New Testament · Pauline Epistles · Book 57 of 66
Philemon
Paul’s letter from prison to Philemon, sending back his servant Onesimus, now a believer, and asking that he be received as “a brother beloved.”
- 1 chapter
- 25 verses
- About 2 minutes to read
- Letters to the Churches, c. AD 48–96
Philemon is the shortest of Paul’s letters: one request, written from prison. Onesimus, Philemon’s servant, had left his master, and with Paul he became a believer, “my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds” (1:10). Paul sends him back with this letter and asks Philemon to receive him “Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved” (1:16).
Much of the letter is in how the request is made. Paul could command, but “for love’s sake” he beseeches (1:9), and he leaves the choice with Philemon, “that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly” (1:14). He praises Philemon’s love before he names Onesimus, plays on the servant’s name, which means profitable (1:11), and offers to pay whatever is owed: “put that on mine account” (1:18). The letter is addressed also to Apphia, to Archippus and to “the church in thy house” (1:2), so the request is made before the congregation. Every part of it rests on what master and servant now share “in the Lord.”
Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?
Philemon 1:16 KJV
Before you read
- Who wrote it
- Paul, who names himself three times (1:1, 9, 19) and writes his pledge “with mine own hand” (1:19). Timothy joins him in the greeting.
- When it was written
- In prison: Paul writes as “a prisoner of Jesus Christ” (1:1), at the same time as Colossians. Onesimus goes back with Tychicus, who carries that letter (Colossians 4:7–9), and the same companions send greetings in both (1:23–24; Colossians 4:10–14). Paul hopes to be released and to come (1:22).
Those who place it in Rome Paul wrote during his two years under guard at Rome, where he received all who came to him. Aristarchus, who sends greetings here, had set sail with him for Rome, and Ambrosiaster says Paul baptized Onesimus during that imprisonment.
Grounds Acts 27:2Acts 28:16Acts 28:30–31Ambrosiaster 384
Those who place it in Caesarea Paul wrote during the two years Felix held him at Caesarea, with liberty for his friends to come and minister to him.
Grounds Acts 24:23Acts 24:27
Those who place it in Ephesus Paul wrote from an imprisonment at Ephesus, one of the “prisons more frequent” that Acts does not record. Ephesus lies near Colosse, which suits Onesimus reaching Paul and Paul’s request for a lodging.
Grounds 2 Corinthians 11:23Philemon 1:22
- To whom
- Philemon, “our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer,” with Apphia, Archippus and “the church in thy house” (1:1–2). Colossians calls Onesimus “one of you” and sends a charge to Archippus (Colossians 4:9, 17), which places the household at Colosse.
How Philemon is laid out
4 movements · 4 passages · 25 verses · gold dots mark key verses
A prisoner of Jesus Christ
1:1–3 · 3 verses
Paul names himself by his bonds, not his office, and Timothy joins him. The letter goes to Philemon, “our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer,” to Apphia, to Archippus “our fellowsoldier,” and to the church in the house, so the whole congregation is addressed. The greeting is grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Joy in Philemon’s love
1:4–7 · 4 verses
Paul thanks God, making mention of Philemon in his prayers, for what he hears of his love and faith toward the Lord Jesus and toward all saints. He prays that the communication of that faith may become effectual as every good thing in Christ is acknowledged. Philemon’s love gives Paul joy, because by him “the bowels of the saints are refreshed.”
Receive him as myself
1:8–20 · 13 verses
Paul could command but beseeches, as “Paul the aged” and a prisoner, for Onesimus, his son begotten in his bonds, once unprofitable and now profitable. He sends him back rather than keep him without Philemon’s consent. Perhaps he departed for a season to be received for ever, as a brother. Paul asks that he be received as Paul himself, and takes any debt on his own account.
More than I say
1:21–25 · 5 verses
Paul writes confident that Philemon will do more than he asks, and bids him prepare a lodging, trusting to be given back to them through their prayers. Epaphras, his fellowprisoner, sends greetings, with Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas and Lucas, his fellowlabourers. The letter closes: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.”
The words Philemon turns on
The appeal in its own vocabulary: a brother to receive, a debt put on account, and the bowels of the saints refreshed, once by Philemon and now for Paul.
