Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.
Summary: The mention of Nympha and the “church in her house” opens the door to considering other women of renown who served the Lord in different ways.
As we find our way through the last few verses of Paul’s letter to the Colossians, we have found several that are “greetings” from Paul and his associates to specific people. In this passage, we focus on the “brothers and sisters at Laodicea” and on a woman named Nympha who hosts a church in her home.
The mention of Nympha is a good reminder to focus on the role of women in the early church.
There is no denying that the Bible describes different roles for men and women. Yet, women serve important roles from the very beginning of Genesis to the last book, Revelation. Yet, it is a mistake to make generalizations about God’s love for us as individuals based on our assigned roles.
For example, in Luke’s Gospel, he notes how women supported Jesus’ ministry:
“Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.” (Luke 8:2-3)
Luke also describes a woman Paul met in Philippi who was successful in business and influential in the community:
“One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. ‘If you consider me a believer in the Lord,’ she said, ‘come and stay at my house.’ And she persuaded us.” (Acts 16:14-15)
Pricilla, the wife of Aquila, worked to spread the Gospel and supported Paul in his ministry (Acts 18:2-3, 18, 26). There are many others we could mention.
Hosting a church in one’s home is no small thing. If we know nothing else about Nympha, we know that she loved the Lord and served him by providing a meeting place for the brothers and sisters in the Lord who worshiped at her house. For Paul to mention her specifically in his letter suggests that the church at her home was longstanding and substantial.
Application: No matter what our role in life, we all have the ability to serve our Lord.
Food for Thought: What would a house church have been like in Paul’s day?
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