---
title: "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  Philemon 1"
description: ":-.
Address.
Thanksgiving for Philemon’s love and faith. Intercession for
Onesimus. Concluding request and salutations. This
Epistle affords a specimen o"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/philemon/1"
---

.
*Address.
Thanksgiving for Philemon’s love and faith. Intercession for
Onesimus. Concluding request and salutations.*
This
Epistle affords a specimen of the highest wisdom as to the manner in
which Christians ought to manage social affairs on more exalted
principles.

**prisoner
of Jesus Christ**
— one whom Christ’s cause has made a prisoner (compare “in the
bonds of the Gospel,” ().
He does not call himself, as in other Epistles, “Paul an apostle,”
as he is writing familiarly, not authoritatively.
**our
... fellow labourer**
— in building up the Church at Colosse, while we were at Ephesus.
See my Introduction to Colossians.

**Apphia**
— the *Latin,*
“Appia”; either the wife or some close relative of Philemon. She
and Archippus, if they had not belonged to his family, would not have
been included with Philemon in the address of a letter on a domestic
matter.
**Archippus**
— a minister of the Colossian Church ().
**fellow
soldier**
— ().
**church
in thy house**
— In the absence of a regular church building, the houses of
particular saints were used for that purpose. Observe Paul’s tact
in associating with Philemon those associated by kindred or Christian
brotherhood with his *house,*
and not going beyond it.

**always**
— joined by Alford with, “I thank my God.”

**Hearing**
— the ground of his thanksgiving. It is a delicate mark of
authenticity, that he says “hearing” as to churches and persons
whom he had not seen or *then*
visited. Now Colosse, Philemon’s place of residence, he had never
yet seen. Yet 
here implies that Philemon was his convert. Philemon, doubtless, was
converted at Ephesus, or in some other place where he met Paul.
**love
and faith**
— The theological order is first *faith*
then *love,*
the fruit of faith. But he purposely puts Philemon’s *love*
in the first place, as it is to an act of love that he is exhorting
him.
**toward
... toward**
— different *Greek*
words: “towards” ... “unto.” *Towards*
implies simply direction; *unto,*
to the advantage of.

**That**
— The aim of my thanksgiving and prayers for thee is, *in
order that the,*
etc.
**the
communication of thy faith**
— *the
imparting of it and its fruits*
(namely, acts of love and beneficence: as ,
“to communicate,” that is, to impart a share) *to
others;*
or, *the
liberality to others flowing from thy faith*
(so the *Greek*
is translated, “liberal distribution,” ).
**effectual
by** —
*Greek,*
“in”; the element in which his liberality had place, that is, may
be *proved
by acts in,*
etc.
**acknowledging**
— *Greek,*
“the thorough knowledge,” that is, the experimental or practical
*recognition.*
**of
every good thing which is in you**
— The oldest manuscripts read, “which is in US,” that is, the
practical recognition of every grace which is in us *Christians,*
in so far as we realize the Christian character. In short, that thy
faith may by acts be proved to be “a faith which worketh by love.”
**in
Christ Jesus**
— rather as *Greek,*
“*unto*
Christ Jesus,” that is, to the glory of Christ Jesus. Two of the
oldest manuscripts omit “Jesus.” This verse answers to ,
“thy love and faith toward all saints”; Paul never ceases to
mention him in his prayers, *in
order that*
his faith may still further show its power in his relation to others,
by exhibiting every grace which is in Christians to the glory of
Christ. Thus he paves the way for the request in behalf of Onesimus.

**For**
— a reason for the prayer, .
**we
have** —
*Greek,*
“we had.”
**joy
and consolation**
— joined in .
**saints
are refreshed by thee**
— His house was open to them.
**brother**
— put last, to conciliate his favorable attention to the request
which follows.

**Wherefore**
— Because of my love to thee, I prefer to “*beseech,*”
rather than “enjoin,” or *authoritatively
command.*
**I
might ... enjoin**
— in virtue of the obligation to *obedience*
which Philemon lay under to Paul, as having been converted through
his instrumentality.
**in
Christ**
— the element in which his boldness has place.

**for
love’s sake**
— mine to thee, and (what ought to be) thine to Onesimus. Or, that
Christian love of which thou showest so bright an example ().
**being
such an one**
— Explain, *Being
such a one*
as thou knowest me to be, namely,
**Paul**
— the founder of so many churches, and an apostle of Christ, and
thy father in the faith.
**the
aged** —
a circumstance calculated to secure thy respect for anything I
request.
**and
now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ**
— the strongest claim I have on thy regard: if for no other reason,
at least in consideration of this, through commiseration gratify me.

**I
beseech thee**
— emphatically repeated from .
In the *Greek,*
the name “Onesimus” is skillfully put last, he puts first a
favorable description of him before he mentions the name that had
fallen into so bad repute with Philemon. “I beseech thee for my
son, whom I have begotten in my bonds, Onesimus.” Scripture does
not sanction slavery, but at the same time does not begin a political
crusade against it. It sets forth *principles
of love*
to our fellow men which were sure (as they have done) in due time to
undermine and overthrow it, without violently convulsing the then
existing political fabric, by stirring up slaves against their
masters.

