ministries have set themselves above
the people or laity as the present day Nicolaitans; Nico- conquer and laitan- people, means, those who conquer
the people. The clergy has removed the ministry out of the hands in the assembly
and they have made a career out of being clergy and have elevated themselves
above the laity, the people. In Revelation 2, Jesus stated that He hated the
deeds of the Nico-laitans or the dividing the clergy from the laity. The point
is that we are all brethren and everyone functions within the meeting of the
assembly without elevated titles of distinction.
“I believe that assigning
someone the role of ‘pastor’ within an institutional system creates many
problems including demoting everyone else within that system to ‘lay person.’”
From Simple Church Journal 4/24./13
The house assembly is like the
families of the city assemblies.
Matt 12:25, "EVERY kingdom
divided against itself is brought to desolation, and EVERY city or [every] house
divided against itself will not stand.” NKJV
The body of Christ as a whole
is made up of what scriptures calls the kingdom; it is thus broken down into the
city ekklesia and the house ekklesia. The house assembly is where we
find the intimate fellowship among the saints and where they function as part of
the city assembly in unity and purpose. The assemblies of the cities throughout
the world make up the entire kingdom of God. The city assembly maintains the
purity and unity of the city, the house assemblies gather for personal ministry
and intimacy. Satan’s plan is to divide. The issue of being nice, successful,
moral are not the bases of being saints, the five foolish virgins were obviously
morally pure and the Pharisees were righteous and nice people. Our righteousness
must exceed their righteousness, we are to be a holy people filled with love and
united as one body and functioning as one body in every city. We are to be built
together as one in Jesus and not a bunch of churches with numerous programs and
pastors drawing people to their churches. (I did a full article on the clergy
system; I just don’t want to take up the space to go on).
My question to you the reader
is, do you go to church or are you a part of the governing body of Christ in
your city. It is better to meet with two or three in Jesus’ name, than a
thousand in the name of the church.
thanks much.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Inside the looking glass
There is no destructive profiling here, lord willing our desire is to supersede those practices to see each of the body as vital contribution and spoke of here into grace.
I think those caught up in various cults find it hard in life frustrated by those actions,and inward desire to experience the forbidden things leading to cohabitation, with and end up chancing other things, the problem their is those Spirits are self interested, over time it becomes destructive though they ofter self highs and focused on placing man as as his own God was the fruit of the desire behind the original fall.
Legalism does the same stuff just with another name, have to be careful easy to do so, Real love is without it. Take care.
NW
Monday, April 22, 2013
getting things cleared up
God Hates Religion
Religion is often characterized by absolutism, authoritarianism and activism
which do not derive from God Himself.
©1999 by James A. Fowler. All rights reserved.
You are free to download this article provided it remains intact without alteration.
You are also free to transmit this article and quote this article
provided that proper citation of authorship is included.
God Hates Religion
A survey of the Scriptures reveals that there is one category that God hates above all others. God hates religion! Many will be confused, if not offended by such a statement, for they have identified God with religion. Religion, therefore, needs to be defined and differentiated from the Christian gospel.
The English word "religion" is etymologically derived from the Latin word religo, meaning to "bind up." Religion binds people up in rules and regulations or in ritualistic patterns of devotion.
Christianity, on the other hand, was never meant to be a religion. Christianity is the dynamic spiritual life of the risen Lord Jesus indwelling the spirit of man so as to create functional behavior to the glory of God. Granted, men have attempted to force Christianity into the molds and forms of religion. That is evident by all the steeples and sanctuaries and ecclesiastical programs that dot the landscape of our society.
It is the propensity of man to formulate religion to take that which is of the invisible God and attempt to make it visible, tangible and controllable. Man-made religion! The apostle Paul refers to it as "self-made religion" (Colossians 2:23), and goes on to indicate that it is of no value against fleshly indulgence. In essence, Paul is saying that "religion is of no value against man's sinfulness." In fact, religion is a co-dependent enabler of the sins of mankind. It is itself an addiction.
Religion is essentially idolatry. Men worship their man-made formations and structures their ideological idols formed in the concrete of inflexible minds. When the apostle Paul came to Athens (Acts 17:22), he observed their idols and exclaimed, "Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects." The Greek word that Paul used for "religious" literally means "to have great respect for demons."
To document that God hates religion, note the following passages of Scripture:
Religion is inevitably the result of man taking that which is of God and forming it, formulating it, in such a way that men end up "playing God." Men can form idols out of wood or stone in an attempt to represent God, or they can formulate ideological idols (belief-systems, doctrinal definitions, theological theses). The men who thus form and formulate become the "chief priests" of the new religion because they are regarded as knowing the most about what God is like, and well they should for they formed "it."
There are three features which seem to be basic to all forms of man-made religion. Religion involves absolutism, authoritarianism and activism. Now there is nothing wrong with absolutes, authority or activity. God is absolute, authoritative and active. But when any man or group of men attempts to establish themselves as the arbiters or regulators of God's absoluteness, authority or activity, they then begin to "play god," and religion is the result as they impose their perspective of absolute, authority and activity on others.
Absolutism
God is absolute. All other absolutes are derived from His absolute character. But when any man, or grouping of men, think that they have determined the absolutes of God absolutely and set about to impose them absolutely on others, then you have the absolutism of religion.
It is the natural propensity of man to want to get everything figured out. We have a "lust for certainty." We want everything to be "cut and dried," black and white, right and wrong, with no loose ends. We do not like paradox, antinomy or dialectic.
Most men cannot accept that the Infinite God is bigger than their finite ability to understand. So we set about to reduce God to fit within our rationalistic and intellectual reasonings. We reduce God to fit within our mental "box," then we nail it shut, construct our creed, and absolutely affirm that we have God figured out. We have reduced God to no bigger than our cranial cavity.
Religion advocates the absolutism of a particular belief-system. We formulate our doctrine, our theology, and demand that others affirm it absolutely as we do no variation; no freedom of thought or opinion; no doubt (for doubt would indicate that one does not believe it absolutely.)
Such absolutism is the basis of "fundamentalism." Fundamentalism is a religious idolatry that tends to worship a particular formulation of fixed fundamentals of faith. These fundamentals usually include both the detailed doctrines of a belief-system, as well as the meticulously prescribed behavior patterns of an ethical-system.
