Colossians 4:15

Laodicea; Archippus

15. Salute … Laodicea The places were only twelve miles apart.

Nymphas A Laodicean; his name in full was, probably, Nymphodorus. See Lightfoot's full note here, on name-contractions in - as. In some Greek mss. this name is accented as if it were Nympha, a feminine name, and "his house" just below is read "her house." But this is very improbable, as it would assume that the name was written in a Doricform, Nymphânot Nymphê. The Latin Versions, reading thus, have Nympham;and Wyclif, "the womman nymfam."

the church which is in his house R.V., their house; following a better supported reading. The plural refers, probably, to Nymphas and his family.

" The church … in their house" :for the word "Church" used, as here, in its most limited sense, a Christian congregation of neighbours, see Romans 16:5; 1 Corinthians 16:19; Philemon 1:2. (Cp. Romans 16:14-15.) The Nymphas family at Laodicea were perhaps the wealthy converts there, owning a large house; themselves numerous; and they offered their great room as a meeting place for worship and "the breaking of bread" to other converts. Very possibly this was the onemeeting-place in Laodicea; and the greeting in this verse, if so, is to the Laodiceans first individually then in congregation. The Latin Versions have, domestica ejus ecclesia.

Bingham (Antiquities, viii. 1) collects allusions to Christian places of worship in the first century. He shews that special chamberswere set apart, but does not shew that whole buildingswere, in those first days, consecrated to devotion. By the third century at latest this became common. See our note on Romans 16:5.