Bible Commentaries
Philemon 1

Verse 1

Philemon 1:1

Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus,—Paul was now a pris­oner at Rome. It is interesting to note the name “prisoner” is here used instead of “apostle” as in the Colossian Epistle written at the same time. There Paul’s captivity is dwelt upon mainly as a ground of thankfulness. Here on the con­trary in this personal Epistle and in accordance with his cour­tesy not to command, but for love’s sake to entreat.

and Timothy our brother,—Timothy may have written this Epistle as he did those written to the Ephesians and Colos­sians.

to Philemon our beloved and fellow-worker,—Philemon was evidently a man of some wealth and standing in the city and church, and was an earnest worker for the Lord Jesus Christ. On account of his devotion to Christ, he calls him "our be­loved,” and on account of his labors for the advancement of the cause of Christ “and fellow-worker.” In that age all Christians were expected to be active in the service of the church, and the distinction between “the clergy and the laity” was unknown. The probabilities are that Philemon was a public teacher in the church at Colosse and probably a laborer in the surrounding country and towns.

Verse 2

Philemon 1:2

and to Apphia our sister,—It is safe to conclude from the connection of the names that Apphia was the wife of Phi­lemon.

and to Archippus our fellow-soldier,—It is not known who he was, but it is supposed that as a member of his household he was a son.

and to the church in thy house:—A church met in Phile­mon’s house, as they frequently met in the houses of prom­inent and active members in the church. [We have here a glimpse of a quiet Christian home in the early days of the church. The gospel makes the most solid progress when the family is converted and consecrated to Christ. The gospel impresses upon the sacred duty of showing piety at home. As the joining of Timothy’s name in giving the salutation did not prevent the Epistle from being Paul’s only, so the church in the house in receiving the salutation does prevent its being addressed only to Philemon and his family, who were, like himself, interested in Onesimus.]

Verse 3

Philemon 1:3

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.—[Grace is the unmerited but all-compre­hensive favor of God and peace an enjoyment resulting from grace and a blessing to be diligently sought and increasingly cultivated. Grace and peace comprise heaven’s choicest bene­dictions.]

Verse 4

Philemon 1:4

I thank my God always, making mention of thee in my prayers,—[The frequent expression of Paul’s thanks and prayers indicates his habitual devoutness of spirit. A prayer­ful heart is keenly appreciative of the least evidence of Chris­tian excellence, and joyfully thanks God as the source and giver of all good. Prayer and gratitude are usually blended together.]

Verse 5

Philemon 1:5

hearing of thy love, and of the faith which thou hast to­ward the Lord Jesus, and toward all the saints;—His thanks­giving for them and prayers in their behalf were aroused to greater activity by hearing of the love and faith they mani­fested by their labors and sacrifices for the sake of the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints.

Verse 6

Philemon 1:6

that the fellowship of thy faith may become effectual, in the knowledge of every good thing which is in you, unto Christ.—The fellowship of the saints, to which his faith in Christ led him in helping them. Paul had heard, and be­cause of this, he prayed that it might become effectual in lead­ing others to practice every good thing in them in Christ Jesus that his example might lead others to practice all good that was in him for the Lord.

Verse 7

Philemon 1:7

For I had much joy and comfort in thy love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through thee,—Paul uses the word “refreshed” to express the relief and rest given by Philemon because he had encouraged and refreshed the souls of the saints by his labors and gifts in their behalf.

brother.—The term “brother” is applied to Philemon here and in verse 20 with a marked emphasis of affection evidently implying some special intimacy of friendship and love. In this place the title “brother” has a peculiar appropriateness, for Paul had been speaking of the love of Philemon, which made him a brother indeed to all the spiritual family of God.

Verse 8

Philemon 1:8

Wherefore, though I have all boldness in Christ to enjoin thee that which is befitting,—While, owing to the fact that he had been instrumental in converting Philemon, he might be bold to urge him to do the thing that is proper toward Onesimus.

Verse 9

Philemon 1:9

yet for love’s sake I rather beseech, being such a one as Paul the aged, and now a prisoner also of Christ Jesus:—Paul preferred asking Philemon through love, rather than command­ing him because of any authority he might have over those whom he had taught the truth, to do what was proper in that concerning what he writes to him.

Verse 10

Philemon 1:10

I beseech thee for my child, whom I have begotten in my bonds, Onesimus,—His entreaty was in behalf of Onesimus, whom Paul during his imprisonment had converted to Christ. He calls it a begetting. [The wish of love is all­powerful with loving hearts, and its faintest whisper louder and more constraining than all the trumpets of Sinai.]