Religion employs the absolutism of a particular and prescribed moral law, a closed-system of ethics. These behavioral laws (judicial, theological or sociological) are comprised of dos and don'ts, "thou shalts" and "thou shalt nots," rules and regulations, and codes of conduct. They are legalistically applied with rigid inflexibility and with perfectionistic expectations of absolute obedience.
Such absolutism in belief and behavior leads to the absolutism of exclusivism: "We are absolutely the only ones who have found truth; Ours is absolutely the only way." Thus religion begins to employ the rejective "tests of fellowship" which demand acceptance of their belief-system and conformity to their behavior patterns or else they will disallow you to be a part of their socialistic group identity. They disallow individualism and freedom of thought. Identity is found in the whole. Any deviations are met with condemnatory judgmentalism and guilt manipulation unto conformity. Severe forms of corrective social "discipline" are employed to keep people "in line," subscribing to the absolutism. Threats of excommunication from the authorities in charge are used to create absolute conformity and absolute obedience.
Authoritarianism
Activism
God is an active God, and He wants to act in us by the expression of His character and ministry. But when any man, or group of men, claim that they are the directors of God's activity and that they have discerned what God wants to do in you, how God wants you to act, beware of religious activism.
Religion is perpetuated by the activism of the people. People want a sense of meaning, a sense of purpose, a sense of belonging, a sense of identity, a reason to be. These are God-given desires. Religion offers a false-fulfillment of these desires. Religion repeatedly encourages people to become more involved, more active. Involvement, commitment, dedication, consecration -- these are the hallmarks and the "passwords" of religion. Religion fosters a fixation, a compulsion, an obsession, an addiction to religious activities, explaining the absolute necessity to be thus engaged in the activities in order to please God, and for the good of the whole -- never admitting that it is primarily for the good of the religious authorities!
Activism seems to become an end in itself within religion: the activism of financial giving, the activism of keeping all the rules, the activism of church attendance, the activism of participating in all the ordinances and rituals, the activism of recruiting others to the "cause." Such activism is a not-so-subtle form of "works" salvation, which leads to physical fatigue and exhaustion and other forms of addiction.
Religious activism sometimes takes the form of social protest. People are enjoined to stand up for God's absolutes in political activism. Sometimes they go so far as to engage in criminal and terrorist activity even wars. In the midst of such they usually develop a persecution-complex: "It is 'us', the good guys of God's army, against 'them', the army of humanism or satan; and only by our ardent activism will God win!"
So often religion defines spirituality by the amount and intensity of one's activism. "If you are really going to be 'spiritual' and close to God, you must be doing what God wants you to do," i.e. our proscribed form of activism.
Much of religious activism is perpetuated by people simply as an escape from reality, an escapism from the day-to-day functionality of life. It is much more difficult to stay right where you are and be the father or mother, husband or wife, employer or employee that God intends you to be, than to carry a sign and chant choruses or to busy oneself in the program of a religious organization.
Religion results in dysfunctional socialization. It will never produce the functional loving community of mankind that God desires. Religion is unloving and self-serving. What religion offers is a pseudo-love, an addiction to the sense of belonging, an addiction to the sense of being cared for and sought after, an addiction to the sense of meaningful existence and purpose and identity.
This expose of religion is in no way designed or intended to impinge upon the reality of Christianity. Careful distinction between religion and Christianity must be made. As stated in the beginning of this article, Christianity is the dynamic spiritual life of the risen Lord Jesus indwelling the spirit of man so as to create functional behavior unto the glory of God. Religion is the man-made aberration that attempts to impose absolutism, authoritarianism and activism upon other men.
which do not derive from God Himself.
You are free to download this article provided it remains intact without alteration.
You are also free to transmit this article and quote this article
provided that proper citation of authorship is included.
A survey of the Scriptures reveals that there is one category that God hates above all others. God hates religion! Many will be confused, if not offended by such a statement, for they have identified God with religion. Religion, therefore, needs to be defined and differentiated from the Christian gospel.
The English word "religion" is etymologically derived from the Latin word religo, meaning to "bind up." Religion binds people up in rules and regulations or in ritualistic patterns of devotion.
Christianity, on the other hand, was never meant to be a religion. Christianity is the dynamic spiritual life of the risen Lord Jesus indwelling the spirit of man so as to create functional behavior to the glory of God. Granted, men have attempted to force Christianity into the molds and forms of religion. That is evident by all the steeples and sanctuaries and ecclesiastical programs that dot the landscape of our society.
It is the propensity of man to formulate religion to take that which is of the invisible God and attempt to make it visible, tangible and controllable. Man-made religion! The apostle Paul refers to it as "self-made religion" (Colossians 2:23), and goes on to indicate that it is of no value against fleshly indulgence. In essence, Paul is saying that "religion is of no value against man's sinfulness." In fact, religion is a co-dependent enabler of the sins of mankind. It is itself an addiction.
Religion is essentially idolatry. Men worship their man-made formations and structures their ideological idols formed in the concrete of inflexible minds. When the apostle Paul came to Athens (Acts 17:22), he observed their idols and exclaimed, "Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects." The Greek word that Paul used for "religious" literally means "to have great respect for demons."
To document that God hates religion, note the following passages of Scripture:
"...every abominable act which the Lord hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods." (Deuteronomy 12:31)These passages bear out the fact that God hates religion, and all of its procedures and programs; rituals and regulations.
"I have had enough of burnt offerings...Bring your worthless offerings no longer...I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts; they have become a burden to Me... So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you... I will not listen..." (Isaiah 1:10-15)
"I hate, I reject your festivals; nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies...take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps." (Amos 5:21-24)
Religion is inevitably the result of man taking that which is of God and forming it, formulating it, in such a way that men end up "playing God." Men can form idols out of wood or stone in an attempt to represent God, or they can formulate ideological idols (belief-systems, doctrinal definitions, theological theses). The men who thus form and formulate become the "chief priests" of the new religion because they are regarded as knowing the most about what God is like, and well they should for they formed "it."
