Paul’s letter to Philemon is so short that often it is passed over without notice. Moreover, the content of this letter is so personal that few find relevance in it for their own lives. Most seem to view this letter in the abstract—as an example of how Paul treated slavery in the Hellenistic world. Few seem to grasp the deeply personal nature of Paul’s appeal and its implications for interpersonal ministry.

This misconception of Philemon is not altogether surprising. Much of Paul’s appeal and persuasive art is missed in English translation. Paul resorts to the use of word plays to make his appeal more subtle, even ambiguous. The subtlety of this letter notwithstanding, few letters in the New Testament capture the art of persuasion as well as the letter to Philemon. Yet this letter is much more than a persuasive argument. This letter captures a glimpse of how Paul applied his theology to ethical situations.

The letter to Philemon is “carefully crafted” and “a masterpiece of suggestion.”[1] This letter only indirectly addresses the church; its main recipient is the person Philemon. Furthermore, Philemon does not appear to be a pastor in a local congregation. As such, this letter reveals for us Paul’s approach to ministry to normal, average church members in the congregations with which he interacted. Consequently, we ought to see this letter as a valuable glimpse into Paul’s view of interpersonal ministry.

Our approach in this treatment of Paul’s letter will be threefold. We will first discuss the background and occasion for Paul’s letter. Then we will provide an exegetical overview of the letter’s contents. We will then consider some broad implications for interpersonal ministry based on what we found in the exposition of the letter.

Background & Occasion

Paul wrote Philemon during his first Roman imprisonment[2] to Philemon, who was a member of the Colossian church (v. 1).[3] Onesimus, Philemon’s former slave, robbed him in some way (v. 18) and somehow met up with Paul in Rome and became a Christian (vv. 10-11) through Paul’s ministry. Paul then persuaded him to return to Colossae, but sent this letter with him “appealing to Philemon to reinstate him as a ‘brother beloved’” (vv. 15-16).[4] This letter was probably sent with Paul’s letter to the Colossians. Tychicus and Onesimus together traveled to Colossae to deliver the letter to the Colossians (Col. 4:7-9), and it is reasonable to assume that they also traveled with the letter to Philemon.[5]

It is impossible to determine why and how Onesimus left Philemon and came to Rome with any degree of certainty. Several possibilities have been suggested; however, the best explanation is that after Onesimus had stolen from Philemon, he feared the punishment he would receive. Therefore, he fled to Paul to ask him to be an amicus domini (friend of the master), that Paul might appeal to Philemon on Onesimus’ behalf, always intending to return to his master.[6]

If Onesimus sought out Paul to be an advocate—an amicus domini—to plead his case, he would not be considered a fugitivus (fugitive) under Roman law. In the first century AD, Proculus stated that a slave is not a fugitive “who, having in mind that his master wished physically to chastise him, betook himself to a friend whom he induced to plead on his behalf.”[7] Rapske states that in this case “neither time nor distance are considerations in establishing whether a slave is a fugitivus or not… the intent of the slave is the all-important factor.”[8] The slave is not a fugitivus if he flees his master’s wrath, especially if the master is “threatening to rid himself of the slave by selling him or having him killed.”[9] In this way, Paul could not be charged with harboring a fugitive under Roman law (cf. Rom. 13:1-7) or with violating Deuteronomic law (Deut. 23:15-16). The following is a sample letter from an amicus domini, Pliny the Younger:

Pliny the Younger (c. A.D. 62–c. A.D. 113)
To Sabinianus

YOUR freedman, whom you lately mentioned to me with displeasure, has been with me, and threw himself at my feet with as much submission as he could have fallen at yours. He earnestly requested me with many tears, and even with all the eloquence of silent sorrow, to intercede for him; in short, he convinced me by his whole behaviour that he sincerely repents of his fault. I am persuaded he is thoroughly reformed, because he seems deeply sensible of his guilt. I know you are angry with him, and I know, too, it is not without reason; but clemency can never exert itself more laudably than when there is the most cause for resentment. You once had an affection for this man, and, I hope, will have again; meanwhile, let me only prevail with you to pardon him. If he should incur your displeasure hereafter, you will have so much the stronger plea in excuse for your anger as you shew yourself more merciful to him now. Concede something to his youth, to his tears, and to your own natural mildness of temper: do not make him uneasy any longer, and I will add, too, do not make yourself so; for a man of your kindness of heart cannot be angry without feeling great uneasiness. I am afraid, were I to join my entreaties with his, I should seem rather to compel than request you to forgive him. Yet I will not scruple even to write mine with his; and in so much the stronger terms as I have very sharply and severely reproved him, positively threatening never to interpose again in his behalf. But though it was proper to say this to him, in order to make him more fearful of offending, I do not say so to you. I may perhaps, again have occasion to entreat you upon his account, and again obtain your forgiveness; supposing, I mean, his fault should be such as may become me to intercede for, and you to pardon. Farewell.[10]

While this letter was written as an advocacy letter for a freedman rather than a slave, it is easy to see parallels between the letters of Pliny and Paul.

