Revelation 3:18 kjv
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.
Revelation 3:18 nkjv
I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
Revelation 3:18 niv
I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
Revelation 3:18 esv
I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.
Revelation 3:18 nlt
So I advise you to buy gold from me ? gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see.
Revelation 3 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 55:1 | "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat..." | Invitation to freely receive spiritual provisions. |
| Prov 23:23 | "Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding." | Emphasizes the value of spiritual "buying." |
| Matt 13:44 | "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found... selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field." | Illustrates costly commitment for true spiritual value. |
| Matt 13:45-46 | "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls... he went and sold all that he had, and bought it." | Willingness to give up everything for spiritual treasure. |
| Job 23:10 | "But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold." | Refinement by trials produces spiritual purity. |
| Ps 66:10 | "For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried." | God tests His people for purity. |
| Prov 25:4 | "Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer." | Necessity of removing impurity for usefulness. |
| Mal 3:3 | "And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver... and purge them as gold and silver..." | God purifies His people through testing. |
| Zech 13:9 | "And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried..." | Divine refining through affliction. |
| 1 Pet 1:7 | "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise..." | Faith tested by fire proves its genuine nature. |
| Jas 1:2-3 | "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience." | Trials are meant to build endurance and spiritual strength. |
| Matt 6:19-21 | "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth... But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven..." | Contrast between fleeting earthly and lasting heavenly riches. |
| Lk 12:21 | "So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." | Spiritual riches are superior to material wealth. |
| Jas 2:5 | "Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom..." | God's valuing of faith over material wealth. |
| Isa 61:10 | "He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness..." | God provides robes of salvation and righteousness. |
| Zech 3:3-5 | "Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments... I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment." | God removes sin and provides clean garments. |
| Rev 7:9 | "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude... clothed with white robes..." | Represents the redeemed arrayed in purity. |
| Rev 19:8 | "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints." | White garments symbolize the righteousness of believers. |
| 2 Cor 5:3 | "If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked." | Spiritual clothing avoids shame and judgment. |
| Gal 3:27 | "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." | Being "clothed with Christ" signifies new identity in Him. |
| Gen 3:7 | "And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together..." | Early example of shame from nakedness. |
| Isa 47:3 | "Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen..." | Consequence of judgment and exposure. |
| Jn 9:39-41 | "And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind... Ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth." | Jesus addresses spiritual blindness and self-righteousness. |
| 2 Cor 4:4 | "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ... should shine unto them." | Spiritual blindness preventing gospel understanding. |
| Eph 1:18 | "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling..." | Prayer for spiritual illumination and understanding. |
| Ps 119:18 | "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law." | Plea for divine spiritual insight. |
| Rev 16:15 | "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame." | Exhortation to spiritual readiness and vigilance. |
Revelation 3 verses
Revelation 3 18 Meaning
Revelation 3:18 conveys Jesus' specific counsel to the lukewarm Laodicean church, which considered itself materially rich and self-sufficient but was spiritually poor, blind, and naked. Jesus urges them to "buy" spiritual essentials from Him—true wealth (faith refined by trials), genuine righteousness (spiritual purity), and spiritual discernment—so they may truly be rich, clothed, and see. This counsel is an invitation to acknowledge their desperate spiritual need and seek remedies from the only true source, Christ Himself, who offers transformative grace instead of their false, self-derived comfort.
Revelation 3 18 Context
Revelation 3:18 is part of Jesus' specific message to the church in Laodicea, the last of the seven churches addressed in Revelation. This church, in direct contrast to the impoverished church of Smyrna (Rev 2:9), was wealthy and self-satisfied. Jesus indicts them as "lukewarm" (Rev 3:16)—neither spiritually hot (zealous) nor cold (refreshing/repentant), making them nauseating to Him. Laodicea's prosperity was derived from banking, a flourishing textile industry renowned for its black wool, and a famous medical school, particularly for an ophthalmology product called "Phrygian powder" or "eyesalve." The church's self-assessment—"I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing" (Rev 3:17)—stands in stark opposition to Christ's diagnosis: "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked" (Rev 3:17). Thus, verse 18 presents Christ's specific remedies, directly polemicizing against their perceived earthly strengths, challenging their pride, and inviting them to abandon self-sufficiency for His provision.
Revelation 3 18 Word analysis
- I counsel thee (συμβουλεύω - symbouleuō): Jesus offers advice as a wise and sovereign King, not a mere suggestion. It's a divine, authoritative directive born of His love, providing a clear path out of their perilous spiritual state.
