Matthew Poole and continuators on Revelation 3:14

14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans, write , These things saith the Amen , the faithful and true Witness , the beginning of the creation of God :

We read of this Church, Colos. 4.16. Laodicea was a City [illegible: 1 word] Lydia, by the River Lycus, vid. ch. 1.11.

Amen, as we have oft noted, is a Particle used in asserting, and in wishing, or praying; here it hath the use of a Nou[illegible: 1 letter], and is assertive, he that is true, as it followeth. He may be conceived thus to preface his Epistle, to ascertain to the Ministers of this Church the Truth of what he blames in them; or of the Threatnings, or Promises contained in it; to which purpose he also calls himself

The faithful and true Witness; See the Notes on chap. 1.5.

Those that deny the Divinity of Christ, are deceived in their Thoughts, that this Text will afford them any Defence for their Error; for [non-Latin text not transcribed] the word here used, doth not only signifie the Cause, but Principality, or the Chief, or Prince, Eph. 3.10. Col. 1.16. Hence Christ is said to be [non-Latin text not transcribed], which we translate, the beginning; because he was the Creator, the Efficient Cause of the Creation; or hath a Lordship over the whole Creation: All Power both in Heaven and Earth being committed to him, and all Knees both in Heaven and Earth bowing down to him, Phil. 2.10. Unless we had rather interpret it of the New Creation, either in the World, so he was the beginning of the Gospel; or in particular So[illegible: 1 letter]ls, so he is the beginning of Regeneration and Sanctification. But tho this be a Truth, and consistent enough with the Greek Phrase, Gal. 6.15. yet I see no reason why we should fly to it against the Arrians, or their spurious Off-springs, for taking the Creation, as ordinarily it signifies, the giving all Creatures their first Being; Christ was the Efficient Cause of it, and so the beginning of it, without him was nothing made; and he hath a Lordship and Dominion over it.

Marginal references: In Laodices; Chap. 1.5.; 1 Col. 1.15.