Editing Epistle to the Laodiceans (section)

== Identification with canonical epistles ==

=== Epistle to the Ephesians ===
Some scholars have suggested that it refers to the canonical [[Epistle to the Ephesians]], contending that it was a [[encyclical|circular letter (an ''encyclical'')]] to be read to many churches in the [[Laodicea on the Lycus|Laodicean]] area.<ref>See, for example: [[Theodore Beza]], ''Novum Testamentum, cum versione Latina veteri, et nova Theodori Bezæ''; [[James Ussher]], ''Annales Veteris et Novi Testamenti''; and modern scholars [[John Lightfoot]], [[Fenton John Anthony Hort]], Douglas Campbell, and others.</ref> Others dispute this view.<ref>See, for instance: N. A. Dahl, ''Theologische Zeitschrift 7'' (1951); and W. G. Kummel, et al., ''Introduction to the New Testament''.</ref><ref name="tite2022">{{cite book |last=Tite |first=Philip L.  |editor-last1=Edwards |editor-first1=J. Christopher |editor-link1= |date=2022 |title=Early New Testament Apocrypha |publisher=Zondervan Academic |chapter=The Apocryphal Epistle to the Laodiceans  |pages=374&ndash;394 |series=Ancient Literature for New Testament Studies 9 |isbn=9780310099710 }}</ref>

=== Epistle to Philemon ===
Others have suggested that it refers to the canonical [[Epistle to Philemon]].<ref name="tite2022" /><ref>{{cite web |title=The Letter to Laodicea |url=http://lavistachurchofchrist.org/LVanswers/2003/2003-10-29.htm |publisher=La Vista Church of Christ |date=29 October 2003 |website=lavistachurchofchrist.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Anderson |first1=Charles P. |title=Who Wrote "The Epistle from Laodicea"? |journal=Journal of Biblical Literature |date=December 1966 |volume=85 |issue=4 |pages=436–440 |doi=10.2307/3264028 |jstor=3264028}}</ref>