The Church of Laodicea?

Regarding the OP/thread topic, a few things to consider (IMO):

1) in the churchES, there exists both believers [saints] and those who are not [genuine saints]; whereas "the Church which is His body" consists ONLY of believers/saints [of 'this present age'... from the first century, up to our Rapture]

2) both "hot" and "cold" seem to be positives, from God's perspective (for it says, "I would thou wert hot or cold")

3) it is my understanding that "hot" and "cold" were waters originating from a particular source, whereas "lukewarm" was that which was not connected with such a source (sort of like a stagnant mudpuddle versus a river/stream [or aqueduct] or hot-springs kind of thing); thus, God "spews out of His mouth" the "lukewarm" who are not connected with the source: that is, He is looking to taste "Christ" in them, and lacking that, spews them out. So I tend to believe the "lukewarm" are those [in the churchES; i.e. in Christendom] who come in His name, but who are not vitally connected with/to The Source (Jesus Christ) [even Matt7 says some will say, "haven't WE DONE... many wonderful works" IN THY NAME, and He says unto them "I never knew you"]… IOW, I do not see the Rev3 passage as a "lose your salvation" context


[note: I tend to believe the "lukewarm," here, then are spewed into the tribulation period and there counseled to "buy of Me gold tried in the fire" 3:18, where also it says, "...that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear," which is very close to what is also stated in Revelation 16:15-16 (just before the 7th vial is poured), "... Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them [see verse 14?] together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon" (these [those who heed His Word] apparently having obtained, in/during the trib, that which was previously lacking, just as Revelation 3:18 had instructed...)]

That's kind of how I see it.

False.............your whole post is false.........and if you are too dense to honestly accept the plurality of "churches" in the bible we are done with our discussion and there is not one iota of proof that the 7 represent distinct time periods....that is a man made construct......

Appreciate the kind words brother, just having a discussion. You see the body of Christ made up of many churches, I see the body of Christ made up of one Church.

Sorry....I tend to be blunt......and in all honesty we cannot sweep under the table the evidence in the N.T. that points to the plurality of Churches on the earth with ONE body in HEAVEN.....the very distinction made in the church letters and the distinction made to the 7 churches in Asia proves this to be true.

Hope you are doing ok and feeling better

The only time Paul mentions "churches" plural, is to the churches of Galatia. As you read through the letter, you can see that Paul knew there were lost people as part of these gatherings. When Paul uses the word church, singular, it is meant as the body of Christ.

The church of Ephesus...aka the members of the one body of Christ who dwell in Ephesus. It's not a reference to one single gathering of believers. In most instances, there were many gatherings in homes across those particular areas.

YES LAY IT DOWN BROTHER DCON

Im gonna vomit on the keyboard the next time I read about these churches representing different time periods in church history. ITS MADE UP. NO SCRIPTURAL PROOF FOR THAT.

Does not matter....the plural usage points to the fact that on the earth are churches....the very nature of the Greek word Ekklesia points to LOCAL, visible bodies.....

The plural usage of Churches, Assemblies
Individual church letters
Peter's application of living stones coming together to form one individual body
The word's of Paul and his comparison of each church to an individual body
The use of the definite article "THE" applied unto individual churches

On the earth CHURCHES
In HEAVEN ONE BODY

This is the truth......there is no such thing as a Universal Church made up of ALL believers on this earth....in HEAVEN yes......on EARTH each is an autonomous individual body of believers with equal right and authority before the throne.

AMEN....a man made construct....there is not one iota of evidence of this belief and the fact that we can find ALL 7 represented to this very day disproves this fallacy.....

I agree fully that Jesus was talking to the church of Laodicia and he was talking to them as saved men.
I agree too, that they were a wayward church in need of repentance.

What happens to the autonomous power and authority before the throne if your church believes in the gospel in a diferent way that another church believes in the gospel. You can see that massive difference in the thread "not by works". Do you see what I mean?
Both churches cannot have the same power and authority before the throne, if one is teaching a false gospel. Right?

Simple....the truth is hard to bear.......Not every group that names itself as a church is a church......there are core doctrines that identify a true New Testament Church and if these core doctrines do not match the bible they are not a true New Testament Church.......I will note that the Corinthian Assembly had some 15 errors, but was still identified as a church, however they HAD the core doctrines correct.

At the end of the day core doctrine and JESUS determines the validity of a group identified as a church.........

can you list what you believe to be these core doctrines?

There are only two statuses in scripture saved and not saved.

But not all scripture is addressing this though, and so do not read it into the passage.

My view....what a church primarily teaches about the following three........the basics.....and the list is not conclusive

a. Salvation
b. Immersion
c. What a church actually is and the characteristics

sorry my error

If no one can convince you that Jesus addressed them as a Church if they were lost men, then you must believe Jesus was addressing saved men.

If Jesus was addressing saved men, then some of them were going to be vomited out of his mouth and this is a poignant demonstration that some will lose their salvation if they don't repent and do what is right. IOW no OSAS.

Vomiting one out of your mouth, in an ugly way, cleary indicates that some of these men will not be with Jesus for eternity, right?

in an ugly way....exegeisis....adding in your own bias

No...... not right

Jesus addressed them as a church....what does it take for men to be called a church....ONE that has a MESSENGER and ONE that JESUS threatens which means it is a church in his eyes...

a. MEN must be saved
b. Men must have scriptural baptism
c. Men must be covenanted together
d. Men must have had the truth

The above 4 are required for there to be a N.T. Church.......

No, I do not believe salvation was the issue and or being addressed....what was being addressed was their authority and witness as a N.T. Church

The only problem with that is individual churches have lost people as part of their congregation.

To be cold is to not claim to be a Christian, to act like an unbeliever and not pretend. A tree without fruit.
To be hot is to act like a Christian and uplift the name Jesus. A tree bearing holy fruit.

Lukewarm = to claim to be a Christian but not act like it. To go to church and praise God but come home and forget God.
= to know about God and claim to be a Christian but not have any fruits that a Christian should have.

I rather you were hot or cold".
because lukewarm just gives God a bad image.

Are we living in a world where people are claiming to be Christians and know all about the way true Christians should live but are living like worldly people. Unspiritual people claiming to be spiritual people. that's lukewarm.