There are three features which seem to be basic to all forms of man-made religion. Religion involves absolutism, authoritarianism and activism. Now there is nothing wrong with absolutes, authority or activity. God is absolute, authoritative and active. But when any man or group of men attempts to establish themselves as the arbiters or regulators of God's absoluteness, authority or activity, they then begin to "play god," and religion is the result as they impose their perspective of absolute, authority and activity on others.
God is absolute. All other absolutes are derived from His absolute character. But when any man, or grouping of men, think that they have determined the absolutes of God absolutely and set about to impose them absolutely on others, then you have the absolutism of religion.
It is the natural propensity of man to want to get everything figured out. We have a "lust for certainty." We want everything to be "cut and dried," black and white, right and wrong, with no loose ends. We do not like paradox, antinomy or dialectic.
Most men cannot accept that the Infinite God is bigger than their finite ability to understand. So we set about to reduce God to fit within our rationalistic and intellectual reasonings. We reduce God to fit within our mental "box," then we nail it shut, construct our creed, and absolutely affirm that we have God figured out. We have reduced God to no bigger than our cranial cavity.
Religion advocates the absolutism of a particular belief-system. We formulate our doctrine, our theology, and demand that others affirm it absolutely as we do no variation; no freedom of thought or opinion; no doubt (for doubt would indicate that one does not believe it absolutely.)
Such absolutism is the basis of "fundamentalism." Fundamentalism is a religious idolatry that tends to worship a particular formulation of fixed fundamentals of faith. These fundamentals usually include both the detailed doctrines of a belief-system, as well as the meticulously prescribed behavior patterns of an ethical-system.
Religion employs the absolutism of a particular and prescribed moral law, a closed-system of ethics. These behavioral laws (judicial, theological or sociological) are comprised of dos and don'ts, "thou shalts" and "thou shalt nots," rules and regulations, and codes of conduct. They are legalistically applied with rigid inflexibility and with perfectionistic expectations of absolute obedience.
Such absolutism in belief and behavior leads to the absolutism of exclusivism: "We are absolutely the only ones who have found truth; Ours is absolutely the only way." Thus religion begins to employ the rejective "tests of fellowship" which demand acceptance of their belief-system and conformity to their behavior patterns or else they will disallow you to be a part of their socialistic group identity. They disallow individualism and freedom of thought. Identity is found in the whole. Any deviations are met with condemnatory judgmentalism and guilt manipulation unto conformity. Severe forms of corrective social "discipline" are employed to keep people "in line," subscribing to the absolutism. Threats of excommunication from the authorities in charge are used to create absolute conformity and absolute obedience.
God, because He is absolute, is authoritative. But when any man, or group of men, claim to be the designated instruments of God's authority and attempt to express such authoritatively, especially in an autocratic or totalitarian way, you then have the authoritarianism of religion.
The bulk of mankind are followers, who will follow a leader like sheep. There always have been and always will be some men, therefore, who set themselves up as leaders and authorities claiming to represent God and to speak authoritatively for God. They often claim to have a special "in" with God, a "hot-line" with God, or they claim to have a special vision, a special "calling," a special understanding, or a superior spirituality. Some people inevitably follow such people and regard them as religious authorities – gurus.
The well-known proverb states, "Power corrupts; and absolute power corrupts absolutely." The selfish propensities within men cause them to abuse power and use people to their own ends as they lead. Such results in authoritarianism. It may be but a subtle emphasis on "pastoral authority" or the spiritual authority of an elder or a "shepherd," or it may be a special esteem granted for those in exalted positions of so-called "clergy" or priests, ministers, preachers, presbyters, etc. These are then developed into an hierarchical order of ecclesiastical positioning and politicizing.
These self-designated religious authorities often foster a dependency attitude of the people upon themselves. Directly or indirectly they encourage loyalty and commitment to the organization they lead, or to themselves. As incentive for such they often convey the idea that they hold the eternal fate or spiritual destiny of others in their hands, in their power.
The sense of personal equality before God is lost. People are expected to learn their "place" and told not to "get out of order." "Do not ask questions; do as you are told." "We will do the thinking and the feeling for you." "We will do the Bible study and the praying – the relating to God." "We speak for God, and we will tell you what is true." What is this but mind-control propaganda, advocating blind, unquestioning submission and obedience. It is an undemocratic system of non-equality wherein the religious authorities have no accountability to the people they serve.
Such religious authoritarianism creates a "fantasy-bond" of the people toward their so-called "priests." There is a projected idealization of the authorities as being especially close to God -- almost "gods" themselves. The religious authorities then exploit the people, utilizing superstition and fear to control people's thinking and behavior by shame, guilt and threatened loss of identity or eternal destiny.
Religious authorities must create a sense of direction and momentum for the people; a sense of doing something and going somewhere. There must be a program of activity that will keep people "involved," feeling that they are meaningfully expending their lives and energy for God's "cause." This is also fueled by the self-serving purpose of financing and perpetuating the religious system.
The bulk of mankind are followers, who will follow a leader like sheep. There always have been and always will be some men, therefore, who set themselves up as leaders and authorities claiming to represent God and to speak authoritatively for God. They often claim to have a special "in" with God, a "hot-line" with God, or they claim to have a special vision, a special "calling," a special understanding, or a superior spirituality. Some people inevitably follow such people and regard them as religious authorities – gurus.
The well-known proverb states, "Power corrupts; and absolute power corrupts absolutely." The selfish propensities within men cause them to abuse power and use people to their own ends as they lead. Such results in authoritarianism. It may be but a subtle emphasis on "pastoral authority" or the spiritual authority of an elder or a "shepherd," or it may be a special esteem granted for those in exalted positions of so-called "clergy" or priests, ministers, preachers, presbyters, etc. These are then developed into an hierarchical order of ecclesiastical positioning and politicizing.
These self-designated religious authorities often foster a dependency attitude of the people upon themselves. Directly or indirectly they encourage loyalty and commitment to the organization they lead, or to themselves. As incentive for such they often convey the idea that they hold the eternal fate or spiritual destiny of others in their hands, in their power.
The sense of personal equality before God is lost. People are expected to learn their "place" and told not to "get out of order." "Do not ask questions; do as you are told." "We will do the thinking and the feeling for you." "We will do the Bible study and the praying – the relating to God." "We speak for God, and we will tell you what is true." What is this but mind-control propaganda, advocating blind, unquestioning submission and obedience. It is an undemocratic system of non-equality wherein the religious authorities have no accountability to the people they serve.
