Keeping things simple today. I kept trying to find another accessory for my outfit, but adding anything just seem to clutter it up. Then I went to Jax's drawers to find something for him to wear to match me. And I found his shorts, the perfect plaid to draw together the teal and yellow I selected for myself. Of course. He is my accessory. How could I forget?
I tried tickling him to get some kind of expression or smile, but all he wanted to do was chomp on his lower lip looking extremely serious. He cracks me up.
Our outfit is hot and cold today. Warm and cool. Teal blue and sunny yellow. Which reminds me of the Bible verse about being either hot or cold. And I feel the need to educate a bit, because this is one of the Bible verses most commonly misinterpreted.
The common misunderstanding about this Scripture is that God was saying we can choose to be "hot" for Him - fired up, enthusiastic, doing what He says, passionate, etc. OR we can be "cold" to Him - far away, distant, rebellious, disinterested. But most importantly, God doesn't want us to be "lukewarm", or mildly interested in Him, stating our allegiance to Him without taking action.
Better to be against Him than for Him, we think He says.
These sort of misunderstandings occur because the Bible was composed to different readers than us, who spoke a different language than us, in a different time and culture than us.
In English, to be "hot" is to be excited, aroused, etc. To be "cold" is to be ambivalent or rude. To be "lukewarm" is to be neutral.
Luckily for me, my mom is a Biblical studies major. So even when we were little, she would do these amazing devotions for us, where she helped us understand the Bible with its original languages and meaning. We have to understand what the initial readers understood, in order to really get it. Much of the Bible translates, in language and comprehension, easily across dialect and time. But other sections, like this lukewarm one, get "lost in translation," as the saying goes.
So here's the Scripture in question, New International Version.
Revelation 3:14-20
To the Church in Laodicea
14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 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. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 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 that person, and they with me.
And here is what was going on with the church in Laodicea. Historical documents tell us that Laodicea was known across the area for its water springs. They had both hot springs and cold springs. People would travel months to bathe in the hot springs, or in the cold springs, because they were known for bringing physical healing. Depending on your illness, you would choose to bathe in either the hot springs, or the cold springs, to try to find healing. The hot water brought healing to some. The shockingly cold water, healing to others. Further away from the spring sources, the streams of water eventually trickled into a larger body of water, that was lukewarm. And it was also good-for-nothing. It wasn't refreshingly cold, and it wasn't soothingly warm. No one ever got healed by bathing in its water.
They would also drink the water. You know how good hot tea feels when you have a sore throat and congestion? And you know how good icy cold water feels when you are sweaty and worn out? And you know how terrible water can taste when it's been sitting in your car, and it used to be icy cold, but now it's kinda warm-ish? And you sip it and immediately spit it out?
So to be cold....isn't God's permission to be against Him. Isn't His approval when we turn our backs and walk away from Him.
We need to keep Scripture in context if we are to understand God's heart. In context of the verses and chapters surrounding it, and in context of the entire Bible.
If an interpretation of Scripture seems to contradict what is said in other parts of Scripture, we should stop and ask where the problem is. God doesn't contradict Himself.
If you take the entire Bible into consideration, it isn't consistent for God to encourage people to be "cold" or distant from Him. The message of the Bible, consistently, is God wants us. He loves us. He wants to be close to us. He wants us to draw near to Him. If we interpret "cold" as "distant", it doesn't jive with the rest of Scripture. So even if we don't know about the Laodeicean springs, we can say, hmmmm, that interpretation doesn't fit with what I know about God and His word.
But now you know. Now we see how consistent this verse is with the message of Christ.
Be HOT! Be healing and soothing and calming to those around you. That they would find strength - physical, emotional, from being around you.
Be COLD! Be healing and refreshing and energizing to those around you. That they would find encouragement from being around you
And don't be lukewarm - useless, good for nothing. Instead, be hot! Be cold! Be a force for healing on earth.
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