Colossians 4:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.

NIV: Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.

NASB: Greet the brothers and sisters who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house.

CSB: Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters in Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her home.

NLT: Please give my greetings to our brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church that meets in her house.

KJV: Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.

NKJV: Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas and the church that is in his house.

After mentioning his friends in verses 10 through 14, Paul offers greetings to those beyond the original readers of this letter. Verse 13 has already noted that Epaphras has worked hard for the people of Colossae, as well as the nearby towns of Laodicea and Hierapolis.

"The brothers at Laodicea" refers to the Christians in the neighboring city of Laodicea, about 12 miles from Colossae. This town, along with Hierapolis and Colossae, formed a three-city region. Paul wanted this church in Laodicea to read the letter he had sent to the Colossians, and for the Colossian church to read the letter he had sent for the Laodiceans. Some scholars suggest that this now-lost letter to the Laodiceans is the same as written to the Ephesians. However, it is more likely that this verse refers to a completely different writing which has since been lost.

Nympha is a female name, likely of a woman who hosted a church in her home. It is uncertain if Nympha and her church were in Laodicea or in neighboring Hieropolis (Colossians 4:13). Regardless, churches typically met in homes in the first century. Paul's greeting to a house church in a woman's home was not a reference to her as the church's leader but likely said more about the size of her home being large enough to accommodate a small worship gathering of believers.

Colossians 4:7–18 ends Paul's letter to the believers at Colossae in his typical fashion. Most of Paul's letters begin with an introduction, transition from ideas into applications, and then end with general news and greetings. Here, Paul specifically mentions the town of Laodicea, which was about 12 miles away from Colossae. He also refers to several fellow Christians, some of whom are mentioned in other letters as well, including Tychicus, Onesimus, Aristarchus, Mark, Epaphras, and Luke.

The first verse of chapter 4 is actually the last thought from Paul's prior comments about bondservants and masters. After this, Paul gives the Christian perspective on conversation. The way believers speak has a large impact on the effectiveness of our message. Paul then ends his letter with news and messages between various Christian ministers. Among these are names which Paul mentions again in other letters, such as Tychicus, Epaphras, Archippus, and Onesimus.

Prior chapters in this letter established the supremacy of Christ, provided counters to false teaching, and gave instructions for Christian living. Chapter 4 completes these instructions with a general command regarding Christian conversation. Paul then ends the letter with news and comments related to various fellow Christian believers. This follows the general pattern for Paul's letters: introduction, theory, application, personal news and farewell.

The book of Colossians describes Christ as superior to all other teachers, faiths, and philosophies. In this letter, written from prison, Paul once again tackles false teachings. Among these errors are claims that Christians need to give up all physical enjoyments, that they should worship angels, and that they need to rely on the wisdom of an elite few. These problems are consistent with an ancient heresy known as Gnosticism. In response, Paul explains that Christ is supreme, and sufficient for our salvation.