Such religious authoritarianism creates a "fantasy-bond" of the people toward their so-called "priests." There is a projected idealization of the authorities as being especially close to God -- almost "gods" themselves. The religious authorities then exploit the people, utilizing superstition and fear to control people's thinking and behavior by shame, guilt and threatened loss of identity or eternal destiny.
Religious authorities must create a sense of direction and momentum for the people; a sense of doing something and going somewhere. There must be a program of activity that will keep people "involved," feeling that they are meaningfully expending their lives and energy for God's "cause." This is also fueled by the self-serving purpose of financing and perpetuating the religious system.
Religion is perpetuated by the activism of the people. People want a sense of meaning, a sense of purpose, a sense of belonging, a sense of identity, a reason to be. These are God-given desires. Religion offers a false-fulfillment of these desires. Religion repeatedly encourages people to become more involved, more active. Involvement, commitment, dedication, consecration -- these are the hallmarks and the "passwords" of religion. Religion fosters a fixation, a compulsion, an obsession, an addiction to religious activities, explaining the absolute necessity to be thus engaged in the activities in order to please God, and for the good of the whole -- never admitting that it is primarily for the good of the religious authorities!
Activism seems to become an end in itself within religion: the activism of financial giving, the activism of keeping all the rules, the activism of church attendance, the activism of participating in all the ordinances and rituals, the activism of recruiting others to the "cause." Such activism is a not-so-subtle form of "works" salvation, which leads to physical fatigue and exhaustion and other forms of addiction.
Religious activism sometimes takes the form of social protest. People are enjoined to stand up for God's absolutes in political activism. Sometimes they go so far as to engage in criminal and terrorist activity even wars. In the midst of such they usually develop a persecution-complex: "It is 'us', the good guys of God's army, against 'them', the army of humanism or satan; and only by our ardent activism will God win!"
So often religion defines spirituality by the amount and intensity of one's activism. "If you are really going to be 'spiritual' and close to God, you must be doing what God wants you to do," i.e. our proscribed form of activism.
Much of religious activism is perpetuated by people simply as an escape from reality, an escapism from the day-to-day functionality of life. It is much more difficult to stay right where you are and be the father or mother, husband or wife, employer or employee that God intends you to be, than to carry a sign and chant choruses or to busy oneself in the program of a religious organization.
Religion results in dysfunctional socialization. It will never produce the functional loving community of mankind that God desires. Religion is unloving and self-serving. What religion offers is a pseudo-love, an addiction to the sense of belonging, an addiction to the sense of being cared for and sought after, an addiction to the sense of meaningful existence and purpose and identity.
This expose of religion is in no way designed or intended to impinge upon the reality of Christianity. Careful distinction between religion and Christianity must be made. As stated in the beginning of this article, Christianity is the dynamic spiritual life of the risen Lord Jesus indwelling the spirit of man so as to create functional behavior unto the glory of God. Religion is the man-made aberration that attempts to impose absolutism, authoritarianism and activism upon other men.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Only one way? up!
Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. (John 4:21-240 Does it matter? sure does..
Little time left?
In a world where evil exists, A dose a real love would make a huge difference, Jesus says love one another as I have loved you? sound good?, be great, an alternative to total stupidy.
NW
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
THOSE TRAPS WE FALL IN..
Religion and the Church at Laodicea
Revelation 3:14-22
©1999 by James A. Fowler. All rights reserved.
You are free to download this article provided it remains intact without alteration. You are also free to transmit this article and quote this article provided that proper citation of authorship is included.
The original name of the city of Laodicea was Diospolis, meaning "city of Zeus." Antiochus II renamed the city in the middle of the third century B.C., naming it after his wife, Laodice. The name Laodicea is etymologically derived from two Greek words, laos meaning "people," and dike meaning "to judge" or "to decide." This name became particularly appropriate for the citizens of Laodicea, since they seem to have been quite interested in self-determination and self-rule and deciding for themselves.
The city was located on a plateau about 100 feet above the Lycus River valley. The Romans developed Laodicea into a major trade center, the hub of three major trade routes. Laodicea was part of a tri-city area ( Col. 4:13) that included Hierapolis, six miles to the north, and Colossae, eleven miles to the east. Ephesus was about 100 miles to the west of Laodicea.
Being an important trade center, many in Laodicea became quite wealthy. Laodicea became the banking center of the region. The citizens were apparently so affluent and the city coffers so well-invested that when a major earthquake damaged the city in 60 A.D., they declined "imperial disaster aid." The historian Tacitus noted that they "recovered by their own resources."
One drawback to this well-settled city was the lack of a natural water supply. There were hot-springs in Hierapolis, six miles up the river valley, but by the time the water flowed down to Laodicea it was tepid and so full of minerals that it was distasteful. Jesus may have been alluding to this fact in the comments He makes to the church at Laodicea.
Religion was alive and well in Laodicea. Since the city had originally been Diospolis, "the city of Zeus," there was obviously a temple to Zeus, the foremost god in the Greek pantheon. There was a famous medical school in Laodicea apparently associated with Aesculapius, the Greek god of healing. This medical school had developed a "Phrygian powder" which was used as an eyesalve. Adding to the religious diversity of Laodicea were 7000 adult Jewish males who had been granted the right to preserve their religious customs in Laodicea.
The Church of Jesus Christ in Laodicea was probably established during Paul's extended stay in Ephesus (Acts 19:10; 20:31). Epaphrus may have been a native of the region who became a Christian under Paul's ministry in Ephesus, and later shared the gospel of Jesus Christ in the tri-city area (Col. 1:7; 4:12).
In beginning His message to the church at Laodicea, Jesus identifies Himself as "The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God" (3:14). The self-sufficient Laodiceans needed to remember the source of all sufficiency. Jesus Christ, as God, is the creative source of all things. "All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being" (John 1:3). That form of religion which seeks to deny the deity of Jesus Christ, often interprets the statement that Jesus is "the Beginning of the creation of God" to mean that Jesus was the first thing God created. (They do the same with Col. 1:15). Not so! Jesus was "in the beginning with God, and was God" (John 1:1). As the eternal Word, Jesus is the "faithful and true Witness" who expresses and images God visibly within His creation. In His redemptive mission He faithfully exhibited the reality of deity within humanity even unto a martyr's death, wherefrom He was raised from the dead. Jesus is the "Amen," the essence and the validation of God. Religion in every age tends to think that man can create his own destiny, give witness to the veracity of his own conclusions, and affirm such with the punctuations of his own "amens."
