Bible Discussion Thread

RE. Col. 4:16

Laodicea and Colossae were geographically very close communities with only a very short distance separating the two. Paul refers to the Laodicean Church four times in this epistle (2:1; 4:13, 15, & 16). Due to their very close proximity, both churches surely faced the same theological and doctrinal heresies Paul addressed in this epistle such as the beguiling and "enticing words" (2:4) of "philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after CHRIST" (2:8). For this reason, Paul intended the Laodicean Church to read his epistle to the Colossian Church (4:16): "when this epistle is read among you (the Colossian Church), cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans." The warnings, exhortations, and imperatives also apply to churches throughout the New Testament era until The LORD returns.

Paul seems to have written an epistle to the Laodicean Church, of which he also instructed the Colossian Church to read as well (4:16b): " and that ye (the Colossian Church) likewise read the epistle from Laodicea." Paul's epistle to the Laodicean Church is now undiscovered.

Scriptures record Laodicean Church references for the last time in Revelation 1:11 and in 3:14-22 wherein Glorified LORD JESUS CHRIST addressed and rebuked the Laodicean Church for her lukewarmness. Whether Epaphras ( Col. 1:7; 4:12), Nymphas (4:15), and Archippus (4:17) were still ministers of the LORD when CHRIST addressed the Laodicean Church in The Revelation of JESUS CHRIST is conjecture.