The Epistle from Laodicea

[ktn4eg]

In Colossians 4:16, the apostle Paul tells his readers to "....read the epistle from Laodicea."

I was wondering just what exactly the epistle from Laodicea was. Evidently it contained something of importance or else Paul wouldn't have told his readers in Colosse to read it.

Moreover, if this epistle from Laodicea was of such importance, why then isn't it a part of the New Testament canon?

 

[preachinjesus]

There are plenty of books that aren't part of the NT canon. Many are lost and will never be found. That's okay.

For instance, 1 & 2 Corinthians appear to be, in actuality, 2 & 4 Corinthians since the first and third letters are missing. Laodicea is another example.

The process of forming the NT was a rather organic one that had many options. Some books were discarded, others appreciated by left out, and a set number were inlcuded over several dozen generations. That's okay, its a natural process that was used to bring about God's will. God doesn't drop golden tablets out of the sky and tell us this is His intended revelation. Instead, He chooses to use humanity and willing humans to bring about the accomplishment of His will.

With as many years have passed between the supposed authorship of these lost books, it is unlikely they will ever be found. We aren't less for not having them. In fact, as I suggest, we are actuallly better off. The confusion they would bring would be unnecessary. The existing Nag Hammadi and Gnostic texts are bad enough as it is.