Philemon 1:1

δέσμιος Χρ. Ἰησ.: to St. Paul an even more precious title than the usual official ἀπόστολος Χρ. Ἰησ.; _cf._ Philemon 1:13, ἐν τοῖς δεσμοῖς τοῦ εὐαγγ., “they were not shackles which self had riveted, but a chain with which Christ had invested him; thus they were a badge of office …” (Lightfoot) This... [ Continue Reading ]

Philemon 1:2

Ἀπφίᾳ τῇ ἀδελφῆ : A Phrygian name, often occurring on Phrygian inscriptions. It is most natural to suppose that she was the wife of Philemon: but she must have occupied also, most likely, a quasi-official position in the Church; τῆ ἀδελφῇ, coming between συνεργῷ and συνστρατιώτῃ, suggests this, espe... [ Continue Reading ]

Philemon 1:3

χάρις … εἰρήνη : _Cf._ Romans 1:7, the usual Pauline greeting (exc. I. 2 Tim.); it is a combination of the Greek salutation, χαίρειν, and the Hebrew one, שׁלום. In the N.T. the word εἰρήνη expresses the spiritual state, which is the result of a right relationship between God and man. According to Je... [ Continue Reading ]

Philemon 1:5

ἀκούων : probably from Epaphras, see Colossians 1:7-8; Colossians 4:12 (Lightfoot). τὴν ἀγάπην …: _i.e._, the faith which thou hast towards the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love which thou showest to all the saints. “The logical order,” says Lightfoot, “is violated, and the clauses are inverted in the... [ Continue Reading ]

Philemon 1:6

ὅπως : belongs to μνείαν σον ποιούμενος … Philemon 1:5 is, as it were, in brackets. It would be more usual to have ἴνα here. κοινωνία : the reference is to identity of faith; the fellowship among the saints, _cf._ Philippians 1:5. The word is used of a collection of money in Romans 15:26 2 Corinthia... [ Continue Reading ]

Philemon 1:7

ἔσχον : the aorist expresses forcibly the moment of joy which St. Paul experienced when he heard this good news about Philemon. τὰ σπλάγχνα : regarded as the seat of the emotions. ἀν. πέπαυται : the compound “expresses a temporary relief, the simple παύεσθαι expresses a final cessation” (Lightfoot).... [ Continue Reading ]

Philemon 1:8

Διό : _i.e._, because of the good that he has heard concerning Philemon; he must keep up his reputation. ἐπιάσσειν : “to enjoin,” or “command”; the word is used “rather of commanding which attaches to a definite office and relates to permanent obligations under the office, than of special injunction... [ Continue Reading ]

Philemon 1:9

τοιοῦτος ὢν ὡς : “ τοιοῦτος can be defined only by a following adjective, or by οἷος, ὅς, ὅσος, or ὤστε with the infinitive; never by ὡς ” (Vincent). It seems, therefore, best to take τοιοῦτος ὤν as referring to … μᾶλλον παρακλῶ, which is taken up again in the next verse; ὡς Παῦλος … Ἰησοῦ must be r... [ Continue Reading ]

Philemon 1:10

ὃν ἐγέννησα : _cf. Sanhedrin_, xix. 2 (Jer. Talm.), “If one teaches the son of his neighbour the Law, the Scripture reckons this the same as if he had begotten him” (quoted by Vincent). Ὀνήσιμον : one would expect Ὀνησίμου it is attracted to ὃν … instead of agreeing with τοῦ ἐμοῦ τέκνου. He is to be... [ Continue Reading ]

Philemon 1:12

ὂν ἀνέπεμψά σοι : the aorist, in accordance with the epistolary style. It is clear from these words that Onesimus himself was the bearer of the letter, _cf._ Colossians 4:7-9. On St. Paul's inistence that Onesimus should return to his master, see Intr. § III. αὐτόν : note the emphatic position of th... [ Continue Reading ]

Philemon 1:13

ἐγὼ : a further emphatic mode of expression. ἐβουλόμην : βούλεσθαι connotes the idea of purpose, θέλειν simply that of willing. The differences between the tenses ἐβουλόμην and ἐθέλησα (Philemon 1:14) is significant; “the imperfect implies a tentative, inchoate process; while the aorist describes a... [ Continue Reading ]

Philemon 1:14

With the thought of this verse _cf._ 2Co 9:7, 1 Peter 5:2. ὡς κατὰ ἀνάγκην : “St. Paul does not say κατὰ ἀνάγκην but ὡς κατὰ ἀνάγκην. He will not suppose that it would really be constraint; but it must not even wear the _appearance_ (ὡς) of being so. _cf._ 2 Corinthians 11:17, ὡς ἐν ἀφροσύνῃ ” (Ligh... [ Continue Reading ]

