Philemon

a quick look

Author:

The apostle Paul

Audience:

Philemon and the members of the church at Colossae

Date:

About AD 60

Theme:

Paul urges Philemon to show grace to Onesimus, his runaway slave.

Author, Date and Place of Writing

Paul wrote this short letter (see vv. 1 , 9 , 19 ) probably at the same time as Colossians (c. AD 60; see Introduction to Colossians: Author, Date and Place of Writing ) and sent it to Colossae with the same travelers, Onesimus and Tychicus. He apparently wrote both letters from prison in Rome, though possibly from Ephesus (see Introduction to Philippians: Author, Date and Place of Writing ; see also this chart ).

Recipient, Background and Purpose

Paul wrote this letter to Philemon, a believer in Colossae who, along with others, was a slave owner (cf. Col 4:1 ; for slavery in the NT, see note on Eph 6:5 ). One of his slaves, Onesimus, had apparently stolen from him (cf. v. 18 ) and then run away, which under Roman law was punishable by death. But Onesimus met Paul and through his ministry became a Christian (see v. 10 ). Now he was willing to return to his master, and Paul writes this personal appeal to ask that he be accepted as a Christian brother (see v. 16 ).

Approach and Structure

To win Philemon’s willing acceptance of Onesimus, Paul writes in a very tactful and warmhearted manner. The appeal (vv. 4–21 ) is organized in a way prescribed by ancient Greek and Roman teachers: to build rapport (vv. 4–10 ), to persuade the mind (vv. 11–19 ) and to move the emotions (vv. 20–21 ). The name Onesimus is not mentioned until the rapport has been built (v. 10 ), and the appeal itself is stated only near the end of the section to persuade the mind (v. 17 ).

Mosaic of slaves pouring wine for guests at a banquet (third century AD). In Philemon, Paul makes a plea on behalf of Onesimus, Philemon’s slave.

Servants pouring wine for guests at a banquet (mosaic) by Roman (third century AD) Musee National du Bardo, Le Bardo, Tunisia / Ancient Art and Architecture Collection Ltd./The Bridgeman Art Library

Outline

I. Greetings ( 1–3 )

II. Thanksgiving and Prayer ( 4–7 )

III. Paul’s Plea for Onesimus ( 8–21 )

IV. Final Request, Greetings and Benediction ( 22–25 )

Philemon 1

¹ ^‡ Paul, a prisoner ^† of Christ Jesus, and Timothy ^† our brother, ^†

To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker ^† — ² ^‡ also to Apphia our sister and Archippus ^† our fellow soldier ^† —and to the church that meets in your home: ^†

³ ^‡ Grace and peace to you ^[1] from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ^†

Thanksgiving and Prayer

⁴ ^‡ I always thank my God ^† as I remember you in my prayers, ^† ⁵ ^‡ because I hear about your love for all his holy people ^† and your faith in the Lord Jesus. ^† ⁶ I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. ⁷ ^‡ Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, ^† because you, brother, have refreshed ^† the hearts of the Lord’s people.

Paul’s Plea for Onesimus

⁸ Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, ⁹ yet I prefer to appeal to you ^† on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner ^† of Christ Jesus— ¹⁰ ^‡ that I appeal to you for my son ^† Onesimus, ^[2] ^† who became my son while I was in chains. ^† ¹¹ ^‡ Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.

¹² I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. ¹³ ^‡ I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains ^† for the gospel. ¹⁴ But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced ^† but would be voluntary. ¹⁵ Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— ¹⁶ ^‡ no longer as a slave, ^† but better than a slave, as a dear brother. ^† He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.

¹⁷ ^‡ So if you consider me a partner, ^† welcome him as you would welcome me. ¹⁸ If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. ^† ¹⁹ ^‡ I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. ^† I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self. ²⁰ ^‡ I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh ^† my heart in Christ. ²¹ ^‡ Confident ^† of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.

