Focused Passage

Revelation 3:14-22

Christ Speaks to Three Churches: Wakefulness, Faithfulness, and Lukewarm Self-Deception

The chapter moves from Christ’s exposure of dead reputation, to his encouragement of weak faithfulness, to his rebuke of wealthy self-deception, summoning each church to hear, repent, hold fast, and overcome.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

14To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Originator of God’s creation.

15I know your deeds; you are neither cold nor hot. How I wish you were one or the other!

16So because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to vomit you out of My mouth!

17You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.

18I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness not exposed, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

19Those I love I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent.

20Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me.

21To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

22He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 14

Original words

-ΚαὶG2532ConjunctionTo theτῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine SingularangelἀγγέλῳG32Noun - Dative Masculine Singularof theτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularchurchἐκκλησίαςG1577Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularinἐνG1722PrepositionLaodiceaΛαοδικείᾳG2993Noun - Dative Feminine SingularwriteγράψονG1125Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person SingularThese [are]ΤάδεG3592Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Pluralthe wordsλέγειG3004Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularof theG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularAmenἈμήνG281Hebrew WordtheG3588Article - Nominative Masculine Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularfaithfulπιστὸςG4103Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctiontrueἀληθινόςG228Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularWitnessμάρτυςG3144Noun - Nominative Masculine SingulartheG3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularOriginatorἀρχὴG746Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof God’sΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular-τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularcreationκτίσεωςG2937Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular

BSB notes

  • Or Beginning or Ruler
Verse 15

Original words

I knowΟἶδάG1492Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularyourσουG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular-τὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PluraldeedsἔργαG2041Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural-ὅτιG3754Conjunctionyou areεἶG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person SingularneitherοὔτεG3777ConjunctioncoldψυχρὸςG5593Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularnorοὔτεG3777ConjunctionhotζεστόςG2200Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular[How] I wishὄφελονG3785Interjectionyou wereἦςG1510Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular[one]ψυχρὸςG5593Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularorG2228Conjunction[the other]ζεστόςG2200Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Verse 16

Original words

SoοὕτωςG3779AdverbbecauseὅτιG3754Conjunctionyou areεἶG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person SingularlukewarmχλιαρὸςG5513Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular-καὶG2532ConjunctionneitherοὔτεG3777ConjunctionhotζεστὸςG2200Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularnorοὔτεG3777ConjunctioncoldψυχρόςG5593Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularI am aboutμέλλωG3195Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singularto vomitἐμέσαιG1692Verb - Aorist Infinitive ActiveyouσεG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Singularout ofἐκG1537PrepositionMyμουG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Neuter SingularmouthστόματόςG4750Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular
Verse 17

Original words

-ὍτιG3754ConjunctionYou sayλέγειςG3004Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular-ὅτιG3754ConjunctionI amεἰμιG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularrichΠλούσιόςG4145Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular-καὶG2532ConjunctionI have grown wealthyπεπλούτηκαG4147Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionvvvἔχωG2192Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularneedχρείανG5532Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularnothingοὐδὲνG3762Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular[But]καὶG2532ConjunctionvvvοὐκG3756Adverbyou do not realizeοἶδαςG1492Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 2nd Person SingularthatὅτιG3754ConjunctionyouσὺG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 2nd Person SingularareεἶG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularwretchedταλαίπωροςG5005Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular-καὶG2532ConjunctionpitifulἐλεεινὸςG1652Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular-καὶG2532ConjunctionpoorπτωχὸςG4434Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular-καὶG2532ConjunctionblindτυφλὸςG5185Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionnakedγυμνόςG1131Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Verse 18

Original words

I counselσυμβουλεύωG4823Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularyouσοιG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Singularto buyἀγοράσαιG59Verb - Aorist Infinitive Activefromπαρ’G3844PrepositionMeἐμοῦG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person SingulargoldχρυσίονG5553Noun - Accusative Neuter SingularrefinedπεπυρωμένονG4448Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Neuter SingularbyἐκG1537PrepositionfireπυρὸςG4442Noun - Genitive Neuter Singularso thatἵναG2443Conjunctionyou may become richπλουτήσῃςG4147Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Singular-καὶG2532ConjunctionwhiteλευκὰG3022Adjective - Accusative Neuter PluralgarmentsἱμάτιαG2440Noun - Accusative Neuter Pluralso thatἵναG2443Conjunctionyou may be clothedπεριβάλῃG4016Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Middle - 2nd Person SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularyourσουG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person SingularshamefulαἰσχύνηG152Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular-τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularnakednessγυμνότητόςG1132Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularvvvμὴG3361Adverbnot exposedφανερωθῇG5319Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Passive - 3rd Person SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionsalveκολλούριονG2854Noun - Accusative Neuter Singularto anointἐγχρῖσαιG1472Verb - Aorist Infinitive ActiveyourσουG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular-τοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine PluraleyesὀφθαλμούςG3788Noun - Accusative Masculine Pluralso thatἵναG2443Conjunctionyou may seeβλέπῃςG991Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Singular
Verse 19

Original words

ThoseὅσουςG3745Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Masculine PluralIἐγὼG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person SingularvvvἐὰνG1437ConjunctionloveφιλῶG5368Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 1st Person SingularI rebukeἐλέγχωG1651Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctiondisciplineπαιδεύωG3811Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularThereforeοὖνG3767Conjunctionbe earnestζήλευεG2206Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionrepentμετανόησονG3340Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Verse 20

Original words

BeholdἸδοὺG2400Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person SingularI standἕστηκαG2476Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularatἐπὶG1909PrepositiontheτὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingulardoorθύρανG2374Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionknockκρούωG2925Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularIfἐάνG1437ConjunctionanyoneτιςG5100Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine SingularhearsἀκούσῃG191Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person SingularMyμουG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular-τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularvoiceφωνῆςG5456Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionopensἀνοίξῃG455Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person SingulartheτὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingulardoorθύρανG2374Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular-καὶG2532ConjunctionI will come inεἰσελεύσομαιG1525Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 1st Person Singular-πρὸςG4314Preposition-αὐτὸνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctiondineδειπνήσωG1172Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Singularwithμετ’G3326PrepositionhimαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionheαὐτὸςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Masculine 3rd Person Singularwithμετ’G3326PrepositionMeἐμοῦG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular
Verse 21

Original words

To [the one]αὐτῷG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person SingularwhoG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularovercomesνικῶνG3528Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularI will grant [the right]δώσωG1325Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Singularto sitκαθίσαιG2523Verb - Aorist Infinitive Activewithμετ’G3326PrepositionMeἐμοῦG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person SingularonἐνG1722PrepositionMyμουG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular-τῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine SingularthroneθρόνῳG2362Noun - Dative Masculine Singularjust asὡςG5613AdverbIκἀγὼG2504Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person SingularovercameἐνίκησαG3528Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunctionsat downἐκάθισαG2523Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularwithμετὰG3326PrepositionMyμουG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularFatherΠατρόςG3962Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularonἐνG1722PrepositionHisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular-τῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine SingularthroneθρόνῳG2362Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Verse 22

Original words

He whoG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularhasἔχωνG2192Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singularan earοὖςG3775Noun - Accusative Neuter Singularlet him hearἀκουσάτωG191Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 3rd Person SingularwhatτίG5101Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter SingulartheτὸG3588Article - Nominative Neuter SingularSpiritΠνεῦμαG4151Noun - Nominative Neuter SingularsaysλέγειG3004Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularto theταῖςG3588Article - Dative Feminine PluralchurchesἐκκλησίαιςG1577Noun - Dative Feminine Plural

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.