4:15 Nympha. Some manuscripts identify this person, who hosted the Laodicean house church, as a woman. There are several references to women (whose marital status is not mentioned) as patrons or hosts of churches, or as workers in ministry (Acts 12:12; 16:13–15; Rom. 16:1, 2, 6, 7, 12, 13; Phil. 4:2, 3; 2 John 1, 5). The standard of relationships between men and women, particularly husbands and wives, set out in 3:18 and parallels (1 Cor. 14:33–35; Eph. 5:22–33; 1 Tim. 2:11–15) was not inconsistent with the partnership in ministry that existed between men and women in the early church.

church in her house. There is no evidence of churches owning separate property for worship until the middle of the third century. Until then, house churches were the norm. Those who exercised a ministry of hospitality by having churches in their homes were important benefactors of the early church (Acts 12:12; Rom. 16:5; 1 Cor. 16:19; Philem. 2). On hospitality, see Rom. 12:13; 1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:8; Heb. 13:2; 1 Pet. 4:9.