²² ^‡ And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be ^† restored to you in answer to your prayers. ^†

²³ ^‡ Epaphras, ^† my fellow prisoner ^† in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. ²⁴ ^‡ And so do Mark, ^† Aristarchus, ^† Demas ^† and Luke, my fellow workers. ^†

²⁵ ^‡ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. ^†

PHILEMON WAS A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH IN COLOSSAE

[BACK TO 1–2] Although Paul writes together with Timothy and although he addresses the entire church in Colossae, in this very personal letter to Philemon he uses “I,” rather than “we,” and “you” (singular, except in vv. 22 , 25 ).

[BACK TO 1] Paul. See note on Ro 1:1 . prisoner. See Eph 3:1 ; Php 1:13 and notes. Timothy. See note on Col 1:1 ; see also Introduction to 1 Timothy: Recipient . Philemon. A Christian living in Colossae or nearby and the owner of the slave Onesimus.

[BACK TO 2] Apphia. Probably Philemon’s wife. Archippus. See Col 4:17 .

[BACK TO 3] Grace … peace. See note on Ro 1:7 . Lord Jesus Christ. Occurs also at the end of this letter (v. 25 ). See note on 1Th 1:1 .

[BACK TO 4] thank … remember you in my prayers. See Php 1:3–4 and note.

[BACK TO 5] See Col 1:4 . his holy people. See notes on Ro 1:7 ; Eph 1:1 ; Col 1:4 .

[BACK TO 7] hearts. Figurative for the emotions of pity and love (see vv. 12 , 20 ; cf. also Ps 4:7 and note).

[BACK TO 10] my son. See note on 1Ti 1:2 . Onesimus. See NIV text note; see also Introduction: Recipient, Background and Purpose .

[BACK TO 11] useless … useful. A wordplay on the meaning of Onesimus’s name (see NIV text note on v. 10 ).

[BACK TO 13] in chains for the gospel. See v. 1 and note.

[BACK TO 16] no longer as a slave. Although not explicitly calling for Onesimus’s release, Paul is implicitly undermining the institution of slavery. Cf. 1Ti 6:2 .

[BACK TO 17–19] Martin Luther said, “Even as Christ did for us with God the Father, thus Paul also does for Onesimus with Philemon.”

[BACK TO 19] writing this with my own hand. See 1Co 16:21 and note. owe me your very self. Paul had probably led Philemon to faith in Christ.

[BACK TO 20] I … my. Both pronouns are emphatic, making an obvious allusion to v. 7 . benefit. The Greek for this word is another play on the name Onesimus.

[BACK TO 21] even more than I ask. Perhaps suggesting that Philemon set Onesimus free.

[BACK TO 22] one thing more. It was not unusual for an ancient letter, though occasioned by one matter, to also include another matter. Often, as here, the second matter had to do with how and when the author planned to meet the recipient again.

[BACK TO 23] Epaphras. See Col 1:7 and note; 4:12 .

[BACK TO 24] Mark, Aristarchus. See note on Col 4:10 . Demas and Luke. See note on Col 4:14 .

[BACK TO 25] grace. See note on Ro 1:7 . be with your spirit. See note on Gal 6:18 .

Hebrews

a quick look

Author:

Unknown; possibly Apollos or Barnabas

Audience:

Primarily Jewish Christians

Date:

About AD 67–70

Theme:

The author demonstrates the absolute supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ as revealer and mediator of God’s grace.

Author

The writer of this letter does not identify himself, but he was obviously well known to the original recipients. Though for some 1,200 years (from c. AD 400 to 1600) the book was commonly called “The Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews,” there was no agreement in the earliest centuries regarding its authorship. Since the Reformation it has been widely recognized that Paul could not have been the writer. There is no disharmony between the teaching of Hebrews and that of Paul’s letters, but the specific emphases and writing styles are markedly different. Contrary to Paul’s usual practice, the author of Hebrews nowhere names himself in the letter. The readers, however, certainly knew who he was, as evidenced by his personal comments ( 13:18 , 22 , 24 ). We know that the author was a man from 11:32 (see note there). Moreover, the statement “This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him” ( 2:3 ), indicates that the author had neither been with Jesus during his earthly ministry nor received special revelation directly from the risen Lord, as Paul had ( Gal 1:11–12 ).

