Don’t Be A Laodicean Losers! Colossians 4:15-16
“15) Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house. 16) When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea.” Colossians 4:15-16
Paul now makes mention Nympha and the church that was in her house. She like Phoebe mentioned in Romans 16:1 are part of a long list of prominent women in ministry mentioned in the New Testament. All we know about Nympha is that she had a church in her house. Only eternity will reveal the significant role women have played in the spread of the gospel over the past 2,000 years. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude.
Paul also mentioned the church of the Laodiceans briefly in theses verses. Many wonder at the lost Epistle to Laodicea. It is testimony to the persecution the early believers endured and how desperately Rome and the Jewish leaders tried stomping out all early Christian literature. Many gave their lives to protect the writings that comprise our New Testament.
However, there is one letter to church at Laodicea that remains. It is found in Revelation 3:14-22. We discover from these verses that the church in Laodicea was at best lukewarm. They had become prosperous and worldly. Jesus called on them to respond to His discipline and repent. He was standing at the door and knocking, but they were so preoccupied with worldly pursuits they were drowning out His voice.
Of the seven churches in Revelation, many conclude that Laodicea is descriptive of the modern Western church. It might well be that they started well but gradually slipped into complacency. It may be more than providential that an earlier letter from Paul was lost. They were losers in every way. Those who turn their back on precious fellowship with Jesus to embrace the world lose so much!
Don’t be a Laodicean Christian. Jesus is standing at the door of your life and knocking. Run and fling the door wide open to Him. Move Him from the fringe of your live and invite Him into the very center and core of your life. Build your life around Him and not yourself!
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
