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Rev_3:14-22. The epistle to the church at Laodicea.
Laod. in Phrygia, so called after Laodice, the wife of King Antiochus II. (formerly Diospolis, then Rhoas), reckoned by Tacitus[1536] among the “renowned cities of Asia,” a rich manufacturing and commercial city,[1537] lay east of Ephesus, south-east of Philadelphia, in the neighborhood of Colosse,[1538] on the river Lycus,—and hence called, in distinction from other places of the same name, Λ . Ἡ ἘΠῚ ΛΎΚῼ ,—or, more accurately, on the river Caprus, which, flowing into the Lycus, is received by the Meander. The ruins of ancient L. are found at the present unimportant town of Eski-Hissar.[1539] Already at the time of the Apostle Paul,[1540] a Christian church existed at L. A bishop and martyr at L., Sagaris, in the year 170 A.D., is mentioned by Eusebius, H. E., iv. 26, v. 24; but even Archippus[1541] is already named as bishop.[1542] Each of these has been regarded the “angel” of the church; and Hengstenb. immediately afterwards in the expression Ἡ ἈΡΧῊ Τ . ΚΤ ., Rev_3:14, discovers an allusion to the name of Arch-ippus as the most influential elder at Laodicea.[1543]
According to Colossians 2, Paul had the same care for the church at Laod. as for that at Colosse,[1544] since these neighboring churches were exposed in like manner to certain Judaizing, and at the same time theosophizing (gnosticizing), erroneous doctrines. Of these there is no immediate trace in the Apoc. epistles.[1545] But, on the contrary, the lukewarmness and proud self-sufficiency and self-righteousness of the church are rejected. Perhaps the state of affairs is to be regarded in such a way, that, while the peculiar gnosticizing aberration was averted from the church by the “conflict” of the Apostle Paul, yet that this, scarcely without the influence of its own riches, and of the entire tone of worldly culture and worldly enjoyment prevailing in a wealthy commercial city, had occurred in a worldly way, in which, on the one hand, the candid confession of the Lord, always opposing worldliness in warm words and zealous conduct, was missed, while, on the other hand, the trust in a certain external inoffensiveness manifested itself as an arrogant self-righteousness, which even before[1546] was in another way to be dreaded.
[1536] Ann., xiv. 27.
[1537] Hence Tacitus reports: “In the same year (62) Laodicea, being overthrown by an earthquake, without any aid from us, but by its own strength, recovered.” Cf. on Rev_3:1-6.
[1538] Cf. Col_2:1; Col_4:13 sq.
[1539] Cf. Winer, Rwb.
[1540] Cf. Col. in various places.
[1541] Col_4:17.
[1542] Const. Apost., viii. 46.
[1543] Concerning the Easter controversy at Laodicea, in the time of Sagaris, cf. G. E. Steitz: “Die Diff. der Oec. u. d. Kleinasiaten in der Paschafeier,” Stud. u. Kritik., 1856, pp. 769, 778 sqq.
[1544] Cf. also Col_4:16.
[1545] On the contrary, Vitr., p. 161.
[1546] Cf. Col_2:18.