Verse 11

Philemon 1:11

who once was unprofitable to thee, but now is profitable to thee and to me:—Onesimus was a slave belonging to Phi­lemon. He had run away from him, and while in that rebel­lious spirit was unprofitable to him. But he had gone to Rome, met Paul, who taught him the gospel, and since his conversion to Christ would render service. that would be profitable both to Paul and Philemon. He had already been helpful to Paul after his conversion. Now he returns to Colosse to serve his master with the fidelity of a Christian. This will render his service profitable.

Verse 12

Philemon 1:12

whom I have sent back to thee in his own person, that is, my very heart:—Paul sent him back to his own master to serve him. The Christian religion does not destroy the rela­tions regulated by the civil laws. It sanctifies, makes the Christian use them for the good of others, and with the fidelity with which he would serve God. The Spirit through Paul says: “Servants, obey in all things them that are your masters according to the flesh; not with eye service, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing the Lord: what­soever ye do, work heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that from the Lord ye shall receive the recom­pense of the inheritance: ye serve the Lord Christ.” (Colossians 3:22-24.) This shows that God takes the service as ren­dered to himself and requires it to be with the fidelity with which he requires service to himself. Paul sent him to Phi­lemon and asked him to receive him in the kindness of love—my own best beloved—begotten of myself.

Verse 13

Philemon 1:13

whom I would fain have kept with me, that in thy behalf he might minister unto me in the bonds of the gospel:—Onesimus was a helper to Paul in his bonds. Paul was now becoming old and needed help. He intimates that Phi­lemon would and should help him if he were near, and he felt that Philemon would not object to his retaining Onesimus to minister to him in his stead, but, lest help so rendered might appear to be forced and not voluntary, he refused to retain him and sent him to his master—the bonds of the gospel—the bonds to which fidelity to the gospel brought him.

Verse 14

Philemon 1:14

but without thy mind I would do nothing; that thy good­ness should not be as of necessity, but of free will.—This shows that he required Onesimus to return to the relation which the civil law imposed upon him. He did not permit Onesimus to surrender his right. He required both to act in the relation according to the Spirit of Christ. True fidelity and love in both parties to it.

Verse 15

Philemon 1:15

For perhaps he was therefore parted from thee for a season, that thou shouldest have him for ever;—His running away, Paul suggests, was a departing for a season that he might receive him again in a condition that he will never seek to evade the duties pertaining to his responsibilities again. (The phrase “for ever” is the word always used for “eternal.” The contrast with “for a season” might be satisfied here by the merely relative sense of “perpetual” or “lifelong service”; but considering that the phrase is used in direct reference to the brotherhood in Christ, it is better to take it in its abso­lute sense of fellowship in the life eternal.]

Verse 16

Philemon 1:16

no longer as a servant, but more than a servant,—Not now simply as a slave, but as a brother in Christ to be trusted and loved in the station he occupies. In these words we have the principle which is absolutely destructive of the condition of slavery—a condition which is the exaggeration of natural inferiority to the effacement of the deeper natural equality.

a brother beloved,—These natural ties are not only strength­ened by duty, but made living ties by the love which delights indeed to respect the rights of others, but is not content without willingness to sacrifice even our own rights to them.

specially to me, but how much rather to thee,—Paul first emphasizes his own love for Onesimus, which, indeed, breathes in every line of the Epistle; but then goes on to infer in Philemon a yet greater affection toward Onesimus, a spiritual love toward the “brother beloved.”

both in the flesh and in the Lord.—But if beloved and trusted by me for my sake, how much rather on your own account, as he is connected with you both in the flesh accord­ing to the civil government that regulates his fleshly relation and according to the law of God regulating your spiritual relations.

Verse 17

Philemon 1:17

If then thou countest me a partner, receive him as myself.—If therefore you have fellowship for me, treat him as you would me. This does not break the civil relation, but receive him as you would receive me were I related to you as he is.

Verse 18

Philemon 1:18

But if he hath wronged thee at all, or oweth thee aught, put that to mine account;—If he has wronged you by fleeing from you, or is indebted to you in any way, put that on my account. He had received service from Onesimus and was willing to assume obligations that he had evaded by running away. So he says charge it to my account. Paul placed Onesimus in a position where he could return without being called upon to suffer for failures while he was in Rome, where he was converted to Christ.

