INTRODUCTION
1. Authorship, Date, and Place of Origin
Few, if any, dispute that Philemon was written by the apostle Paul. Those who claim it is non-Pauline on the basis of its similarity in final greetings with Colossians are making an unwarranted conclusion concerning Colossians (see introduction to Colossians). This letter appeared early as a letter of Paul in the Muratorian Fragment and in Marcion’s canon.
Those who hold that Colossians and Philemon were written at about the same time, while Paul was in prison at Rome, date it c. A.D. 58–60. If it was written from Ephesus (see introduction to Philippians), a date c. A.D. 56 would be likely. Since runaway slaves were apt to seek asylum almost anywhere, either Rome or Ephesus is possible. The question of date cannot be firmly settled.
2. Destination
The traditional view is that the letter was written to Philemon, a slave owner and resident of the Lycus Valley (most likely in Colosse) in Asia Minor. Some have suggested that this is the lost letter to the Laodiceans (Col 4:16), but it cannot be shown that Philemon was really a letter to the church rather than to an individual. Also addressed is Archippus (v.1), who is told in Col 4:17 to “complete the work,” an instruction that may refer to Paul’s request in behalf of Onesimus.
3. Occasion and Purpose
In this letter, Paul intercedes in behalf of Philemon’s runaway slave, Onesimus. His suggestions for handling the matter are difficult to determine because of his obscure and deferential words. At a minimum he asks that Onesimus be reconciled to the household without harsh punishment. He also strongly hints that the slave would be useful to him in the work of evangelism. Nowhere does Paul openly state that Philemon should set Onesimus free. Nor is it necessary to assume that Onesimus would be freed if he were to join Paul in his missionary work.
Brief and intensely personal, the letter is addressed to one person, Philemon, but other interested parties are mentioned in the salutation. Apphia, his wife, would have had daily responsibility over the slaves of the household. Archippus, perhaps Philemon’s son and possibly also a local pastor (“fellow soldier”), would look after the interests of the church, which is also mentioned in the salutation. No doubt the church at Colosse would find significant the reconciliation of a runaway slave on the intercession of no less a person than the apostle Paul.
Some of the events that led to the writing of the letter can be stated without qualification. On the other hand, many of the tantalizing details are lost to us. Onesimus came in contact with Paul while the latter was in prison, most likely in Rome, and was converted. Presumably the authorities in charge of Paul were unaware of the personal status of Onesimus. Paul intimates that he had robbed his master in some way, but oddly he does not mention the details.
The traditional interpretation has been that Paul sent Onesimus back with this letter and with Tychicus at the same time as the writing of the letter to the Colossians, to a city in the Lycus Valley. The names in the greetings at the end of both letters are similar—Epaphras, Mark, Demas, and Luke appear in both.
It seems possible, however, to understand that Philemon was composed at a time prior to Colossians. The evidence for this is striking. According to Col 4:7–9, Tychicus and Onesimus were returning to Colosse together and would “tell all that is happening here.” It is usually assumed that this is the return of the runaway slave Onesimus. But if so, why is he described as a “faithful . . . brother”? Paul usually reserved the word “faithful” (GK 4412) for fellow workers who showed great determination and endurance in the work of the Gospel, not for people who have run away from and stolen from their master.
Furthermore, Phm 22 states clearly that Paul expects to be in Colosse soon. But in writing Colossians the apostle says, “Pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message.” If he had expected to be released from imprisonment soon, he would almost certainly have mentioned this to the Colossians as well.
Finally, Paul writes in Colossians that Onesimus is accompanying Tychicus, but Tychicus is nowhere mentioned in Philemon. That Tychicus accompanied Onesimus when the latter returned as a runaway is only an assumption.
4. Literary Form
The letter is unique in the Pauline corpus because it is a personal letter of commendation and recommendation. There are innumerable examples of similar letters, both pagan and Christian, from the Greco-Roman world. Among these, Philemon belongs to the kind of letter written to intercede for a delinquent slave. It begins with a salutation and is followed by expressions of thanks and petition, the principal subject matter, a conclusion, and greetings. Most of the Pauline letters follow this format, even when they are more like theological treatises.
5. Theological Values
Paul, Philemon, and Onesimus are persons in a real-life drama of profound social significance. Each has heard the claims of Christianity from totally different backgrounds. Paul was once a rigorous Jew of the Dispersion who advanced in Judaism beyond all his contemporaries. Philemon was a wealthy Asiatic Gentile. Onesimus was the most despicable of all creatures, a runaway slave. They find themselves united in the Gospel of Christ. Here is a living example of Paul’s statement that “there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28). It was in this oneness that Paul sought a solution to the problem presented by the relationship of Onesimus to Philemon.
Neither Paul nor the other authors of the NT ever call for the abolition of slavery. For a new religion to do so would have been suicidal in the ancient world. Paul’s main concern is that Philemon not act out of obligation to the apostle; rather, he is to be motivated by the love of Christ within himself. Out of that should come more than mere reconciliation (v.21). Freedom of slaves, like all freedom, must come from the heart of Christ-inspired people. Under this compulsion, slavery will ultimately wilt and die. While all ethical behavior for Christians should arise out of love rather than regulation or constraint, yet it takes fully committed disciples to put it into practice.
