The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (246 page)

Word Study

Regeneration
(
Tit 3:5
)

Palingenesia
(Gk.): refers to a "rebirth", "restoration", or "renewal". The term is used only twice in the Bible, here and in Mt 19:28, though it appears several times in non-biblical writings. Stoic philosophers, for instance, believed that a renewed world order would emerge after a fiery purgation of the cosmos. The Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria spoke in a similar way about the rebirth of the world after the flood in Noah's day (
Life of Moses
2, 65). The Jewish historian Josephus employs the term for the restoration of Israel after the tragedy of exile (
Antiquities
11, 66). In Titus, Paul links the idea of regeneration with a baptismal washing that cleanses us of sin and gives us a new birth into the family of God (cf. Jn 3:5; Eph 5:26). He is saying that the washing of the body is an efficacious sign of the invisible work of the Spirit, whose action in the sacrament renews and renovates our souls with divine grace (Acts 2:38; 1 Pet 3:21) (CCC 1215, 1265).

INTRODUCTION TO

Author and Date
 Three times the author of Philemon identifies himself as the Apostle Paul (1, 9, 19). Because the letter also bears the distinctive imprint of Paul's personality and style, the vast majority of ancient and modern scholars have accepted this claim without hesitation. Only a handful of critics have ever challenged the authenticity of Philemon as a genuine letter from Paul.

There is less agreement on the date of the epistle. It is clear that Paul is writing the letter from prison (1, 9, 10, 13, 23); and, for this reason, Philemon is classified as one of the "Captivity Epistles" of Paul, the others being Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. It is unclear, however, whether this corresponds to his detainment in Caesarea (Acts 23:31-35), Rome (Acts 28:16-31), or some other place (2 Cor 11:23). All things considered, the most likely background for the epistle is Paul's first imprisonment in Rome, where he lived under house arrest from
A.D.
60 to 62 (Acts 28:16, 30).

Destination
 Paul addressed this letter to a believer and slave owner named Philemon, as well as to Apphia (possibly his wife) and to a Christian leader named Archippus (possibly his son). Nothing in the letter specifies where these individuals lived, but the close connection between this epistle and Colossians suggests that Philemon resided either in Colossae itself or in a neighboring city of Asia Minor (modern Turkey). In support of this, it is commonly held that the slave Onesimus mentioned in verse 10 is the same man that Paul sent along with Tychicus to hand deliver the Letter to the Colossians (Col 4:7-9). Presumably they would have delivered this epistle as well.

Purpose
 The letter is Paul's impassioned appeal to Philemon, urging him to welcome back one of his runaway slaves, Onesimus (10). Formerly, Onesi-mus was a useless servant who not only deserted his master but may have stolen money or property from him, as well (11, 18). In the meantime, Onesi-mus has become a Christian through an encounter with Paul. The apostle is now sending him back to Philemon and asking that he be received, no longer as a bondservant, but as a beloved brother in Christ (16). Secondarily, Paul asks that preparations be made for his own arrival, pending his expected release from prison (22).

Themes and Characteristics
 Philemon is the shortest of Paul's surviving letters and certainly one of his most personal. Throughout the epistle, Paul shows himself adept at the art of persuasion, as he tries to win over both the head and heart of Philemon. So insistent are his pleas on behalf of Onesimus that Paul is barely able to hold back from demanding that Philemon comply with his requests (8-9). Theological and spiritual themes, so prominent in Paul's other writings, are more often assumed than asserted in Philemon.

The impact of this short letter cannot be felt without some understanding of its background. Slavery was an accepted institution in the Roman civilization of the first century. In fact, the slave population in Paul's day outnumbered the population of free citizens. This unbalanced situation was kept under control by Roman law, which made runaway slaves liable to the death penalty. Aware that such consequences could be in store for Onesimus, Paul decides to intercede for the life and well-being of this newly baptized slave. Paul insists that he return to his master to make amends for his desertion and thievery, and the apostle is even willing to pay Philemon whatever Onesimus owes him to ensure that justice is served (18-19). On the other end, Paul is challenging Philemon with a standard far higher than any Roman law. It is a standard of Christian mercy. Not only should this master forgive and forget the wrongdoing of his returning slave, but Paul drops several hints that Philemon should emancipate him entirely (16, 21)! Since Philemon himself has experienced the mercy and freedom of Christ in his own life, Paul reasons it is now time for him to extend that gift to Onesimus, who has likewise been freed by Christ and is coming home as a brother in the Lord. «

OUTLINE OF THE LETTER OF SAINT PAUL TO PHILEMON

1. Opening Address (
1-3
)

2. Thanksgiving for Philemon (
4-7
)

3. Paul's Appeal for Onesimus (
8-22
)

4. Closing Greetings and Benediction (
23-25
)

THE LETTER OF SAINT PAUL TO

Salutation

1
 
Paul, a prisoner
for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,

To Phile'mon our beloved fellow worker
²
and
Ap'phia
our sister and Archip'pus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house:

3
 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philemon's Love and Faith

4
 
I thank my God
always when I remember you in my prayers,
⁵
because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and all the saints,
⁶
and I pray that the sharing of your faith may promote the knowledge of all the good that is ours in Christ.
⁷
For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because
the hearts
of the saints have been refreshed through you.