As in all His addresses to the churches, Jesus begins His observations of the situation in the church at Laodicea by saying, "I know your deeds..." (3:15). In this case their deeds are not "wrought in God," and are therefore "dead works."
Jesus continues His observations charging, "You are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth." The Christians in Laodicea were not "fervent in spirit" (Rom. 12:11), burning with zeal and excitement about the life of the Lord Jesus. Neither were they totally chilled to the point of apostatizing. Instead they were just lukewarm, tepid, apathetic and indifferent. Does this not picture the bland tepidity so often evident in religion? Attempting to cater to everyone at the same time, they take the "middle of the road" approach in order to appease the majority. Jesus is not content with such half-hearted neutrality. On an earlier occasion Jesus said, "He who is not with Me, is against Me" (Matt. 12:30). Jesus finds such dispassionate compromising to be nauseating and repulsive. He rejects such and would rather "spit you out of My mouth," that is, expel and repudiate such insipid and disinterested followers who do not appreciate what they have been given in Christ, and misrepresent such by their attitude and behavior. Vituperative antagonism is to be preferred over vacillating and vapid neutrality.
The Laodiceans had been lulled into misplaced security and misplaced sufficiency. They claimed that they were "rich and wealthy, and had need of nothing" (3:17). In the Old Testament the prophet Hosea lamented that some of God's people, and in particular Ephraim, said "Surely I have become rich, I have found wealth for myself" (Hosea 12:8), and the Lord was provoked to anger. Jesus had mentioned the rich man who said, "Soul, you have many goods...eat, drink and be merry," and God said, "You fool; this night your soul is required of you" (Luke 12:19).
Religion often fosters a false-security in physical wealth and riches. Time and time again religious "prosperity doctrines" have promised health and wealth to unsuspecting followers. Many religious groups cater only to the affluent and wealthy who can "dress for success." Perhaps the Laodiceans had been drawn in to such religion folly.
The Laodiceans were "banking" on their material riches, and were forgetting the prior command of Jesus when He said, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matt. 6:19-21).
In their self-sufficiency the Laodiceans claimed to have "need of nothing." It is the utmost of arrogant audacity for any man to claim that he is so self-sufficient that he has "need of nothing." Man is a derivative creature who is nothing, has nothing and can do nothing (John 15:5) in and of himself. We are needful creatures. We are in need of everything being provided for our identity, sustenance and activity. "Not that we are sufficient in ourselves, to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God" (II Cor. 3:5). "My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:19).
Contrary to this need-awareness explained throughout the Scriptures, religion promotes humanistic self-sufficiency. The abundance of religious "self-help programs" being offered encourage people to assert, "I can do it; I don't need any help!" Joining the Laodiceans, they claim to have "need of nothing."
When a Christian recognizes that Jesus Christ is his sufficiency for all things, for his identity, his sustenance and his activity, then it can be affirmed that he is "lacking in nothing" (James 1:4). This is a recognition of spiritual sufficiency in Christ, rather that the false-sufficiency claimed by the Laodiceans based on their physical and material abundance.
Despite what the Laodicean Christians thought they had, Jesus explains to them that they are "wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked" (3:17). They thought they had it all physically, but spiritually they were bankrupt. They were deceived, having no spiritual discernment. In their complacency they were not even aware of how miserable and wretched their condition really was. Thinking themselves to be rich, they were spiritually poor. Thinking themselves to be wise and to be able to "see things as they really are," they were spiritually blind. Thinking themselves to be clothed in moral cloaks of right behavior, they were spiritually naked. Were they not in the unenviable position of the emperor in the tale told by Hans Christian Anderson of The Emperor's New Clothes? Parading around in the pretense of having the best of everything, they only revealed their spiritual bankruptcy, blindness and nakedness.
Jesus advises the Laodicean Christians to make some faith responses whereby their spiritual lack can be supplied by Himself. In terms that the consumer-oriented Laodiceans could understand, Jesus urged them "to buy from Me..." (3:18). What Jesus has for us is not really "for sale" in any monetary market; it cannot be "bought." God's gracious provision can only be received by faith our receptivity of His activity. The prophet Isaiah foretold the availability of all things in Jesus Christ within the new covenant, saying, "You who have no money come, buy and eat...without money and without cost. ...Delight yourself in abundance" (Isa. 55:1,2). In fulfillment of this, Jesus makes available the solution to all the spiritual needs of the Laodicean Christians by advising them to "buy without cost," receive God's grace from Him.
The first investment the Laodiceans are encouraged to make is "to buy from Jesus gold refined by fire, that they might become rich" (3:18). The Laodiceans thought they were rich already (3:17), as do many religious organizations with accumulated assets and holdings totalling billions of dollars. Religion does not understand spiritual riches in Christ. Jesus indicates that we need to acquire that which is of spiritual value, which He calls "gold refined by fire." "Gold refined by fire" is best explained as the tested life of Jesus Christ, which was tested in the crucible of crucifixion. "In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Col. 2:3), the "wealth that comes from a true knowledge of Christ" (Col. 2:2). When we receive Him by faith we have "the treasure in earthen vessels" (II Cor. 4:7), the "surpassing riches of His grace" (Eph. 1:7; 2:7), the "riches of the glory of His inheritance" (Eph. 1:18). Continuing to derive the fulfillment of all our needs by faith in Christ, we discover such "faith...more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire" (I Peter 1:7), for we might also experience the testing of the "gold" of Christ's life in the fires of personal adversity and suffering. His is the tested life more valuable than physical gold, which will persevere no matter how hot the fire gets.
