Strong’s Greek 2994 (Λαοδικέων) designates “of the Laodiceans,” the believers associated with the city of Laodicea in the Lycus Valley of Asia Minor (modern-day western Türkiye). The form occurs once in the Greek New Testament at Colossians 4:16. Although the lexical root (2993, Λαοδίκεια) appears elsewhere, 2994 specifically points to the people who made up the church in that prosperous commercial center.

Historical Setting of Laodicea

Founded by Antiochus II and named for his wife Laodice, the city lay on the main east-west trade route and flourished through banking, black-wool textiles, and a renowned medical school that produced eye-salve. An earthquake in AD 60 devastated the region, yet Laodicea rebuilt itself without imperial aid, proudly declaring self-sufficiency. This cultural backdrop of wealth, independence, and medical prowess becomes strikingly relevant when Scripture later addresses the church’s spiritual condition (Revelation 3:17–18).

The Church in the Pauline Circle

Laodicea, Colossae, and Hierapolis formed a tri-city network evangelized during Paul’s Ephesian ministry (Acts 19:10). Epaphras (Colossians 1:7; 4:12–13) is linked to all three congregations, and Nympha hosted a house church in nearby Laodicea (Colossians 4:15). The believers there were thus part of a closely knit fellowship shaped by apostolic teaching and shared ministry labor.

Colossians 4:16—A Reciprocal Reading

“After this letter has been read among you, have it read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and ensure that you also read the one from Laodicea.”

In this directive Paul highlights:

1. Canonical Circulation – Inspired letters were to be exchanged, affirming their authority across congregations.
2. Mutual Edification – The Word addressed local challenges yet possessed universal application.
3. Preservation – By copying, exchanging, and rereading apostolic writings, the early church safeguarded Scripture for future generations.

The Question of the ‘Letter from Laodicea’

Several proposals exist:
• The Epistle to the Ephesians may have circulated from Laodicea to Colossae.
• A lost Pauline letter could be in view, its content now providentially absorbed into the canonical corpus.
• A brief note carried by Tychicus (Colossians 4:7) might have served practical purposes.

Regardless, the instruction underscores the sufficiency of God’s preservation of Scripture, for all essential doctrine and exhortation remain within the extant canon.

Later Biblical Evaluation—Revelation 3:14–22

Roughly three decades after Colossians, the risen Christ sends a message “to the angel of the church in Laodicea.” The congregation is admonished for lukewarm complacency:

“For you say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.” (Revelation 3:17)

The contrast between outward affluence and inward poverty mirrors the city’s ethos. Yet the Lord graciously counsels repentance, promising intimate fellowship—“If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20)

Spiritual Lessons for the Contemporary Church

• Dependence on Christ rather than material resources guards against spiritual apathy.
• Exposure to the whole counsel of God—through shared reading of Scripture, as modeled in Colossians 4:16—fortifies believers against doctrinal drift.
• Christ’s loving reproof (Revelation 3:19) assures disciplined believers of their sonship and invites renewed zeal.

Archaeological and Extra-Biblical Witness

Excavations reveal grand theaters, aqueducts, and an extensive water system whose tepid flow from distant springs provides an apt physical image for spiritual lukewarmness. Inscriptions confirm a sizeable Jewish population, explaining Paul’s concern for clear Christ-centered teaching in the region.

Ministry Implications

Pastors and teachers should:

1. Encourage congregational reading of entire biblical books, fostering the same reciprocal edification practiced by Colossae and Laodicea.
2. Warn against the subtlety of self-reliance that wealth can breed, applying Revelation’s corrective to modern contexts.
3. Hold fast to the total inerrancy and sufficiency of Scripture, resting in God’s providence over its transmission—even where individual documents like the “letter from Laodicea” no longer survive.

Summary

Strong’s 2994, “of the Laodiceans,” spotlights a vibrant first-century community strategically positioned for gospel advance yet vulnerable to the perils of prosperity. Through Paul’s call for inter-church sharing of inspired letters and Christ’s later call to repentance, the believers of Laodicea provide both a model and a warning. Their legacy urges today’s church to prize the written Word, pursue spiritual fervor, and acknowledge perpetual dependence upon the Lord who walks among His lampstands.