What did Jesus mean by "lukewarm"?

[BorisGoodnewsenov]

<< Revelation 3:16 >>

So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

I hear this verse being used in preaching to Christians to instill a bit of perhaps righteous fear. I've heard it used what seems to be rather casually at times as perhaps motivation. I've heard it suggested that it's a state of being spiritually lost.

In the natural, I don't think that there's an exact temperature specifically classified as lukewarm. And what may be hot to one person, may not be hot to another. Or, certain temperature influences in the body may dictate what one perceives as hot, lukewarm, or cold, which can change when the influences change. So what one Christian may perceive as spiritually hot, cold, or lukewarm may differ as well.

But what did Jesus mean?

[Jason]

I could be wrong, but I think this might be what Paul and James meant by the term "double-minded." It's hard to give something your all if you are equally motivated by two opposing ideas. Often I find myself wanting to please Christ and yet also please my own selfish interests at the same moment. At such times, I am of two different minds, and the feeling that results is a somewhat lukewarm spiritual state. As Christians, I think our goal is to progress from this duality of thinking into a more single-minded approach to serving Christ. Jesus could be talking about an emotional response here, but I find that my emotional state is often something over which I have little control.

[darinhouston]

I agree -- probably something like "undecided" or neither one nor the other -- taking the middle position, living with one foot in and one foot out -- something like that.

[TK]

A couple of quotes from Leonard Ravenhill:

Our present "Christianity" sputters along on the two cylinders of tithing and token commitment instead of speeding along on the eight cylinders of total commitment.

The One with eyes as a flame of fire saw
through all the show of the Laodiceans. He
sees through all our showmanship also. Joel
says we are to sound an alarm in all God's holy
mountain. Now is the time to do it. Christ was
nauseated and disgusted with a church that
bore His name but not His nature. The church
which flattered itself because of its commer-
cial and political prowess was rejected in His
sight. On the law Of averages, God's house
today is neither a house of prayer nor a house
of power. As with Laodicea, so with us, He
stands outside.

TK

[steve7150]

I think lukewarm is like hedging your bets in a sense you want God yet you won't give up the goodies of the world.
Rejecting God outright is a least honest although poor judgment. Reminds me of the expression "a little bit of knowledge can be dangerous" , maybe you can substitute God for knowledge here.

[TK]

"You can have Jesus, but it will cost you the world-- or you can have the world, but it will cost you Jesus." ~~Steve Gregg

TK

[kaufmannphillips]

Revelation 3:15f. has been interpreted by many parties in light of historical context.

Laodicea was a prosperous city, but it had some issues with its water supply. Apparently water was transported by aqueduct from elsewhere and distributed through clay pipes; furthermore, it had a high mineral content. The verses, then, appear to jab at a civic blemish: hard water that was probably tepid during much of the year, due to its transport.

In contrast, two other cities within fifteen miles had good water resources: Colossae enjoyed water from mountain snowmelt; and Hierapolis had a hot water source (due to volcanic activity) that supplied healing baths. So water in Laodicea was not so refreshing and palatable as in nearby Colossae; and it was not so therapeutic as in neighboring Hierapolis.

The problem, then, is not that the church is a dry well; Strabo indicates that hard Laodicean water was drinkable. But it is not fit for a king: it is unwelcome to the taste; and it is not useful in some extraordinary way, so as to compensate for its flavor.

The takeway, then: if the church is not gratifying to the king in one way, then the church should be gratifying in some other way.

[charleswest]

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/lukewarm

luke·warm

(lkwôrm)
adj.
1. Mildly warm; tepid.
2. Lacking conviction or enthusiasm; indifferent: gave only lukewarm support to the incumbent candidate.
[Middle English leukwarm : leuk, luke (possibly alteration of leu, from Old English hlow; see kel-1 in Indo-European roots) + warm, warm; see warm.]
lukewarmly adv.

When one orders hot coffee at restaurants, one might be inclined to send it back if it is not served HOT to the point of almost burning one's mouth.
Lukewarm is something one expects to be either hot or cold, i.e. hot coffee or iced tea, but upon tasting finds out that it is room temperature.

Ugghhh. I guess some folks actually like warm beer!

[RV]

Can someone give an example (maybe a real one or hypothetical one), of what a lukewarm Christian actual looks like?

This sort of speculation is always fascinating to me.

I have a hunch, these descriptions are going to be relative to the individuals conviction.

Example: For some, a christian having a beer would be considered "lukewarm".

RV

[steve7150]

Example: For some, a christian having a beer would be considered "lukewarm".






No , i think more like someone having an opportunity to be a good samaritan but passing it up because no one saw him.
Going to church Sundays and gossiping during the week,or committing a variety of sins regularly, or being uncharitable or unloving or unmerciful.