Revelation 3:15-17 NIV
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm–neither hot nor cold–I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
I was always slightly puzzled by what these verses mean but never really looked into it until I read about it in Craig Keener’s commentary on Revelation.
Regarding verse 15, although it may be well known to most of my readers, who are generally more well educated in things Bible than I, Jesus is referring to the water temperature and quality or lack thereof in Laodicea, the church He is addressing here.
Keener writes:
Laodicea lacked its own water supply, having no direct access to the cold water of the mountains or the hot water of the nearby springs in Hierapolis to the north. In contrast to its claims to self-sufficiency (Rev. 3:17), it had to pipe in its water; though much of the aqueduct from the south was underground, nearer the city it came through stone barrel pipes, thus remaining vulnerable to any intended besiegers who wished to cut off the city’s water supply. More important, this water had grown lukewarm by the time of its arrival.
Other sources speak more about how displeasing this water was.
NLT Study Bible:
neither hot nor cold: The hot springs in Hierapolis were famous for their healing qualities. Colosse was equally famous for its cold, refreshing springs. In contrast, the water available in Laodicea was smelly and lukewarm. Such water is distasteful; Jesus was saying that the church’s indecisive commitment to him was revolting.
ESV Study Bible:
The waters of the nearby Lycus River were muddy and undrinkable, and the waters flowing by aqueduct from hot springs 5 miles (8 km) away were lukewarm when they reached Laodicea. Likewise, Jesus found his church’s tepid indifference repugnant. Cold and hot water represent something positive, for cold water refreshes in the heat, and hot water is a tonic when one is chilly.
So in mentioning the hot and cold water Jesus wasn’t speaking to their spiritual zeal or lack. And it doesn’t make sense that Jesus would rather they be spiritually cold than lukewarm. He’s not saying, “Pick a side, any side, as long as you commit to something.” Or that He would rather we be willfully cold towards Him as a way of showing some sort of truthful integrity if we aren’t very thrilled about how we feel about God at the moment.
What Jesus is saying is much more shocking. As Keener puts it,
In today’s English, he is telling the self-satisfied church in Laodicea: ‘I want water that will refresh me, but you remind me instead of the water you always complain about. You make me want to puke.’
The Laodiceans, who prided themselves on their wealth and self-sufficiency (Rev. 3:17) didn’t even have water that tasted good and Jesus used this to illustrate their spiritual self sufficiency and pride, and how He felt about it.
I was wondering if puke was a little overboard.
Thayer: to vomit, vomit forth, throw up, i. e. to reject with extreme disgust,
Louw-Nida: Since a term meaning ‘to vomit’ often carries somewhat vulgar connotations, ἐμέω in Re 3.16 has frequently been translated as ‘to spit out of my mouth.’ It is also possible to interpret ‘to vomit out of the mouth’ as an idiom meaning ‘to reject.’
It seems to me that a disservice is done when translations water this down (no pun intended). Most popular translations use spit. Among those that I looked at, the HCSB, LITV, Mounce Sr. (Interlinear), NET, NKJV, The Message and WEB use vomit. The Geneva Bible and King James use spewe and spue. (I think they were ahead of their time.)
Further reading:
The Letter to the Church in Laodicea at Ligonier Ministries
Jeff, excellent point. I had not looked at it that way – the hot and cold.
great research, well thought out, well written, thanks.
Jeff, thanks, This is a well thought out study. Hot is good and cold is good. Anything in beteeen is yucky!
It’s good to see that Jesus was speaking of the spiritual condition of the prowd Laodicean church; relating to the water condition. Hot has good cleansing qualities, cold has refreshing, thirst quenching qualities. These Laodician saints must have been shaken by this smart rebuke understanding their condition.
Thanks for this great insight. Be blest, Dave
Dave you’re welcome. I can’t claim the insight was my own, just information gathered from those much smarter and more gifted than me.
I love learning this type of stuff. It’s why I read commentaries and is part of the quest to learn what the inspired writers were conveying to their readers/hearers as opposed to conventional wisdom which isn’t always on track.
Jeff
Jesus may have been comparing the church’s attitude to the water conditions present at Laodicea, but make not mistake Jesus condemned their attitude. It is better to be hot or cold than to be lukewarm. Jesus stated and you modern humanist can’t absolve yourself from it. You can’t say “I’m a good person, I follow most of God’s tenets. I am going to heaven.” We all sin. We can’t live in sin and think “I’m a good person. I deserve heaven.” So the truth in the lukewarm scripture is this: Jesus prefers you be either hot or cold when you claim your Christian. Also, people think if you are cold that means you are the worst of the worst. There are a lot of good humans who don’t worship and will go to hell. There are a lot of good humans who are lukewarm with their worship who will join them. That is the truth. The passage reinforces my belief that God should come before work, job, and family. That worship should not just be Sunday. That seeking his knowledge is a daily pursuit. If you don’t behave in such a manner then heaven is not your destiny. This is from a Christian non worshiper. Figure that out.
