THE REVELATION OF JOHN Bible Study 12 Study by Lorin L Cranford Text: Rev. 3:14-22 All rights reserved © QUICK LINKS 1. What the text meant. Exegesis of the Text: Historical Aspects: A. Command to write, v. 14a External History B. Situation of the church, vv. 14b-20 Internal History C. Victory Promise and Command to Hear, vv. 21- 22 Literary Aspects: 2. What the text means. Genre Literary Setting Literary Structure Message to Laodicea Greek NT Gute Nachricht Bibel NRSV NLT 14 Καὶ τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς 14 Schreibe an den En- 14 And to the angel of the 14 Write this letter to the ἐν Λαοδικείᾳ ἐκκλησίας gel* der Gemeinde in La- church in Laodicea write: angel of the church in Laodi- γράψον· odizea: The words of the Amen, cea. Τάδε λέγει ὁ ἀμήν, So spricht Er, der Amen the faithful and true witness, This is the message ὁ μάρτυς ὁ πιστὸς καὶ heißt, der treue und wahrhaf- the origin of God’s creation: from the one who is the ἀληθινός, ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς κτίσεως tige Zeuge, der vor allem da 15 I know your works; you Amen -- the faithful and true τοῦ θεοῦ· war, was Gott geschaffen hat: are neither cold nor hot. I wish witness, the ruler of God’s 15 οἶδά σου τὰ ἔργα 15 Ich kenne euer Tun: Ihr that you were either cold or creation: ὅτι οὔτε ψυχρὸς εἶ οὔτε seid weder warm noch kalt. hot. 16 So, because you are 15 I know all the things ζεστός. ὄφελον ψυχρὸς ἦς ἢ Wenn ihr wenigstens eins von lukewarm, and neither cold you do, that you are nei- ζεστός. 16 οὕτως ὅτι χλιαρὸς beiden wärt! 16 Aber ihr seid nor hot, I am about to spit you ther hot nor cold. I wish you εἶ καὶ οὔτε ζεστὸς οὔτε weder warm noch kalt; ihr out of my mouth. 17 For you were one or the other! 16 ψυχρός, μέλλω σε ἐμέσαι seid lauwarm. Darum werde say, “I am rich, I have pros- But since you are like luke- ἐκ τοῦ στόματός μου. 17 ὅτι ich euch aus meinem Mund pered, and I need nothing.’ warm water, I will spit you λέγεις ὅτι πλούσιός εἰμι καὶ ausspucken. 17 Ihr sagt: ‘Wir You do not realize that you are out of my mouth! 17 You say, πεπλούτηκα καὶ οὐδὲν χρείαν sind reich und bestens ver- wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, ‘I am rich. I have everything ἔχω, καὶ οὐκ οἶδας ὅτι σὺ εἶ sorgt; uns fehlt nichts.’ Aber and naked. 18 Therefore I I want. I don’t need a thing!’ ὁ ταλαίπωρος καὶ ἐλεεινὸς ihr wisst nicht, wie unglücklich counsel you to buy from me And you don’t realize that καὶ πτωχὸς καὶ τυφλὸς καὶ und bejammernswert ihr seid, gold refined by fire so that you you are wretched and miser- γυμνός, 18 συμβουλεύω elend, blind und nackt.18 Ich may be rich; and white robes able and poor and blind and σοι ἀγοράσαι παρʼ ἐμοῦ rate euch: Kauft von mir Gold, to clothe you and to keep the naked. 18 I advise you to buy χρυσίον πεπυρωμένον ἐκ das im Feuer gereinigt wurde; shame of your nakedness gold from me -- gold that has πυρὸς ἵνα πλουτήσῃς, καὶ dann werdet ihr reich! Kauft from being seen; and salve to been purified by fire. Then ἱμάτια λευκὰ ἵνα περιβάλῃ euch weiße Kleider, damit ihr anoint your eyes so that you you will be rich. And also buy καὶ μὴ φανερωθῇ ἡ αἰσχύνη nicht nackt dasteht und euch may see. 19 I reprove and white garments so you will τῆς γυμνότητός σου, καὶ schämen müsst! Kauft euch discipline those whom I love. not be shamed by your na- κολλ[ο]ύριον ἐγχρῖσαι τοὺς Salbe für eure Augen, damit Be earnest, therefore, and re- kedness. And buy ointment ὀφθαλμούς σου ἵνα βλέπῃς. ihr sehen könnt! 19 Alle, die pent. 20 Listen! I am standing for your eyes so you will be 19 ἐγὼ ὅσους ἐὰν φιλῶ ich liebe, weise ich zurecht at the door, knocking; if you able to see. 19 I am the one ἐλέγχω καὶ παιδεύω· ζήλευε und erziehe sie streng. Macht hear my voice and open the who corrects and disciplines οὖν καὶ μετανόησον. 