Ὀνησίμῳ. Philemon's runaway slave, who was rescued by Paul and converted to Christianity. Paul sent him back to his master, with the exquisite Epistle to Philemon despatched at the same time as this letter. He speaks of him in the most affectionate terms, to secure a welcome for him at Colossæ. He seems from this passage to have belonged to Colossæ, and we may infer that this was the home of Philemon. If the author of Colossians learnt his name from the Epistle to Philemon, it is strange that he should have contented himself with this bald reference, and made no allusion to his desertion, conversion and return to his master. Such omission here is characteristic of Paul's delicacy. τὰ ὧδε is wider than τὰ κατʼ ἐμὲ (Colossians 4:7). It means all that is happening to the Church in Rome.

Continues after advertising
Continues after advertising

Old Testament