Colossians 4:15 - Exposition

Salute the brethren that are in Laodicea ( Colossians 4:13 ; Colossians 2:1 ; Revelation 1:11 ; Revelation 3:14-22 ). Perhaps the brethren in Hierapolis ( Colossians 4:13 ) were not formed into a distinct Church as yet (comp. Colossians 2:1 ). The Church in Laodicea early became a flourishing and wealthy community ( Revelation 3:17 ). And Nympha (or, Nymphas ) , and the Church (literally, assembly ) at her (or, their ) house. νύμφαν may be either masculine or feminine accusative. The reading "her" ( αὐτῆς ) is adopted by Westcott and Hort without alternative, and seems on the whole the most probable. The Revised Text follows Tischendorf, Tregelles, Meyer, Alford, Lightfoot, who read "their" ( αὐτῶν ) . "His" ( αὐτοῦ ) is evidently a later correction. Lightfoot says, indeed, that "a Doric form of the Greek name ( sc. νύμφαν for νύμφην ) seems in the highest degree improbable;" but he allows, on the other hand, that νυμφᾶς as a contracted masculine form (for νυμφόδωρος ) "is very rare." This person was apparently a leading member of the Laodicean Church, at whose house Church meetings were held (comp. Acts 12:12 ; Philemon 1:2 ; Romans 16:5 ; 1 Corinthians 16:19 ). "The Church at her house" can scarcely have been an assembly distinct "from the brethren that are in Laodicea." Both expressions may relate to the same body of persons, referred first individually, then collectively as a meeting gathered at this place. Others suppose a more private gathering to be meant, as e.g. of Colossians living at Laodicea (Meyer). Many older interpreters identified this Church with the household of Nymphas. If "their" be the true reading, the expression must include Nympha and her family. Nympha (or Nymphas), like Philemon and his family, St. Paul had doubtless met in Ephesus.