NEW TRANSLATION. 1 Paul confined with a chain for Christ Jesus, and Timothy 2 OUR brother,3 to Philemon the beloved, and our fellow-labourer, 4

2 And to Apphia the beloved, and to Archippus 1 our fellow-soldier, and to the church (xar') in thy house:

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

4 I give thanks to my God1 always, when I make mention of thee in my prayers,

5 Having heard1 of thy love and faith which thou hast (g) toward the Lord Jesus and (c) to all the saints.

COMMENTARY.

Ver. 1 Paul confined with a chain for preaching Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, and Timothy our brother minister, to Philemon the beloved of us both, and our fellow-labourer in the gospel,

2 And to Apphia the beloved of all who know her, and to Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to that part of the church at Colosse which is in thy house: See Rom. xvi. 5. note 1.

3 We wish increase of the favour of God and of good dispositions to you, and happiness temporal and eternal, from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ.

4 I Paul give thanks to my God always, when I make mention of thee Philemon in my prayers, (see 2 Tim. i. 3. note 3.)

5 Having heard of the increase of thy love and faith which thou hast towards the Lord Jesus and to all who are styled saints, because they believe on and worship the true God in sincerity.

Ver. 2.-1. And to Apphia the beloved, and to Archippus. These persons being mentioned after Philemon, and before the church in his house, it is a presumption, as the commentators observe, that they were his relations, lived in family with him, and made a part of the church in his house.-Because Apphia is mentioned before Archippus a minister of the gospel, some of the fathers conjecture that Apphia was Philemon's wife. Lightfoot saith Archippus was his son.

2. Our fellow-soldier. See Philip. ii. 25. note 1.—By addressing this letter, not only to Philemon, but to Apphia also, and Archippus, and to the church in Philemon's house, and by wishing them all manner of felicity, the apostle interested the whole of Philemon's family to aid him in his solicitation for Onesimus.

Ver. 4-1. I give thanks to my God, &c. By telling Philemon that he thanked God always in his prayers for his increasing faith and love, he in a very delicate manner prepared him for listening to the request he was about to make in behalf of Onesimus. For it was a telling him, in an indirect

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

7 For we have great joy and consolation in thy love,

because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.

8 Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient,

manner, that his own benevolent disposition would lead him to pardon Onesimus, although he had greatly offended him.

Ver. 5.-1. Heard of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and to all the saints. By a transposition not uncommon in the most elegant writings, love here, refers to the saints; and faith, to the Lord Jesus. See Matth. xii. 22. 1 Cor. vi. 11.-Mill mentions some ancient MSS. and versions which read in this verse, Heard of thy faith and love, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and to all the saints. From the expression, Heard of thy love, &c. some have inferred that the apostle was not personally acquainted with Philemon. But that no such inference can be drawn from this expression, see proved, Ephes. i. 15. note 1.

Ver. 6.-1. I pray that the communication, &c. Benson and Bengelius are of opinion, that the words xoLVIVID THE WISEWS σs, do not mean Philemon's imparting the fruits of his faith to others, but his partaking of faith in common with other Christians. But, if the words rais ayus, to the saints, are supplied from the foregoing verse, after the words, thy faith, in this verse, it will afford a meaning more agreeable to the scope of the apostle's discourse. For by a common metonymy, faith, may signify the fruits of faith; and κοινωνία, construed with dative of the person, often signifies the imparting of a thing to others. See 1 John i. 3. note 3. where the different meanings of xovavia are given: Also Rom. xii. 13. Gal. vi. 6. where xove signifies to distribute or impart to another.

2. To the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you. By using the word you, the apostle praised all the members of Philemon's family for their works of charity to the saints; but more especially Philemon himself; as it is here insinuated, that his family were led to do these benevolent offices in imitation of him.

Ver. 7.-1. The bowels of the saints are refreshed. If, by the bowels of the saints, the apostle meant the saints themselves, the refreshment of which he speaks, was produced by the relief which Philemon's works of charity

6 I PRAY that the communication of thy faith may be effectual,' (v) to the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you? (s) toward Christ Jesus.

7 For we have much joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels' of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother. 2

8 (A) Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee what is fit;

6 Also I pray, that the communi cation of the fruits of thy faith to the saints, in the many good offices which thou dost to them, may be effectual for bringing others to the acknowledgment of every good disposition, which is in you towards the members of Christ.

7 For we ourselves have much joy and consolation in thy love, more particularly because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother: thy house is open to them: thy riches are a relief to all the saints.

8 Wherefore though I might be very bold as an apostle in the church of Christ, to enjoin thee, his disciple, to do what is fit in the affair I am going to mention ;

brought to them in their distresses. And the saints who were thus refreshed, were not those alone who lived in Philemon's neighbourhood, but those also who were driven from their homes for the name of Christ; or, who went about preaching the gospel. Perhaps also the apostle meant, that the knowledge of Philemon's charitable actions gave great joy, even to the saints who had no need of his good offices. This joy, as well as the relief above mentioned, is fitly compared by the apostle to the refreshment which a person faint with thirst receives from drink. See verse 20. note 2.