The earliest suggestion of authorship is found in Tertullian’s De Pudicitia, 20 (c. 200), in which he quotes from “an epistle to the Hebrews under the name of Barnabas.” From the letter itself it is clear that the writer must have had authority in the apostolic church and was an intellectual Hebrew Christian, well versed in the OT. Barnabas meets these requirements. He was a Jew of the priestly tribe of Levi ( Ac 4:36 ) who became a close friend of Paul after the latter’s conversion. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the church at Antioch commissioned Barnabas and Paul for the work of evangelism and sent them off on the first missionary journey ( Ac 13:1–4 ).

The other leading candidate for authorship is Apollos, whose name was first suggested by Martin Luther and who is favored by many interpreters today. Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, was also a Jewish Christian with notable intellectual and oratorical abilities. Luke tells us that “he was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures” ( Ac 18:24 ). We also know that Apollos was associated with Paul in the early years of the church in Corinth ( 1Co 1:12 ; 3:4–6 , 22 ).

Two things are evident: The author was a master of the Greek language of his day, and he was thoroughly acquainted with the pre-Christian Greek translation of the OT (the Septuagint), which he regularly quotes.

Date

Hebrews was probably written before the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in AD 70 because: (1) If it had been written after this date, the author almost certainly would have mentioned the temple’s destruction and the end of the Jewish sacrificial system; and (2) the author consistently uses the Greek present tense when speaking of the temple and the priestly activities connected with it (see 5:1–3 ; 7:23 , 27 ; 8:3–5 ; 9:6–9 , 13 , 25 ; 10:1 , 3–4 , 8 , 11 ; 13:10–11 ). However, he describes the wilderness tabernacle, not the Jerusalem temple.

Recipients

The letter was addressed primarily to Jewish converts who were familiar with the OT and who were being tempted to revert to Judaism or to Judaize the gospel (cf. Gal 2:14 ). The destination of the letter is probably either the Holy Land or Rome, the latter being the most likely. The letter is first attested by Clement of Rome (c. AD 96), and the statement “Those from Italy send you their greetings” ( 13:24 ) sounds like Romans living elsewhere sending their greetings home.

A collection of swords and daggers, most of which are double-edged. Hebrews 4:12 reminds us that the word of God is “sharper than any double-edged sword.”

Réunion des Musées Nationaux/Art Resource, NY

Theme

The theme of Hebrews is the absolute supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ as revealer and mediator of God’s grace. The prologue ( 1:1–4 ) presents Christ as God’s full and final revelation, far surpassing the revelation given in the OT. The prophecies and promises of the OT are fulfilled in the “new covenant” (or “new testament”), of which Christ is the mediator. From the OT itself, Christ is shown to be superior to the ancient prophets, to angels, to Moses (the mediator of the former covenant) and to Aaron and his priestly descendants. Hebrews could be called “the book of better things” since the two Greek words for “better” and “superior” occur 15 times in the letter ( 1:4 [twice]; 6:9 ; 7:19 , 22 ; 8:6 [3 times]; 9:23 ; 10:34 ; 11:4 , 16 , 35 , 40 ; 12:24 ; see chart ). A striking feature of this presentation of the gospel is the unique manner in which the author employs expositions of eight specific passages of the OT Scriptures:

(1) 2:5–9 : Exposition of Ps 8:4–6

(2) 3:7–4:13 : Exposition of Ps 95:7–11

(3) 4:14–7:28 : Exposition of Ps 110:4

(4) 8:1–10:18 : Exposition of Jer 31:31–34

(5) 10:1–10 : Exposition of Ps 40:6–8

(6) 10:32–12:3 : Exposition of Hab 2:3–4

(7) 12:4–13 : Exposition of Pr 3:11–12

(8) 12:18–24 : Exposition of Ex 19:10–23

From the Old Testament itself, Christ is shown to be superior to the ancient prophets, to angels, to Moses (the mediator of the former covenant) and to Aaron and his priestly descendants.

