Where it fits

Philemon is the eighteenth book of the New Testament and the shortest of Paul's letters, with a single chapter of 25 verses. Paul wrote it from prison, probably around the same time as Colossians, to Philemon, a believer who hosted a church in his house in Colossae, along with Apphia, Archippus, and the congregation. Read straight through, it takes about three minutes.

Who, to whom, and why

The story behind the letter has to be pieced together from hints. Onesimus was Philemon's slave, and he had come to Paul in prison. The traditional view is that Onesimus ran away, perhaps after taking something (v. 18). Some scholars suggest he had quarreled with Philemon and sought out Paul to speak up for him. Either way, he became a believer through Paul (v. 10), and the two grew close. Now Paul is sending him back with this letter, and in Roman law Philemon had the power to punish him severely.

Paul writes with great tact. He begins with warm praise for Philemon's love and faith (vv. 4–7). He then makes his request, not as an order, though he could command (vv. 8–9), but out of love. He plays on the name Onesimus, which means “useful”: once useless to Philemon, now useful to both of them (vv. 10–11). He suggests that Onesimus may have been separated from Philemon for a while so that Philemon could have him back forever, no longer as a slave but as more than a slave, a beloved brother (vv. 15–16). He asks Philemon to welcome him as he would welcome Paul (v. 17), offers to repay anything Onesimus owes, and then gently reminds Philemon that he owes Paul his own self (vv. 18–19). Paul says he is confident Philemon will do even more than he asks (v. 21).

Three ideas to hold on to

1. The gospel turns strangers into family. Paul asks Philemon to receive Onesimus as a beloved brother, both as a person and in the Lord (v. 16). The relationship between master and slave is not left as it was.
2. Love persuades better than authority. Paul says he could command, but he appeals out of love so that Philemon's goodness would be freely given, not forced (vv. 8–9, 14).
3. Someone steps in and takes the debt. Paul says that if Onesimus has wronged Philemon or owes him anything, it should be charged to Paul's account (vv. 18–19).

Passages people ask about

• Philemon 10–16. Paul's appeal for Onesimus, with the wordplay on his name. Verse 16 is the heart of the letter.
• Philemon 21. Paul says he is sure Philemon will do more than he asks. People still debate what the “more” means: freeing Onesimus, sending him back to help Paul, or something else. Paul never says.
• Colossians 4:7–9. A companion passage. Paul sends Onesimus, “one of you,” to Colossae with Tychicus, which fits the idea that he was being sent home.

How it points to Jesus

Paul's strongest picture is one he never names. He stands between a wronged person and a person in debt and says, in effect, put it on my account. Christians have long seen in that a small portrait of what Jesus does for people: taking on a debt that isn't his and making a stranger a brother. Paul calls himself a prisoner of Christ Jesus (vv. 1, 9) and calls Onesimus his own child (v. 10). In Colossians he tells believers to forgive as the Lord forgave them (3:13).

A common misunderstanding

Some point to Philemon as proof that the Bible approves of slavery, since Paul sends Onesimus back and never says slavery is wrong. Others read it as a quiet argument against it. Paul gives no general rule here, and he doesn't order Philemon to free Onesimus. But he does tell him to receive Onesimus as a brother in Christ, and many readers have found that hard to square with owning him. An honest reading holds both facts: the letter is silent where we wish it spoke, and it plants ideas that later helped Christians to oppose slavery.