Philemon 1:15

ἐχωρίσθη : a very delicate way of putting it. πρὸς ὥραν : _cf._ 2 Corinthians 7:8; Galatians 2:5. αἰώνιον : there is no reason why this should not be taken in a literal sense, the reference being to Onesimus as ἀδελφὸν ἀγαπητόν, not as δοῦλον. ἀπέχῃς : _cf._ Philippians 4:18, although the idea of re... [ Continue Reading ]

Philemon 1:16

οὐκέτι ὡς δοῦλον : no longer in the character of a slave, according to the world's acceptation of the term, though still a slave (see, however, the note on Philemon 1:21); but the relationship between slave and master were in this instance to become altered. πόσῳ δὲ μᾶλλον …: _i.e._, more than most... [ Continue Reading ]

Philemon 1:17

ἔχεις …: for this use of ἔχω _cf._ Luke 14:18; Philippians 2:29. κοινωνόν : for the idea see Romans 12:13; Romans 15:26 f., 2Co 8:4; 2 Corinthians 9:13; Galatians 6:6; Philippians 4:15; 1 Timothy 6:18;... [ Continue Reading ]

Philemon 1:18

εἰ δὲ τι : as Lightfoot says, the case is stated hypothetically, but the words doubtless describe the actual offence of Onesimus. ἐλλόγα : only elsewhere in N.T. in Romans 5:13; it occurs on the papyri (Deissmann, _op. cit._, p. 52), “to reckon unto”; here, in the sense: “put it down to my account”.... [ Continue Reading ]

Philemon 1:19

ἐγὼ Παῦλος : “The introduction of his own name gives it the character of a formal and binding signature, _cf._ 1 Corinthians 16:21; Colossians 4:18; 2 Thessalonians 3:17 ” (Lightfoot). ἔγραψα τῇ ἐμῇ χειρί ἀποτίσω : ἔγρ. epistolary aorist, _cf._ 1 Peter 5:12; 1 John 2:14; 1Jn 2:21; 1 John 2:26. Deiss... [ Continue Reading ]

Philemon 1:20

ναί : _cf._ Philippians 4:3, ναὶ ἐρωτῶ καὶ σέ. ἀδελφέ : an affectionate appeal, _cf._ Galatians 3:15; Galatians 6:1-18. ἐγώ : “The emphatic ἐγώ identifies the cause of Onesimus with his own” (Lightfoot). σου ὀναίμην : ἅπ. λεγ. in N.T., it occurs once in the Septuagint (Sir 30:2), and several times i... [ Continue Reading ]

Philemon 1:21

τῇ ὑπακοῇ σου : a hint regarding the authority which St. Paul has a right to wield. ἔγραψα : see note on Philemon 1:19. ὑπὲρ ἅ : as it stands this is quite indefinite, but there is much point in Lightfoot's supposition that the thought of the manumission of Philemon was in St. Paul's mind; “througho... [ Continue Reading ]

Philemon 1:22

ἅμα … _i.e._, at the same time that he does what he is going to do for Onesimus. ἑτοίμαζέ μοι : Lightfoot's remark that “there is a gentle compulsion in this mention of a personal visit to Colossae,” does not seem justified in view of the stress that St. Paul lays on Philemon's action being wholly v... [ Continue Reading ]

Philemon 1:23

συναιχμάλωτος : lit. “a prisoner of war,” used metaphorically like συνστρατιώτης, see note on Philemon 1:2; _cf._ Romans 16:7, where the word is used in reference to Andronicus and Junius.... [ Continue Reading ]

Philemon 1:24

Μάρκος : _i.e._, John Mark, _cf._ Acts 12:25; Acts 15:37; Philippians 4:10; he and Aristarchus were Jewish-Christians (Colossians 4:11). Δημᾶς, Δουκᾶς : Gentile Christians (_cf._ Acts 16:10; Acts 20:5-6; Acts 21:15; Acts 27:2); the former name is a contraction of Δημήτριος ... [ Continue Reading ]

Philemon 1:25

Ἡ χάρις : _cf._ Galatians 6:18; 2 Timothy 4:22. ὑμῶν : the reference is both to those addressed by name in the opening of the Epistle, as well as to the members of the local Church, see Philemon 1:2. This final verse is a reiteration of the grace pronounced in Philemon 1:3.... [ Continue Reading ]

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Old Testament