Hot or Cold?: Correcting a Common Misconception in Revelation 3

I opened up my computer to start writing other (planned) posts today, but—as it often goes—I got distracted and inspired to write something else.

This was my background image when I turned on my computer today:

These hot springs are found in the ancient city of Hierapolis (now known as Pamukkale, in modern-day Türkiye). This city was 6 miles from Laodicea—the city that gets a bad rap at the end of Revelation 3.

Jesus declares to the church at Laodicea: “Because you are neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!” (my paraphrase of Revelation 3:16).

We are popularly told that this means Jesus wants us to be either hot or cold—either obviously for him (hot) or obviously against him (cold), but this is not the case.

Laodicea did not have its own water supply. Its hot water was pumped in via aqueducts from Hierapolis (the springs pictured above), and its cold water was pumped in from Colossae (10 miles away). However by the time the water reached Laodicea, the water was no longer what it originally was–merely lukewarm instead.

Hot water would be used for medicinal, restorative purposes; cold water would be used for drinking, refreshing purposes. When Jesus says, “I wish you were hot or cold,” he’s actually saying, “I wish you were restoring or refreshing others.”

The fact that their Christian faith had become tepid rendered them useless to him.

Are you a refresher or a restorer? Or has your Christian faith become tepid? If the latter, it’s a dangerous place to be.

In this with you.

Thanks for reading.