Secondly, the Laodicean Christians and all Christians in every age are "to buy...white garments, that they might clothe themselves, and the shame of their nakedness may not be revealed" (3:18). Public nakedness was the ultimate shame and humiliation of the ancient world. Through the prophet Nahum the Lord says to Nineveh, "I will...show to the nations your nakedness, and to the kingdoms your disgrace" (Nahum 3:5). Christians are to clothe themselves in "white garments," representing the purity and holiness of the character of Christ. Later in the Revelation the bride, the church, is clothed in "fine linen, bright and clean...the righteous acts of the saints" (19:8), in preparation for the marriage of the Lamb. Religion seeks to substitute the ecclesiastical robes of hierarchy and the moral cloaks of social conformity, but the risen Lord Jesus requires that we "put on" the character of His righteousness in our behavior.
To solve the problem of spiritual blindness, Jesus advises Christians "to buy...eyesalve to anoint your eyes, that you may see" (3:18). Remember that the Laodicean medical school was renowned for its "Phrygian powder" that helped to relieve physical eye problems. After healing the man born blind Jesus said that those who "see may become blind," and "those who do not see may see" (John 9:39), because His priority was to address spiritual blindness so that people might see spiritual realities. The Psalmist requested, "Open my eyes that I may behold wonderful things from Thy Law" (Psalm 119:18), which revealed Jesus Christ. Paul prays for the Ephesians that the "eyes of their heart might be enlightened, that they might know the hope of His calling" (Eph. 1:17). Only by the presence of Jesus Christ in us do we "see" and "appraise spiritual things" (I Cor. 2:15) in order to see from God's perspective.
Having explained that spiritual riches, spiritual clothing and spiritual eyesight are found only in Himself, Jesus warns, "Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline" (3:19). Concerned that all men might be restored to the fullness of God's intent, Jesus is actively engaged in the disciplinary processes that keep Christians "on track." By the correcting and reproving work of His Spirit, He seeks to preserve us in His finishing work. "Whom the Lord loves He reproves" (Prov. 3:12). "Do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord" (Heb. 12:5). "He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness" (Heb. 12:10). Religion attempts to skirt around the reproof and disciplines of the Lord. Focusing on a syrupy and sentimental understanding of a loving God who always forgives and never censures, they by-pass God's active discipline and direction in Christian lives. What kind of a loving Father would forego the "tough love" that seeks the highest good of His children? Not the God who "is love" (I John 4:8,16).
The commands of Jesus to the Laodicean Christians, and to every Christian, are "be zealous" and "repent" (3:19). The word for "zealous" in the Greek text is from the same root as the word for "hot" in verses 15 and 16. This does not mean that we are to turn on the head of emotional excitement and excess, as happens in many religious environs. Rather, as the Christian allows the life of Jesus Christ to be operative in him, there we be a fervor, a passion, an enthusiasm about functioning as God intended. In order to do so, we must first "repent" of all the false religious methods of living the Christian life. We must "change our mind" so as to recognize our own inability, and "change our action" by allowing for the receptivity of His activity in our behavior by faith.
The ready availability of Jesus Christ to provide everything necessary in the Christian life is expressed in Jesus' words, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me" (3:20). Though religionists have long misused and abused this verse as an evangelistic appeal to unbelievers, it is the appeal of Jesus for intimate communion with Christians. Christians have already received the Spirit of Christ into their spirit or else they are not Christians (Rom. 8:9), but Jesus does not "force" His way into our behavioral expression. He makes His presence known by "knocking at the door," and those who are His "hear His voice and open the door." Jesus said earlier, "My own know Me...My sheep hear My voice" (John 10:14,16). "Everyone who is of the Truth, hears My voice" (John 18:37). Christians who are receptive to what Christ wants to do in their lives, open the door to participate in spiritual fellowship with the risen Lord Jesus, allowing Him to reside, abide and settle-in to the abode of their soul. Dining with Him now, partaking with and of Him, they look forward also to the "supper of the Lamb" (Rev. 19:9) when they will "eat and drink at His table in the kingdom" (Luke 22:30).
Thus Jesus promises to those Christians who overcome the solicitations to revert to religion by faithful receptivity from the One who has "overcome the world" (John 16:33), "I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne" (3:21). Religion indicates that we "overcome" by conquering, battling or working diligently for "God's cause." Not so. We overcome by identifying with the Overcomer, the Lord Jesus Christ. In one sense we are already "seated with Him in the heavenly places" (Eph. 2:6), but there is a yet future consummation of Christ's victory when we "shall sit upon the throne, judging the tribes of Israel" (Matt. 19:28). Having endured, "we shall also reign with Him" (II Tim. 2:12). Christ overcame all temptations by the same faithful receptivity of the Father, and "sat down with His Father on His throne." Christ is "seated at the right hand of God in the heavenlies, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion" Eph. 1:20-22). "The High Priest has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens" (Heb. 8:1).
Christians must have spiritual discernment "to hear what the Spirit says to the churches" (3:22). Only as we "listen under" the tutelage of the Spirit of Christ will we respond in obedience to be and do all that Jesus Christ wants to be and do in us. Thereby we can avoid the religious perversions that were creeping into the seven churches, and the similar satanic solicitations by which we are constantly tempted to misrepresent who we are in Christ.
The original name of the city of Laodicea was Diospolis, meaning "city of Zeus." Antiochus II renamed the city in the middle of the third century B.C., naming it after his wife, Laodice. The name Laodicea is etymologically derived from two Greek words, laos meaning "people," and dike meaning "to judge" or "to decide." This name became particularly appropriate for the citizens of Laodicea, since they seem to have been quite interested in self-determination and self-rule and deciding for themselves.
The city was located on a plateau about 100 feet above the Lycus River valley. The Romans developed Laodicea into a major trade center, the hub of three major trade routes. Laodicea was part of a tri-city area ( Col. 4:13) that included Hierapolis, six miles to the north, and Colossae, eleven miles to the east. Ephesus was about 100 miles to the west of Laodicea.
Being an important trade center, many in Laodicea became quite wealthy. Laodicea became the banking center of the region. The citizens were apparently so affluent and the city coffers so well-invested that when a major earthquake damaged the city in 60 A.D., they declined "imperial disaster aid." The historian Tacitus noted that they "recovered by their own resources."
One drawback to this well-settled city was the lack of a natural water supply. There were hot-springs in Hierapolis, six miles up the river valley, but by the time the water flowed down to Laodicea it was tepid and so full of minerals that it was distasteful. Jesus may have been alluding to this fact in the comments He makes to the church at Laodicea.