It is easy for Americans to import their own ideas of slavery from American history to that which this letter addresses. While there are similarities, Carolyn Osiek writes,

The major differences are that ancient slavery was neither race-specific nor racist (which is not to deny that racism existed in the culture); there was no necessary assumption of natural inferiority; and manumission or the acquisition of freedom was quite common.[11]

Paul Achtemeier notes as well that “most urban and domestic slaves could look forward to freedom by the time they turned thirty, at which time they were frequently awarded Roman citizenship.”[12] Still, slaves were considered to be the property of their masters; any benefits extended to them were “at the complete discretion of [their masters] and could be withdrawn at any moment.”[13] These slaves performed a variety of tasks, “ranging from farm labour to business management, cooking to teaching. In short, any normal occupation could be filled by a slave.”[14]

If a slave were freed, he would not have the same status as a free-born man. He was considered a libertinus (a freedman) and still owed certain duties to either the former slave owner or the benefactor who freed him. This included, (1) an inheritance of half the freedman’s property, (2) obsequium or due respect, and (3) operae—a number of days of work.[15] For a slave to become a fugitive was a serious crime since it usually caused financial loss on the part of the master.[16] If a runaway slave were caught, he might receive as punishment “a branding on the face” or a permanent bronze slave collar with the owner’s name inscribed on it.[17] Harboring a fugitive slave was considered to be theft and was therefore a punishable offense.[18]

Exposition of Philemon

In comparison to the genre the other Pauline epistles, this letter “stands closest to the ancient private letter.”[19] We may outline the contents of this letter as follows:

I. Greetings (1-3)

II. Introduction: Thanksgiving Prayer (4-7)

III. Main Body: Appeal for Onesimus (8-20)

A. Understanding Onesimus “Then and Now” (8-16)

B. Paul’s Three Requests (17-20)

IV. Closing Remarks (21-25)

There are no major textual variants in this letter. It is reasonable to assume that we have this passage “substantially as Paul wrote it.”[20]

Greeting (vv. 1-3)

From the beginning of this letter Paul identifies himself as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. No doubt he did so not only because he was in prison when he wrote the letter, but because he wanted identify himself as being in a similar situation to that of Onesimus. He addressed Philemon along with the two other individuals in the house-church and the church congregation. He greets them warmly with his customary “grace to you” formula (Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:3; 2 Cor. 1:2; Gal. 1:3; Eph. 1:2; Phil. 1:2; Col. 1:2; 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:2). However, this should not be seen as a trite, formulaic greeting. This greeting would be understood as a benediction or blessing that would communicate “the grace of God in which they stand and the relationship of peace that God has established with them in his Son, Jesus Christ.”[21]

Thanksgiving Prayer (vv. 4-7)

From this point on, Paul addresses Philemon directly.[22] Paul shares his prayer for Philemon and commends him for his love and faith. Verse 5 is a chiasm:

…for I hear of your (A) love and (B) faith,
which you have (B’) toward the Lord Jesus and (A’) for all the saints.

This may be translated, “for I hear of your love, which you have for all the saints, and your faith, which you have toward the Lord Jesus.”[23] The use of chiasm here seems to highlight the two main themes in Philemon’s character that Paul will develop throughout the letter. Paul’s prayer in v. 6 expounds on the faith that is found in Philemon and expresses his desire that the fellowship of his faith “might become effective in the knowledge of every good thing.” In v. 7 Paul commends his love, and in particular, the way Philemon has refreshed the hearts of the saints.

Paul’s prayer anticipates the main themes of Paul’s appeal for Onesimus as Philemon’s amicus domini, and in fact, forms the grounds for it. Paul was Philemon’s friend, and so he knew something about Philemon’s character. In particular, he knew that this “beloved fellow worker” had both faith in Christ and love for others. Throughout the main body of the appeal, Paul will make subtle references to these qualities of Philemon.

Paul’s Appeal for Onesimus (vv. 8-20)

Paul’s appeal takes up two paragraphs. The first paragraph describes Onesimus’ situation and Paul’s involvement in it. The second paragraph constitutes Paul’s actual requests of Philemon.

