“The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you much in the Lord with the church, which is in their house.”
This salutation was given in A.D. 59 when Aquila and Prisca lived in Ephesus (Acts 18:18-19). The church in Ephesus was meeting in their house; it was therefore called “the church, which is in their house.” This does not mean that one church was in the city of Ephesus and another church was in their house. It means that the church in the city of Ephesus was the church in the house of Aquila and Prisca. This historical fact cannot be changed.
Later, they returned to Rome and again opened their home to be the meeting place for the church in Rome. They were really a faithful and lovely couple.
“Greet the brothers in Laodicea, as well as Nymphas and the church, which is in his house. And when this letter is read among you, cause that it be read in the church of the Laodiceans also.”
We can discover from history that the church in Laodicea met in the house of a brother by the name of Nymphas, a believer in Laodicea, not Colossae. (Please refer to the writings of Moore, Alford, Earle, and Finley.) Therefore, Paul called the church in Laodicea the church which was in Nymphas’s house, that is, the church in Laodicea in the house of Nymphas. This is a fact, and it is very evident.
Question: Is it possible that “the brothers” mentioned in verse 15 are different from the church?
Answer: No. How could it be possible? Paul mentions three categories of people: 1) the brothers, 2) Nymphas, and 3) the church. If the brothers and the church are not the same, where does Nymphas fit in? It says, “The brothers...as well as Nymphas.” Does “the brothers” include “Nymphas” or not? Everyone has to acknowledge that “the brothers” includes “Nymphas.” Therefore, both “the brothers” and “Nymphas” are of the same group. Although both are of the same group, after Paul had greeted the brothers (that is, after Nymphas had been included in the greeting to the brothers), he especially singled out Nymphas and greeted him personally.
Furthermore, regarding “Nymphas” and “the church, which is in his [Nymphas’s] house,” does the latter include the former? Of course, the church has to include him. If so, why is it not enough for Paul to say, “Greet the church, which is in the house of Nymphas”? Although the church in his house includes Nymphas, Paul still says, “Greet...Nymphas and the church, which is in his house.” He greets the church, but he especially greets Nymphas.
In these three categories of people, Nymphas is a part of each. In the same manner, “the brothers” and “the church” are identical. Therefore, Paul does not stop with greeting “the brothers in Laodicea,” he goes on to greet a particular brother by the name of “Nymphas.” Since the meeting of the church is in Nymphas’s house, Paul therefore goes on to greet “the church, which is in his house.” “The brothers” refers to individuals, while the church refers to the whole group. But they are identical. Paul first greets individuals, then greets the whole church.
Question: What is the relationship between “the church, which is in his house” in verse 15 and “the church of the Laodiceans” in verse 16?
Answer: Verse 15 is a greeting, while verse 16 regards the reading of the Epistle. In verse 15 Paul greets the brothers in Laodicea who are the church meeting in Nymphas’s house. In verse 16 he spontaneously informs those at Colossae explicitly and without further explanation that the brothers in Laodicea whom he has greeted in verse 15 are the church that meets in Nymphas’s house and that this church is the church in Laodicea. Now he requests that the brothers in Laodicea read his Epistle to the Colossians. (Colossae is only twelve miles away from Laodicea.) By reading these two verses carefully, you will see that the church in Nymphas’s house in Laodicea (v. 15) is the very church of the Laodiceans (v. 16). Peter is Cephas, and Cephas is Peter-the two are interchangeable. The same is true here.
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