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.
Gentle, loving irony. Take my advice, thou who fanciest thou 'needest none.' Not only art thou not in need of nothing, but in need of the commonest necessaries. He graciously stoops to their modes of thought. Thou art ready to listen to any counsel how to buy to advantage: then, listen to mine (for I am "Counsellor," Isaiah 9:6), "buy of ME" (in whom, according to Paul's letter to the neighbouring Colosse, intended for the Laodiceans also, Colossians 2:1; Colossians 2:3; Colossians 4:16, are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge). "Buy:" not that we can, by any merit of ours, purchase God's free gift; nay, the purchase money consists in renouncing all self-righteousness (Revelation 3:17). "Buy" at the cost of thy self-sufficiency (so Philippians 3:7-8), and of all things, however dear, that would prevent receiving Christ's salvation as a free gift-e.g., self and worldly desires. Compare Isaiah 55:1.
Of me - the source of "unsearchable riches" (Ephesians 3:8). Laodicea had extensive money transactions (Cicero).
Gold tried in, х pepuroomenon (G4448)] - 'fired from the fire;' i:e., fresh from the furnace which proved its purity; retaining its glens. Sterling spiritual wealth, contrasted with its counterfeit, in which Laodicea boasted. Having this gold, she will be no longer poor (Revelation 3:17).
Mayest be rich - `enriched.'
White raiment - `garments.' Laodicea's wools were famous. Christ offers infinitely whiter raiments. As "gold tried in the fire" expresses faith tested by fiery trials, so "white raiment" Christ's righteousness imputed to the believer in justification, imparted in sanctification.
Appear - `be manifested' at the day when everyone without the wedding garment shall be discovered. To strip, in the East, implies putting to open shame. So to clothe with fine apparel is the image of doing honour. Man can discover his shame; God alone can cover it, so that his nakedness shall not be manifested at last (Genesis 3:7; Genesis 3:21; Colossians 3:10-14). Blessed is he whose sin is so covered (Psalms 32:1). The hypocrite's shame may be manifested now, it must be so then.
Anoint ... with eye-salve. 'Aleph (') A C х engchrisai (G1472)], '(buy of me) eye-salve (collyrium, a roll of ointment) to anoint thine eyes.' Christ, the Anointed, has for Laodicea an ointment far more precious than all the costly unguents of the East (John 9:6; 1 John 2:20; 1 John 2:27). The eye is the conscience or inner light of the mind. According as it is sound and 'single' х haplous (G573), 'simple'], or otherwise, the man sees spiritually, or does not (Matthew 6:22). The Holy Spirit's unction, like ancient eye-salves, first smarts with conviction of sin, then heals: He opens our eyes first to our wretchedness, then to the Saviour's preciousness. The most sunken churches of the seven, Sardis and Laodicea, are those in which were no opponents from without nor heresies from within. The Church owes much to God's providence, which makes internal and external foes, in spite of themselves, to promote His cause, by calling forth her energies in contending for the faith once delivered to the saints. Peace is dearly bought at the cost of spiritual stagnation, where there is not interest enough felt in religion to contend about it at all.