Discussion Board Case Study 1
The importance of rightly interpreting and understanding the Bible cannot be
downplayed. As Dr. Stacy said, one cannot correctly interpret the Bible without having to
travel the distances of time, culture, language and geography. Without historical-theological
1
interpretation, we run the risk of misinterpreting passages.
Daniel’s interpretation of this particular passage in the Book of Revelation (Rev
3:15-16) shows the dangers of coming to interpret scripture with our preformed opinions. Ask
a believer what it means to be lukewarm and the answer you receive will mostly be
associated to the spiritual temperature. This is since the term ‘lukewarm’ has in most cases
been associated with spiritual temperature in common Christian parlance. Such are the
religious backgrounds we come from that shape our theology. This may well lead to
misinterpretation of the Scriptures. However, this is not the ‘lukewarm’ that John is writing
about. From the erroneous statements of Daniel, we see the importance of studying the New
Testament through the lenses of a 1 century believer. When Daniel closes by saying “that
st
was then, and this is now.” he has inadvertently supported the need to travel the time distance
in order to understand and interpret scripture correctly.
Sharon does well to look at the passage from the point of view of a 1 century
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Christian living in the region of Asia Minor. She has taken into account the earthly
components such as the geography and culture of the region. Her research shows why the
recipients of this letter would have immediately understood the reference of ‘lukewarmness’.
The hot and cold waters likely refer to the hot waters at Hieropolis which were believed to
bring healing because of the minerals it carried, while the cold waters at Colossae brought
refreshment to the people in the dry region. Despite being a prosperous city , it had no water
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1 Stacy, Robert Wayne, “Negotiating Distances in Biblical Interpretation,” course video.
2 Rudwick, M J S. 1957. “The Lukewarmness of Laodicea (Rev. Iii.16).” Tyndale House Bulletin 3:
2–3. https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=lsdar&AN=ATLA0001590398&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
sources of its own. The people of Laodicea had aqueducts to bring water from their
neighboring cities but the by the time the hot water had travelled the distance, it had become
lukewarm and the cold water had been warmed by the sun. What the city received was
lukewarm water for which there was no use. That is what Christ is saying to the Church at
Laodicea, that by being lukewarm and not hot or cold, they are in essence useless.
The call for the church to not be blinded to its own condition thinking it is doing fine
would be replaced by a call for the church to either be on fire for God or as Daniel said, cold-
as-ice pagans if this passage wasn’t interpreted correctly. As Elwell and Yarbrough conclude,
“grasping the Bible’s redemptive message to people then as a means of receiving and sharing
its message now” is essential to rightly understand and interpret the New Testament.
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3 Walter A Elwell (2019). (p. 16). Encountering Biblical Studies: Encountering the New Testament: A
Historical and Theological Survey, 3rd Edition. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com
