To the Church at Laodicea

And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

Revelation 3:14

Name Meaning
- Laodicea means “rule of the people.”
Historical Church Identity
- Laodicea is the wealthy, self-absorbed church of compromise.

Laodicea Background

About 40 miles southeast of Philadelphia, and just a few miles north of Colossae, stood the large and prosperous city of Laodicea. It rested luxuriously on the banks of the river Lycus, a tributary of the Meander. Laodicea didn’t have a good location for military defense, so it survived by compromise. It was an old city, dating to 2000 B.C. Its name was changed from Diospolis to Rhoas by the Lydians, and when Antiochus II captured and rebuilt the town in 250 B.C., he named it after his wife Laodice.

Time To Equip Ourselves

Before sitting down to write this article, I checked on social media to find out what was on my friends’ minds. One faithful friend of Koinonia House – TL from Brazil – posted just four words: “Time to Equip Ourselves.” Thank you TL. This phrase is the timely title for this article and the focus of its message. The month of December will be filled with messages about the birth of Jesus, traditions of decorating, baking, and wrapping, favorite carols dusted off from their eleven-month hibernation, and so much more. For many of us, family gatherings include (along with all the festivity and fun) the rehashing of debates over matters political and theological. My ambition for this article for you, Gracious Reader, is to provide you with some new material – short soundbites – that you can include in these conversations. Think of each of these as seasoning – salt and pepper – to change the flavor of the discussion.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

Matthew 5:13

Preach the word! Be ready in (the Christmas) season and out of (the Christmas) season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

2 Timothy 4:2

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.

1 Peter 3:15

So in no particular order, the following paragraphs contain conversation starters and straightforward topics that prepare us during this “time to equip ourselves” to share our faith this month and throughout 2024.