Revelation 3:17: Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.

Revelation 3:17 explains why spiritual apathy existed in the Laodicean church,¹ and the next verse tells the lukewarm saints how to solve the problem.² Their spiritual apathy was rooted in their temporal riches³ and in their perceived spiritual well-being,⁴ or both.⁵ They believed, as do many people today,⁶ that their lives were full and complete without a complete commitment to Jesus Christ.⁷ Nevertheless, the Lord called them spiritually wretched, and miserable.⁸ Several scholars add the definite article to say the wretched and the miserable, which makes Christ's description against them even more sharp.⁹ The ten northern tribes of Israel and the Jews in the southern kingdom of Judah possessed these same qualities when they were taken into bondage by the Assyrians and Babylonians, respectively.¹⁰ The words wretched and miserable paint the image of a slave worn down to nothingness by bitter bondage.¹¹

The Laodicean members of the church had several spiritual maladies. They were rich materially but poor spiritually,¹² such that they could not obtain eternal life in their spiritually poor condition.¹³ They were also spiritually blind¹⁴ to the point that their pride¹⁵ left them unable to see and recognize their pathetic condition.¹⁶ Finally, they were symbolically naked from their spiritually destitute condition.¹⁷ This image of wretched nakedness sharply contrasts with the Sardian saints who were promised white garments of purity for their righteousness.¹⁸

Revelation 3:18: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

Christ counseled¹⁹ the merchandising saints in Laodicea to do business with him if they wanted to be truly rich.²⁰ His words were understandable to their materialistic hearts and minds.²¹ He directed them to buy of me gold tried in the fire.²² Gold tried in the fire²³ symbolizes the purified state of exalted people who receive Christ and his glory²⁴ after they pass through tribulation and endure to the end.²⁵ The Laodicean saints were spiritually poor and naked,²⁶ but they could still buy gold from the Savior without price.²⁷ His atonement pays the price in return for their repentance and obedience.²⁸ His gold was still affordable to the Laodicean saints²⁹ if they would simply keep his commandments.³⁰

The Laodicean saints could also purchase white raiment from Christ,³¹ in contrast to the famous black wool produced in their city.³² They could put on white raiment through good works,³³ which would cover the shame of their former disobedience (nakedness).³⁴

The Laodicean saints were spiritually blind,³⁵ which meant they could not see their own nakedness or the blessings of exaltation they were forfeiting.³⁶ Therefore, Christ counseled them to anoint their eyes with eye salve.³⁷ This imagery had special meaning to the Laodicean saints because their city was also known for the manufacture of an ointment for the eyes.³⁸ If they would anoint their eyes with spiritual eye salve, they could see³⁹ in the same way a blind man with little faith could see physically after the Savior anointed his eyes with clay.⁴⁰ The Laodicean saints had little faith, and for that reason they needed a faith-promoting eye salve.⁴¹ To metaphorically apply the salve to their blind eyes, the Laodicean saints had to invite Christ back into their lives⁴² through everyday acts of obedience to the gospel.⁴³