Wretched Men

The church in Laodicea is wretched without knowing it (Revelation 3:17).

The only other use of the word “wretched” in the New Testament is in Romans 7, where Paul laments after describing his divided existence under the law, that he is a “wretched” man longing for release.

Wretchedness is an “Egyptian” condition, the condition before exodus, the condition of David crying for deliverance (Psalm 11:6 LXX; Engl. 12:5). Unlike Paul, the Laodiceans don’t even know they are wretched.

Paul’s wretchedness consists in his recognition of the difference between his heart and his conduct, a dichotomy that is brought by the sharp sword of the Torah. Torah leaves him wretched, longing for deliverance, as it should. But the Laodiceans are happy and think they need nothing. They are like the Pharisees who, though they have the law, are not cut down by it. Perhaps they are Pharisees.