Category Archives: Philemon

When you think of the word Philemon pronunciation is maybe the first thing that comes to mind.

But the pronunciation of Philemon is pretty simple.

Who Was Philemon?

Philemon is the name of a man who received a letter from the Apostle Paul in the New Testament.

What Language?

Now, Paul wrote in Greek to this man. And in Greek, his name is…

φιλήμονος

And that looks complicated to the typical English reader. But let’s break it down.

The Greek Letters Behind Philemon’s Pronunciation

• φ is the Greek consonant phi and it sounds like an English f.
• ι is the Greek vowel iota and it sounds like a short English i.
• λ is the Greek consonant lambda and sounds like the English l.
• ή is the Greek vowel eta which sounds like ay in the English word say. Also notice the accent mark above the letter. That most likely means that this vowel was given the stress when the word was pronounced.
• μ is the Greek consonant mu and sounds like an English m.
• ο is the vowel omicron and sounds like a short o in English.
• ν is the consonant nu and sounds like the English n.
• ο (see above!)
• ς is the Greek consonant sigma in the form they used to end words (Yes, they had two forms of that one Greek letter!). It sounds like an English s.

Philemon Pronunciation in Greek

So, when you put these letters all together you have a word that sounds like this…

Philemon Pronunciation in English

And yet, we English speakers don’t usually pronounce our words like this. So, here’s the more typical way to pronounce Philemon in English…

How Philemon is Abbreviated

And if you’re curious as to how Philemon might be abbreviated when referenced as a book of the Bible, it can appear as Phm. as in Phm 1:4 or simply (because it consists of only one chapter) Phm 4.

After revealing the author and recipients of this letter and then giving his typical greeting, Paul in Philemon 1:4 begins his main message to Philemon. And interestingly enough – he begins by revealing how he prays for this man.

I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers,

Paul Thanks God for Philemon

The first thing that Paul wants Philemon to know is that he thanks God his God. This is that God the Father that he mentioned in Philemon 1:3 who gives grace and peace. He’s the one common Father of all believers – Philemon, Paul, and everyone else. And it’s to this God that Paul gives thanks.

Paul Prayed for Philemon

But what is it that’s encouraging Paul to give thanks to his God in this context? Paul gives thanks to his God when he makes mention of Philemon in his prayers.

As Paul prayed, he would apparently often/all the time/”always” think of this beloved fellow-worker of his. And as he thought of Philemon he couldn’t help but gives thanks to God for him.

Why Give Thanks?

And Paul continues in Philemon 1:5 to explain what it is that makes him thank his God for this brother.

Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints;

This hearing that Paul mentions is what prompts him to make mention always of Philemon – which in turn causes the apostle to give thanks to his God for this beloved fellow-worker.

What Had Paul Heard?

Paul has heard of Philemon’s love and faith. And he says that Philemon has these two things toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints.

Philemon Loved Jesus and Believers

It’s easy to see how Philemon would have love for both Jesus and his fellow sanctified ones (“saints”). Just the fact that Philemon hosted a local assembly of believers in his home is enough to strongly indicate his love for Christ and his followers.

In addition, Philemon – through his labors with Paul and Timothy – had become one whom they considered to be a beloved fellow-worker. One who has no love for Jesus Christ or his people would not be thought of in this way by someone as spiritually mature as the apostle Paul.

Philemon Trusted Jesus Christ

So, it’s easy to see how Philemon could be said to have love for Christ and other believers. It’s also easy to see how Philemon had faith toward (προς) Jesus. Paul says in Ephesians 2 that we’re saved by grace through faith. This is the starting point for the Christian – faith in Jesus Christ to save him from his sin.

Philemon Had Faith… Toward Saints???

But how can it be said that Philemon has faith toward (εις) all the saints?

First of all, notice the different preposition in Greek as it relates to Jesus (προς) and to the saints (εις). Philemon has love and faith pros Jesus Christ and eis all the saints. He uses different prepositions to apply those two realities to both Jesus and believers.

Then what we have is the possibility that eis means something more like among rather than toward. Philemon has/demonstrates/acts out love and faith as he lives among his fellow-believers.

Back to Why Paul Prays for Philemon

And so, in Philemon 1:6, Paul goes back to an idea he started in verse 4. There he was thanking God as he made mention of Philemon.

Then he took a short detour in verse 5 and seemed to want to express what caused him to make mention of Philemon – that he was hearing of this man’s faith and love.

But now, Paul wants to get back to speaking of why he makes constant mention of Philemon. He does this so…

That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

This is why Paul makes constant mention of Philemon to the Lord. So that the communication or of his faith may become effectual.

What does that mean?

Philemon Shared Because of His Faith

Another way that communication is translated is fellowship. And it’s a fellowship of Philemon’s faith. It’s what he shares in common with other believers through or because of his faith.

What does Philemon share in common with other believers as a result of his trusting Jesus Christ? Well, we’ve seen that Philemon shares his physical home in common with other believers – the church that was meeting in his house. He did this solely because of his faith in Christ.

