Colossians 4:16 mentions an epistle to the Laodiceans; what is that?

Quick answer

The church at Laodicea received a letter from Paul, but this epistle has been lost. Most likely the letter was part of a circular letter written to several churches at once, but background information is mostly unknown.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

In Colossians 4:16, Paul gives these instructions: "And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea." This shows that there was a church in Laodicea and that there was a letter they had that Paul wanted them to share with the Colossians. We can infer, based on this instruction from Paul, that the Laodicean church and the Colossian church were geographically close and had some level of communication established. Although the epistle to the Laodiceans was not preserved, we can trust that God did not want it preserved and that if it were found it would not hold the same authority as the Scriptures we have today. The canon of Scripture was divinely guided, ensuring that the writings necessary for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16) were preserved. While the letter to the Laodiceans may have been valuable for its original audience, its absence in the canon reminds us to focus on what God has preserved and deemed sufficient for our faith and practice.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

The Laodicean church did not exist prior to the church age and is not found in the Old Testament.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

Colossians 4:16 shows that the apostles' letters were intended to be shared with the church at large, for they were beneficial for all believers (2 Timothy 3:16–17; cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:27).
The letter to the Laodiceans was not written by Paul while in Laodicea because he says in Colossians 2:1 that the Laodiceans had never actually seen him.
In Revelation, there are seven letters to seven churches, including one to the church in Laodicea. That letter spoke of their lukewarmness and alerted them to the danger of their condition and the discipline that could follow (Revelation 3:14–22).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Laodicea was a prosperous city filled with industry, and it was located in the province of Phrygia in the Lycos Valley, in the current region of Denizli, Turkey. Colossae, the location of the Colossian church, was approximately nine miles away. We don't know the details of the letter from Paul to the Laodiceans, but we can be certain that God did not mean for it to be preserved.

Several years after Paul wrote the letter to the Colossians, we see the Laodicean church mentioned one more time in the Bible, in the book of Revelation. In this instance the church receives a letter of rebuke from Jesus Christ through the apostle John. Even though we don’t have complete knowledge and information of this situation, it leads us to realize that a local church can be corrupted and fall away from faith in Christ, so we must be vigilant to hold fast to God’s Word.

UNDERSTAND

The letter to the Laodiceans referenced in Colossians 4:16 has been lost, and its content is unknown.
The epistle to the Laodiceans was likely a circular letter, possibly shared among multiple churches.
The epistle to the Laodiceans’ exclusion from Scripture reflects God's decision that it was not essential for the Church.

REFLECT

How does the historical loss of the epistle to the Laodiceans affect your understanding of the sufficiency of Scripture?
How can you maintain faithfulness to God's Word knowing that not everything ever written by apostles or prophets, or referenced in the current books of the Bible, was preserved?
How can you trust that the letters God intended for us are the ones preserved in the Bible?

ENGAGE

Even if the epistle to the Laodiceans were found, it would not change the core teachings and doctrines of the Christian faith that are already established in the preserved Scriptures. The canon of the Bible remains sufficient and complete for guiding our faith and practice. What does it mean and what implications are there that some apostolic letters are not part of the canon?
How do we respond to the notion that God allows some writings to be lost while preserving others?
How can we protect the integrity of the Church today from becoming lukewarm, as warned about the Laodicean church in Revelation?