The Lukewarm Church (3)

Having explained the context and refuted the Arminian interpretation in the last two issues, we now come to the positive interpretation of Revelation 3:20: "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."

One Calvinistic view of this text identifies the "door" as the church door and, hence, sees the text as a call to church reformation. The Laodicean church, so the argument goes, was well nigh apostate. Christ is outside that church institute and He is calling His faithful to leave and form a new congregation. This interpretation is certainly in keeping with the analogy of faith (i.e. the overall biblical teaching) and does not slide into Arminianism. Also it is held by many solid Reformed men.

Two arguments, however, may be made against it. First, neither the text nor the context provide any information about forming a new, faithful congregation in Laodicea. Second, Christ was not finished with that church. Verse 16 does not state that it was His fixed and unchangeable purpose to vomit it forth, for the word "spue" ("I will spue thee out of my mouth" [16]) is not a future indicative. Rather, Christ is "about to" spue the church out. Then He counsels it (18) and calls it to repent (19). Thus Christ delivers a serious warning and (by implication) teaches that in the way of repentance they will be spared. This conclusion is confirmed in verse 19 where Christ speaks of the sonship of the Laodiceans and His "love" for them: "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten." Hebrews 12:5-8 explains that "sons" and not "bastards" are chastened. Clearly, Christ was not finished with the Laodicean church for in it were His beloved sons.

So what then does the text mean? In verse 18, Christ addresses the church collectively, but verse 20 is a call to the members individually. Not only must the church repent of her pride—thinking that she had "need of nothing" (17)—but each member is called upon to repent and believe.

Francis Turretin (1623-1687) put it very well: "When it is said that ‘Christ stands at the door and knocks’ (Rev. 3:20), it cannot be inferred that sufficient grace is granted to all. (1) He is there treating of those already called who were in the church, not of those about to be called. (2) ... standing and knocking not only designates internal notions, but is properly referred to external exhortations [19] ... Therefore he knocks in different ways at the hearts of the elect and reprobate; at the former externally and internally by the word and by the Spirit so that, by knocking imperatively by the word, he may also open them operatively by the Spirit (as was the case with the heart of Lydia). At the latter, he only knocks externally by the word that they may understand their duty, the promised benefit, the heinousness of their sin and the justice of punishment if they neglect the voice of God ... He does not cease justly to admonish man of his duty and to convict the rebellious of obstinacy" (Institutes of Elenctic Theology, vol. 2, p. 515). Thus, in the way of repentance, God’s beloved sons (19) enjoy covenant fellowship with Christ as they dine with Him as His friends (20).