Colossians 4:16
“And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →After this letter is read among them, they are to have it read in Laodicea too, and to read the letter coming from Laodicea.
What Does Colossians 4:16 Mean?
Paul gives instructions for sharing his letter. When this epistle is read among you -- read aloud in the gathered church, as letters were -- they are to send it on, that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans.
And they are to read in return the epistle from Laodicea, another letter being passed between the churches. Paul intended his teaching for the wider fellowship, not one congregation alone, and the churches strengthened one another by sharing his words. This early exchange shows how the apostle's letters circulated and were treasured as authoritative instruction. For the Colossians, reading Paul's letter together and sharing it abroad bound them to their neighbors in common truth. The practice testifies to how seriously the early church received apostolic teaching, reading it publicly and spreading it from place to place so that all might be built up in the same gospel.