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Bible chapter guide
Philemon 1
From prison Paul writes to Philemon about Onesimus, his runaway slave, who has become a believer and like a son to Paul. Paul sends him back, 'no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother', and offers to pay whatever he owes.
Summary written for the Labs; read the chapter itself for the full text.
See it in the Labs
- Paul's RoadsPhilemon · Paul's RoadsOpen
- Paul's RoadsOnesimus · Paul's RoadsOpen
- Paul's RoadsPhilemon · Paul's RoadsOpen
- Paul's RoadsEpaphras · Paul's RoadsOpen
- Paul's RoadsDemas · Paul's RoadsOpen
- Paul's RoadsRome: release? (Later (debated)) · Paul's RoadsOpen
The letter: who wrote it, where and when
These questions are debated; the views are shown side by side with how sure each is, as in Paul's Roads.
- Strongly supported
Philemon and Colossians were sent together.
They share senders and greeters (Epaphras, Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke) and the same messengers, Tychicus and Onesimus (Colossians 4:7–9).
- Plausible
Philemon written from Rome
The traditional view: Acts 28:30–31 has Paul two years under guard in Rome, free to receive visitors, and the letters mention Caesar's household and the praetorian guard (Philippians 1:13; 4:22).
- Plausible
Philemon written from Ephesus
Paul speaks of many imprisonments and of deadly peril in Asia (2 Corinthians 1:8; 11:23), and Ephesus lies close to Colossae and Philippi for the many journeys the letters assume; but Acts records no imprisonment at Ephesus.
- Speculative
Philemon written from Caesarea
Paul was held two years at Caesarea (Acts 24:27) with friends allowed to visit him (24:23); a minority reading places some prison letters there.
How sure can we be?
- Textually stated
Demas went from fellow worker to deserter.
Philemon 24 lists him among Paul's fellow workers; 2 Timothy 4:10 says he deserted Paul, having loved this present world.
- Textually stated
Timothy is named as co-sender of six of Paul's letters.
2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians and Philemon open with Paul and Timothy (with Silas in the Thessalonian letters).
- Strongly supported
Onesimus was Philemon's slave, who met Paul while Paul was a prisoner.
Philemon 10–16: Paul became his father in the faith in his chains and sends him back 'no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother'. Why he was with Paul (a runaway, or sent to ask for help) is debated.
- Plausible
Philemon's house church was at Colossae.
The letter names no city. Colossians 4:9 sends Onesimus home as 'one of you', and Archippus, greeted in Philemon 2, is greeted in Colossians 4:17.
- Speculative
Paul was released from his first Roman imprisonment, about AD 62.
Philippians and Philemon expect release; the Pastoral Letters describe travels that do not fit Acts; 1 Clement 5 and Eusebius tell of a later ministry and a second imprisonment. None of this is certain.