Philemon’s Sharing Needs to Become Effectual?

And that was a good sign – that he was sharing even his own home in common with other believers because of his faith in Christ. But why does Paul need to pray that this sharing would become effectual?

The word effectual is a Greek word from which we get the term energetic. So, Paul is wanting Philemon’s sharing to become more and more energetic or operative or lively. Why does he want that?

Paul Wants Philemon to Share His Former Servant

Well, we’re going to see later on in this book that Paul is wanting Philemon to share a former slave of his named Philemon. And so, Paul starts off his letter to this man that seeks something of his by admitting that he does pray for Philemon to grow in his sharing of his things.

What Helps Us Share?

And Paul says that this sharing will become more operative by the acknowledging every good thing that is in “you [all]” in Christ Jesus.

Isn’t it often easier to share when you know how many good things you really have from Christ? How much more easily we can part with the trinkets of this life by lending them to others when we know how much treasure we truly have in this life and in the life to come.

In Christ, the believer has everything he needs and more. So, Paul is praying that God would help Philemon to see how much good he and his family and church have (you is plural, after all) because of Christ. And he then seems to hope that this will cause Philemon to hold everything in this life – including his servant Onesimus – with a loose hand, willing to share with others.

After revealing the authors of Philemon as well as the recipients, Paul goes on to utter his oft-repeated greeting in Philemon 1:3.

Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is a familiar greeting from the apostle Paul. In fact, in each of the thirteen New Testament letters he wrote he starts with some form of this statement.

But there are a few nuances to each “Grace to You” greeting he gives.

In all thirteen greetings, Paul mentions grace and peace. From there, there are some differences.

For example, all that he mentions in 1 Thessalonians 1:1 is grace and peace and he wishes/prays it for you all. But he doesn’t mention from where this grace and peace come.

In Colossians 1:2 Paul says that the grace and peace come from God our Father.

And then in the other eleven greetings he gives, he mentions that this grace and peace are from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

In 1 and 2 Timothy, Paul adds a wish/prayer for mercy for Timothy in addition to grace and peace. And in Titus, he adds that Jesus Christ is our savior.

But in Philemon – in the context – Paul is writing to a man and his household and even his church that he hosts in his home and he wishes that God would add to them what only God can add – real grace and real peace.

Philemon as I’ve argued is likely wealthy. He also has a believing family. What more could he need?

He needs what we all need – more grace and more peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

There’s a saying that comes up around holidays that goes something like “get x-product for the man/woman that has everything.” Do you know what to give to the fellow Christian in this life that seems to have everything? Pray for them along these lines – that God would give them more and more grace and more and more peace.

Money doesn’t give grace and peace. A good home life doesn’t give grace and peace – at least not as much as we need. God uses things in this life to convey grace and peace to us. And yet – it all comes from God. And we need as much of it as he will give.

So, let’s pray this way for each other like Paul and Timothy prayed for Philemon, Apphia, Archippus, and the church in Philemon’s house (“you” is plural, after all).

So, we’ve established that Paul and Timothy are the authors of the New Testament letter of Philemon.

But now, to whom are they writing? Philemon 1:1 continues and tells us the recipient of this letter and what Paul and Timothy consider him to be to them.

Recipient: Philemon

unto Philemon

our dearly beloved,
and fellowlabourer,

So, Paul and Timothy are writing to a man named Philemon.

How to Pronounce “Philemon”

Let’s get something out of the way first. How do you pronounce that name Philemon? It’s not that common of a name where I’m from – maybe you’re like me and you don’t know anyone by that name.

The Greek word is φιλήμονι. Transliterated into English that’s philemoni. The last i at the end of the word is simply telling us that this letter is being written to this man, so we can drop it out for now, leaving philemon. The first i is short, the e sounds like ay and the o is short. So, you would pronounce Philemon like Phih-LAY-mon. Almost like you’re a Jamaican telling someone the fish is ready to eat – “There’s a filet, man!”

Who is Philemon?

So, we know how to say his name. But who is Philemon?

Well, he’s actually not mentioned anywhere in Scripture outside of this epistle. So, we have to gather our facts about this man from this short book that bears his name.

And so, what does the apostle Paul say about this man Philemon in this book written to him?

Dearly Beloved

First, Philemon is our dearly beloved. Both Paul and Timothy loved this man. When they’re writing to this man they’re not writing to a stranger. They’re not writing to an enemy. They’re not even writing to a fair-weather lukewarm friend. They are writing to someone that they both love.

Fellowlabourer

And part of why Paul and Timothy love Philemon surely must involve the second description given to him – that he’s a fellowlabourer of Paul and Timothy. He has worked with them in times past and continues to work with them.

But, what kind of work are we talking about? Is Paul saying that Philemon was a tent-maker like he was for a living?

No, I think it goes beyond that. Paul made tents so that he could do the work he was really called to – preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to both Jew and Gentile. And I think it’s that work that Paul is referring to here.

