Philemon 1:1-3,10,11
Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer, and to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house: Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ…I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds: which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me.
ALEXANDER MacLAREN (1826-1910): This epistle stands alone among Paul’s letters in being addressed to a private Christian, and in being entirely occupied with a small though very singular private matter.
MATTHEW HENRY (1662-1714): The occasion of it was this: Philemon had a servant named Onesimus, who having purloined his goods, ran away from him, and in his flight came to Rome, where Paul was then a prisoner for the gospel. Providentially coming under Paul’s preaching there, by the blessing of God, Onesimus was converted, after which he ministered awhile to the apostle in bonds, and might have been further useful to him. But, understanding him to be another man’s servant, Paul would not, without his consent, detain him, but sends him back with this letter-commendatory, wherein he earnestly sues for his pardon and kind reception.
JOHN GILL (1697-1771): Philemon seems to have been an inhabitant of Colosse, and rather to have been a Gentile than a Jew; he was a rich and hospitable man, and greatly respected, and therefore called “our dearly beloved” by Paul and Timothy, not only as being a believer, but as being also generous and useful in his station, and likewise as he was a minister of the Gospel; for so the next phrase, “and fellow labourer,” seems to import; though such are sometimes said to be labourers and fellow helpers with the apostle, who assisted in carrying on the interest of Christ, with their purses, and prayers, and private conversation.
ADAM CLARKE (1760-1832): There is a peculiarity in the use of proper names in this epistle which is not found in any other part of Paul’s writings. The names to which we refer are Philemon, Apphia, Archippus, and Onesimus. Philemon means “affectionate or beloved,” from φιλημα, a “kiss;” this led the apostle to say: “Unto Philemon our dearly beloved.”
JOHN CALVIN (1509-1564): This good man had a wife of the same character; for she, too, not without reason, is commended by Paul.
JOHN GILL: “Beloved Apphia.” This is a woman’s name; and it is thought that she was the wife of Philemon, since she is placed next to him, and before Archippus, a minister of the word, and very prudently is she wrote to, and justly commended, in order to engage her to use her interest with her husband to receive his servant again, who otherwise might have stood against it, and been a very great hinderance to a reconciliation.
MATTHEW HENRY: She is set before Archippus, as more concerned and having more interest.
THOMAS COKE: Archippus has been generally thought to be Philemon’s son; probably he was one of Paul’s assistants, who had some gifts of the Spirit, and had devoted himself very much to the work of the ministry in Colosse.
ALEXANDER MacLAREN: A greeting is sent, too, to “the Church in thy house.”—It is natural that they should be addressed; for Onesimus, if received by Philemon, would naturally become a member of the group, and therefore it was important to secure their good will.
H. A. IRONSIDE (1876-1951): It may be well to point out that so far as we have any record Paul had never been to Colosse.
ADAM CLARKE: It is evident, from verse 19 of this epistle, that Philemon was converted to the Christian faith by Paul; but as some suppose that the apostle had not visited Colosse previously to the writing of this epistle, they think it probable that he might have met with him at Ephesus, or in same other part of Asia Minor, where he formed an acquaintance with him, and became the means of his conversion.
C. H. SPURGEON (1834-1892): As Paul had been the means of Philemon’s conversion, so he was immeasurably in debt to the apostle; but in verse 19, Paul only gently reminds him of the fact as a reason why he should deal kindly with Onesimus for his sake.
THOMAS COKE (1747-1814): God, in the course of His wise providence, had so ordered it, that Onesimus’s going to Rome had been the happy occasion of his becoming a Christian. Philemon, therefore, could not be angry at such an event, unless he had a mind to quarrel with Divine Providence, the progress of the gospel, the conversion and welfare of Onesimus, and what would in the end prove his own advantage…It may not be improper to attend to the apostle’s soft and tender manner of expressing this in verses 15 and 16: “For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever; not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?” The word Εχωρισθη we have translated “he departed;”—which is softer than to have said, he ‘absconded,’ or ‘ran away’ like a criminal; but the Greek word signifies “he was separated,” which is still softer.
ADAM CLARKE: We must take the term “flesh” here, as referring to the right which Philemon had in him. He was a part of his property and of his family; as a slave, this was his condition; but he now stood in a twofold relation to Philemon: According to “the flesh,” as above explained, he was one of his family; and “in the Lord,” he was now also a member of the heavenly family, and of the Church at Philemon’s house. Philemon’s interest in him was now doubled, in consequence of his conversion to Christianity…Onesimus means “useful or profitable;” from ονημι, “to help.” The import of this name led the apostle Paul to play upon the word thus: “I beseech thee for any son Onesimus—which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and me.”
JOHN GILL: Grace, of an unprofitable man, makes a profitable one…If only a private believer, he is often profitable to others, by relating the work of God upon his soul; and he is serviceable to the interest of Christ, for the support of the ministry, and supply of the poor; useful by his good examples, and prayers, in the neighbourhood, town, city, or nation, in which he dwells. This argument from profit, the apostle knew would be an engaging one.
MATTHEW HENRY: There may be something further in all this. By way of allusion, it is applicable to the mediation and intercession of Christ for poor sinners. We, like Onesimus, were revolters from God’s service, and had injured Him in His rights. Jesus Christ finds us, and by His grace works a change in us, and then intercedes for us with the Father, that we may be received into His favour and family again, and past offences may be forgiven; and we are sure that “the Father heareth him always.” There is no reason to doubt but Paul prevailed with Philemon to forgive and receive Onesimus.
ADAM CLARKE: Some think that Paul hints to Philemon that he should free Onesimus.
C. H. MACKINTOSH (1820-1896): The letter Paul sent with Onesimus to his injured master Philemon, is one of the most touching ever written. Looking at it simply as such, we are at a loss whether most to admire the warmth and earnestness of his affections, the delicacy and justness of his thoughts, or the sublime dignity which pervades the whole epistle.
