Revelation 3:15-16
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Christ's strong wish that they were "either cold or hot" isn't a desire for them to be outright enemies, but a deep regret for their "lukewarmness." This state, where they profess faith but lack genuine zeal, is worse because it allows for self-deception and hinders any real change or hope for their souls.
“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is addressing the church in Laodicea, a wealthy city known for its lukewarm mineral springs and its self-sufficient people. He's revealing their spiritual state to them, which is characterized by a lack of genuine commitment and a dangerous complacency. This message is part of a series of letters to seven churches, each receiving a tailored critique and encouragement from Christ.
Imagine having a temperature that's not hot enough to feel comforting, nor cold enough to signal a problem. That's the spiritual danger Jesus addresses in Revelation.
Jesus speaks to the church in Laodicea, a prosperous city known for its tepid mineral springs. He uses this imagery to describe their spiritual state: neither passionately devoted ('hot') nor completely untouched by faith ('cold').
This indifference creates a false sense of security. Because they aren't overtly sinful or zealous for God, they don't see the need for repentance or change. It's a spiritual complacency that Jesus finds deeply displeasing.
Jesus expresses a startling wish: 'Would that you were either cold or hot!' Why would He prefer a state of outright opposition over this tepid existence?
Jesus' wish isn't a desire for people to be lost; it's a profound expression of His frustration with spiritual indifference.
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Essentially, Christ prefers a defined state, even one of opposition, because it's more receptive to truth and change than a comfortable, self-deceived indifference.
Understand the original words
ergon · Greek Noun
The outward expressions and actions of a person, which in a biblical context serve as evidence of one’s spiritual condition, faith, and relationship with God.
chliaros · Greek Adjective
An adjective describing a state of spiritual stagnation, lack of zeal, and compromise, where one is not clearly committed to Christ nor openly hostile, resulting in a state God finds repulsive.
The prosperity of Laodicea, its self-reliance following a devastating earthquake, and its strategic location fostered a dangerous spiritual lukewarmness among its church members, a state Christ found abhorrent because it lacked true commitment.
c. 44 BC
Laodicea Founded
Laodicea was founded by Seleucus II Callinicus as part of the Seleucid Empire, strategically located along major trade routes. It later came under Roman control.
c. 37 BC
Herodian Control
Laodicea came under the rule of Herod the Great, who significantly rebuilt and developed the city, contributing to its prosperity and status as a financial center.
c. AD 20-30
Roman Province of Asia
Laodicea was part of the Roman province of Asia, a wealthy region known for its trade, banking, and numerous churches. Its economic strength contributed to a sense of self-sufficiency.
c. AD 50-60— this verse
Church in Laodicea Flourishes
The church in Laodicea was established and growing during this period, likely receiving the letter from the Apostle Paul intended for nearby Colossae, which also addressed Laodicean issues. The city's prosperity led some believers to rely on their wealth and neglect spiritual fervor.
AD 60
Major Earthquake
A devastating earthquake struck Laodicea, causing immense destruction. The city's wealth allowed it to refuse Roman aid and rebuild independently, likely reinforcing their self-reliance and perhaps contributing to spiritual complacency.
This passage speaks of being 'fervent in spirit,' directly echoing the 'hot' state that Christ wishes the Laodiceans possessed, contrasting it with their lukewarmness.
Matthew 21:31Jesus noted that tax collectors and prostitutes, often considered 'cold' or outside the religious establishment, would enter the kingdom of God before the 'hot' or self-righteous religious leaders, highlighting that an open, unfeigned state can have more hope than a self-deceived one.
1 Kings 18:21Elijah confronted Israel with their indecision, asking 'How long will you go limping between two opinions?' This mirrors the Laodiceans' divided loyalty and lack of wholehearted commitment that Christ finds so displeasing.
2 Peter 2:20-21This passage describes those who have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of Christ but are again entangled, suggesting that having known the truth and then falling into a lukewarm state is worse than never having known it at all.
Colossians 4:17Paul’s instruction to Archippus to 'fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord' serves as a call to earnestness and purpose, contrasting with the lack of zeal and commitment evident in the Laodicean church.
ellicottRevelation 3:15: "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot."
(15, 16) Neither cold nor hot.— The “heat” here is the glowing, fervent zeal and devotion which is commended and commanded elsewhere ( Romans 12:11 ). It is not, however, the self-conscious, galvanised earnestness which, in days of senile pietism, passes for zeal. It is an earnestness which does not know itself earnest, being all too absorbed in its work. It is self-forgetful, and so self-sac…
pulpitRevelation 3:15: "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot."
Verse 15. - I know thy works; and because they are not what they should be (vers. 16, 17), I give thee this admonition, which is nevertheless a warning and a token of my love (ver. 19). That thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. The lukewarmness of which the Epistle complains was produced by a fallacious sense of security, begotten of ease and prosperity. In truth thos…
Christ's strong wish that they were "either cold or hot" isn't a desire for them to be outright enemies, but a deep regret for their "lukewarmness." This state, where they profess faith but lack genuine zeal, is worse because it allows for self-deception and hinders any real change or hope for their souls.
Jesus is addressing the church in Laodicea, a wealthy city known for its lukewarm mineral springs and its self-sufficient people. He's revealing their spiritual state to them, which is characterized by a lack of genuine commitment and a dangerous complacency. This message is part of a series of letters to seven churches, each receiving a tailored critique and encouragement from Christ.
Jesus is addressing the church in Laodicea, a wealthy city known for its lukewarm mineral springs and its self-sufficient people. He's revealing their spiritual state to them, which is characterized by a lack of genuine commitment and a dangerous complacency. This message is part of a series of letters to seven churches, each receiving a tailored critique and encouragement from Christ.
"“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth." — Christ's strong wish that they were "either cold or hot" isn't a desire for them to be outright enemies, but a deep regret for their "lukewarmness." This state, where they profess faith but lack genu…
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Last reviewed October 2026