2. By thee brother. The apostle calls Philemon his brother, not merely because he was a Christian, but because he was a Christian of the same good dispositions with himself, and one whom he tenderly loved. By placing this appellation in the end of the sentence, he gave it an engaging emphasis: So that it could not fail to make a strong impression on Philemon's mind.

Ver. 8.-1. Wherefore though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee, &c. The apostle's management in this part of his letter is excellent. He tells Philemon that although, as an apostle of Christ, he might have commanded him to do what was fit in the affair he was about to mention, he' would not use his authority, but rather beseech him as a friend to do it. And to persuade him, he suggested such things as one friend might with propriety mention to another, of whom he was asking a favour. The person who besought Philemon, was Paul, who as we shall see immediately, was his spiritual father; Paul grown old in the service of the gospel; and Paul now also confined with a chain for preaching Christ: considerations which must have made a deep impression on Philemon, who being himself a sincere Christian, could not but wish to gratify one, who, at the expense

of unspeakable labour and suffering, had done the greatest service to mankind, by communicating to them the knowledge of the gospel.

Ver. 9.-1. Being such an one as Paul the aged. Although at the time of the stoning of Stephen, Saul is said to have been a young man, Acts vii. 58. it does not imply that he was then a mere youth. The witnesses laying their clothes at his feet, and his immediately taking an active part in persecuting the disciples, but especially his receiving a commission for that purpose from the chief priests, are proofs that he possessed both judgment and experience. Wherefore, at the stoning of Stephen, he may have been thirty years old; at which age he might very properly be called a young man. See Pref. to 1 Tim. Sect. 2.-Between the death of Stephen and Saul's conversion, some time elapsed. From the time of his conversion to the writing of this letter, he had laboured in the gospel near thirty years: So that, being now sixty years old or more, he was really an aged person.—Benson following Theophylact, says @girburns in this passage has the signification of peobeurns, an ambassador; and in support of his opinion he cites some passages from the LXX. and from the Apocrypha.

Ver. 10.-1. I beseech thee. There is a beautiful emphasis in the repetition of the words, I beseech, which he had introduced in the preceding

verse.

2. For my son, whom I begat in my bonds, even Onesimus. Onesimus's name, in the end of this sentence, has a fine effect, by keeping the reader in suspense. This every person of taste must perceive. The apostle would not so much as mention Onesimus's name, till he had prepared Philemon for hearing it; and when he does mention it, instead of calling him a fugitive slave, or even a slave simply, he calls him his own son; to shew that he had a tender affection for him, and was much interested in his welfare. And then by telling Philemon, that he had begotten him in his bonds, he insinuated, that Onesimus was not discouraged from becoming a Christian by the apostle's bonds. Being therefore a firm believer, he was not unworthy of the pardon the apostle solicited for him.-In this beautiful passage, there

9 Yet, instead of using my authority, by that love which thou bearest to the saints and to me, I rather beseech thee, who am such an one as Paul, thy friend, grown old in the service of the gospel; and now also confined with a chain for preaching Jesus Christ :

10 By all these considerations I beseech thee for my son, whom I begat in my bonds, and who on that account is very dear to me, even Onesimus. 11 Who, I acknowledge, formerly was to thee an unprofitable slave, but now having embraced the gospel, he will, by his faithful affectionate services, be very profitable to thee, even as he has been to me since his conversion.

is a groupe of the most affecting arguments closely crowded together. On the one hand, we have Philemon's own reputation for goodness; his friendship to the apostle; his respect for his character; reverence for his age; compassion for his bonds; and at the same time an insinuation of that obedience which Philemon owed to him as an apostle. On the other hand, we have Onesimus's repentance, and return to virtue; his profession of the Christian religion, notwithstanding the evils to which it exposed him; and his being the object of his spiritual father's tender affection. In short, every word contains an argument. Philemon therefore must have been exceedingly affected by this moving passage.

Ver. 11.-1. Who formerly was to thee unprofitable. The apostle, with admirable address, gives the softest name possible to Onesimus's misbehaviour; because he did not choose that Philemon should fix his thoughts on the heinous nature of his slave's offence, lest it might have inflamed his resentment too much.

2. But now will be very profitable to thee even as to me. To shew the sincerity of Onesimus's repentance, the apostle mentioned the experience which he himself had had of his good disposition, in the many affectionate services which he had received from him during his confinement. After such a proof, Philemon could have no doubt of Onesimus's virtue and fidelity.-Doddridge, Bengelius, and others, think the name Onesimus, which comes from the verb ovnu, signifying to profit, was given to slaves by way of good omen, to express the advantage they were to bring to their masters by their services; and that in this passage there is an allusion to the signi