It will be remembered that this epistle is no longer extant in B. TITLE, πρὸς Φιλήμονα אA, a few cursives, memph., gothic. 257 (fscr = Evan. 543) has παῦλος ἐπιστέλλει τάδε βέβαια Φιλήμονι πιστῷ (vide Scrivener’s _Cod. Augiensis_, Appendix, p. 520), which by correcting βέβαια to βαιὰ makes an hexam... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΑΥ͂ΛΟΣ ΔΈΣΜΙΟΣ, “Paul, prisoner of Christ Jesus.” St Paul uses no title of office (ἀπόστολος) or of service (δοῦλος); he simply reminds Philemon of his present condition, that from the very first Philemon may be moved to sympathy with him and his request. Cf. Colossians 4:18, note, also Philemon 1:... [ Continue Reading ]
1–3. _Address and greeting_. In the usual form employed by St Paul with modifications due to the special circumstances of this letter... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ ἈΠΦΊΑΙ. Lightfoot (p. 372 sqq.) shows convincingly from the inscriptions that this is not the Latin Appia, for it and its congeners always have the aspirate, but a native Phrygian name, of which the root is apparently a term of endearment or relationship. It may be assumed that she was the wife... [ Continue Reading ]
ΧΆΡΙΣ Κ.Τ.Λ. See notes on Colossians 1:2.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕΥ̓ΧΑΡΙΣΤΩ͂. There is no more reference to Timothy, for it was a personal request that St Paul was about to make. Contrast the plural in Colossians 1:3. ΤΩ͂Ι ΘΕΩ͂Ι ΜΟΥ. So Romans 1:8; Philippians 1:3. Philemon’s spiritual condition is new evidence of God’s love towards St Paul. ΠΆΝΤΟΤΕ, with εὐχαρ... [ Continue Reading ]
4–7. _Introductory thanksgiving for Philemon’s faith and kindness to the saints_ Apart from the Christian courtesy, and the tact under the circumstances, of such an introduction, St Paul here, as always, felt that be must first make reference to God, thanking Him for His grace towards Philemon. Cf.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤῊΝ� אACGKLP, etc. The order is changed by D, some cursives, Pesh. Arm. Ambrst. to avoid an exegetical difficulty (see Commentary). ΕἸΣ ΤῸΝ ΚΎΡ. ACD*, appy Ambrst. τρὸς τ. κ. Text. Rec. with אDCGKLP, Syr.Harcl. Chr. appy Vulg. 5. ἈΚΟΎΩΝ, “hearing (as I do).” To be connected with εὐχαριστῶ; cf. Phil... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΓΑΘΟΥ͂ [ΤΟΥ͂] ἘΝ ἩΜΙ͂Ν. τοῦ is found in Text. Rec. with אDFgrGKLP. It is omitted in ACTS 17 (apparently some Latin MSS.). ἩΜΙ͂Ν ACDKL; ὑμῖν Text. Rec. with אGP. 6. The key to the interpretation of this verse lies in the fact that in each of the other three epistles of the First Roman Captivity (Ph... [ Continue Reading ]
ΧΑΡᾺΝ אACDG, vulg. Syrr. χάριν Text. Rec. (not Beza’s nor Elzevirs’ editions) with KLP. For the meaning of χάρις here see Colossians 3:16. ΠΟΛΛῊΝ ἜΣΧΟΝ אACGP; πολλὴν ἔσχομεν D* Origint, Jerome; ἔχομεν πολλὴν Text. Rec. with (Dc) K (L), etc. Syrr. 7. ΧΑΡᾺΝ ΓᾺΡ. See notes on Textual Criticism. γάρ s... [ Continue Reading ]
ΔΙΌ. An application of the preceding statement (Philemon 1:4-7), particularly of that of the effect produced by Philemon’s love. Probably expanded by διὰ τὴν�, and in any case to be taken closely with παρακαλῶ. ΠΟΛΛῊΝ ἘΝ ΧΡΙΣΤΩ͂Ι ΠΑΡΡΗΣΊΑΝ ἜΧΩΝ, i.e. though having, he will not use it. On παρρησία se... [ Continue Reading ]
8–20. _The Request _... [ Continue Reading ]
ΔΙᾺ ΤῊΝ�. Probably Philemon’s. After expressly saying σοῦ τὴν� (Philemon 1:5) and ἐπὶ τῇ� (Philemon 1:7) it was not necessary for St Paul to repeat the personal pronoun once more. The love that Philemon has shown warrants St Paul in not commanding but in making request. Other interpretations are (_a... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΑΡΑΚΑΛΩ͂ ΣΕ. The appeal is enhanced by the repetition of the verb. ΠΕΡῚ ΤΟΥ͂ ἘΜΟΥ͂ ΤΈΚΝΟΥ, “about my own child.” Stronger than τοῦ τέκνου μου, cf. Philemon 1:12; Philemon 1:19; Colossians 4:18, and esp. 3 John 1:4. So St Paul calls Timothy his τέκνον (1 Corinthians 4:17; Philippians 2:22; 1 Timothy... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΌΝ ΠΟΤΈ ΣΟΙ ἌΧΡΗΣΤΟΝ, “who once was useless to thee.” ἄχρηστος here only in N.T. occurs a few times in LXX., but in no instance illustrating our passage. In Matthew 25:30; Luke 17:10 ἀχρεῖος is used of worthless slaves. According to Tittmann quoted by Trench _Synon._ § c. 17 ἀχρεῖος is the more neg... [ Continue Reading ]
ὋΝ� (אACD*, vulg. _clem._ Pesh.) ΑΥ̓ΤΌΝ, ΤΟΥ͂Τʼ ἜΣΤΙΝ ΤᾺ ἘΜᾺ ΣΠΛΆΓΧΝΑ (omitting προσλαβοῦ אAFgrGgr 17). Text. Rec. reads ὁ͂ν�· σὺ δὲ (אcC2[D]GKLP etc. old Lat. [vulg. Syrr.])[102] αὐτόν, τουτέστι τὰ ἐμὰ σπλάγχνα, προσλαβοῦ (אcCDKLP, etc. vulg. Syrr. Chr.). This is evidently due to the difficulty of... [ Continue Reading ]
