Useful Bible Studies > Colossians Commentary > chapter 4

Paul’s letter to the church at Laodicea

Colossians 4:15-16

We would be curious to see Paul’s letter to the church at Laodicea. However, it is not in the Bible. It is not, therefore, the Word of God. God did not direct Paul to write it in the same way as he directed him to write the books in the Bible. Without that special help from the Holy Spirit, Paul’s letter to Laodicea may have contained many errors. That is why it is so important for us to read, to learn and to trust the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 3:15-16).

However, God did direct Paul to tell us about his letter to Laodicea. From it, we see that God wants the different churches in each region to be in contact with each other. They can learn from the lessons that God is teaching to the other churches. They should be friendly with each other.

So, Colosse’s Christians should be friendly with Laodicea’s Christians. They should also be friendly with the Christians from the little church that a lady called Nympha had established. That church met in her house, as several of the first Christian churches did (for example, Romans 16:5).

There is, however, another letter to Laodicea in the Bible (Revelation 3:14-22). It is the last of the letters that Christ told John to write to seven churches in that region. Its date may be some 20 years after Paul’s letter, and it describes a church in a very sad state. Its members had become wealthy and proud; they did not recognise the desperate state that they were in, in front of God. Christ urged them to turn back to him; he was eager to come back into their lives and to be their friend, their helper and their provider.

Next part: Archippus (Colossians 4:17)

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© 2019, Keith Simons.