Religion was alive and well in Laodicea. Since the city had originally been Diospolis, "the city of Zeus," there was obviously a temple to Zeus, the foremost god in the Greek pantheon. There was a famous medical school in Laodicea apparently associated with Aesculapius, the Greek god of healing. This medical school had developed a "Phrygian powder" which was used as an eyesalve. Adding to the religious diversity of Laodicea were 7000 adult Jewish males who had been granted the right to preserve their religious customs in Laodicea.
The Church of Jesus Christ in Laodicea was probably established during Paul's extended stay in Ephesus (Acts 19:10; 20:31). Epaphrus may have been a native of the region who became a Christian under Paul's ministry in Ephesus, and later shared the gospel of Jesus Christ in the tri-city area (Col. 1:7; 4:12).
In beginning His message to the church at Laodicea, Jesus identifies Himself as "The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God" (3:14). The self-sufficient Laodiceans needed to remember the source of all sufficiency. Jesus Christ, as God, is the creative source of all things. "All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being" (John 1:3). That form of religion which seeks to deny the deity of Jesus Christ, often interprets the statement that Jesus is "the Beginning of the creation of God" to mean that Jesus was the first thing God created. (They do the same with Col. 1:15). Not so! Jesus was "in the beginning with God, and was God" (John 1:1). As the eternal Word, Jesus is the "faithful and true Witness" who expresses and images God visibly within His creation. In His redemptive mission He faithfully exhibited the reality of deity within humanity even unto a martyr's death, wherefrom He was raised from the dead. Jesus is the "Amen," the essence and the validation of God. Religion in every age tends to think that man can create his own destiny, give witness to the veracity of his own conclusions, and affirm such with the punctuations of his own "amens."
As in all His addresses to the churches, Jesus begins His observations of the situation in the church at Laodicea by saying, "I know your deeds..." (3:15). In this case their deeds are not "wrought in God," and are therefore "dead works."
Jesus continues His observations charging, "You are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth." The Christians in Laodicea were not "fervent in spirit" (Rom. 12:11), burning with zeal and excitement about the life of the Lord Jesus. Neither were they totally chilled to the point of apostatizing. Instead they were just lukewarm, tepid, apathetic and indifferent. Does this not picture the bland tepidity so often evident in religion? Attempting to cater to everyone at the same time, they take the "middle of the road" approach in order to appease the majority. Jesus is not content with such half-hearted neutrality. On an earlier occasion Jesus said, "He who is not with Me, is against Me" (Matt. 12:30). Jesus finds such dispassionate compromising to be nauseating and repulsive. He rejects such and would rather "spit you out of My mouth," that is, expel and repudiate such insipid and disinterested followers who do not appreciate what they have been given in Christ, and misrepresent such by their attitude and behavior. Vituperative antagonism is to be preferred over vacillating and vapid neutrality.
The Laodiceans had been lulled into misplaced security and misplaced sufficiency. They claimed that they were "rich and wealthy, and had need of nothing" (3:17). In the Old Testament the prophet Hosea lamented that some of God's people, and in particular Ephraim, said "Surely I have become rich, I have found wealth for myself" (Hosea 12:8), and the Lord was provoked to anger. Jesus had mentioned the rich man who said, "Soul, you have many goods...eat, drink and be merry," and God said, "You fool; this night your soul is required of you" (Luke 12:19).
Religion often fosters a false-security in physical wealth and riches. Time and time again religious "prosperity doctrines" have promised health and wealth to unsuspecting followers. Many religious groups cater only to the affluent and wealthy who can "dress for success." Perhaps the Laodiceans had been drawn in to such religion folly.
The Laodiceans were "banking" on their material riches, and were forgetting the prior command of Jesus when He said, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matt. 6:19-21).
In their self-sufficiency the Laodiceans claimed to have "need of nothing." It is the utmost of arrogant audacity for any man to claim that he is so self-sufficient that he has "need of nothing." Man is a derivative creature who is nothing, has nothing and can do nothing (John 15:5) in and of himself. We are needful creatures. We are in need of everything being provided for our identity, sustenance and activity. "Not that we are sufficient in ourselves, to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God" (II Cor. 3:5). "My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:19).
Contrary to this need-awareness explained throughout the Scriptures, religion promotes humanistic self-sufficiency. The abundance of religious "self-help programs" being offered encourage people to assert, "I can do it; I don't need any help!" Joining the Laodiceans, they claim to have "need of nothing."
When a Christian recognizes that Jesus Christ is his sufficiency for all things, for his identity, his sustenance and his activity, then it can be affirmed that he is "lacking in nothing" (James 1:4). This is a recognition of spiritual sufficiency in Christ, rather that the false-sufficiency claimed by the Laodiceans based on their physical and material abundance.
Despite what the Laodicean Christians thought they had, Jesus explains to them that they are "wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked" (3:17). They thought they had it all physically, but spiritually they were bankrupt. They were deceived, having no spiritual discernment. In their complacency they were not even aware of how miserable and wretched their condition really was. Thinking themselves to be rich, they were spiritually poor. Thinking themselves to be wise and to be able to "see things as they really are," they were spiritually blind. Thinking themselves to be clothed in moral cloaks of right behavior, they were spiritually naked. Were they not in the unenviable position of the emperor in the tale told by Hans Christian Anderson of The Emperor's New Clothes? Parading around in the pretense of having the best of everything, they only revealed their spiritual bankruptcy, blindness and nakedness.
Jesus advises the Laodicean Christians to make some faith responses whereby their spiritual lack can be supplied by Himself. In terms that the consumer-oriented Laodiceans could understand, Jesus urged them "to buy from Me..." (3:18). What Jesus has for us is not really "for sale" in any monetary market; it cannot be "bought." God's gracious provision can only be received by faith our receptivity of His activity. The prophet Isaiah foretold the availability of all things in Jesus Christ within the new covenant, saying, "You who have no money come, buy and eat...without money and without cost. ...Delight yourself in abundance" (Isa. 55:1,2). In fulfillment of this, Jesus makes available the solution to all the spiritual needs of the Laodicean Christians by advising them to "buy without cost," receive God's grace from Him.
