A.T. Robertson Commentary Revelation 3:14

"And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God:" — Revelation 3:14 (ASV)

In Laodicea (εν Λαοδικια). Forty miles south-east of Philadelphia and some forty miles east of Ephesus, the last of the seven churches addressed with special messages, on the river Lycus on the border of Phrygia, near Colossae and Hierapolis, recipient of two letters by Paul (Colossians 4:16), on the great trade-route from Ephesus to the east and seat of large manufacturing and banking operations (especially of woollen carpets and clothing, Ramsay, Cities and Bishoprics of Phrygia, p. 40ff.), centre of the worship of Asklepios and seat of a medical school and also of a provincial court where Cicero lived and wrote many of his letters, home of many Jews, called by Ramsay (op. cit., p. 413) "the City of Compromise," the church here founded apparently by Epaphras (Colossians 1:7; 4:12f.), now a deserted ruin, one of six cities with this name (meaning justice of the people). No praise is bestowed on this church, but only blame for its lukewarmness.

The Amen (ο Αμην). Personal (masculine article) name here alone, though in Isa 65:16 we have "the God of Amen" understood in the LXX as "the God of truth" (τον θεον τον αληθινον). Here applied to Christ. See 1:5 for ο μαρτυς ο πιστος (the faithful witness) and 3:7 for ο αληθινος (the genuine), "whose testimony never falls short of the truth" (Swete).

The beginning of the creation of God (η αρχη της κτισεως του θεου). Not the first of creatures as the Arians held and Unitarians do now, but the originating source of creation through whom God works (Colossians 1:15,18, a passage probably known to the Laodiceans, John 1:3; Hebrews 1:2, as is made clear by 1:18; 2:8; 3:21; 5:13).