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.
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
The Church in the Age of Therapy
In 1966, Philip Rieff wrote in The Triumph of the Therapeutic that “Religious man was born to…
Canada’s Deadliest Blind Spot
On September 20, the Daily Mail ran a story with the provocative headline, “Our 83-year-old Christian grandmother…
The Faithful Joy of Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen
Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen seem to have had little in common. She favored rhinestones; he wore…
