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Her.meneutics is edited by associate editor Katelyn Beaty and online editor Sarah Pulliam Bailey.

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May 29, 2009

Media Lukewarm on Laodicean's Meaning

Last night's spelling bee champ rattled off the word with ease, but media today haven't yet connected the Greek adjective to the Bible.

Katelyn Beaty

Last night Indian American girl Kavya Shivashankar, 13, won the televised Scripps National Spelling Bee and its $40,000 prize after rattling off the letters in Laodicean (pronounced lā-ˌä-də-ˈsē-ən). Like most spelling-bee words, the adjective doesn't get much use in everyday conversation, so news sources today have defined the word using American Heritage and Merriam-Webster Dictionary's entries.

American Heritage, 4th ed., second entry: "Indifferent or lukewarm especially in matters of religion."

Merriam-Webster's first entry is a little more helpful, but not one news source used it: "from the reproach to the church of the Laodiceans in Rev 3:15–16." Its second entry got the most play: "lukewarm or indifferent in religion or politics."

Bible readers, of course, will recognize the Greek term from the Book of Revelation and from Paul's letters to the Colossians. Laodicea was a city along the river Lycus in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) founded by King Antiochus II Theos and named for his wife, Laodice, in the 3rd century B.C. Church historians believe that Epaphras, one of Paul's helpers, preached the gospel to the Laodiceans, as he did to the inhabitants in nearby Colossae about 10 miles away.

Paul mentions the Laodicean church in passing five times in his epistle to the Colossians, encouraging them to "see that [this letter] is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea" (4:16).

Laodicea isn't associated with an attitude of lukewarmness until the third chapter of John's Revelation, which lists the church in Laodicea among the seven named churches in Asia Minor.

"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!" John warns on behalf of Christ. "So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth" (3:15-16). The Laodiceans, who were apparently too focused on material riches, were rebuked for their wishy-washiness about the gospel.

Laodicean pops up in conversations today as a label for those who have compromised orthodoxy in order to win cultural acceptance. It's important to note, however, that John's Revelation clearly connects the Lord's warning to the Laodiceans with his love: "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me" (3:19-20).

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Posted by Katelyn Beaty on May 29, 2009 11:12 AM

Comments

The Church of modern day is vivid example of the Laodicean Church,fractured from within,Our Lord is forgotten by one faith hating another,permitting the flagrant ignoring of the 10 commandments,condoning as righteous,practising homosexuality,re-electing governments throwing out God, and the Lord's prayer,,yet professing to be Christian.God is love and truth and He has said what He will do to those who hold Him in contempt,blaspheme the Holy Spirit and mock His Son, who gave His life for our sin and rose from the dead assuring us of everlasting life in Him.

Posted By: David and Diane Snyder | May 29, 2009 6:42 PM

Laodicean is the only word in the whole spelling bee I got right! Of course, I wasn't an actual contender. We shouldn't forget that the church in Laodicea was also praised. Not everything was a condemnation. Same with the other 6 churches.

Posted By: alison | May 30, 2009 1:17 AM

Actually, the church in Laodicea was the one church in those letters that Jesus really didn't have anything good to say about. :/ They were too consumed in themselves to care much about doing anything that would be worthy of His praise. A statement that convicts me even as I write it.

Posted By: Kate | May 31, 2009 9:45 PM

I stand corrected.

Posted By: alison | June 1, 2009 11:42 AM

Thanks for the clarification. I heard the word in Church but unforunately I thought the Rev. was saying something different, now that I understand the word with the particular church, the Rev.'s sermon makes more sense. Thanks, everybody.

Posted By: Anna | June 10, 2009 12:20 AM

Couldn't believe that little girl spelled that correctly! Was a great moment. Thanks for clarifying the meaning, we were always taught it just meant 'indifferent religious view'.

Posted By: Xavier | April 15, 2011 8:27 PM

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