 | Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. |
 | As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. |
 | Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. |
| Revelation 3:19 |
Commentary
The Lord's love for the church is seen in the fact that He rebukes and chastens it. If He did not care, He would not bother. With lingering tenderness, He calls on this nominal church (the Church in Laodicea in this context) to be zealous and repent.
MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments (Re 3:19). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Did you know?
John carefully chose word pictures appropriate for the churches. To the church in Laodicea, an immensely wealthy city famous for its eye ointments and medical center, John says, "You are pitiful, poor, blind. . . . Buy medicine for your eyes, so that you will be able to see" (3:17-18). Further, he calls them "lukewarm" (3:16), an ironic description for a people located just a few miles from hot springs, a popular attraction for tourists and the sick.
Miller, S. M., & Gross, P. (1998). How to get into the Bible. Includes index. (457). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.
John carefully chose word pictures appropriate for the churches. To the church in Laodicea, an immensely wealthy city famous for its eye ointments and medical center, John says, "You are pitiful, poor, blind. . . . Buy medicine for your eyes, so that you will be able to see" (3:17-18). Further, he calls them "lukewarm" (3:16), an ironic description for a people located just a few miles from hot springs, a popular attraction for tourists and the sick.
Miller, S. M., & Gross, P. (1998). How to get into the Bible. Includes index. (457). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.