CHAPTER EIGHT

THE CHURCH IN LAODICEA

Scripture Reading: Rev. 3:14-22

Now we will speak of the last church. We have seen the Roman Catholic Church, the Protestant churches, and the movement of the brothers. Among these, God has chosen the movement of the brothers. Thyatira entirely failed. Although Sardis was better than Thyatira, the Lord still rebuked them. Only Philadelphia did not receive a word of rebuke. The Lord’s promise is in Philadelphia. (But Philadelphia also has a calling for overcomers.) If it were up to us, we would have stopped with Philadelphia and written nothing more. However, in these churches the Lord prophesies concerning the condition of the church; therefore, it is necessary to take a step further to Laodicea, with which everyone is most familiar. If you asked which church Laodicea refers to, many could not answer. Many of God’s children are not clear concerning Laodicea. Some think of learning lessons from her as individuals; some consider her as referring to the general, desolate condition of the church. But the Lord is speaking prophecy here.

Laodicea, just like the other churches, has special meaning in her name. It is composed of two words: laos, meaning “laymen” (laity or common people), and dicea, which may be translated as “customs” or “opinions.” So Laodicea means the customs of the laymen or the opinions of the common people. Here we see very clearly the meaning—the church has already failed. The church has turned to the pattern of taking the opinions and customs of the laymen. In Philadelphia we see brothers and love for one another. But here we see laymen, opinions, and customs.

Please remember one thing: If the children of God do not stand in the position of Philadelphia, they will fall and fail. However, they cannot return to Sardis. Once a person has seen the truth of the brothers, he can no longer go back to the Protestant churches, even if he wants to. Since he is not able to stand firmly in Philadelphia, he retrogresses from Philadelphia to become, as here, Laodicea. That which came out from the Roman Catholic Church is called the Protestant church; that which came out from the Protestant churches is called the brothers; and that which goes forth from Philadelphia is called Laodicea. Sardis comes out of Thyatira, and Philadelphia comes out of Sardis; likewise, Laodicea goes out of Philadelphia. God’s children today have a misunderstanding; that is, whenever they see a certain denominational church, the condition of which is wrong, they say that that is Laodicea. That is wrong. A wrong denominational church is Sardis, not Laodicea. The different denominations are the Protestant churches. The denominations are not qualified to become Laodicea. Only failing Philadelphia can become Laodicea. The condition of Laodicea is not the condition of Sardis. Only that which has tasted the goodness of Philadelphia and is now fallen is Laodicea. That which actually does not have much is Sardis. That which does not keep the spiritual riches in the Holy Spirit becomes Laodicea.

What kind of a fall then is this? Beginning with Ephesus we see abnormality in the midst of normality. In Pergamos we see the teaching of Balaam. In Thyatira we see Jezebel; the mediatorial class has its root there. Sardis gives us an open Bible, but Sardis herself creates another mediatorial class. In Philadelphia we see only brothers; the class that conquers the laity no longer exists. Everyone comes back to the word of the Lord to obey the Lord’s word and to obey what the Holy Spirit has spoken through the word of the Lord. But one day, by not standing in the position of brothers who receive the discipline of the Holy Spirit and by falling from the position of brothers to that of laymen, Laodicea appears. In Sardis the authority lies in the hands of the pastoral system. In Philadelphia the authority lies in the hands of the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit exercises authority through the word and the name, and all are brothers loving one another. Now in Laodicea it is neither the Holy Spirit exercising the authority nor the pastoral system, but the laymen. What do we mean by laymen exercising authority? We mean exercising the authority of the majority. The opinion of the majority is the accepted opinion; as long as the majority is in favor, it is all right. This is Laodicea. In other words it is not the fathers who rule, nor the pastors, nor the Holy Spirit, but the opinion of the majority that counts. Here it is not brothers, but men. Laodicea does not stand in the position of brothers; rather, it is men who are according to the will of the flesh. Everyone raises the hand, and that is all. We must know the will of God and look at Philadelphia according to the will of God. Whenever there is no brotherly love but only the opinions of men according to the flesh, you meet Laodicea.