Practical applications of this theme are given throughout the book. The readers are told that there can be no turning back to or continuation of the old Jewish system, which has been superseded by the unique priesthood of Christ. God’s people must now look only to him, whose atoning death, resurrection and ascension have opened the way into the true, heavenly sanctuary of God’s presence. To “ignore so great a salvation” ( 2:3 ) or to give up the pursuit of holiness ( 12:10 , 14 ) is to face the anger of the “living God” ( 10:31 ). Five times the author weaves into his presentation of the gospel stern warnings (see note on 2:1–4 ) and reminds his readers of the divine judgment that came on the rebellious generation of Israelites in the wilderness (see 3:16–19 and note).

Stone anchor used by Greek and Roman ships. “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” ( Heb 6:19 ).

Todd Bolen/ www.BiblePlaces.com

Literary Form

Hebrews is commonly referred to as a letter, though it does not have the typical form of a letter. It ends like a letter ( 13:22–25 ) but begins more like an essay or sermon ( 1:1–4 ). The author does not identify himself or those addressed, which letter writers normally did. And he offers no manner of greeting, such as is usually found at the beginning of ancient letters. Rather, he begins with a magnificent statement about Jesus Christ. He calls his work a “word of exhortation” ( 13:22 ), the conventional designation given to a sermon in a synagogue service (see Ac 13:15 ). Like a sermon, Hebrews is full of encouragement, exhortations and stern warnings. It is likely that the author used sermonic materials and sent them out in a modified letter form.