Paul's Plea for Onesimus

8
 Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required,
⁹
yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an
ambassador
^a
and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus—
¹⁰
I appeal to you for
my child, Ones'imus
,
^b
whose father I have become in my imprisonment.
¹¹
(Formerly he was
useless to you, but now he is indeed useful
to you and to me.)
¹²
I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart.
¹³
I would have been glad
to keep him
with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel;
¹⁴
but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own free will.

15
 Perhaps this is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back for ever,
¹⁶
no longer as a slave
but more than a slave, as a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
¹⁷
So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me.
¹⁸
If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.
¹⁹
I, Paul, write this
with my own hand, I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self.
²⁰
Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.

21
 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.
²²
At the same time, prepare a
guest room
for me, for I am hoping through your prayers to be granted to you.

Final Greetings and Benediction

23
 
Ep'aphras, my fellow prisoner
in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you,
²⁴
and so do Mark, Aristar'chus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

25
 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Commentary on The Letter of Saint Paul to Philemon

1 Paul, a prisoner:
Probably in Rome, where he lived for two years under house arrest (Acts 28:16-31). He was imprisoned, not for any crime, but for his commitment to Jesus Christ (Phil 1:13). See introduction:
Author and Date.
Timothy:
A trusted companion of Paul and joint sender of several Pauline letters.
See note on 1 Tim 1:2
.
Philemon:
The primary recipient of the letter. That Paul considers him a fellow worker suggests he is involved in Christian ministry (7). 
Back to text.

2 Apphia:
Possibly Philemon's wife.
Archippus:
Possibly Philemon's son. He is a soldier for Christ who exercises some form of pastoral ministry (Col 4:17).
church in your house:
The word "your" is singular and probably refers to Philemon. Recall that the earliest Christians gathered for liturgy and fellowship in private homes (Acts 2:46; 1 Cor 16:19). 
Back to text.

4 I thank my God:
This verse marks a transition where Paul, previously speaking in the plural ("our"), begins to speak in the singular ("I"). The effect is a heightened sense that Paul is addressing Philemon in a deeply personal and heartfelt way. 
Back to text.

7 the hearts:
Literally, "the bowels" or "internal organs", a Semitic idiom for the place where emotions reside. The expression is used also in verses 12 and 20. 
Back to text.

10 my child, Onesimus:
Implies that Onesimus became a believer through the ministry of Paul, who has thus become his spiritual father in the faith.
See note on 1 Cor 4:15
. 
Back to text.

11 useless . . . useful:
A wordplay on the name Onesimus, which means "useful" or "beneficial". Although he had proven himself useless when he deserted his master, Onesimus has experienced a new birth in Christ and is now ready to live up to his name. 
Back to text.

13-14
Paul wants to keep Onesimus at his side, but he dares not presume upon the kindness of his lawful master, Philemon. It is more honorable that Philemon should give his free consent to Paul's requests than be compelled by his apostolic authority (8-9). 
Back to text.

16 no longer as a slave:
Philemon is faced with a dilemma. As a slave owner, he is entitled by law to punish the returning Onesimus to the fullest extent (death). As a Christian, however, he must acknowledge that the recent conversion of Onesimus has put him and his slave on an equal footing in the eyes of God (Gal 3:28). In Paul's mind, there is only one recommended option: Philemon must embrace Onesi-mus as his brother in the faith, forgive him his wrongdoing, and give him his freedom. Christ has made them brothers, and this creates a new situation that overrides the social and legal expectations that would normally apply when a delinquent slave returned to his owner. These men were once members of the same household, with one in authority over the other; but now they are children of equal standing in the household of God the Father (Philem 3). This is one example of how Paul, who never condemned the institution of slavery directly, worked against it with the gospel (CCC 2414).
See note on 1 Cor 7:21
. • Sometimes evil circumstances become an occasion for good, and God turns the evil plans of men toward a righteous end. If Onesimus had not fled his master, he would not have come to Paul in prison and there received faith in Christ (St. Jerome,
Commentary on Philemon
on Philem 15). 
Back to text.

Word Study

Ambassador
(
Philem 9
)

Presbytēs
(Gk.): refers to an "elderly man" in his early to mid 50s or possibly older. The term is used two other times in the NT (Lk 1:18; Tit 2:2). By using this word in Philem 9, Paul is describing himself as an elderly prisoner in order to elicit respect from Philemon and to gain his favorable response. The reminder of his age is thus an appeal to his emotions and sense of compassion. The RSV's "ambassador" is not a translation in the strict sense but is actually a conjecture made by scholars that Paul must have written a very similar word that was miscopied at an early date (Gk.
presbeutēs
). This alternative also makes good sense of the passage; however, the term for "ambassador" does not appear in any surviving manuscript of the book.

19 I, Paul, write this:
Adds a note of solemnity to the apostle's words.
I will repay:
Paul is ready to compensate Philemon for any losses incurred by the desertion of Onesimus. At the same time, Philemon is reminded of his own debt to Paul, who was instrumental in the slave owner's conversion. 
Back to text.