by Dr. Grant C. Richison
Philemon 1: 2 “…to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house…”
to the beloved Apphia,
Apphia was the wife of Philemon (v. 1). Wives had the responsibility for slaves and thus Apphia had an interest in Onesimus’ situation. The wife, according to the custom of the times, had responsibility […]
Philemon 1: 2 “…to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house…”
Archippus our fellow soldier,
Archippus was Philemon’s son or possibly the pastor of the congregation or both. He was a “fellow soldier” with Paul. A “fellow soldier” is someone who undergoes brutal battle in campaigns for the cause […]
Philemon 1: 2 “…to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house…”
and to the church in your house
Churches met in homes until A.D. 200. There were no church buildings until the third century. This church met in Philemon’s house, not Archippus’ house.
Paul wanted the letter to Philemon to […]
Philemon 1: 3 “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
This verse expresses the usual, customary greeting from Paul. However, greetings in the New Testament are far from convention. They are a hope for the readers.
Grace to you
“Grace” is what God does for the believer because of […]
Philemon 1: 3 “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
and peace
“Peace” is the result of grace. It is the product of grace. There is no peace apart from grace whether in initial salvation or in progressive sanctification.
from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
The source […]
Philemon1: 4 “I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers…”
The first three verses comprise the introduction to Philemon and verse four begins the body of the epistle.
I thank my God,
All of Paul’s epistles begin with a thanksgiving except one where it is conspicuous by its absence — Galatians contains no […]
Philemon1: 5 …hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints…”
hearing of your love and faith
Paul now gives the reason he thanked God for Philemon in the previous verse. He continually was “hearing” [present tense] of Philemon’s character. Philemon developed a capacity of character that […]
Philemon 1: 5 …hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints…”
and toward all the saints
Philemon cared about other believers. Paul is sending the renegade Onesimus back to his master Philemon with the letter to Philemon. Paul could trust Philemon in dealing fairly with Onesimus. Philemon […]
Philemon1: 6 “…that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.”
Now we come to the burden of Paul’s prayer (v.5).
that the sharing of your faith may become effective
Paul prayed that Philemon would not only share his faith but that […]
Philemon1: 6 “…that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.”
by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus
The more a person acknowledges what he has in Christ, the more active and effective he becomes in […]
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