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- What it is: A short Christian apocryphal letter attributed to Paul, generally regarded as a later composition.
- Biblical connection: Colossians 4:16 mentions a letter coming from Laodicea, but its identity remains unestablished.
- Where it survives: The surviving letter has a Latin manuscript tradition attested from the sixth century onward.
- Canonical status: It is not part of the twenty-seven-book New Testament, despite appearing in numerous medieval Latin Bibles.
The Letter to the Laodiceans is a short apocryphal letter written in Paul's name, not an authenticated Pauline letter or an established match for the letter mentioned in Colossians 4:16. Scholars generally regard the surviving work as a later composition assembled largely from language in Paul's canonical letters. It circulated in medieval biblical manuscripts, but the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and mainstream Protestant traditions do not recognize it as canonical scripture.
This guide explains the letter's connection with Colossians, then examines its uncertain authorship, date, and language. It next describes the work's contents, its position outside the New Testament canon, and its manuscript survival, before closing with related guides and the site's edition.
What is the Letter to the Laodiceans?
Two different things lie behind the name: a letter mentioned in Colossians and a surviving apocryphal work addressed to Christians at Laodicea. Colossians 4:16 directs its recipients to read a letter coming from Laodicea and to have Colossians read in the Laodicean church. It does not explicitly describe the other letter as addressed to Laodicea. Its identity has not been established, and scholars do not accept the surviving apocryphal work as that letter.
Calling the letter in Colossians a lost letter of Paul is a common interpretation, not an established identification. The geographical setting is clearer: Laodicea stood in the Lycus valley of Roman Asia Minor, in what is now Turkey, near Colossae and Hierapolis. Colossians 4:13 also mentions Laodicea and Hierapolis alongside the community receiving the letter. The message to Laodicea in Revelation 3 is another, separate text.
When, where, and by whom was it written?
The surviving letter is attributed to the apostle Paul, but its actual author is unknown. Most scholars regard it as a later composition rather than an authentic Pauline letter. Its wording is a central reason for that judgment: the work consists largely of phrases adapted from canonical Pauline letters, with Philippians an especially important source. Its imitation of Paul's language is therefore central to scholarly explanations of how it was composed.
The date of composition is not securely established, and the evidence does not establish where it was written. Its manuscript tradition is Latin, but that does not settle the language of its original composition. No ancient Greek manuscript of this surviving letter is known. Scholars remain uncertain whether the Latin text was composed in Latin or translated from Greek, so neither an original Greek text nor a Latin origin can be stated as established fact.
What does the letter contain?
The work is commonly divided into twenty verses. It opens with a Pauline-style identification of the sender and a greeting to the Christian believers at Laodicea. Its main substance is a sequence of brief exhortations to faithfulness. References to the supposed sender's imprisonment form part of this presentation in Paul's name. The work thus combines the outward shape of a Pauline letter with language adapted from his other writings.
The exhortations warn against empty or misleading teaching, encourage rejoicing in Christ, and urge recipients to put their learning into practice. These are descriptions of the letter's themes, rather than quotations from it. The closing instructions call for an exchange of letters with the Colossians. From its greeting through its encouragements to its final directions, the surviving work presents itself as an apostolic communication to the Laodicean community.
Why is it not in most Bibles?
The letter is outside the twenty-seven-book New Testament canon. Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and mainstream Protestant traditions do not recognize it as canonical. Its attribution to Paul is not accepted by scholars as authentic. These facts distinguish a work circulating under an apostle's name from a work recognized as scripture. Its appearance within some biblical manuscripts does not establish that it ever enjoyed general recognition as part of the canon.
Ancient evidence of rejection also requires careful identification. The Muratorian Fragment rejects a letter to the Laodiceans as a forgery in Paul's name, but scholars cannot securely identify that condemned work with the surviving Latin text. It therefore cannot simply be treated as a direct judgment on the precise work now preserved. The surviving letter's canonical status is clear, while the relationship between it and that ancient notice remains uncertain.
How has the letter survived?
Jerome reported in the late fourth century that a letter to the Laodiceans circulated but was rejected. His notice does not provide a text that can be securely compared with the surviving Latin letter. The surviving work itself is attested in manuscripts from the sixth century onward. Codex Fuldensis, a sixth-century Latin biblical manuscript, contains it. The distinction between an early report and a surviving textual witness matters for dating the evidence.
During the Middle Ages, the letter appeared in numerous Latin biblical manuscripts and also circulated in vernacular translations, including English. This manuscript history makes it evidence for the reception and imitation of Paul's writings. It also helps scholars distinguish the contents of individual Bibles from formally recognized biblical canons. A manuscript could contain the letter without that presence demonstrating general acceptance of it as canonical scripture.
Where to go next
The uncertain identity of the letter mentioned in Colossians connects this subject with the lost books of the Bible. Its presence in medieval manuscripts without general canonical recognition also connects it with the distinction behind the books removed from the Bible.
The edition on this site is titled The Epistle to the Laodiceans and attributes the work to the Apostle Paul, an attribution that identifies its presented sender rather than establishing its authorship.
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Questions about the Letter to the Laodiceans
Did Paul write a letter to the Laodiceans?
That has not been established from the reference in Colossians 4:16. The verse mentions a letter coming from Laodicea, whose identity remains uncertain. Calling it a lost Pauline letter is a common interpretation. The surviving apocryphal letter attributed to Paul is generally regarded as a later work, not the letter mentioned there.
What does Colossians 4:16 say about Laodicea?
It directs the recipients to read a letter coming from Laodicea and to have Colossians read in the Laodicean church. The wording identifies where the other letter comes from, not explicitly the community to which it was addressed. This reference does not establish the identity of that other letter.
Is the Epistle to the Laodiceans in the Bible?
It is not part of the twenty-seven-book New Testament canon recognized by Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and mainstream Protestant traditions. It did appear in numerous medieval Latin biblical manuscripts. That historical presence explains its association with the Bible, but it does not demonstrate general recognition as canonical scripture.
Who wrote the Epistle to the Laodiceans?
Its actual author is unknown, although the work presents itself under Paul's name. Scholars generally regard it as a later composition that adapts language from canonical Pauline letters, particularly Philippians. Neither its date nor its place of composition is securely established, and its original language also remains uncertain.
How long is the Epistle to the Laodiceans?
The surviving letter is short and is commonly divided into twenty verses. Its shape comprises a sender identification and greeting, brief encouragements to Christian faithfulness, and closing instructions about exchanging letters. Its principal themes concern misleading teaching, rejoicing in Christ, and putting what has been learned into practice.
