Philemon
Reconciliation through the grace of God: a runaway slave returned as a brother beloved.
Philemon is Paul’s shortest letter and his most personal. Philemon was a well-to-do believer at Colosse in whose house the church met. His slave Onesimus had run away, perhaps stealing from him, and made his way to Rome. There, in God’s providence, he met Paul and was saved. Onesimus became dear to Paul and useful in his ministry.
But Onesimus needed to be reconciled with his master. Paul sends him back with this letter, carried with the letter to the Colossians by Tychicus. With great tact, Paul appeals to Philemon on the basis of love rather than apostolic command. He asks Philemon to receive Onesimus “not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved” (16), and adds, “If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account... I will repay it” (18–19).
The letter shows the gospel at work in ordinary relationships. It does not attack slavery head-on, but it plants the principle that destroys it: master and slave are brothers in Christ. And it paints a picture of the gospel itself, as Paul stands between the offended master and the guilty slave and offers to pay the debt.
Writer: Paul
Written: AD 62–64
Name: Philemon means affectionate or loving.
Title and authorship
The epistle to Philemon, whose name means “affectionate” or “one who kisses.” Onesimus, the runaway, means “profitable” or “useful.”
Paul wrote the letter (1, 9, 19), writing at least part with his own hand, from his first Roman imprisonment.
Historical background
Rome, about AD 62–64, sent with the letter to the Colossians by Tychicus and Onesimus (Colossians 4:7–9).
Philemon, Apphia (probably his wife), Archippus (probably his son), and the church in his house.
Slavery in the Roman world
Slaves made up a large part of the population of the Roman empire. A runaway slave could be severely punished, even crucified. Onesimus’ return was a real risk, which is why Paul’s personal appeal was so important.
Colosse and the house church
Churches met in homes for the first three centuries. Philemon’s house hosted the Colossian church (2), and the letter was read in the assembly. Epaphras, who founded the church, was with Paul in Rome (23).
Onesimus afterward
Early in the second century Ignatius wrote to the church at Ephesus mentioning its bishop Onesimus. Whether this is the same man is uncertain, but it would be a fitting end to the story.
Key passages
Philemon 10–11
Onesimus, begotten in Paul’s bonds, once unprofitable, now profitable—living up to his name.
Philemon 15–16
Perhaps he departed for a season that Philemon might receive him for ever, not as a servant but a brother beloved.
Philemon 17–18
Receive him as myself; put what he owes on mine account.
Philemon 16–17
Onesimus is to be received as a beloved brother and as Paul himself.
Philemon 18–19
Paul offers to assume responsibility for the debt in support of his appeal for Onesimus.
Outline
1–3 · A personal greeting
Paul addresses the household and gathered church with grace and peace.
4–7 · A record of love
Philemon’s established care for the saints prepares the appeal.
8–21 · A reconciling appeal
Paul pleads for Onesimus and offers himself as the responsible advocate.
22–25 · Fellowship and expectation
Plans for a visit and greetings affirm the continuing relationship.
Original language
Ὀνήσιμος (Onesimos, G3682) — “Onesimus”
“Useful” or “profitable.” Paul puns on the name: once unprofitable (achrestos), now profitable (euchrestos) to you and to me (11).
ἐλλογέω (ellogeo, G1677) — “put on mine account”
A commercial term: to charge to someone’s account. The same word is used in Romans 5:13, “sin is not imputed.” Paul offers to have Onesimus’ debt charged to him.
ἀδελφὸς ἀγαπητός (adelphos agapetos, G80) — “brother beloved”
In Christ the slave and the master stand in a new relationship: brothers in the family of God (16; Galatians 3:28).
σπλάγχνα (splanchna, G4698) — “bowels”
The inward parts, the seat of deep affection. Paul uses it three times: Philemon refreshes the bowels of the saints (7), Onesimus is Paul’s own bowels (12), and Paul asks Philemon to refresh his bowels (20).
Doctrinal study
Imputation
“Put that on mine account” (18) illustrates imputation. Onesimus’ debt is charged to Paul, and Paul’s welcome is extended to Onesimus: “receive him as myself” (17). Our sins were charged to Christ, and His righteousness is credited to us (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Intercession
Paul, the prisoner, intercedes for the guilty servant before the offended master, as Christ intercedes for us before the Father (Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1). He does not deny the wrong but offers to make it right.
The gospel and society
The New Testament did not command a political revolution against slavery, but it taught that in Christ there is neither bond nor free, told masters to treat servants justly (Colossians 4:1), and called a slave a brother beloved. Those principles eventually undermined slavery wherever the gospel took hold.
Commentary notes
Three men
The man in the house, Philemon, pictures God the Father: righteous, wealthy, generous, violated by the servant, and the legal owner. The man in the mess, Onesimus, pictures every sinner: a runaway servant, unprofitable, whose quest for freedom found him imprisoned until grace set him free. The man in the middle, Paul, pictures Christ: a prisoner on behalf of the gospel, interceding, paying the debt, and securing a welcome.
Tact and love
Paul could have commanded; instead he appealed “for love’s sake” (8–9). He praised Philemon’s love and faith first, spoke of Onesimus as his own son, and trusted Philemon to do even more than he asked (21).
The last of the prison epistles
Philemon is the last of the four prison epistles and the last of the Pauline epistles in the canonical order. It closes Paul’s letters with a picture of the grace his whole ministry preached.
Christ in the book
- The Mediator who says, “put that on mine account” (18)
- The Advocate who asks that the guilty be received as Himself (17)
- The Redeemer who makes the unprofitable profitable (11)
Applications
Historical
- Paul’s personal letter to Philemon, urging him and the church in his home to receive the repentant runaway Onesimus as a brother.
- Onesimus’s conversion through Paul’s prison ministry creates the occasion for the letter.
- The common names and relationships connect Philemon with Colossians and the church at Colosse.
Doctrinal
- The intercessory work of Jesus Christ on our behalf: we have been set free from the bondage of sin, received by the Master, and accepted in the Beloved because another paid our debt.
- Paul’s intercession for Onesimus illustrates Christ’s advocacy and the believer’s acceptance through him. The doctrinal illustration arises from the historical appeal and Paul’s offer to undertake another person’s obligation.
- Grace changes the standing of people toward one another: the converted servant must be recognized as a brother.
Devotional
- A pattern to follow in forgiveness and reconciliation. The grace of God enables servants to be set free and free men to become servants.
- Paul’s appeal illustrates the patience, personal involvement, and willingness to bear cost that reconciliation may require.
- Onesimus’s conversion requires Philemon to recognize him as a brother in Christ when considering their previous relationship.
- Paul’s use of an appeal grounded in love encourages the willing response of the person to whom he writes.
Answering the critics
Some earlier critics questioned Paul’s authorship, but modern critics almost universally accept it.
Philemon is so personal and so connected with Colossians that its authenticity is beyond serious doubt. Even critics who reject other Pauline letters accept this one.