EXPOSITION
I. Salutation (1–3)
1–3 The salutation is significant for its departures from Paul’s other salutations. The letter is in the form of an ancient letter of commendation, and Paul’s opening words are calculated to suggest that his appeal for Onesimus should be favorably received.
Paul is a “prisoner of Jesus Christ” and therefore suffers for the sake of the Gospel. His suffering is a mark of his apostleship, which in turn lends weight to any suggestion he might make. Furthermore, Timothy, a well-recognized young steward of the Gospel, joins him in the appeal. Finally, Paul not only greets Philemon, the owner of Onesimus, but also his wife Apphia. She is as much a party to the decision as her husband, because according to the custom of the time, she had day-to-day responsibility for the slaves.
As for Archippus and the church, Paul includes them in the salutation with good reason. Archippus, one of the leading figures in the community (perhaps a pastor), and the church will bring appropriate pressure to bear on Philemon should he fail to fulfill the great apostle’s request. Philemon would have had to have been a very strong-minded individual to resist the plea of Paul and his protege Timothy.
II. Thanksgiving and Prayer (4–7)
4–5 In both pagan and Christian letters of the first centuries of the Christian era, the salutation was often followed by an expression of thanksgiving and a prayer. Paul here tells when he gives thanks—“always . . . in my prayers”—and also tells why he does so—“because I hear about your love and faith” (cf. Ro 1:8–10; 1Th 1:2–11; Php 1:3–11; Col 1:3–8). The “you” in “I remember you” is singular, suggesting that the recipient of the letter is primarily Philemon.
6 At this point, Paul’s prayer begins. It is not easy to translate, but he is most likely praying that Philemon’s active participation in the faith will be made effective because of his understanding of God’s goodness to both of them. As Paul repeatedly suggests, true knowledge of the faith precedes good works (cf. Col 1:9–10).
7 Paul has been repeatedly impressed by the expressions of Philemon’s love; they have brought him much joy and comfort. This verse justifies Paul’s expansive use of the phrases “full understanding” and “every good thing” in v.6. That is, he is praying for great Christian maturity in his brother. The implication is that this maturity will find expression in Philemon’s treatment of Onesimus.
III. Plea for Onesimus (8–22)
The situation of both Paul and Onesimus is all-important to the understanding of this section of the letter. Paul’s circumstances are just as significant as those of Onesimus—a fact often overlooked by commentators. Because he is in prison, he cannot do the things a free man might do to help the slave. He can do little more than write a letter asking for clemency for his new-found brother, and he can suggest that he hopes to visit the Lycus Valley soon to put additional pressure on Philemon. Under more usual circumstances, a free man could have assumed custody of a runaway slave after he had given guarantees of his return to the public officials, and he could have suggested that the slave be formally assigned to him for a time. This was not uncommon in the Greco-Roman world.
Onesimus’s status was the lowest that one could reach in the ancient world. Because he was a runaway slave, he was protected by no laws and he was subject to all manner of abuse. Fugitive slaves usually went to large cities, remote parts of the Roman state, or into unsettled areas. Their capture and return was largely an informal arrangement between the owner and a provincial administrator. They were frequently beaten unmercifully or put to tasks in which their life expectancy was very short.
Paul must have put Philemon in a precarious position indeed. In pleading for forgiveness and restitution for Onesimus without a punishment that was obvious to all, he was confronting the social and economic order head-on. While he does not ask for manumission, even his request for clemency for Onesimus and hint of his assignment to Paul defied Roman tradition. By this plea Paul is also giving new dignity to the slave class.
8 Paul first reminds Philemon of his apostolic authority. “Bold” (GK 4244) has the idea of “freedom” or “boldness.” Here it implies “right” or “authority”—hence, “I could be bold and order you.” The suggestion of authority was probably enough, coupled as it was with the appeals to love, old age, and imprisonment in v.9.
9 Part of Paul’s appeal is based on his being an “old man” (GK 4566), which usually implied authority (in antiquity, wisdom and authority were assumed to go with old age). Here, however, the stress is on the apostle’s aged and feeble condition.
10 The imagery in this verse is very strong. The figure of the father and child was often used in Judaism as an illustration of the relationship of teacher and student or of leader and convert. Paul is here pleading on behalf of his spiritual son.
11–12 There is a double play on words here. “Onesimus” was a common slave name; it meant "useful” or “profitable.” This is also the meaning of another Greek word chrestos, which appears here in acbrestos (“useless”; GK 947) and euchrestos (“useful”; GK 2378). Chrestos in turn sounded much like Christos (the Greek word for “Christ”; GK 5986). An ancient reader would have thought this play on words much more clever and humorous than we would. That Paul uses it at the beginning of his plea for Onesimus shows us something of his exquisite sensitivity and tact. It is as if, realizing the radical nature of what he was about to ask of Philemon, Paul deliberately introduces this bit of humor.
