Christianity became strong where Hellenism had been weak. The Church o£ Philadelphia, founded probably at the time of St. Paul's residence in Ephesus (Ac 19'"), had firmly established itself Ijy the time of Domitian, and is praised by St. John almost as warmly as that of Smyrna (Rev 3'"'^). Before her is set ' a door opened, which none can shut' (v.*), a metaphor usually interpreted as im- plying a special opportunity for successful evan- gelistic work, such as Philadelphia certainly h.ad as the centre of a large and populous district. Ramsay accordingly calls her ' the Missionary City' {The Letters to the Seven Churches, p. 391). But the whole character of the letter, the ideas of which are closely articulated with each other, points to a dill'erent exegesis. The Jews of Phil- adelphia, enraged apparently at the conversion, which they regarded as the perversion, of some of their number, displayed a more than ordinary malignity in their ell'orts to crush the infant Church, making free use of their most formidable weapon, the herem or sentence of ex- communication, by which they thought to shut not only the door of the synagogue but the gate of the Kingdom of Heaven against the apostates. The prophet's answer, given in Christ s name, meets them on this ground. Alike as a rebuke to the persecutors and a sursum corda to the perse- cuted his message is perfect. He denies to the Jews of Philadelphia every sacred title and privilege which bad ever belonged to their race. They have disinherited themselves. Hating instead of loving, they are a synagogue not of God, but of Satan. Having forfeited their great and good name, they merely lie when they call them.selvi^s Jews. The spiritual succession, an<l with it the historical title, consecrated and endeared by count-
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PHILEMON, EPISTLE TO
less memories, have passed from tliem to the Christian Church, the true Israel of (loil. And their boast of opening and shutting the door of God's house, of admitting and excluding whom they please, of blessing some and (Mirsing others, is foolish nnd futile. They have indeed the key of their splemlid earthly synagogue, but Another has the key of David (Is 22-'-'), the symbol of regal authority, and He, as supreme in the spiritual realm, has set before the Cliuroh of Philadelphia an open door which no man can shut. Great minds run parallel, and the words of the prophet of Ephesus are in spirit identical with those uttered long afterwards by the prophet of Florence. ' I separate thee,' said the bishop of Vasona to Savon- arola, 'from the Church militant and triumphant.' ' Militant,' was the reply, ' not triumphant, for this is not in thy power.' The power belongs to Him who ' having overcome the sharpness of death, has opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.'
Philadelphia had so many festivals and temples that it was often called 'Little Athens.' The hope of a memorial — a name, a statue, or a pillar — in one of its great temples often proved a powerful incentive to good citizenship. But the volcanic region of Philadelphia was frequently visited by seismic shocks, in which the most massive build- ings and all their memorials perished. In A.D. 17, e.g., 'twelve populous cities of Asia fell in ruins from an earthquake which happened by night, and therefore the more sudden and destruc- tive was the calamity. . . . It is related that moun- tains sank down, that level places were seen to be elevated into hills, and that (ires flashed forth during the catastrophe' (Tacitus, Ann. ii. 47). Philadelphia was one of the twelve shattered cities. But she is promised, in Christ's name, the things that cannot be shaken. Every victor in the spLritual conflict will be as a pillar, not in a crumbling earthly shrine, but in the enduring temple of God, and have graven on the tablets of his own memory — monnmentum cere perennins — the mystic names of God and His new Jerusalem.
Christian Philadelphia made a long and brave stand against the Turks, but was conquered by Bayezid in A.D. 1390. It has now a population of 17,000 Muslims and 5,000 Christians. About two dozen ancient churches, lying in ruins, tell their own tale.
LrrERATDRE. — R. Ctiandler, Travels in AHa Min&r and Greece^, 1817 ; W. M. Ramsay, The Letters to the Seoen Churches o/ Asia, 1904 ; Murray's Handbook to A sia Minor,
1S95. James Strahan.
PHILEMON (^CK-fiiiu}v). — Philemon was a citizen of Colossfe (of. Col 4" with Philem") and a convert of St. Paul (Philem •'). His conversion took place not at Colossje (Col 2'), but presumably during the Apostle's three years' abode at Ephesus, between which town and the cities of the Lycus (of which Colossse was one) the relations were intimate (see Lightfoot, Colossian^, 1879, p. 31). There is no reliable evidence of Philemon s holding any office in the Church either at Colossas or elsewhere, although the Apost. Const, (vii. 46) represent him as ' bishop ' of Coloss.-e, and pseudo-Dorotheus (6th cent.) as bishop of Gaza: hut manifestly he was an influential member of the Colossian Chris- (;ian community. St. Paul calls him a fellow- labourer (amcir/bi), who had an Ecclesia, or gather- ing of Christians, in his home (Philem '• ^). He must have been a well-to-do citizen, possessing a house large enough for this purpose, along with means i^'ifficient to enable him liberally to ' distribute to iiie necessity of saints.' The Apostle testifies that • the hearts of the saints were refreshed ' by Phile- mon's loving fellowship and helpful bounty (vv.^- '). St. Paul's past experience of Philemon's 'love and