Understanding Onesimus Then and Now (vv. 8-16)

The first paragraph describes Onesimus’ situation in such a way as (1) to avoid appeals to authority and (2) to reshape Philemon’s perceptions of Onesimus based on Paul’s friendship with Onesimus. Paul is deliberately and explicitly seeking to avoid appeals that are rooted in authority, commands or control. He mentions his own authority to command him, yet his desire is to exhort instead (vv. 8-9). Paul was willing to express his desire to keep Onesimus with him in service to the gospel ministry (v. 13), but he sent him back so that Philemon could do the right thing willingly instead of under compulsion (vv. 12, 14). This is not to say that Paul never believed it correct to make appeals based on authority, as he has done so on various occasions (1 Cor. 5:3; 9:1; 2 Cor. 10:13-14; 12:12).[24]

Paul also describes Onesimus (and his relationship with him) in such a way as to reshape Philemon’s perceptions of his “runaway” slave. In v. 11, Paul employed a word play on Onesimus’ name (which means “useful”), making use of a contrast between the “once” and the “now”—that is, a contrast between our lives before and after salvation in Christ. Paul has made much use of this “once-now” contrast in his other letters.[25] Here, Paul describes Onesimus’ former life as “useless” and his present character as “useful.”[26] Onesimus was a Phrygian slave, and Peter O’Brien writes that “Phrygian slaves were proverbial for being unreliable and unfaithful.”[27] Onesimus “once” lived up to the popular stereotype of Phrygian slaves, but “now” Onesimus would live up to his name “useful.”

In fact it can be said that the Onesimus that had left Philemon was not the same Onesimus who was returning. The Onesimus who left was a thief; the Onesimus who returned was Paul’s heart and even his “son” (v. 10). In considering the providence of God as the reason Onesimus had left him, he suggests that Onesimus was separated so that Philemon could have him back eternally as a “beloved brother” in the Lord instead of as a mere slave (vv. 15-16). Paul’s language in this paragraph creates a new perspective of Onesimus as Paul’s “son” and “heart,” and Philemon’s “beloved brother,” that Philemon would see his former slave in a new light.

At the same time, there is a great deal of ambiguity surrounding what Paul wants Philemon to do. In verse 13, Paul expresses his wish to have Onesimus serve him in the chains of the gospel; yet this request did not require that Philemon free Onesimus. Onesimus could have served Paul as a slave or a freedman. In verse 16, Paul considers the possibility Philemon could have Onesimus back eternally, “no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother.” Yet John Barclay considers even this statement to be vague. He asks,

Should this [“as”] be interpreted to mean that ‘though he might remain a slave, he should no longer be as a slave? And what exactly is implied by saying that, as a beloved brother, Onesimus will be more than/above… a slave? Does it imply that the new status of brother supersedes the old status of a slave, or could it mean simply that the new status is superimposed on the old?[28]

Despite wide spread opinion to the contrary,[29] these questions cannot be fully answered. In fact, at this point in the letter, it is still unclear exactly what Paul wants Philemon to do.

Paul’s Three Requests (vv. 17-20)

Paul’s three requests form the climax of Paul’s letter to Philemon. Each is expressed in the imperative mood; however, in light of vv. 8-9, the imperatives should be seen not be seen as commands but as requests. [30] These requests are: (1) that Philemon would receive Onesimus as he would Paul (v. 17), (2) that Philemon would charge Paul with any debt owed to Philemon by Onesimus (vv. 18-19), and (3) that Philemon would refresh Paul’s heart by letting Paul profit from him in the Lord.

Until this paragraph, Paul has not explicitly asked anything of Philemon. One would expect that this ambiguity would be cleared up here. Yet even here, it is unclear what precisely Paul was asking of Philemon. It cannot be assumed that Paul was asking Philemon to manumit his slave. While certainly Paul wanted Philemon to accept Onesimus as a brother in Christ, there is no statement in these verses that Onesimus should be freed.

First Request: If you have me as a partner, receive him as you would me.[31]

This first request is rooted in the faith that Paul had perceived to be in Philemon (v. 5). In the protasis of this condition, Paul hopes that Philemon considers him to be a koinonos (partner), meaning “one who takes part in something with someone.”[32] Murray Harris has said, “In a Christian context this term implies more than mere friendship or similarity of outlook. It betokens spiritual unity in Christ and common loyalty to Christ, partnership in believing and working for the gospel.”[33] Paul uses a related word koinonia (fellowship) in verse 6 the fellowship of faith which existed in Philemon. Paul desired that “the fellowship of [Philemon’s] faith might become effective in the knowledge of every good thing in us for Christ” (v. 6). The particular “good thing” (see also v. 14) which Paul desired for Philemon was that he would receive Onesimus as a beloved brother (v. 16) and as if he were Paul himself.[34]

Second Request: If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge this to my account. I Paul am writing with my own hand, I will repay—not to mention to you that you owe to me your very self as well (vv. 18-19).

Whether Onesimus had stolen from Philemon or simply mismanaged his funds cannot be determined certainty.[35] However, Paul was willing to repay that debt. O’Brien notes, “As a father for his son (cf. v. 10) Paul declares he is prepared to stand good for any damages.”[36] If the above explanation of the circumstances surrounding Onesimus’ departure is correct, this condition should be considered as “hypothetical only in form but which describes the actual offense of Onesimus.”[37] Lightfoot remarks, “The case is stated hypothetically but the words doubtless describe the actual offence of Onesimus.”[38] Paul would have determined that he had wronged Philemon as Onesimus, now a useful Christian, told Paul his story. In fact, this offense would have been the reason for the letter itself.

Although Onesimus probably was not a fugitive under Roman law, he certainly was in the eyes of Philemon. For a slave to steal from his master and run away was not entirely uncommon. For instance, Sarapias wrote a letter asking for help from the administrator of the district in finding his runaway slave:

I have a slave, who formerly belonged to my father, by the name of Sarapion, … [who] had been entrusted by me with our household. (Nevertheless) he, … purloining some items of clothing from our household with which I had provided him and even other items which he also took possession of for himself from our household, has secretly run away…[39]

It is entirely possible that Onesimus held a similar position to Sarapion and administered his master’s finances.[40] Osiek has noted that house slaves “were not only performers of menial tasks, but often trusted agents and administrators in business affairs. Many were highly educated.”[41] If this were the case with Onesimus, he would have had many opportunities to either steal from Philemon or mismanage his funds.

After making this request, Paul inserted his own signature to the letter.[42] Ben Witherington has noted that “Paul used scribes to write his letters… At the end of some of his letters Paul indicates the point at which he takes up the pen to write a line himself and perhaps to add a characteristic signature.”[43] Paul probably added his signature here to serve as a “legal promissory note…, undertaking to make compensation for the damages.”[44] This is a legal statement that bound Paul to his pledge to repay Onesimus’ debt. As Harris states, this is Paul’s “certificate of debt” (cf. Col. 2:14)—“a signed statement of indebtedness by which he formally and legally assumes all the indebtedness of Onesimus toward Philemon.”[45]

In addition, however, Paul reminded Philemon that he became a Christian through Paul’s ministry—a debt far greater than Onesimus’ debt to Philemon. One should be careful not to interpret this statement by Paul as an act of coercion (he’s already stated that he did not want to do this in vv. 8-9). Paul did intend to gain Philemon’s consent, but only so that his “good deed might not be as under compulsion, but freely” (v. 14). Thus, it seems better to interpret this statement as a subtle attempt by Paul to remind Philemon of the grace that he had received through Paul’s ministry—especially salvation itself. Paul repeatedly reminds us of our sinful past so that we can realize the greatness of the grace that has been bestowed upon us (Eph. 2:1-10, Col. 1:21-23, 2:13, 14). Paul wanted Philemon to understand that he also has a “once-now” contrast in his life. If he knew the amount of grace he has received undeservedly, he would realize that he had been in the same situation as Onesimus. Philemon has no right to claim superiority over Onesimus, now his brother in Christ. Thus, Philemon should show the same kindness and forgiveness to others who have wronged him that he has received. As Lohse writes, “Philemon will understand that within this relationship one can no longer balance debt against debt. Onesimus has experienced the same mercy of God by which Philemon first became a Christian.”[46]

In his first two requests Paul deliberately assumes theological language—especially language from the doctrine of justification—and applied it to this situation. The following chart illustrates verbal parallels between Paul’s language in Philemon and the rest of the Pauline corpus:

Language in Philemon	Language in Pauline Literature
v. 11—“Once” was useless; “now” is useful.	Rom. 5:8-11; 7:5-6; 11:30-32; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; Gal. 1:23; 4:3-7, 8-10; Eph. 2:1-4, 11-13; Col. 2:13; 3:7-8 Col. 1:21, 22—“Once you were alienated from God…. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death….”
v. 17—Philemon should “receive” Onesimus as Paul	Rom. 14:1, 3—“Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment…. God has accepted him.” Rom. 15:7—“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God”
v. 18—If he has “wronged” you…	Col. 3:25—“Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.”
v. 18—If he “owes” you…	Rom. 13:8—&#