3:14 Laodicea was an affluent city. Located strategically at the intersection of three major trade routes, the city quickly became a banking and trading center, known especially for its woolen carpets and clothing. Also in Laodicea was one of the ancient world’s most prominent medical schools, especially famous for its eye and ear treatments (cf. 3:18). This cultural identity is a useful metaphor for the faith of this city’s Christian congregation. Their participation in the city’s wealth had made them deaf and blind to their spiritual need (cf. 3:17–18). Thus, Christ reserves his severest condemnation for this congregation, failing to find anything in their witness worth commending.

The opening address posits Christ’s witness to God as the exact opposite of the Laodicean church’s witness…