Who wrote Philemon, and when?
Paul, with Timothy. About AD 60–62, from prison in Rome.
Paul wrote this letter and names Timothy beside himself in the opening greeting. Almost nobody questions that it is Paul's, partly because it is so personal and so short that there would be little reason for anyone to write it in his name. Paul writes as a prisoner, most likely during his house arrest in Rome about AD 60 to 62, though some scholars suggest an earlier imprisonment in Ephesus or Caesarea. The letter seems to have travelled with Colossians, since both mention the same group of people, including Onesimus and Archippus. At one point Paul takes the pen from his scribe and writes a line in his own handwriting to guarantee any debt (see verse 19).
Who was Philemon written to?
Philemon, a believer in Colossae whose house hosted the church, along with Apphia, Archippus and the church.
Philemon was a well off believer in Colossae, a town in what is now Turkey. The church met in his house, and Paul appears to have led him to faith. The letter is addressed to him, to Apphia and Archippus, and to the whole church that gathered there, which means the appeal would be read aloud in front of everyone he knew. Philemon owned slaves, which was ordinary and legal in the Roman world. One of them, Onesimus, had run away, perhaps taking money with him. Under Roman law a returning runaway could be beaten, branded or worse, and neighbours would expect an owner to make an example of him.
What was happening at the time?
Onesimus, Philemon’s slave, had run away, possibly with stolen money, and met Paul in Rome, where he became a Christian and a great help. Roman law allowed harsh punishment for runaways. Paul sends him back with this letter, not commanding but appealing: receive him as you would me, and charge anything he owes to my account.
Why was Philemon written?
To reconcile Onesimus and Philemon as brothers, showing how the gospel transforms relationships.
Paul writes to ask Philemon to take Onesimus back, no longer as a runaway to be punished but as a brother in Christ. He could have ordered it, and says so, yet he chooses to appeal instead so that the kindness comes freely (see verses 8 to 14). He offers to pay whatever Onesimus owes, and gently reminds Philemon of his own debt. The letter never calls for the end of slavery in so many words, yet it quietly removes the ground from under it by making owner and slave family to each other. In the wider story of the Bible, this is what reconciliation with God looks like once it reaches ordinary relationships, and it echoes the way God receives people back.
How to read Philemon today
Philemon is a single chapter of twenty five verses, so read the whole thing at once, then read it again. Watch the way Paul persuades: he praises before he asks, he refuses to use his authority as a lever, and he puts himself in the middle by offering to settle the account. Notice the play on the name Onesimus, which means useful, in verse 11. Do not read the letter as a full answer to the question of slavery, because it does not set out to be one, and do not treat its gentleness as an excuse for avoiding hard conversations. While reading, pray for one relationship of your own that needs a first move towards peace.
The key verse in Philemon
no longer as a slave but more than a slave—a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
Passages worth knowing in Philemon
- Philemon 1:4-7
Philemon’s love and faith
The hearts of the saints refreshed by you.
- Philemon 1:8-16
The appeal for Onesimus
No longer as a slave but as a beloved brother.
- Philemon 1:17-22
Put that on my account
A picture of Christ paying our debt.
The main themes of Philemon
- Reconciliation
- Brotherhood in Christ
- Forgiveness
- Appeal rather than command
- The gospel and slavery
An outline of Philemon
| Section | Chapters |
|---|---|
| Greeting, appeal and farewell | 1 |