<aside> <img src="https://prod-files-secure.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/49de0235-e8bc-4eca-bf20-2a9d6d267a02/bb678cd3-c2c4-45a5-bed4-8034e0be2187/IMAGE_2024-02-23_213600.jpg" alt="https://prod-files-secure.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/49de0235-e8bc-4eca-bf20-2a9d6d267a02/bb678cd3-c2c4-45a5-bed4-8034e0be2187/IMAGE_2024-02-23_213600.jpg" width="40px" /> Prompt: write about the church of Laodicea within the context of the 7church paradigm (Rev 2 - 3) with reference to the 7modalities paradigm (Rom 12:6-8) where biblical archetypes are observed and updated from an even more ancient pattern shown to Moses in the 7seeds (Deut 8:8)
The Church of Laodicea, addressed in the Book of Revelation, is symbolically significant in the Christian faith. It is the seventh and last church in the 7 churches paradigm, representing the final period of the Church age before the second coming of Christ. The Laodiceans were rebuked for their spiritual indifference, being "lukewarm" - neither hot nor cold. This state of spiritual indifference and complacency, a mix of "worldliness" and "godlessness" that is distasteful to God. The counsel given is to "buy from Me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see."
</aside>
The Church of Laodicea is one of the seven churches addressed in the Book of Revelation, chapters 2 and 3. Each church in this paradigm is believed to represent a different period in the Christian Church age, and Laodicea, being the seventh and last church, is often interpreted as representing the final period of the Church age before the second coming of Christ.
In Revelation 3:14-22, the Church of Laodicea is rebuked for being "lukewarm" - neither hot nor cold. This is interpreted as a state of spiritual indifference and complacency, a mix of "worldliness" and "Godliness" that is distasteful to God. The counsel given is to "buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see."
When we consider the 7 modalities paradigm from Romans 12:6-8, which talks about different gifts in the body of Christ, we can draw a parallel to the counsel given to Laodicea. The "gold refined in the fire" can be seen as a call to a deeper, more genuine faith - a gift of "prophecy" in accordance with one's faith. The "white clothes" represent a call to righteousness and holiness, aligning with the gift of "serving." The "salve for your eyes" suggests a need for spiritual discernment, which could be linked to the gifts of "teaching" and "encouragement."
Deuteronomy 8, while not explicitly mentioning "7 seeds," does talk about the Israelites' journey and God's provisions, which can be seen as "seeds" for their future. The rebuke of Laodicea for its self-sufficiency ("you say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’") and the counsel to depend on God for true riches can be viewed as an echo of this ancient pattern. The Laodiceans are warned against the same kind of self-reliance and forgetfulness of God that the Israelites were warned against in Deuteronomy 8:14, "Then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery."