The Philemon Epistle

 

 

Rex Banks

 

 

 

Lesson 21

 

Authorship

 

Paul (vv 1, 9, 19).  On Paul the apostle, see our Paul’s Epistles, Introducing Paul (Book4).  Once again, Timothy is associated with Paul in the greeting (see our notes at 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians) but in this letter, the first person singular occurs throughout.  In v 9, the writer makes an appeal on the basis of that fact that he is “such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus.”  In v 19 he says “I, Paul am writing this with my own hand.”

 

 

External evidence

 

(1)          Clarke points out that this short letter was “by the general consent of the Church of God, from the highest Christian antiquity…received into the sacred canon, not only as a genuine production of St. Paul, but as a piece designed by the Holy Spirit for the edification of the Church.”  Evidently, “this very piece was held so sacred that even the ancient heretics did not attempt to impugn its authenticity or corrupt its matter, while making dangerously free with the four gospels, and all the other epistles” (ibid).

 

“Origen cites the epistle as a Pauline letter addressed to Philemon concerning Onesimus.  Tertullian refers to the brevity of this epistle as the “sole cause of its escaping the falsifying hands of Marcion” (Against Marcion 5.21).  Eusebius refers to it as one of the “universally acknowledged Epistles of the canon” (Ecclesiastical History 3.25).  Jerome and Ignatius also allude to it.  It is quoted infrequently by the Fathers, evidently because of its brevity.  Its coincidences with the Colossian epistle attest to its authenticity” (Unger’s Bible Dictionary).

 

Moreover, Ignatius knew the letter, it is listed in the Muratorian Fragment and Origen regarded it as a composition of Paul.

 

(2)          Examples

 

“For it was needful for me to have been stirred up by you in faith, exhortation, patience, and long-suffering.  But inasmuch as love suffers me not to be silent in regard to you, I have therefore taken upon me first to exhort you that ye would all run together in accordance with the will of God” (cf. Phile 8, 9)” (Ignatius Epistle to the Ephesians chapter 3).

 

“Now concerning those bishops which have been ordained in our lifetime, we let you know that they are these…Of Colossae, Philemon” (Constitutions of the Holy Apostles 7.46).

 

(3)          Pauline authorship was denied by some in the 4-5th centuries mainly on the ground that the epistle was of no value for edification.  Jerome, Chrysostom and others successfully met this argument.  Then again in the 19th century, some Biblical critics like F. C. Baur refused to accept that Paul wrote this short personal epistle, but they were motivated to do so by the desire to destroy the corroborative value of this epistle to the other so-called “prison epistles” (Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians).

 

 

Composition:  Date, Place and Circumstances

 

(1)          It is clear that Philemon was written at the same time and from the same place as the Colossian epistle.  Paul concludes his letter to the Colossians with a word to a faithful brother called Archippus, reminding him to “take heed to” and “fulfil” his ministry (Col 4:17).  In Philemon, Paul includes Archippus in his greeting (v 2) and likely this is the same individual.  He also greets “Apphia our sister” (v 2) and the church which meets in Philemon’s house.  Perhaps Apphia is Philemon’s wife and Archippus his son.

 

(2)          Philemon’s connection with Colossae is also apparent from references to Onesimus in both letters.  In the Colossian epistle, Paul tells the brethren that he is sending Onesimus to Colossae with Tychicus, describing the former as “our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of your number” (Col 4:9).  Thus Onesimus was from Colossae, and since he was Philemon’s slave (v16), Philemon was also from this city.

 

(3)          Finally, when we compare Col 4:10-14 and Philemon 23-24, we note that five of the six who send greetings in the Colossian epistle also do so in Philemon.  In both cases, Onesimus arrives at the same time as the letters.

 

(4)          Since it seems most likely that Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians were written from Rome by Paul during the first Roman imprisonment (see our notes on these epistles), we can regard Philemon as another “prison epistle” (one of the four) written sometime between about 61-63 AD.

 

(5)          From the letter we learn that Philemon had a slave called Onesimus, who appears to have run away to Rome (although some have made other suggestions).  Perhaps (although we cannot be sure) v 18 indicates that Onesimus had stolen from Philemon, (“if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything”).  However, it may be that this refers to the fact that Onesimus has deprived his master of his services.  (Certainly in v 11 Paul speaks of Onesimus as “formerly...useless” to Philemon, which may have a bearing upon this).

 

(6)          In Rome, Onesimus had came into contact with Paul (how we do not know) and had obeyed the gospel.  He became so dear to Paul that the apostle refers to him as “my child whom I have begotten in my bonds” (v 10).  It is likely that given Paul’s circumstances (Acts 28:30); the slave had come to Paul.  The apostle speaks of him as “my very heart” (v 12) and “a brother beloved especially to me” (v 16; Col. 4:9).  

 

(7)          Paul would gladly have kept Onesimus with him.  We are not told of the slave’s feelings on the matter but there is nothing in the letter which suggests that he was reluctant to return to his master.  In light of Paul’s teaching elsewhere, it is likely that, as the law required, Paul sent Onesimus back to Philemon his master.  However, some argue that it cannot “be inferred that he was in favour of sending back runaway slaves to their masters” (Barnes).  The apostle sends this letter along with the returned slave, a missive which, according to Tenney “contains the finest picture of the meaning of forgiveness that can be found in the New Testament.”

 

 

Addressees

 

(1)          From the fact that Philemon owned at least one slave we can conclude that he was a man of some means, and the fact that Paul refers to the “church in your (sing) house” may (but need not) indicate some degree of affluence.  Paul speaks of his “love” and “faith” (v 7) and of the “joy and comfort” which he himself had received as a result of Philemon’s having “refreshed” the hearts of the saints (v 7).  The apostle calls him his “fellow worker” (v 1), an indication that Philemon was a committed worker for the Lord.  Paul is confident that this is a man of integrity who will do the right thing as regards Onesimus (“even more than what I say” - v 21).

 

(2)          Verse 19 (“you owe me even your own self as well” ) suggests that Paul had converted Philemon, and since it is likely that Paul had not visited Colossae, it may be that Philemon heard the gospel while Paul was at Ephesus (Acts 19:26). Paul addresses him as a “partner” (v 17) and has no hesitation requesting that Philemon provide lodging for him (v 22).

 

(3)          Included in the greeting are “Apphia our sister” and “Archippus our fellow soldier” (v 2).  The former is generally believed to have been Philemon’s wife and the latter their son but this is not certain.  We are not given details of Archippus’ “ministry” (Col 4:17) but clearly he was a faithful Christian highly esteemed by Paul who calls him “our fellow soldier” (v 2).

 

(4)          According to one tradition, Philemon became “bishop of Colossae” and along with Apphia, Archippus, and Onesimus, he was martyred at Colossae during the first general persecution in the reign of Nero.  This tradition is unsubstantiated.  

 

 

Purpose, Theme and Characteristics

 

 

The Slavery Question

 

The New Testament does not call for the abolition of slavery - but it does undermine the foundation upon which slavery is built by emphasising the spiritual equality of all men and the need for universal love.  Under the influence of Christ, slavery withers and dies.  I cannot recall the source of the following quotation from Chr. Wordsworth but it is worthy of note:

 

“That short Letter, dictated from ‘the hired house’ of the aged Apostle, ‘Christ’s bondsman’ at Rome may be called a divine Act of Emancipation; one far more powerful than any edict of Manumission promulgated by Sovereign and Senates; one, from whose sacred principles all human statutes for the Abolition of Slavery derive their virtue.  Its silent influence, such as characterizes all genuine Reformations, gradually melted away and thawed the hardships of Slavery, by softening and warming the heart of the Master with the pure and holy flame of Christian love; and while it thus ameliorated the condition of the Slave, it did not impair the just rights of the Master, but greatly improved them by dignifying service and by securing obedience to man, as a duty done to Christ, and to be hereafter rewarded by him; and by changing  the cunning and fearful slave into an honest loving servant, and a faithful brother; and by binding every Onesimus in bonds of Holy communion with every Philemon…in the worship of the same Lord, and in the heritorship of the same heaven.”

 

Slavery is a social problem, and the Christian answer to social problems is not violent upheaval but rather the promulgation of Truth.

 

“It is clearly incongruous for a Christian master to ‘own’ a brother in Christ in the contemporary sense of the word, and although the existing order of society could not be immediately changed by Christianity without a political revolution (which was contrary to Christian principles), the Christian master-slave relationship was so transformed from within that it was bound to lead ultimately to the abolition of the system” (Guthrie, New Testament Introduction).

 

Paul’s dealing with Onesimus/Philemon provides a concrete example of the outworking of principles taught elsewhere in the New Testament.  Among them the following:

 

·        Masters themselves have a “Master in heaven” and they must therefore grant slaves “justice and fairness” and “give up threatening.”

 

·        Slaves are to render service “as to the Lord” and to “be well pleasing, not argumentative” while not pilfering, taking care to adorn the doctrine of Christ and giving all due honour to their masters “for conscience sake”

(Col 3:18-4:1; Eph 6:5-9; 1 Tim 6:1 ff; 1 Pet 2:18 ff).

 

·         In Christ, all are one (Gal 3:28).

 

·        In Christ, the slave is “the Lord’s freeman” and while temporal freedom is desirable, if this is not possible he is to “remain with God in that condition in which he was called” (1 Cor 7: 17-24).

 

 

Paul’s aim and approach

 

In this very personal letter, the apostle asks Philemon to forgive Onesimus and to accept him back as a beloved brother and in so doing he demonstrates how Christianity transforms our relationships with one another.  Note that:

 

·        “(This) letter is a model of Christian courtesy.  The task which confronted Paul was one of peculiar delicacy.  He must compose a message which would win the favor of Philemon yet would not offend Onesimus” (Erdman).  It is “exquisitely beautiful and delicate...a model of courtesy and politeness...gentle and persuasive, and yet the argument is one that…probably was, irresistible” (Barnes).

 

·        Paul has authority as an apostle ( Rom 1:1;1Cor 5:3-4; 9:1; 2 Cor 10:13-14; 12:12; Gal 1:1) and he could “order” Philemon to “do that which is proper” (v 8).  Instead, Paul addresses his friend as a spiritual man who can be relied upon to do the right thing.  He speaks of Philemon’s “love” and “faith” (v 7) and of the “joy and comfort” which he himself had received as a result of Philemon’s having “refreshed” the hearts of the saints (v 7).  The apostle calls him his “fellow worker” (v 1), an indication that Philemon was a committed worker for the Lord.  Paul is confident that this is a man of integrity who will do the right thing as regards Onesimus (“even more than what I say” - v 21).  He wants Philemon’s “goodness” to be “not...as it were by compulsion, but of (his)...own free will” (v 14).

 

·        Paul appeals to his own circumstances.  He is “such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus” (v 9).  Clearly it would be difficult to refuse such a venerable, suffering figure.  He speaks of Onesimus’ usefulness to him (v 11) and the words “in your behalf” (v 13) suggests that Onesimus served Paul in place of Philemon.  Paul is expressing his belief that had Philemon known of Paul’s need, he would have encouraged Onesimus to continue to render service to him.  Perhaps Onesimus has admitted theft to Paul or perhaps the apostle simply has in mind the fact that the master has been deprived of the slave’s services, but he adds:  “if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything charge that to my debt” (“charge” elloga is an accountant’s term).  Verse 19 amounts to a “promissory note” and a gentle reminder of Philemon’s debt to Paul.  Perhaps the instruction “prepare for me lodging” can be viewed as “gentle compulsion” (Lenski), the prospect of an imminent visit lending weight to Paul’s request.

 

·        There is a reminder to Philemon that God’s hand may well have been in all this:  “For perhaps he was for this reason parted from you for a while that you should have him back forever, no longer as a slave, but much more as a beloved brother” (vv 15-16).  Note the contrast between “a while” and “forever.”  Note the contrast too between “slave” (a demeaning role) and “beloved brother” (a rich everlasting relationship in the Lord).  A “beloved brother” may be a servant, but he is no longer a “thing” to be used and exploited.  Paul’s request that Philemon “accept (Onesimus) as you would me” (v 17) is another difficult appeal to ignore - let Philemon receive Onesimus as he would Paul himself and thereby provide further proof of his love for Paul.

 

“When Onesimus is sent to his master ‘no longer as a slave, but as a dear brother’, formal emancipation would be but a matter of expediency, the technical confirmation of the new relationship that had already come into being”

(F. F. Bruce, Paul).

 

 

 

Outline

 

(1)          Salutation (Phile 1-3).

 

(2)          Thanksgiving and Prayer (Phile 4-7).

 

(3)          Plea for Onesimus, along with a request for lodging (Phile 8-22).

 

(4)          Greetings and Closing Salutations (Phile 23-25).