- ἀδελφός adelphósbrother; said of Philemon and of Onesimus4 verses
- προσλαμβάνω proslambánōreceive, take to oneself2 verses
- εὔχρηστος eúchrēstosprofitable, useful; the play on Onesimus’ name1 verse
- ἐλλογέω ellogéōput on account, impute1 verse
- σπλάγχνον splánchnonbowels; the inward affections, the heart3 verses
- ἀναπαύω anapaúōrefresh, give rest2 verses
What Philemon teaches
parakaléō · beseech
For love’s sake, not of necessity
Paul has the right to command: “though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient, Yet for love’s sake I rather beseech thee” (1:8–9). He would have kept Onesimus to minister to him in his bonds, “But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly” (1:14). Ambrosiaster noted the restraint: he nonetheless does not exert his apostolic authority in order to issue orders but respects Philemon as a faithful Christian
. Jerome saw in the verse the way God made man, that he be good willingly and not by necessity
. Paul closes on the same trust, “knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say” (1:21), and leaves the “more” unnamed.
eúchrēstos · profitable
Unprofitable, now profitable
Onesimus’ name means profitable, and Paul plays on it: “Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me” (1:11). In “let me have joy of thee” (1:20) he uses the verb the name comes from. The change is a new birth. Paul calls him “my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds” (1:10), as he told the Corinthians, “in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel” (1 Corinthians 4:15). The letter does not say how Onesimus came to Paul. It calls his going a departure “for a season” and allows that he may owe his master (1:18). The Fathers read it as flight; Theodoret wrote, Onesimus’s flight has become the source of good things to him.
Paul’s “perhaps” looks for the purpose behind it: “that thou shouldest receive him for ever” (1:15).
proslambánō · receive
Receive him as myself
Paul asks for more than pardon. Onesimus comes back “Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?” (1:16). Ambrosiaster read the double bond this way: we are all of the same Adam and ought to recognize ourselves as brothers, particularly when faith, which takes all pride away, unites us
. Then Paul puts himself in Onesimus’ place: “If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself” (1:17). Partner and the “communication” of 1:6 are one word family in Greek: the fellowship of the faith that Philemon and Paul hold in common. Paul calls Onesimus “mine own bowels” (1:12) and asks Philemon to do for him what he has done for the saints: “refresh my bowels in the Lord” (1:20; 1:7).
Christ in Philemon
Paul draws no figure from his pledge, but its terms are the gospel’s. “If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account” (1:18): the verb, to reckon to someone’s account, occurs again only in Romans, “sin is not imputed when there is no law” (Romans 5:13). Paul writes the bond “with mine own hand” (1:19). Colossians, carried by Tychicus with Onesimus, says that Christ blotted out “the handwriting of ordinances that was against us … nailing it to his cross” (Colossians 2:14), and Peter that he “his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24).
Jerome saw the likeness: As an imitator of his master, and having Christ speaking in him, he ought to do the things which Christ did according to his ability.
Paul can stand surety for a debt of money; Christ alone bore sin. The brotherhood Paul asks for rests on Christ as well: in him “there is neither Greek nor Jew … bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all” (Colossians 3:11), and so Onesimus is a brother “in the Lord” (1:16).
People
By how many verses name them
- Paul3
- TimothyHis mother was Eunice1
- Philemon1
- Apphia1
- Archippus1
- Onesimus1
- Epaphras1
- MarcusHis mother was Mary1
3 more are named.
Where Philemon reaches
The passages it leans on, and the ones that lean on it
Onesimus goes home with Tychicus, commended to Colosse as “a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you.”
Archippus, greeted here as fellowsoldier, is charged to fulfil the ministry he has received in the Lord.
Paul’s word for the changed Onesimus is the one he later uses of Mark, the Marcus of verse 24.
Joseph’s brothers meant evil, but “God meant it unto good”; Paul’s “perhaps” looks for such a purpose in Onesimus’ departure.
Philemon 1:24 Colossians 4:14 2 Timothy 4:10
The same companions greet Colosse; at the end Demas has forsaken Paul, and only Luke is with him.
Books Philemon links to most
The Church Fathers on Philemon
101 quotations from 15 writers before AD 800 · the ten most quoted, in date order
- Ignatius108
- Apostolic Constitutions380
- Ambrosiaster384
- Ambrose397
- Chrysostom407
- Pelagius418
- Jerome420
- Theodore428
- Augustine430
- John Damascene749
Ignatius, a prisoner for Christ like Paul, wrote to a church as Paul writes here, appealing rather than ordering.
I do not issue orders to you, as if I were some great person. For though I am bound for the name [of Christ], I am not yet perfect in Jesus Christ.
Chrysostom, on the word Paul chose in verse 12.
He has not said, Take him back, he has not said, Be not angry, but ‘receive him’; that is, he is worthy not only of pardon, but of honor. Why? Because he is become the son of Paul.
Jerome stood in awe of the prisoner who wrote it.
He is held in prison, he is constrained by chains, in physical misery, separated from dear ones, plunged into prison darkness, yet he does not feel the injury, he is not crucified with sadness. Rather, he knows nothing else than to ponder the gospel of Christ.
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