- to buy (ἀγοράζω - agorazō): Not a literal monetary purchase, but a metaphor for receiving at great spiritual cost or commitment, implying a complete surrender and valuing Christ's provisions above all else. It contrasts with their material buying and implies a turning from self-reliance.
- of me: Christ is the sole source of true spiritual commodities, distinguishing His divine provision from worldly wealth or self-made righteousness.
- gold tried in the fire (χρυσίον πεπυρωμένον ἐκ πυρός): This gold symbolizes genuine, refined faith and spiritual wealth that endures testing, unlike their transient material riches. It is purified through suffering or divine refining processes, making it pure and precious in God's eyes. It opposes Laodicea's financial wealth.
- that thou mayest be rich (πλούσιος γένῃ): To possess true spiritual abundance and wealth that is eternal and not susceptible to loss, rooted in their relationship with Christ and a purified character. This directly contrasts their self-declared, yet spiritually poor, state.
- white raiment (ἱμάτια λευκά): Represents Christ's imputed righteousness, moral purity, and salvation, covering spiritual nakedness and shame. It symbolizes the true covering needed before God. It directly opposes Laodicea's famed dark wool garments, which cannot cover spiritual lack.
- that thou mayest be clothed (περιβάλῃ): To be truly arrayed or covered with the garments of salvation and righteousness provided by Christ.
- and that the shame of thy nakedness (αἰσχύνη τῆς γυμνότητός σου) do not appear (φανερωθῇ): Nakedness symbolizes spiritual exposure, shame, and sinfulness before God's holy gaze. The need for covering points to their inherent spiritual vulnerability and their need for divine concealment from judgment.
- and anoint (ἐγχρῖσαι): To smear or apply. Implies intentional application for a desired effect, spiritual healing and discernment.
- thine eyes (τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου) with eyesalve (κολλύριον): Symbolic of receiving spiritual insight, clarity, and understanding directly from Christ. It is a remedy for spiritual blindness. This directly contrasts with Laodicea's famous physical eyesalve; theirs can heal physical eyes but not open spiritual ones.
- that thou mayest see (βλέπῃς): To gain true spiritual perception and discernment, understanding their real condition and God's will. This is seeing with divine revelation, rather than superficial, worldly perspective.
Revelation 3 18 Bonus section
- The term "buy" (agorazō) used here, while metaphorical for a spiritual transaction, often in the Bible implies a price paid (e.g., Christ's redemptive "purchase" of believers, 1 Cor 6:20). For the Laodiceans, the "price" would be repentance, humility, surrendering their self-sufficiency, and truly valuing Christ above all their worldly goods and pride. It's not about money, but about priorities and surrender.
- The "eyesalve" in Laodicea was well-known, often made of Phrygian stone or similar minerals mixed with oil. Jesus' counsel leverages this local knowledge to convey a deeper spiritual truth, offering His spiritual antidote against the self-delusion their own famed remedy could not touch.
- This passage demonstrates the active love and concern of Christ, even towards a lukewarm church. His "counsel" is an act of grace, not a condemnation, inviting them to restoration and intimacy with Him, exemplified by His later invitation to "sup with Him" (Rev 3:20).
- The progression from "poor" to "gold," "naked" to "white raiment," and "blind" to "eyesalve" directly mirrors and remedies the specific accusations laid against the Laodicean church in Revelation 3:17, highlighting Jesus' precise and tailored diagnosis and cure.
Revelation 3 18 Commentary
Revelation 3:18 serves as Christ's profound spiritual prescription for a church deluded by its material prosperity into believing it had no spiritual needs. Jesus, as the compassionate yet authoritative Physician, offers specific remedies to cure their fatal spiritual illnesses of poverty, blindness, and nakedness. The "gold tried in the fire" signifies a genuine faith that has undergone rigorous testing and purification, transforming the Laodiceans from relying on corruptible material wealth to seeking incorruptible spiritual riches in Christ. The "white raiment" points to the absolute necessity of Christ's own righteousness to cover their shameful spiritual nakedness, rejecting self-righteousness. Finally, "eyesalve" symbolizes spiritual illumination, enabling them to truly discern their deplorable condition and perceive God's truth, rather than relying on worldly wisdom or self-perception. This verse encapsulates the radical exchange Christ calls for: exchanging self-sufficiency and false securities for His all-sufficient, divine provision, acquired through a costly spiritual "purchase" of repentance, surrender, and obedient faith. It underscores that true worth, security, and vision come solely from Christ.