Outline

I. Prologue: The Superiority of God’s New Revelation ( 1:1–4 )

II. The Superiority of Christ to Leading Figures under the Old Covenant ( 1:5–7:28 )

A. Christ Is Superior to the Angels ( 1:5–2:18 )

1. Scriptural proof of his superiority ( 1:5–14 )

2. Exhortation not to ignore the revelation of God in his Son ( 2:1–4 )

3. Jesus was made lower than the angels for a little while ( 2:5–9 )

4. Having been made like us, Jesus was enabled to save us ( 2:10–18 )

B. Christ Is Superior to Moses ( 3:1–4:13 )

1. Demonstration of Christ’s superiority ( 3:1–6 )

2. Exhortation to enter Sabbath-rest ( 3:7–4:13 )

C. Christ Is Superior to the Aaronic Priests ( 4:14–7:28 )

1. Jesus is the great high priest ( 4:14–16 )

2. Qualifications of a priest ( 5:1–10 )

3. Exhortation to press on toward maturity ( 5:11–6:12 )

4. The certainty of God’s promise ( 6:13–20 )

5. Christ’s superior priestly order (ch. 7 )

III. The Superior Sacrificial Work of Our High Priest ( 8:1–10:18 )

A. A New Sanctuary and a New Covenant (ch. 8 )

B. The Old Sanctuary ( 9:1–10 )

C. The Better Sacrifice ( 9:11–10:18 )

IV. A Call to Follow Jesus Faithfully and with Perseverance ( 10:19–12:29 )

A. Having Confidence to Enter the Sanctuary ( 10:19–25 )

B. A Warning against Persistence in Sin ( 10:26–31 )

C. Persevering in Faith under Pressure ( 10:32–12:3 )

1. As in the past, so in the future ( 10:32–39 )

2. Faith and its many outstanding examples (ch. 11 )

3. Jesus, the supreme example ( 12:1–3 )

D. Encouragement to Persevere in the Face of Hardship ( 12:4–13 )

E. Exhortation to Holy Living ( 12:14–17 )

F. Crowning Motivation and Warning ( 12:18–29 )

V. Conclusion (ch. 13 )

A. Rules for Christian Living ( 13:1–17 )

B. Request for Prayer ( 13:18–19 )

C. Benediction ( 13:20–21 )

D. Personal Remarks ( 13:22–23 )

E. Greetings and Final Benediction ( 13:24–25 )

Hebrews 1

God’s Final Word: His Son

¹ ^‡ In the past God spoke ^† to our ancestors through the prophets ^† at many times and in various ways, ^† ² ^‡ but in these last days ^† he has spoken to us by his Son, ^† whom he appointed heir ^† of all things, and through whom ^† also he made the universe. ^† ³ The Son is the radiance of God’s glory ^† and the exact representation of his being, ^† sustaining all things ^† by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, ^† he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. ^† ⁴ ^‡ So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. ^†

The Son Superior to Angels

⁵ ^‡ For to which of the angels did God ever say,

“You are my Son;

today I have become your Father” ^[1] ? ^†

Or again,

“I will be his Father,

and he will be my Son” ^[2] ? ^†

⁶ ^‡ And again, when God brings his firstborn ^† into the world, ^† he says,

“Let all God’s angels worship him.” ^[3] ^†

⁷ ^‡ In speaking of the angels he says,

“He makes his angels spirits,

and his servants flames of fire.” ^[4] ^†

⁸ ^‡ But about the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; ^†

a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.

⁹ You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;

therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions ^†

by anointing you with the oil ^† of joy.” ^[5] ^†

¹⁰ ^‡ He also says,

“In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,

and the heavens are the work of your hands. ^†

¹¹ They will perish, but you remain;

they will all wear out like a garment. ^†

¹² You will roll them up like a robe;

like a garment they will be changed.

But you remain the same, ^†

and your years will never end.” ^[6] ^†

¹³ ^‡ To which of the angels did God ever say,

“Sit at my right hand ^†

until I make your enemies

a footstool ^† for your feet” ^[7] ? ^†

¹⁴ ^‡ Are not all angels ministering spirits ^† sent to serve those who will inherit ^† salvation? ^†

Hebrews 2

Warning to Pay Attention

¹ ^‡ We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. ^† ² ^‡ For since the message spoken ^† through angels ^† was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, ^† ³ ^‡ how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? ^† This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, ^† was confirmed to us by those who heard him. ^† ⁴ ^‡ God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, ^† and by gifts of the Holy Spirit ^† distributed according to his will. ^†

Jesus Made Fully Human

⁵ ^‡ It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. ⁶ ^‡ But there is a place where someone ^† has testified:

“What is mankind that you are mindful of them,

a son of man that you care for him? ^†

⁷ ^‡ You made them a little ^[8] lower than the angels;

you crowned them with glory and honor

⁸ ^‡ and put everything under their feet.” ^[9] ^, ^[10] ^†

In putting everything under them, ^[11] God left nothing that is not subject to them. ^[12] Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. ^[13] ⁹ ^‡ But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor ^† because he suffered death, ^† so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. ^†

¹⁰ ^‡ In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, ^† should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. ^† ¹¹ ^‡ Both the one who makes people holy ^† and those who are made holy ^† are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. ^[14] ^† ¹² ^‡ He says,

“I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;

in the assembly I will sing your praises.” ^[15] ^†

¹³ ^‡ And again,

“I will put my trust in him.” ^[16] ^†

And again he says,

“Here am I, and the children God has given me.” ^[17] ^†

¹⁴ ^‡ Since the children have flesh and blood, ^† he too shared in their humanity ^† so that by his death he might break the power ^† of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil ^† — ¹⁵ ^‡ and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear ^† of death. ¹⁶ ^‡ For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. ^† ¹⁷ ^‡ For this reason he had to be made like them, ^[18] ^† fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful ^† and faithful high priest ^† in service to God, ^† and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. ^† ¹⁸ ^‡ Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. ^†

Introduction
Hebrews 1	Hebrews 5	Hebrews 9	Hebrews 13
Hebrews 2	Hebrews 6	Hebrews 10
Hebrews 3	Hebrews 7	Hebrews 11
Hebrews 4	Hebrews 8	Hebrews 12