In v.12, Paul again stresses how very dear to him Onesimus is. He is not simply the one “I am sending back”; he is “my very heart.”
13 This is the culmination of the appeal. Onesimus has been serving in place of Philemon, already described as a man of great spiritual advancement (vv.6–7).
14 Paul has been speaking as an urbane, deferential, educated man of the classical world. But now, after he has cited a number of reasons for allowing Onesimus to remain with him, he goes further and urges Philemon to make his decision out of Christian love rather than obligation. How could Philemon refuse Paul’s plea for him?
15 The contrast between “for a time” and “forever” shows Paul’s conviction that the hand of God was at work in the whole situation. It also shows his tact: instead of bluntly referring to Onesimus as a runaway, he speaks of his temporary separation from Philemon as a prelude to permanent reunion with him.
16 In similar fashion he contrasts “slave” (GK 1528)—a temporal and demeaning condition—with “brother” (GK 278)—an eternal relationship in the Lord. The innate problem of the slavery of human beings troubled the ancients. In many of the ancient religions and in Greek and Roman law insofar as religion was concerned, Onesimus would have been treated as an equal. But Paul is claiming the enabling power of the love of Christ to break the economic and social barriers between people. Ancient pagan religions never claimed that they loved the gods or were loved by them as the motive for people to love one another. But to Paul, Philemon will love Onesimus all the more because of both long-standing human ties and their common faith.
Here, where Paul so sensitively suggests that Philemon take Onesimus back “no longer as a slave, but better than a slave” (cf. also v.17), it almost seems as if emancipation is implied.
17 Now Paul uses a term from the business world. “Partner” (GK 3128; related to the NT word “fellowship,” GK 3126) here has the sense of “business partner.” No doubt Paul meant for the word to imply “fellowship” in the work of the risen Christ. Philemon is to “welcome” (GK 4689) Onesimus as he would welcome Paul himself (this word always has a positive meaning).
18 The wonderfully gracious offer to assume the financial obligation of Onesimus is an altogether astonishing statement. We can only speculate how Paul came to have such warm feelings toward him. Yet we cannot be certain the slave had robbed his master, though this was a common act of runaway slaves. The loss may have been the result of the departure of a highly skilled slave from whose activities Philemon derived great income. In fact, slave prices in the Greco-Roman world were directly proportional to the skill and economic value of the slave. A common drudge brought only 500 denarii (a denarius was a laborer’s ordinary daily wage), but skilled teachers, physicians, and actors were purchased for a hundred times as much.
Paul uses another accountant’s word (“charge”; GK 1823) to maintain the business imagery. Observe Paul’s tact in not saying that Onesimus had stolen, but he leaves that possibility open by his use of “if he has done you any wrong and owes you anything.”
19 The subject is still the indebtedness of Onesimus. Paul is now writing these words himself. As in our own society, handwritten statements of obligation carried great weight and legal validity. So Paul gives Philemon what amounts to a promissory note.
Then in v.19b he shifts abruptly to another thought—namely, “not to mention that you owe me your very self.” In Paul’s view, Philemon’s spiritual indebtedness to him should easily cover all of Onesimus’s wrongdoing. Again Paul’s hint can hardly be missed: “I will repay it. Charge it to the bank of heaven.” What Paul did for Onesimus reflects the infinitely greater intercession and redemptive act of Christ for us, who because of our sin are all indebted to God in a way we cannot ourselves repay.
20 Paul now expresses another wish, using the same word in “I do wish . . . some benefit” (GK 3949) as is in the root of the name Onesimus. Paul then returns to the vocabulary of v.7, where he told Philemon that he had refreshed the hearts of many. How, then, can he do less than that for the apostle to the Gentiles? In its relationship to v.7 this sentence is an excellent example of literary reinforcement.
21 Paul has avoided giving any commands to Philemon (cf. v.8), but he nonetheless expects “obedience” (GK 5633). To what? Perhaps the love of Christ (cf. Eph 6:9). “Even more than I ask” may be an intimation that Paul would like Onesimus set free from enslavement. He has hinted that Onesimus be loaned to him (cf. v.13); only emancipation could be beyond that. Paul never directly assaults the social and economic institutions of his day. Yet he clearly perceives in Christianity an ethic that reaches beyond human social institutions.
22 Here the suggestion of an imminent visit lends more weight to Paul’s hints and requests. The hope expressed in these words seems to imply that the apostle is nearby. He expects to be released soon and to see the outcome of his letter at first hand.
IV. Greetings and Benediction (23–25)
23–24 These five co-workers who send greetings to Philemon are also mentioned in Col 4:10–14 (Jesus Justus is a sixth coworker). The question remains as to why the same greetings were given in two letters that were sent at the same time. Some see the unity of the greetings as evidence that the letters were written at the same time to the same place, while Paul was in the company of the same co-workers. One should not discount the possibility, however, that Philemon preceded Colossians (see the introduction).
25 With his apostolic “grace” (GK 5921), Paul ends this brief but unusually beautiful letter in which he reveals so much of himself.