Philemon 1:12

whom I have sent again Lit., "I did send" ;the "epistolary aorist," as in Colossians 4:8, where see note. How much lies behind these simple words; what unselfish jealousy for duty on St Paul's part, and what courage of conscience and faith on that of Onesimus! By law, his offended master might treat him exactly as he pleased, for life or death. See Introd., ch. 4, and Appendix M.

"No prospect of usefulness should induce ministers to allow their converts to neglect relative obligations, or to fail of obedience to their superiors. One great evidence of true repentance consists in returning to the practice of those duties which had been neglected" (Scott).

receive Welcome; the same word as that in Romans 14:1; Romans 14:3; Romans 15:7; and below, Philemon 1:17.

But there is strong evidence for the omission of this word, and (somewhat less strong) for the omission of "thou therefore." This would leave, him, that is &c., as the true reading. If so, this clause should be linked to that before it; Whom I have sent back him, that is, &c. a bold but pathetic stroke of expression. Such a connexion seems better than that adopted by Lightfoot, who begins a new sentence with "him," and seeks the verb in Philemon 1:17.

mine own bowels Mine own heart; see on Philemon 1:7. The Greek might, by usage, refer to Onesimus as St Paul's son; as if to say, "bone of my bone." But, as Lightfoot points out, this would be unlike St Paul's use of the word everywhere else; with him, it always indicates the emotions. Cor, corculum(" sweetheart"), are somewhat similarly used in Latin, as words of personal fondness.