INTRODUCTION TO PHILEMON 1 This epistle has an inscription, salutation, and preface, the same with others, which are in Philemon 1:1, the principal view of it is to persuade Philemon to receive his servant Onesimus; the arguments used are taken from the general character he had for love to the sain... [ Continue Reading ]
PAUL, A PRISONER OF JESUS CHRIST,.... Not made a prisoner by Christ, though he was apprehended, laid hold on, and detained by Christ as a prisoner of hope, at his conversion; but this is not intended here: but he was a prisoner at Rome for the sake of Christ, on account of professing him, and preach... [ Continue Reading ]
AND TO OUR BELOVED APPHIA,.... The Alexandrian copy reads, "to sister Apphia"; and the Vulgate Latin version, "to the beloved sister Apphia"; for 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... [ Continue Reading ]
GRACE TO YOU AND PEACE, FROM GOD,.... Which is the same form of salutation used in the other epistles; Romans 1:7 for though this epistle is but a very small one, yet it is introduced in the same form as the larger epistles are; and has an inscription in the former verse, a salutation in this, and a... [ Continue Reading ]
I THANK MY GOD,.... Meaning on account, of Philemon, for the grace bestowed upon him, thereafter mentioned; Romans 1:8 making other saints, Romans 1:9, the apostle was a man much in prayer, frequent at the throne of grace; and he prayed not for himself only, but for all the saints, for all the churc... [ Continue Reading ]
HEARING OF THY LOVE AND FAITH,.... Those two spring from the free favour and love of God, and are the pure gifts of his grace; and therefore thanks are to be given for them to God; nor are they to be ascribed to the power and will of man; they are the fruits of the Spirit of God; and are the princip... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT THE COMMUNICATION OF THY FAITH,.... The grace of faith itself cannot be communicated from one to another; a believing parent cannot communicate it to his children, nor a master to his servants, nor a minister to his hearers; but an account of it, of its actings and exercises, of the joy of it,... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WE HAVE GREAT JOY AND CONSOLATION IN THY LOVE,.... In the expressions and acts of it to the poor saints; for which reason the apostle gives thanks for it before; and it is a pleasure and comfort to an ingenuous mind, though it is not in his power to do good to the poor saints himself, to see tha... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE, THOUGH I MIGHT BE MUCH BOLD IN CHRIST,.... Or use much freedom of speech in the name of Christ, as an ambassador of his, and great authority as his apostle, which was given him for edification: TO ENJOIN THEE THAT WHICH IS CONVENIENT; which became him as a believer in Christ, and a minis... [ Continue Reading ]
YET FOR LOVE'S SAKE I RATHER BESEECH THEE,.... Either for the sake of the great love which the apostle bore to Philemon, being, as he calls him, his dearly beloved, he took this method; or because of Philemon's great love to all the saints before mentioned, he was encouraged to proceed in this manne... [ Continue Reading ]
I BESEECH THEE FOR MY SON ONESIMUS,.... Now he comes to the request itself, and mentions by name the person on whose account he makes it, and whom he calls his son; not merely because of his affection to him, but because he really was his spiritual father; he had been the happy instrument of his con... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH IN TIME PAST WAS TO THEE UNPROFITABLE,.... Yea, injurious and hurtful; one that was an eye servant, that loitered away his time, and set an ill example to fellow servants; and not only so, but embezzled his master's goods, and robbed him, and run away from him. So every man, in his state of un... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOM I HAVE SENT AGAIN,.... From Rome to Colosse, or to Philemon, wherever he was, along with this epistle: THOU THEREFORE RECEIVE HIM, THAT IS, MINE OWN BOWELS; meaning his son, who, in a spiritual sense, came out of his bowels, to whom he stood in the relation of a spiritual father; so the Syriac... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOM I WOULD HAVE RETAINED WITH ME,.... At Rome, where the apostle was a prisoner: THAT IN THY STEAD HE MIGHT HAVE MINISTERED UNTO ME IN THE BONDS OF THE GOSPEL; the apostle was in bonds, not for any crime, for any immorality he had been guilty of, but for the sake of the Gospel, for professing and... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WITHOUT THY MIND WOULD I DO NOTHING,.... Which shows great modesty and humility in the apostle, that though as such he had an authority, which he could have used, as well as had understanding and judgment how to have used it without consulting Philemon, or having his sense of this affair, yet ch... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR PERHAPS HE THEREFORE DEPARTED FOR A SEASON,.... The apostle in this clause seems to soften this business of Onesimus in running away from his master; he calls it not a running away, but a departure, an absence from him, and that but for a little while; and suggests that the hand of God might be... [ Continue Reading ]
NOT NOW AS A SERVANT,.... That is, not only as a servant, for a servant he was, and was to be received as such; his call by grace had not dissolved the civil relation that was between him and his master, though it had added to it something that was above it, and greater than it: BUT ABOVE A SERVANT... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THOU COUNT ME THEREFORE A PARTNER,.... A companion and friend, who reckon each other's affairs and interest their own: the word answers to חבר, a word often used in Talmudic writings, for an associate of the doctors or wise men: here it may mean also a partner both in grace, and in the ministry;... [ Continue Reading ]
IF HE HATH WRONGED THEE,.... By squandering away his time, spoiling his work, or corrupting his fellow servants: OR OWETH THEE OUGHT; by embezzling his master's goods, robbing him of his money, and running away from his service: PUT THAT ON MINE ACCOUNT; Signifying that he would be answerable for... [ Continue Reading ]
I PAUL HAVE WRITTEN IT, WITH MINE OWN HAND,.... Meaning either this epistle, which being short, he used no amanuensis, but wrote it all himself, and which might be taken as an engagement to do what he promised; or else a bill, a promissory note, written with his own hand, which he sent along with On... [ Continue Reading ]
YEA, BROTHER, LET ME HAVE JOY OF THEE IN THE LORD,.... Through the apostle was his spiritual father, having been the instrument of his conversion, yet he calls him his brother, as being a partaker of the same grace, and a minister of the same Gospel; and intimates to him, that should he grant his re... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVING CONFIDENCE IN THY OBEDIENCE,.... In his obedience of faith to Christ, and his Gospel; he having been made willing in the day of his power to serve him, as well as to be saved by him; and being constrained by his love, and the Spirit of Christ having wrought in him both to will and to do of hi... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WITHAL PREPARE ME ALSO A LODGING,.... Not that the apostle expected or desired any grand apartment to be fitted up for him; a room with such furniture as the Shunamite provided for the man of God was sufficient for him, and what he would have been entirely contented with; but his view in this wa... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE SALUTE THEE EPAPHRAS,.... Who was a Colossian, and minister of the church at Colosse, and so might be well known to Philemon, who seems to have been of the same place and church; see 1 Thessalonians 1:7 his name is omitted in the Ethiopic version: MY FELLOW PRISONER IN CHRIST JESUS; this good... [ Continue Reading ]
MARCUS, ARISTARCHUS, DEMAS, LUCAS,.... Marcus was Barnabas's sister's son, the son of that Mary, in whose house the church met, and prayed for Peter when in prison; whose name was John Mark, whom Saul and Barnabas took along with them to Antioch, and from thence, in their travels, to other parts; bu... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST BE WITH YOUR SPIRIT. AMEN. Not with his spirit only, but with the spirit of Apphia and Archippus, to whom also the epistle was sent; and therefore the word is in the plural number; and the Syriac version adds pertinently enough, "my brethren": the salutation is the... [ Continue Reading ]