ὍΝ ἘΓῺ, emphatic, cf. Philemon 1:19-20. ἘΒΟΥΛΌΜΗΝ, “was minded,” cf. 2 Corinthians 1:15. Apparently βούλομαι expresses greater deliberation and less emotion than θέλω, but in St Paul the feeling of love to Philemon conquered. The imperfect is of durative and here completed action; the aor. (Philemo... [ Continue Reading ]
ΧΩΡῚΣ ΔῈ ΤΗ͂Σ ΣΗ͂Σ ΓΝΏΜΗΣ. “But apart from (Romans 10:14) thy judgment.” For γνώμη see esp. 1 Corinthians 1:10 with Lightfoot’s note there. σῆς (not τῆς γνώμης σου) for emphasis. ἽΝΑ ΜῊ ὩΣ ΚΑΤᾺ�. For κατὰ�† cf. 2Ma 15:2 τῶν δὲ κατὰ�. Cf. ἐξ� 2 Corinthians 9:7; Hebrews 7:12†. ὡς that there might not... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΆΧΑ ΓᾺΡ. γὰρ states another reason for St Paul not retaining Onesimus, viz. that God in permitting his flight may have had Philemon’s own interests in view, τάχα (Romans 5:7†) shows that this is merely a suggestion. He could not pretend to see clearly into God’s counsels. ΔΙᾺ ΤΟΥ͂ΤΟ. Defined by th... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟΥ̓ΚΈΤΙ. Not μηκέτι as though it would depend on the reception of him by Philemon. “The ‘no more as a slave’ is an absolute fact, whether Philemon chooses to recognise it or not” (Lightfoot). ὩΣ. δοῦλος Onesimus is and will remain, but not ὡς δοῦλος. ΔΟΥ͂ΛΟΝ. He has kept the word back till he has... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕἸ ΟὟΝ. οὗν sums up the preceding argument fr. Philemon 1:10-16 and embodies it in the following direct request. ΜΕ, the emphasis is not on this but on κοινωνόν. ἜΧΕΙΣ. Probably = hold, reckon, cf. Matthew 14:5. ΚΟΙΝΩΝΌΝ, “partner.” Not to be weakened (with Chrysostom) to mean little more than φίλ... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕἸ ΔΈ ΤΙ. The δέ states an objection which Philemon might raise against the reception of Onesimus. The hypothetical term is probably due to a desire to avoid all irritation, “Attic politeness” (Mey.), St Paul knowing from Onesimus’ confession that such was really the case. Possibly however St Paul w... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΓῺ ΠΑΥ͂ΛΟΣ. For these two words see Colossians 1:23, note. It is very precarious to argue that this verse makes it probable that the whole Epistle was written by St Paul himself, for although the position of the autograph is certainly unique (cf. Colossians 4:18 and note), yet he would hardly have... [ Continue Reading ]
ΝΑΊ. In Philippians 4:3 it similarly “introduces an affectionate appeal.” Possibly it = “yes, you owe so much.” But far better as accepting the situation (Matthew 11:26) that he has proposed. It thus = “yes, I am sure that you will welcome Onesimus back, freely and without payment from me.” ἈΔΕΛΦΈ,... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΕΠΟΙΘῺΣ ΤΗ͂Ι ὙΠΑΚΟΗ͂Ι ΣΟΥ, “trusting to thy obedience.” There is no exact parallel in the N.T. to this use of πέποιθα, with the dative of the thing trusted; cf. 2 Thessalonians 3:4, for a similar assurance as to obedience. ὑπακοή is a little strange here, after the very tender and gentle way in whi... [ Continue Reading ]
21, 22. _Sure of Philemon’s obedience, he hopes to come to him soon _... [ Continue Reading ]
ἍΜΑ ΔΈ ΚΑῚ. Colossians 4:3. Simultaneously (see Meyer) with the carrying out of my request and more (Philemon 1:21), be making arrangements for seeing me. Observe that the mention by St Paul of his coming soon to Colossae would in itself tend to ensure the welfare of Onesimus (cf. Chrysostom). ἙΤΟ... [ Continue Reading ]
ʼΑΣΠΆΖΕΤΑΊ. Colossians 4:10, note. ΣΕ. Philemon as head of the household. Perhaps he was known personally to most or some of those about to be mentioned. Probably only Epaphras knew others of those addressed in Philemon 1:1-3. ἘΠΑΦΡΑ͂Σ. Colossians 1:7; Colossians 4:12†. He is mentioned first, as b... [ Continue Reading ]
23, 24. _Salutations from friends _... [ Continue Reading ]
ΜΆΡΚΟΣ, ἈΡΊΣΤΑΡΧΟΣ. On these two names see Colossians 4:10, notes. In Col. also they precede Demas and Luke, though in the reverse order. They are there expressly said to be of the circumcision, and are, as here, included among St Paul’s συνεργοί. ΔΗΜΑ͂Σ, ΛΟΥΚΑ͂Σ. See Colossians 4:14, notes. There... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΜΉΝ is added by Text. Rec. with אCDb.c, etc., but omitted by AD*. Subscription. A is defective here. The simplest and apparently most original form is πρὸς Φιλήμονα אC 17, to which various additions are made in different authorities. The Text. Rec. has Πρὸς Φιλήμονα ἐγράφη� with K 47 al. The longe... [ Continue Reading ]