Name
The title “Philemon ” comes from the intended audience designated in 1:1b, “To Philemon our dear friend and coworker.” The body of the epistle makes it clear that Paul’s intended audience is Philemon, his wife Apphia, his son Archippus, and the members of his household.
Author
Paul explicitly claims authorship of Philemon in 1:1, 1:9, and 1:19. Almost all scholars accept Pauline authorship based on his claim, and the similarities to other Pauline letters.
Many early church fathers provide external evidence of Pauline authorship, including Ignatius, Tertullian, Origen, and Eusebius.
Note: Pauline authorship of the pastoral epistles (1 & 2 Timothy and Titus) remained unchallenged until the early 1800’s when liberal scholar J.E.C. Schmidt denied they were authentic to Paul. None of Schmidt’s claim’s supporting his argument of non-Pauline authorship holds up under scrutiny.
Genre
Epistle
Literary Form
The epistle to Philemon is a private personal letter in which Paul pleads for a runaway slave named Onesimus.
Time Frame
Most conservative scholars include Titus in the group of prison epistles (Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Titus) written about A.D. 60-61 during the two-year period Paul was being held in a Roman prison.
Emphasis
Philemon was a Colossian believer (Colossians 4:17) whom Paul had converted (v. 19). Onesimus, Philemon’s slave, had run away and made it to Rome, where he attended to Paul while Paul was in prison. Paul also witnessed to Onesimus, who became a believer.
Paul felt it best for Onesimus to return to his master. Paul sent him back to Philemon with this letter as an appeal to treat him not as a runaway slave but as a brother in Christ.
Outline
- Greeting and salutation (1:1-3)
- Thanksgiving and Prayer for Philemon (14-7)
- Paul’s appeal on behalf of Onesimus (1:8-20)
- Concluding plans and greetings (1:21-25)
