From: Iver Larsen (iver_larsen@sil.org)
Date: Mon Apr 01 2002 - 03:34:01 EST
> OIDA SOU TA ERGA hOTI OUTE YUCROS EI OUTE ZESTOS
> OFELON YUCROS HS H ZESTOS...
>
> Because both ZESTOS and YUCROS were desirable states, I wonder
> if we can understand both in a positive sense.
>
> ZESTOS being the hot water used for medicinal purposes.
> In its initial state, it had a beneficial purpose. So
> too with YUCROS. As cold (in its initial state),
> it was a cool, refreshing drink.... having a beneficial
> affect on those who partook.
>
> Can we understand YUCROS in a positive sense? I have always
> heard YUCROS in the sense of: the Lord would rather you be
> either on fire/hot for the Lord, or wanting nothing whatsoever
> to do with him (cold). But it seems to me that since the Lord
> desired these Laodiceans to be at either end of this spectrum,
> that he was not contrasting positive and negative states, but
> beneficial states, which existed at both ends.
>
> Therefore, the KLIAROS being the only "unnatural" or non-beneficial
> state.
I think your traditional understanding is more correct, although it is
question what can happen to a cold person.
BDAG is self-contradictory in its dealing with this problem.
First, the entry on YUCROS has
"2. fig. (trag., Hdt.+; Jos., Bell. 1, 357; 6, 16, C. Ap. 2, 255) cool,
cold, i.e. without enthusiasm (Epict. 3, 15, 7; Lucian, Tim. 2 ...) Rv
3:15a, b, 16"
This looks rather negative.
For the verb YUCW it says:
"Make cool or cold (Philo, Leg. All. 1, 5) pass. become or grow cold (Hdt.
et al.; Philo, Cher. 88; Jos., Ant. 7, 343), go out, be extinguished of fire
and flame (Pla., Critias 120b) fig. (cf. Jos., Bell. 5, 472 of hope)
YUGHSETAI hH AGAPH Mt 24:12. M-M.*"
It appears to be a negative connotation when the (first) love disappears or
a person becomes cold in terms of love.
Second, the entry for ZESTOS has:
"hot; in Rv 3:15f the underlying idea is that water can be used when it is
hot or cold, but when lukewarm it is unpalatable and will be spat out."
So, here they say that even what is cold is useful and therefore positive I
assume, where it was negative above.
For the verb ZEW they say:
"fig. of emotions, anger, love, eagerness to do good or evil (trag.; Pla.,
Rep. 4 p. 440c; Charito 1, 5, 1; Plut., Mor. 1088f; 4 Macc 18:20; Philo,
Mos. 2, 280) ... of Apollos before he became a full-fledged member of the
Christian community with burning zeal Ac 18:25... But the admonition to
Christians to be TWi PNEUMATI ZEONTES Ro 12:11 directs them to maintain the
spiritual glow."
Looking at the verbs, I get the clear impression that being burning with
love and in the Holy Spirit is good and desirable, supported by ZHLEUE in
3:19. But being cold in terms of love is negative.
Of course, cold water is nice to drink. But did they drink hot (boiling)
water before the advent of tea leaves and coffee beans? How could it be
positive to drink something hot? I think the "spitting out of the mouth" is
an idiom for rejection that does not allow us to transfer the "cooled love"
idea to cold water, good for drinking.
The lukewarm idea is further described in 3:17. The problem is that they
think they have everything (that is they think they are "hot", burning with
zeal"), but in fact they are from God's perspective cold, naked, lacking
everything. The lukewarm idea seems to be a result of a mixture of hot and
cold. They may appear hot on the outside but are cold on the inside. If only
they realized that the fire in their hearts had been extinguished, it would
be possible to be re-ignited. Therefore, realizing one's coldness is better
than complacent lukewarmness. If I know I have grown cold, I have the
possibility for repenting and becoming full of burning zeal again (v. 19).
Iver Larsen
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