The Church in Laodicea

By Dale Babinsky     Laodicea was a city located in the southwestern portion of the region of Phrygia within Asia Minor. It was founded by Antiochus II of the Seleucid dynasty in the 3rd century BC. He named the city Laodicea in honor of his first wife, Laodice. The city was not far from Hierapolis and Colossae and was an important city on the cross roads running from Ephesus and Miletus in the west to Antioch of Syria and the Euphrates river valley in the east and to Pergamum in the north. This position helped to make Laodicea a prosperous commercial enter, especially after it is taken over by the Roman Empire after 133 BC. The city suffered a major earthquake in AD 60, but due to the wealth of the city refused aid from Rome and rebuilt the city themselves.     The city of Laodicea became a major center of banking and was rich in monetary wealth. There was also a thriving textile industry, specializing in a black glossy wool fabric. In addition, the city was well known for medicine and ophthalmology. They produced some sort of eye powder, which was thought to have originated with mud deposits from the hot springs near Hierapolis. Because the city was some six miles from its water source, which was the hot springs in Hierapolis, when the city’s water supply arrived it was neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm. The heavy lime deposits in the aqueduct system show this to be the case. Thus, the drinking water in Laodicea would not have been ideal.     Laodicea is mentioned several times in Paul’s letter to the Colossians, although it is stated that Paul had not visited the city. It is possible that the gospel reached the city by the hand of Epaphras, whom Paul says has a great zeal for the people here and in Colossae (Col. 4:12-13). Paul tells the church in Colossae to share their letter with the Laodiceans and that they will also receive a letter coming from Laodicea. Since there is no letter from Paul to the Laodiceans, it is speculated that this may be the Ephesian letter being circulated around Asia Minor.      The comments made to Laodicea in the Revelation do not paint a good picture of the status of the church in this community. Like the city itself, the church in Laodicea feels that it is rich, self-sufficient, and in need of nothing. They think that they are rich, but Christ upbraids them for really being poor. They think that they are in good shape because of their textile industry, but Christ points out that they are naked, spiritually speaking. They have this wonderful eye powder, but Jesus calls them blind. As Jesus had noted in the gospel accounts, those who are rich in this world often have a difficult time seeing the need for spiritual things. Christ wishes that they were either hot or cold, but because they are lukewarm, He will vomit them out of His mouth. This is likely in reference to the water supply for Laodicea in comparison to the surrounding cities. Hierapolis had hot springs, good for bathing and soaking. Colossae had cold springs, good for drinking. Lukewarm water was good for neither.     Laodicea is the only church of the seven in Revelation that receives no commendation at all. They do have an opportunity to return to the Lord, however. Jesus instructs them to come to Him to find refined gold (reference to banking) that they may be rich indeed, white garments (reference to their textile industry) that they may be clothed and not naked and ashamed, and so He can anoint their eyes with salve (reference to their medicinal eye powder) so that they can see. They may think that they have need of nothing, but Christ tells them that they have need of everything, which only He can offer.

- Dale J. Babinsky preaches for the Great Smoky Mountains Church of Christ in Pigeon Forge, TN. He may be contacted through the congregation's website - https://gsmchurchofchrist.com/