20 Ἰδοὺ also Ernst und kehrt um! 20 door, I will come in to you and everyone I love. Be diligent ἕστηκα ἐπὶ τὴν θύραν καὶ Gebt Acht, ich stehe vor der eat with you, and you with me. and turn from your indiffer- κρούω· ἐάν τις ἀκούσῃ τῆς Tür und klopfe an! Wenn je- 21 To the one who con- ence. 20 Look! Here I stand φωνῆς μου καὶ ἀνοίξῃ τὴν mand meine Stimme hört und quers I will give a place with at the door and knock. If you θύραν, [καὶ] εἰσελεύσομαι die Tür öffnet, werde ich bei me on my throne, just as I my- hear me calling and open the πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ δειπνήσω ihm einkehren. Ich werde mit self conquered and sat down door, I will come in, and we μετʼ αὐτοῦ καὶ αὐτὸς μετʼ ihm das Mahl halten und er with my Father on his throne. will share a meal as friends. ἐμοῦ. mit mir. 22 Let anyone who has an ear Page 1 21 Ὁ νικῶν δώσω 21 Alle, die durchhalten und listen to what the Spirit is saying 21 I will invite every- αὐτῷ καθίσαι μετʼ ἐμοῦ ἐν den Sieg erringen, erhalten von to the churches. one who is victorious to τῷ θρόνῳ μου, ὡς κἀγὼ mir das Recht, mit mir auf mei- sit with me on my throne, ἐνίκησα καὶ ἐκάθισα nem Thron zu sitzen, so wie ich just as I was victorious μετὰ τοῦ πατρός μου selbst den Sieg errungen habe and sat with my Father ἐν τῷ θρόνῳ αὐτοῦ. 22 und nun mit meinem Vater auf on his throne. 22 Anyone Ὁ ἔχων οὖς ἀκουσάτω seinem Thron sitze. 22 Wer who is willing to hear τί τὸ πνεῦμα λέγει ταῖς Ohren hat, soll hören, was der should listen to the Spir- ἐκκλησίαις. Geist* den Gemeinden sagt! it and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches. INTRODUCTION This seventh message of Christ continues the pat- tern that we have observed in the previous six mes- sages. The literary structure is identical to these other messages. But, the content is different and is custom- ized to the historical situation of the Christian commu- nity at Laodicea. The church in this very wealthy city of the Roman province of Asia faced many challenges, and struggled with several major problems.1 Out of that individual message to this ancient con- gregation then comes an enduring message with rele- vance to our day and time. 1. What did the text mean to the first readers? Again the background issues play a significant role in correct understanding of the content of this passage. Thus we explore them first in order to set a backdrop for exegeting the passage. Historical Aspects: However, in the Novum Testa- Both the history of the hand copying of the mentum Graece (27th rev. ed) text ap- passage as well as the internal history within the pas- paratus, which provides a full listing of sage is important for understanding the content. variations no matter what their signifi- External History. As was cance, some seventeen places where true with the previous message to variations of readings are listed.3 Philadelphia, none of the text varia- 3Offenbarung 3,14 (καὶ is inserted between ὁ ἀμήν and ὁ μάρτυς) *א tions of readings were considered suf- * και ficiently important to impact the trans- * ο 2050. 2053. 2351 pc syh bopt (καὶ between πιστὸς and lation of the passage by the editors of ἀληθινός is replaced wither with ὁ or καὶ ὁ) C pc bopt א και ο | The Greek New Testament (UBS 4th | txt A M (syph (καὶ is inserted between ἀληθινός and ἡ ἀρχὴ א rev. ed.). Thus no variations are list- * και (κτίσεως is replaced with ὲκκλησίας) *א ed in the text apparatus of this printed *| εκκλησιας Greek text.2 Offenbarung 3,15 1“Laodicea (3:14–22) was rebuked by the Lord in the harshest * A 1006 pc (ὄφελον is omitted) tone of all the seven churches. No word of praise is accorded it. It Offenbarung 3,16 had not even the redeeming fact of ‘a few names that did not defile * ου 1006. 1841. 1854. 2053. 2351 MK; Bea (οὔτε is replaced their garments,’ as had Sardis.” [H.E. Dana, The Epistles and the with οὐ) Apocalypse of John: A Brief Commentary, p. 110] * A P (2050) pc ar vg syph sa; Vic Apr (ζεστὸς οὔτε ψυχρός is 2One should remember that part of the reason here comes from transposed) the very small number of now existing manuscripts of the New * ελεγχω σε εκ et *σου 2329 (μέλλω σε ἐμέσαι ἐκ is replaced Testament that contain the book of Revelation. Many factors play by one of these two options) *א a role in this, not the least of which is the very late acceptance | παυσε et σου of Revelation into the canon of the New Testament. With a much Offenbarung 3,17 (M vgmss; Spec Bea (ὅτι is omitted א * smaller pool of existing manuscripts, one would normally expect there to be fewer places of variations in the wording of the text. Page 2 When one carefully examines each of these variations, sage. And thus it needs to be treated here as a back- it becomes clear that they originated either as stylis- drop to understanding the content of the passage.