**Which
... was ... unprofitable**
— belying his name Onesimus, which means “profitable.” Not only
was he “unprofitable,” but positively injurious, having “wronged”
his master. Paul uses a mild expression.
**now
profitable**
— Without godliness a man has no station. *Profitable*
in spiritual, as well as in *temporal*
things.

**mine
own bowels**
— as dear to me as my own heart [Alford]. Compare ,
“as myself.” The object of my most intense affection as that of a
parent for a child.

**I**
— emphatical. I for my part. Since *I*
had such implicit trust in him as to desire to keep him with me for
his services, *thou*
mayest.
**I
would have retained**
— different *Greek*
from the “would,” ,
“I could have *wished,*”
“I was *minded*”
here; but “I was not *willing,*”
.
**in
thy stead**
— that he might supply in your place all the services to me which
you, if you were here, would render in virtue of the love you bear to
me ().
**bonds
of the gospel**
— my bonds endured for the Gospel’s sake ().

**without
thy mind**
— that is, consent.
**should
not be as**
— “should not appear as a matter of necessity, but of free will.”
Had Paul kept Onesimus, however willing to gratify Paul Philemon
might be, he would have no opportunity given him of showing he was
so, his leave not having been asked.

**perhaps**
— speaking in human fashion, yet as one believing that God’s
Providence probably (for we cannot dogmatically define the hidden
purposes of God in providence) overruled the past evil to ultimately
greater good to him. This thought would soften Philemon’s
indignation at Onesimus’ past offense. So Joseph in .
**departed**
— literally, “was parted from thee”; a softening term for “ran
away,” to mitigate Philemon’s wrath.
**receive
him** —
*Greek,*
“have him for thyself in full possession” (see on ).
The same *Greek*
as in .
**for
ever** —
in this life and in that to come (compare ).
Onesimus’ time of absence, however long, was but a short “hour”
(so *Greek*)
compared with the everlasting devotion henceforth binding him to his
master.

No
longer as a mere servant or slave (though still he is that), but
above a servant, so that thou shalt derive from him not merely the
services of a slave, but higher benefits: a *servant*
“in the flesh,” he is a *brother*
“in the Lord.”
**beloved,
specially to me**
— who am his spiritual father, and who have experienced his
faithful attentions. Lest Philemon should dislike Onesimus being
called “brother,” Paul first recognizes him as a brother, being
the spiritual son of the same God.
**much
more unto thee**
— to whom he stands in so much nearer and more lasting relation.

**a
partner**
— in the Christian fellowship of faith, hope, and love.
**receive
him as myself**
— resuming “receive him that is mine own bowels.”

*Greek,*
“But it (thou art not inclined to ‘receive him’ because) he
hath wronged thee”; a milder term than “robbed thee.” Onesimus
seems to have confessed some such act to Paul.
**put
that on mine account**
— I am ready to make good the loss to thee if required. The latter
parts of ,
,
imply that he did not expect Philemon would probably demand it.

**with
mine own hand**
— not employing an amanuensis, as in other Epistles: a special
compliment to Philemon which he ought to show his appreciation of by
granting Paul’s request. Contrast ,
which shows that the Epistle to the Colossian Church, accompanying
this Epistle, had only its closing “salutation” written by Paul’s
own hand.
**albeit,
etc.** —
literally, “that I may not say ... not to say,” etc.
**thou
owest ... even thine own self**
— not merely thy possessions. For to my instrumentality thou owest
thy salvation. So the debt which “he oweth thee” being
transferred upon me (I making myself responsible for it) is
cancelled.

**let
me** —
“me” is emphatic: “Let *me*
have profit (so *Greek*
‘for joy,’ onainen*,*
referring to the name *Onesimus,*
‘profitable’) from *thee,*
as *thou*
shouldst have had from Onesimus”; for “thou owest thine ownself
to me.”
**in
the Lord**
— not in worldly gain, but in thine increase in the graces of the
Lord’s Spirit [Alford].
**my
bowels**
— my heart. Gratify my feelings by granting this request.
**in
the Lord**
— The oldest manuscripts read, “*in
Christ,*”
the element or sphere in which this act of Christian love naturally
ought to have place.

**Having
confidence in thy obedience**
— to my apostolic authority, if I were to “enjoin” it (),
which I do not, preferring to beseech thee for it as a favor ().
**thou
will also do more**
— towards Onesimus: hinting at his possible manumission by
Philemon, *besides,*
being kindly received.

This
prospect of Paul’s visiting Colosse would tend to secure a kindly
reception for Onesimus, as Paul would know in person how he had been
treated.
**your
... you**
— referring to Philemon, Apphia, Archippus, and the Church in
Philemon’s house. The same expectation is expressed by him, ,
,
written in the same imprisonment.

The
same persons send salutations in the accompanying Epistle, except
that “Jesus Justus” is not mentioned here.
**Epaphras,
my fellow prisoner**
— He had been sent by the Colossian Church to inquire after, and
minister to, Paul, and possibly was cast into *prison*
by the Roman authorities on suspicion. However, he is not mentioned
as a *prisoner*
in ,
so that “fellow prisoner” here may mean merely one who was a
faithful companion to Paul in his imprisonment, and by his society
put himself in the position of a prisoner. So also “Aristarchus, my
fellow prisoner,” ,
may mean. Benson conjectures the meaning to be that on some *former*
occasion these two were Paul’s “fellow prisoners,” *not
at the time.*

**

***be*****with your spirit**
— (;
).

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