Philemon was – in some ways at least – in on the action that Paul and Timothy were involved in – evangelizing and doing the work of the ministry. He was a fellow-worker with them in this business of spreading the news of forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

So, when Paul and Timothy consider Philemon, they think of a man that they just absolutely love. And part of that love they have for him stems from the fact that he is interested in proclaiming the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Philemon’s Not Alone

And actually, I’ve been speaking so far as if there was only one recipient of this letter. But actually, in Philemon 1:2, Paul and Timothy name two more individuals that they’re writing this letter to – as well as a congregation of people of some size that they intend to have this letter read to.

And to

our beloved Apphia,

and

Archippus our fellowsoldier,

and to

the church in thy house:

Recipient: Apphia

So, Paul and Timothy are writing this letter – anticipating that this lady named Apphia will read it. We know she’s a lady because her name in Greek is feminine.

Beloved/Sister

The King James Version quoted above has her as the beloved. This corresponds to how Paul and Timothy describe Philemon – just in the feminine form (Greek: agapete) rather than the masculine (Greek: agapeto) describing Philemon.

However, the Nestle-Aland and UBS Greek texts have the word sister (Greek: adelfe) instead of beloved (Greek: agapete).

So, if the original writing was beloved then Paul and Timothy consider Apphia as just a precious to them as they consider Philemon.

If the original was sister then that sort of coincides with how Paul described Timothy in Philemon 1:1 (as “brother”) perhaps pointing to the fact that just like Timothy was a helper to Paul, so too was Apphia a helper to Philemon.

Now, Apphia’s relationship to Philemon was likely that of spouse. In other words, she was Philemon’s wife.

And if that’s the case, then quite possibly the next name mentioned was their son.

Recipient: Archippus

Archippus is said to be the fellowsoldier of Paul and Timothy. Paul is speaking metaphorically.

That is, Paul and Timothy and Archippus were not all in the Roman army together. They certainly weren’t in some sort of early Christian militia.

No – Paul says in 2 Corinthians that his weapons – and ours – are not carnal. He and all Christians are in a war – but we’re not fighting against humans. Our enemy is spiritual and unseen. We wrestle not against flesh and blood, he admits in Ephesians. Our struggle is against spiritual invisible enemies.

And Archippus has entered that battle alongside of Paul and Timothy. They knew him and knew of his fighting in prayer and in other spiritual disciplines.

Archippus may likely have been the son of Philemon and Apphia – and he was probably at least in his teens.

And if that’s the case, then what we see here in Philemon 1:2 is a wonderful picture of a family determined to do God’s will. We see each of the members of that family faithfully following Christ and thereby earning the commendation of the apostle Paul and Timothy.

So, Paul and Timothy are writing to a family of believers.

Recipient: The Church Hosted by Philemon

But Paul’s not done yet. Because not only did Philemon’s abode house a family of believers – it housed a church.

Paul writes to the church in Philemon’s house. So, apparently Philemon and his family hosted a gathering of believers regularly in his home.

Of course, Church buildings as we know them today were likely not being constructed in the times of the apostle Paul. When a number of sinners were won to Christ, they had to find a place to meet. And often – from casual references in the New Testament – it seems that these congregations would meet in the home of a more wealthy individual in the church who would have a home large enough to host numerous individuals.

And so, Philemon – as we can imagine – may have been wealthy in addition to being godly.

The picture we get of this man keeps getting more and more encouraging. He’s a beloved fellow-worker of the apostolic company. His wife is a believer and his son is also. They have kindly opened their home to the church in their city. And this man is getting these commendations by no less a spiritually-mature man than the apostle Paul. Philemon is a godly man.

In Philemon 1 we see the co-authors of this letter and how they’d like to be thought of by the recipient of their epistle.

Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother,

Philemon Author: Paul

So, we have Paul who sees himself as a prisoner of Jesus Christ.

Paul was in prison at this time. He was a prisoner – but why? It’s because of Jesus Christ. He is in prison for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s not for his own crimes that he’s there. He’s incarcerated for serving Christ and doing his will.

So then, Paul writes from a position of weakness and servitude and self-denial – all attitudes and actions that he will call the recipient of this letter to in the ensuing verses.

And when it comes down to it, Paul eventually asks the recipient of this epistle to send a helper back to him. And we can see why he needs this helper – because he is in prison. Not a modern American prison with room service and all the frills. But we’re talking about an ancient Roman prison where you can use all the help you can get.

So, that’s one author of this book – Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ. The one in prison because of Jesus Christ.

Philemon Author: Timothy

We also have Timothy who is a brother.

The brother of whom? we may ask.

Timothy is the brother of both Paul and of the recipient of this letter – but not in the physical literal sense. They didn’t share a father or a mother. We know that fact from the book of Acts. Timothy was not physically related to Paul.

So, Paul is speaking metaphorically of Timothy being his brother. In Christ, our union with fellow-believers is so close it can be compared to a family setting. We’re all brothers and sisters. And we share one common Father – the Lord who saved us from our sins through the death of his Son, Jesus Christ.

So, these are the authors of this New Testament letter.