A.D. 220 – 1871 8 witnesses
“Us, moreover, Jesus, the Father's Highest and Great Priest, clothing us from His own store -inasmuch as they "who are baptized in Christ have put on Christ"-has made "priests to God His Father," according to John.”
“You are mistaken and are deceived, whosoever you are, that you think yourself rich in this world. Listen to the voice of your Lord in the Apocalypse, rebuking people of your stamp with righteous reproaches: "You say," says he, "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and do not know that you are wretched, and miserable, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy gold from me tried in the fire, that you may be rich. And buy from me white clothing, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness may not appear in you. Anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see." You therefore, who are rich and wealthy, buy from Christ gold tried by fire. Then you may be pure gold, with your filth burned out as if by fire. Buy for yourself white raiment, that you who had been naked according to Adam, and were before frightful and tasteless, may be clothed with the white garment of Christ. You who are a wealthy and rich matron in Christ's church, anoint your eyes, not with the eyewash of the devil but with Christ's eye salve, that you may be able to attain to see God, by deserving well of God, both by good works and character.”
“But because there is time of repentance, He says:- "I persuade thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire." That is, that in whatever manner you can, you should suffer for the Lord's name tribulations and passions. "And anoint thine eyes with eye-salve." That what you gladly know by the Scripture, you should strive also to do the work of the same.”
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock,.... The phrase of standing at the door may be expressive of the near approach, or sudden coming of Christ to judgment, see Jam 5:9; and his knocking may signify the notice that will be given of it, by some of the immediate forerunners and signs of his coming; which yet will be observed but by a few, such a general sleepiness will have seized all professors of religion; and particularly may intend the midnight cry, which will, in its issue, rouse them all: if any man hear my voice; in the appearances of things and providences in the world: and open the door; or show a readiness for the coming of Christ, look and wait for it, and be like such that will receive him with a welcome: I will come unto him, and sup with him, and he with me; to and among these will Christ appear when he comes in person; and these being like wise virgins, ready, having his grace in their hearts, and his righteousness upon them, he will take them at once into the marriage chamber, and shut the door upon the rest; when they shall enjoy a thousand years communion with him in person here on earth; when the Lamb on the throne will feed them with the fruit of the tree of life, and lead them to fountains of living water, and his tabernacle shall be among them.”
“I counsel thee - O fallen and deceived soul, hear Jesus! Thy case is not hopeless. Buy of me. Gold tried in the fire - Come and receive from me, without money and without price, faith that shall stand in every trial: so gold tried in the fire is here understood. But it may mean pure and undefiled religion, or that grace or Divine influence which produces it, which is more valuable to the soul than the purest gold to the body. They had before imaginary riches; this alone can make them truly rich. White raiment - Holiness of heart and life. Anoint thine eyes - Pray for, that ye may receive, the enlightening influences of my Spirit, that ye may be convinced of your true state, and see where your help lies.”
“That your past sins may not cover you with shame.”
“Gentle and loving irony. Take My advice, thou who fanciest thyself in need of nothing. Not only art thou not in need of nothing, but art in need of the commonest necessaries of existence. He graciously stoops to their modes of thought and speech: Thou art a people ready to listen to any counsel as to how to buy to advantage; then, listen to My counsel (for I am "Counsellor," Isa 9:6), buy of ME" (in whom, according to Paul's Epistle written to the neighboring Colosse and intended for the Laodicean Church also, Col 2:1, Col 2:3; Col 4:16, are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge). "Buy" does not imply that we can, by any work or merit of ours, purchase God's free gift; nay the very purchase money consists in the renunciation of all self-righteousness, such as Laodicea had (Rev 3:17). "Buy" at the cost of thine own self-sufficiency (so Paul, Phi 3:7-8); and the giving up of all things, however dear to us, that would prevent our receiving Christ's salvation as a free gift, for example, self and worldly desires. Compare Isa 55:1, "Buy . . . without money and price." of me--the source of "unsearchable riches" (Eph 3:8). Laodicea was a city of extensive money transactions [CICERO]. gold tried in, &c.--literally, "fired (and fresh) from the fire," that is, just fresh from the furnace which has proved its purity, and retaining its bright gloss. Sterling spiritual wealth, as contrasted with its counterfeit, in which Laodicea boasted itself. Having bought this gold she will be no longer poor (Rev 3:17). mayest be rich--Greek, "mayest be enriched." white raiment--"garments." Laodicea's wools were famous. Christ offers infinitely whiter raiment. As "gold tried in the fire" expresses faith tested by fiery trials: so "white raiment," Christ's righteousness imputed to the believer in justification and imparted in sanctification. appear--Greek, "be manifested," namely, at the last day, when everyone without the wedding garment shall be discovered. To strip one, is in the East the image of putting to open shame. So also to clothe one with fine apparel is the image of doing him honor. Man can discover his shame, God alone can cover it, so that his nakedness shall not be manifested at last (Col 3:10-14). Blessed is he whose sin is so covered. The hypocrite's shame may be manifested now; it must be so at last. anoint . . . with eye-salve--The oldest manuscripts read, "(buy of Me) eye-salve (collyrium, a roll of ointment), to anoint thine eyes." Christ has for Laodicea an ointment far more precious than all the costly unguents of the East. The eye is here the conscience or inner light of the mind. According as it is sound and "single" (Greek, "haplous," "simple"), or otherwise, the man sees aright spiritually, or does not. The Holy Spirit's unction, like the ancient eye-salve's, first smarts with conviction of sin, then heals. He opens our eyes first to ourselves in our wretchedness, then to the Saviour in His preciousness. TRENCH notices that the most sunken churches of the seven, namely, Sardis and Laodicea, are the ones in which alone are specified no opponents from without, nor heresies from within. The Church owes much to God's overruling Providence which has made so often internal and external foes, in spite of themselves, to promote His cause by calling forth her energies in contending for the faith once delivered to the saints. Peace is dearly bought at the cost of spiritual stagnation, where there is not interest enough felt in religion to contend about it at all.”
“I counsel thee to buy of me gold fire-tried, proved. Because such works will not lead through unto salvation. That the confusion may not appear. It is better to blush here before a few than hereafter before all. With eyesalve. The eyes are anointed, that we may see, when for knowing the brightness of the true light we aid the keenness of our understanding with the medicine of good working. The commandment of the Lord enlightening the eyes. Or anoint with the gift of the Holy Spirit the mind which earthly things had shut in.”
The in-app commentary runs from the Fathers to the early-modern record, then stops — that's where the public-domain sources end, not where the reading does. For the modern reading, follow the sources directly.