The first investment the Laodiceans are encouraged to make is "to buy from Jesus gold refined by fire, that they might become rich" (3:18). The Laodiceans thought they were rich already (3:17), as do many religious organizations with accumulated assets and holdings totalling billions of dollars. Religion does not understand spiritual riches in Christ. Jesus indicates that we need to acquire that which is of spiritual value, which He calls "gold refined by fire." "Gold refined by fire" is best explained as the tested life of Jesus Christ, which was tested in the crucible of crucifixion. "In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Col. 2:3), the "wealth that comes from a true knowledge of Christ" (Col. 2:2). When we receive Him by faith we have "the treasure in earthen vessels" (II Cor. 4:7), the "surpassing riches of His grace" (Eph. 1:7; 2:7), the "riches of the glory of His inheritance" (Eph. 1:18). Continuing to derive the fulfillment of all our needs by faith in Christ, we discover such "faith...more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire" (I Peter 1:7), for we might also experience the testing of the "gold" of Christ's life in the fires of personal adversity and suffering. His is the tested life more valuable than physical gold, which will persevere no matter how hot the fire gets.
Secondly, the Laodicean Christians and all Christians in every age are "to buy...white garments, that they might clothe themselves, and the shame of their nakedness may not be revealed" (3:18). Public nakedness was the ultimate shame and humiliation of the ancient world. Through the prophet Nahum the Lord says to Nineveh, "I will...show to the nations your nakedness, and to the kingdoms your disgrace" (Nahum 3:5). Christians are to clothe themselves in "white garments," representing the purity and holiness of the character of Christ. Later in the Revelation the bride, the church, is clothed in "fine linen, bright and clean...the righteous acts of the saints" (19:8), in preparation for the marriage of the Lamb. Religion seeks to substitute the ecclesiastical robes of hierarchy and the moral cloaks of social conformity, but the risen Lord Jesus requires that we "put on" the character of His righteousness in our behavior.
To solve the problem of spiritual blindness, Jesus advises Christians "to buy...eyesalve to anoint your eyes, that you may see" (3:18). Remember that the Laodicean medical school was renowned for its "Phrygian powder" that helped to relieve physical eye problems. After healing the man born blind Jesus said that those who "see may become blind," and "those who do not see may see" (John 9:39), because His priority was to address spiritual blindness so that people might see spiritual realities. The Psalmist requested, "Open my eyes that I may behold wonderful things from Thy Law" (Psalm 119:18), which revealed Jesus Christ. Paul prays for the Ephesians that the "eyes of their heart might be enlightened, that they might know the hope of His calling" (Eph. 1:17). Only by the presence of Jesus Christ in us do we "see" and "appraise spiritual things" (I Cor. 2:15) in order to see from God's perspective.
Having explained that spiritual riches, spiritual clothing and spiritual eyesight are found only in Himself, Jesus warns, "Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline" (3:19). Concerned that all men might be restored to the fullness of God's intent, Jesus is actively engaged in the disciplinary processes that keep Christians "on track." By the correcting and reproving work of His Spirit, He seeks to preserve us in His finishing work. "Whom the Lord loves He reproves" (Prov. 3:12). "Do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord" (Heb. 12:5). "He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness" (Heb. 12:10). Religion attempts to skirt around the reproof and disciplines of the Lord. Focusing on a syrupy and sentimental understanding of a loving God who always forgives and never censures, they by-pass God's active discipline and direction in Christian lives. What kind of a loving Father would forego the "tough love" that seeks the highest good of His children? Not the God who "is love" (I John 4:8,16).
The commands of Jesus to the Laodicean Christians, and to every Christian, are "be zealous" and "repent" (3:19). The word for "zealous" in the Greek text is from the same root as the word for "hot" in verses 15 and 16. This does not mean that we are to turn on the head of emotional excitement and excess, as happens in many religious environs. Rather, as the Christian allows the life of Jesus Christ to be operative in him, there we be a fervor, a passion, an enthusiasm about functioning as God intended. In order to do so, we must first "repent" of all the false religious methods of living the Christian life. We must "change our mind" so as to recognize our own inability, and "change our action" by allowing for the receptivity of His activity in our behavior by faith.
The ready availability of Jesus Christ to provide everything necessary in the Christian life is expressed in Jesus' words, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me" (3:20). Though religionists have long misused and abused this verse as an evangelistic appeal to unbelievers, it is the appeal of Jesus for intimate communion with Christians. Christians have already received the Spirit of Christ into their spirit or else they are not Christians (Rom. 8:9), but Jesus does not "force" His way into our behavioral expression. He makes His presence known by "knocking at the door," and those who are His "hear His voice and open the door." Jesus said earlier, "My own know Me...My sheep hear My voice" (John 10:14,16). "Everyone who is of the Truth, hears My voice" (John 18:37). Christians who are receptive to what Christ wants to do in their lives, open the door to participate in spiritual fellowship with the risen Lord Jesus, allowing Him to reside, abide and settle-in to the abode of their soul. Dining with Him now, partaking with and of Him, they look forward also to the "supper of the Lamb" (Rev. 19:9) when they will "eat and drink at His table in the kingdom" (Luke 22:30).
Thus Jesus promises to those Christians who overcome the solicitations to revert to religion by faithful receptivity from the One who has "overcome the world" (John 16:33), "I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne" (3:21). Religion indicates that we "overcome" by conquering, battling or working diligently for "God's cause." Not so. We overcome by identifying with the Overcomer, the Lord Jesus Christ. In one sense we are already "seated with Him in the heavenly places" (Eph. 2:6), but there is a yet future consummation of Christ's victory when we "shall sit upon the throne, judging the tribes of Israel" (Matt. 19:28). Having endured, "we shall also reign with Him" (II Tim. 2:12). Christ overcame all temptations by the same faithful receptivity of the Father, and "sat down with His Father on His throne." Christ is "seated at the right hand of God in the heavenlies, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion" Eph. 1:20-22). "The High Priest has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens" (Heb. 8:1).
Christians must have spiritual discernment "to hear what the Spirit says to the churches" (3:22). Only as we "listen under" the tutelage of the Spirit of Christ will we respond in obedience to be and do all that Jesus Christ wants to be and do in us. Thereby we can avoid the religious perversions that were creeping into the seven churches, and the similar satanic solicitations by which we are constantly tempted to misrepresent who we are in Christ.
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