Meaning of Philemon 1:1-3

The letter to Philemon is a heartfelt request by the Apostle Paul for Philemon to fondly welcome and embrace his runaway slave, Onesimus. There is little known about many characters named in this letter, with most only mentioned one or two times.

However, Paul seems to know the people of this letter quite well.

Meaning of Philemon 1:1

Paul refers to himself as a prisoner for Christ. The word for prisoner in this setting means one who is bound, which Paul makes use of four times in this letter:

Paul is a prisoner for Christ (Philemon 1:1), now an old man that is imprisoned for Christ (Philemon 1:9), he fathered Onesimus while imprisoned (Philemon 1:10), and he would have gladly kept Onesimus as a minister from Philemon during his imprisonment (Philemon 1:13).

Paul may have used this phrase for emotive effect; making himself like Onesimus, whom likewise was not free. However, Paul never mentions freedom, nor does he tease out a similarity between his circumstance and that of Onesimus. Therefore, while it fuels a powerful imagery, perfect for the pulpit, it may be a stretch too far.

It's possible, and in my view more probable, that his repetition is significant only in that it is the circumstance for which he met Onesimus, as hinted at in the tenth verse.

Meaning of Philemon 1:2

Having greeted Philemon as a fellow worker for the gospel of Christ, he now greets two people by name, as well as the church gathering in Philemon's home.

The first named individual is a woman, Apphia, who isn't mentioned elsewhere. Whereas the second is Archippus, who is mentioned in the letter to the Colossians. Onesimus, introduced later in this letter, is likewise mentioned in the letter to the Colossians, which suggests three things:

1. These letters were written during the same period of imprisonment

2. That Philemon was based in Colossae

3. The letter to the Colossians could have been for the wider church that gathered at Philemon's house.

There are many clues that some or all of these scenarios are more than unlikely:

Firstly, Paul co-authors both letters with Timothy and mentions his imprisonment. These details suggest the letters occupied a specific window of time where both were together and Paul was imprisoned. The first and second letters to Timothy came at a later date and Timothy is no longer with Paul.

Secondly, both letters send greetings on behalf of Mark, Aristarchus, Luke, Demas and Epaphras. Likewise to the first point, the intersection of these names suggests a window of time when all met together.

Thirdly, both letters mention Archippus and Onesimus, who appear to be of the same household. The letter to Philemon is mostly a private letter, greeting but not addressing the wider church, which leads some to believe that Apphia is Philemon's wife and Archippus his son.

Finally Epaphras is mentioned early and prominently as a minister on your behalf in the letter to Colossians (Colossians 1:7), mirroring the role that Onesimus played in Paul's imprisonment (Philemon 1:13), and he is named first among all those that send their greetings in this letter (Philemon 1:23). Epaphras seems to hold a special significance both to the church in Colossae and the church in the household of Philemon.

Meaning of Philemon 1:3

Paul's customary greeting of grace and peace—which in this case means God's general blessings, not his salvific grace—are expressed as being from God the Father and Jesus Christ the Lord.

Some unrepentant and sinful men take the Father and Christ to be two separate beings. Others take it to be two different modes of the same being. However, an understanding of Pauline epistles suggests neither and both are so flawed that they rob us of a proper view of God.

Throughout the letters of Paul it is clear that God is a single sovereign being through whom all exist, and that Jesus is Lord through whom all exist (1 Corinthians 8:6). His reference to Philemon as "fellow worker" in this letter suggests that Paul was far from alone in his theology, as some have suggested.

Taken properly, the meaning of the third verse is that Paul, a messenger of God, reminds them for whom they are of service.

Final Thoughts

The letter to Philemon is often under-appreciated by the congregation and neglected by the pulpit. This is a shame on both accounts.

We can read this letter as though it is an extension to the letter of Colossians; it brings character to an otherwise distant past. For what the letter lacks in establishing doctrine, it more than compensates with its radical demonstration of the Christian life.