Verse 19

Philemon 1:19

I Paul write it with mine own hand, I will repay it:—Paul says he wrote this proposition with his own hand and would repay the injury done by his running away. He inti­mates to him that he (Paul) was instrumental in saving Phi­lemon so he was under obligations to him for the salvation of his own soul. Philemon could afford to accede to his request.

that I say not unto thee that thou owest to me even thine own self besides.—He admonished him to do what he had re­quested and so let him have joy of him in the Lord—gratify the desires of my heart in that I will be refreshed and cheered in Christ by your course in this matter.

Verse 20

Philemon 1:20

Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my heart in Christ.—In these words he admonishes Phile­mon to do as he requested—gratify the desires of my heart that I will be refreshed and cheered in Christ by your course in this matter.

Verse 21

Philemon 1:21

Having confidence in thine obedience I write unto thee, knowing that thou wilt do even beyond what I say.—[In verse 8 he had waived his right to enjoin, for he had rather appeal through love and request. But here he sounds the note of authority and then passes to affection and trust. He here uses the word obedience, and in such a way as to connect it with love and the privilege of his friends. He trusts Philemon’s obedience because he knows his love and is sure it is love of such devotion that it will not stand on the exact measure, but will delight to do even more than is asked. Men will do much to fulfill generous expectations. When love enjoins, there will be trust in its tones, and it will act like a magnet to draw into duty and obedience. A heart truly touched by the love of Christ never seeks to know the lowest limit of duty, but the highest possibility of service.]

Verse 22

Philemon 1:22

But withal prepare me also a lodging:—Paul expected soon to visit Colosse and to be with Philemon at his home so admonishes him to have a room ready for him when he should come. [It is most likely that this clause was added that Phi­lemon might be moved with joy at the prospect of his coming at an early date, and also that he might be the more zealous to do everything that Paul desired him to do that nothing should be lacking when he comes.]

for I hope that through your prayers I shall be granted unto you.—The efficacy, which is ascribed to prayer, is a great encouragement to God’s people to have recourse to prayer

in their trials, agreeable to the exhortation and example of Christ and his apostles. But effectual prayer must be offered “in faith” (James 1:6)—in full persuasion of the goodness and power of God. Jesus said: “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” (John 15:7.) And it must be according to his will, for the inspired man of God says: “And this is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.” (1 John 5:14.) Our petitions, whether for ourselves or others, are to be offered with submission to the will and wisdom of God; and the highest confidence which can be entertained concerning them is that which Paul here expresses: “I hope that through your prayers I shall be granted unto you.” Certainly Paul was satisfied with the outcome, for he said, as the Holy Spirit moved him: “And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28.)

Verse 23

Philemon 1:23

Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, saluteth thee;—He calls Epaphras “my fellow-servant” in Colossians 1:7; Colossians 4:12. Here he calls him “my fellow-prisoner in Christ Jesus.” He lived at Colosse. H^e seems to have been a messenger going between Paul and the churches, and may have been imprisoned at this time, or he may have suffered imprison­ment at some former period, and Paul called him his fellow prisoner on that account.

Verse 24

Philemon 1:24

and so do Mark,—Mark had aforetime been unfaithful to Paul (Acts 13:13; Acts 15:36-41) which caused a serious breach between Paul and Barnabas. [But at a later time he is marked out as useful as ministering. (2 Timothy 4:11.) Paul’s firm­ness in refusing at whatever cost to take with him an un­worthy man we may presume had aroused Mark to a better spirit.]

Aristarchus,—He was a Macedonian, had accompanied Paul in his return from Macedonia. (Acts 19:29.) He had ac­companied him on his journey to Jerusalem as one chosen to go with him to carry the bounty of the Macedonian churches to the poor saints in Jerusalem. (Acts 20:4.) He was with Paul when he was taken prisoner, and was either himself sent as a prisoner or voluntarily accompanied him to Rome and remained with him during his imprisonment. (Acts 27:2.)

Demas,—Demas was one of Paul’s companions in Rome (Colossians 4:14), but seems after Paul’s second imprisonment to have forsaken him, “having loved this present world.” (2 Timothy 4:10.)

Luke, my fellow-workers.—Luke was doubtless the beloved physician (Colossians 4:14) and the traveling companion of Paul, who wrote Acts of Apostles and the Gospel of Luke, and during his second imprisonment (2 Timothy 4:11) was the only one of Paul’s companions who remained with him. He here calls all these his fellow laborers.

Verse 25

Philemon 1:25

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.—This includes with Philemon, Apphia, Archippus, and the church in the house of Philemon. It invokes on their spirit the free, rich favor of Christ, with all the fullness of the blessing it brings.