There is analogy I’m reading about this Bible verse that confuses the situation but not the outcome of my previous statement. Hot waters represent healing and cold waters represent a refreshing. The analogy suggest Jesus, when comparing Laodicea to the water, gave equal weight to hot and cold water and the negative was being lukewarm. That analogy suggest the scripture doesn’t intend to give the impression that Jesus preferred Christians totally devoted or not devoted at all. Either way, the end result is the same. Jesus is so put off by the half-ass way Laodicea Christians worshiped that he said he would spit them out instead of embrace them. So whether you believe in the water analogy, or you believe Jesus prefers you totally devoted or not at all, the end result is the same. Those who are not totally devoted to Christ will not find heaven. The lukewarm will not find heaven and we know non- believers will not find heaven. So the end result is the same no matter how you look at it. The debate over hot and cold doesn’t matter.
Yall,so called bible scolars are wrong yall are using to much of,this manly’ ‘ wisdom” Jesus ment its better u be hot or cold meaning u have 2 pick who u will surve him or by defult ur surving satin theres no middle ground its that simple we have 2 choose he dosent send us 2 hell its us not Getting baptized with the same baptizim he Jesus was that will land us in hell
Am I supposed to be convinced by someone who can’t write?
Jeff
Im not trying 2 convince u im just dooing wat my Father Jesus puts on my heart God is no respecter of man & ur so called knowlage thats not gonna mean annything on Judgement day the apostales werent scolars but didnt God use them yall get so caught up in all this so called brain power,that yall dont know Gods voice when yall hear it Jesus said unless a man is born of water & the spirt he cannont enter into the kingdom thats all i need 2 know
I’m not caught up in brain power or puffed up wisdom. I’m passing on what God’s gifted scholars are teaching us. God gifts people to teach, work with languages, even anthropology.
I doubt that you’re a prophet that knows the correct interpretation of all Scripture but who knows, maybe you are.
Tell me one thing–God wishes we were “one or the other”–why would God want us to be cold according to your interpretation?
Also, if all you need to know is that man is born of water and the spirit why are you messing around with this passage? And isn’t is great to mine the depths of Scripture and knowledge of God instead of just sticking with milk?
Jeff
He dosent want us to be cold he is longsuffring 4usward not willing that anny should parrish but all come 2 repentence but he dosent want us in the middle he wants us to be with him or against him by defualt ppl worship satin and surve him by there choice of lifestyle & whatever they put b4 God becomes there god he said that bc hes not a God of confussion one day ur gonna surve him than the next ur not thats confusion & he wont let annyone enter da kingdom who is confused
we should not take from the word or add to the word or he will add onto us every plage he cast on egypy & every desise that isnt written in this book & beeing born of water & spirt is the only way 2 make it into the kingdom so thats the main thing we should know if annything back in those days that was the only way 2 be apart of the church the church started in the book of acts in the old test there was no church so when we say that romans scrip connfess with ur mouth he was writng to a church that was backsliding we all need 2 know who he was talking to
What did we add to it? We’re supposed to rightly divide the Word of truth. Just because you disagree with something doesn’t mean it’s been added to.
If all you need to know is to be born of water and spirit then you might want to just keep it that way and don’t try to interpret the more difficult passages. You seem to be using faulty, closed, human logic 2 interpret Scripture.
Jeff
I dont try 2 interpet anny scriptures the spirt dwells in me & gives,me the understanding of every scripture this is a spirtual battel satin isnt scared of that u have a 1000 degrees he dosent care but he fears the word thats how we defeat him so all this is unness its erevalant or watever you be blessed in ur,quest for understanding sir
Well, I guess you and the Holy Spirit must be right about everything then. I wish I was.
Jeff
Jeff,
The way I understand this verse, is that Jesus would rather an individual be cold (uncommitted) towards him than be lukewarm (believe they’re committed when in fact they’re not). Said another way, better to be sick and know you need healing than to be sick and think you are healed.
…I wonder if this thread is even active any more?
This is a very old thread.
That’s the way most people understood this passage for a long time.
I don’t think Jesus would rather anyone to be cold towards him. I think the new archaeological and linguistic evidence shows what this passage really means.
Jeff
Interesting that scripture can be interpreted in many ways.
Surely the people being addressed put things into certain context.
Just a imagine though – picture this…
Steam on a hot day
Someones breath on a cold day
Someone blowing cigarette smoke from their mouth
A clue to signs of the times…..
I’d rather think that there are many meanings all rolled into one – direct and inferred
Read John Allegro the mushroom and the sacred cross for insight from an etymologist’s veiwpoint. Puns are hidden in translation from one language to the next.
Just a thought…especially if the seven letters also refer to seven periods of time …they are being dictated in a dream – prophesy …it’s not John talking.
Perhaps being cold is simply relying on yourself or not relying on the grace of Christ. I agree that God does not wish for His children to be cold toward Him. Relying on ourselves is the same as following the law of Moses. Paul often writes how the law leads us to Christ. Once we realize we can never live up to His standards by our own actions, we can realize we need the one act of Jesus. Then we become hot. With that in mind, being lukewarm may be acknowledging the grace of Christ but still teaching and believing that we must do more to be right and fully redeemed. Living under the old and the New Covenant. Not relying on the Blood of Christ fully.
GK Chesterton: ‘It is good for a Christian to be in a lot of hot water, it keeps him clean’.
If the opposite of love is not hate, but indifference, it would seem to me ‘lukewarmness’ would be a grave offense to God.