The Pulpit Commentary — Philemon — Section 8

would not nee on this occasion. He prerere "jam Chrietianns; olim fur, jam Adelia to rely wholly on the respect and pereonal eervus; olim profugus, _je.rn rP,<l11x." r,tlRchment felt towr,rds him by Philernon, Ver. 12.-Whom I sent bRcl< [to thee, for the granting of bi1 reqneet, wbioh he according to A, C, D•, E, K*) ( aorist for now proceeds to str,to. present); but the decision rdlects the Ver. 9.-Being snob a one u Paul the ~truggle. It had not been altogether easy aged; Cl eel.eran. Theo,loret comments thus: fnr the a.poet!~ to part with the youth. whom " lt'or he who hears P1rn I, hears the preacher he might not see again. The whole Epistle of lhe whole world, tho tre.vereer of land is foll of this strong an<l yearning affection, and see., the cboeen vessel, and other things Thon therefore reoeive him. Do lhou alsn heeides he is. . . . He adds also • the aged,' act 88 becomes e. Christian; receive him showing the grey he.ire which have grown as ·my son. " Wonderfully efficacious th io during his labours." "Non flltHtem, eed method for appeasing the anger of Phile- officium" (Calvin). Prfllllndea may mean "an mon I For he we.e not e.ble to rage or to e.mbusador "-" the o.mbasse.dor of Christ do anything harshly age.inst one whom Paul Jesus, and now also his prisoner," as in had called his own bowels" (Estius). A, F, Eph. vi. 20 (and see iii. 1 and iv. 1 of the G, and I:(• omit "receive," as also Tischen- s.. me Epistle. A prisoner of le811a Christ; i.e. dorf. The Revised Version omits this clause. for his cause. The apostle we.a in custody Ver. 13.-1 we.a wishing; I would fain at Rome, owing to e. long suspension of hie ha'De kept (Revised Version). The story trial, for causes not known to us. "Have tell" itself if we read between the lines. rego.rd for Paul; have regard for my bonds, What steadfast adherence to principle on the which I wear ae e. preacher of the truth " pa.rt of the apostle, when the help of Oneei- (Theodornt). " Great reverence ie due to mus would have been so welcome to him in those wuo endure sufferings for the wost hia weak health, and his position 88 a prisoner! honourable causes" (Grotine). Philemon could hardly fa.ii to think more Ver. 10.-1 beseeoh thee for my son . . . favourably of Onesimus, when he saw how Onesimne; my child (Revised Veroion). The much importance the apostle attached to name of Ouesimus could not have been e. his services. In the bonds of the gospel pleasing one in the ears of Philemon. Note "Which I am enrluring for the sake of the with what caution and almost timidity it ie gospel" (see ver. 9)-e. variation of phra..e at length introduced. He does not interpose from ver. 9 (and cf. our Lord's words, ;\lark for the ingrate with apostolic dignity, but viii. 35; x. 29). pleads for him with fiLtherly love. He puts Ver. 14.-Bnt without thy mind I would himself side by side with him, and call• him do nothing. The "would" of ver. 13 is hie son. Some of the ol<l commentators con- lf3ov>..&µ.17v; the "would" here is 710eATJO"a.. clude, from Col. iv. 9, that Oneeimus wae a The former denoted no.tum! but indetermi- native of Uolossfll, nnd thence discuss whether nate impulse: the latter deliberate conclu- he could have been e. slave born in Phile- sion of the will (of. Rom. vii- 15, 16). Mind; mon'e house of e. slave-mother, or whether i.e. knowledge and decision. "Why we.s he he we.a sold in his youth by hie father-a unwilling? For many causes. (I) Because custom ao common to the Phrygie.ns (Rs to grave penalties were deuounced by Roman tho Ciroassians in later times) 88 to have le.w upon those who received or retained been noticed by Cicero. fugitive slaves. (2) That be might not Ver. 11.-Who we.a e.foretime nnpro:6.te.ble seem to keep be.ck something which was . . . to me. The play upon words seems due to Philemon, perhaps to his injury; of unmistakable, and is peculiarly Pauline. which, perhaps. Philemon might he.ve com- Ouesimue means "useful," or " profitable; ·• plained. (3) Because Onesimus himself 1i.xp71a"ros, "unprofitRble," and ,Gxp11u-ros ie chose to f?O be.ck, in order that he might emphatic, "fiery profituble." "Useful he is show conclusively that he had not embraced named, but in time past he was (I confess the Christian religion that he might with- , it) not useful, but Udeleas; in future, how- drnw himself froru the power of his l1>wful , ever, he will be of great use to us both." lord. (4) That the gospel might not be by Compo.re with this the corresponding po.s- this means slandered, ns if uuJer the pre- se.ge of Pliny's • Letter to Subinie.nus,' given text of it slaves might withdre.w themselves , in the Intro,luction. "Unprofito.ble" is e. with impunity frow thefr lnr,ls •· (Est.ins anJ figure of epc~ch, e. euphemism, for "usel~ss others). Thy benefit-good,.ess ( ltevise,I e.nd even iujurious." St. Paul makes the Version)-e.s it were of necessity, but will- bl'dl of Onoeimus's fault that it will in justice ing y. Philemon would not really he.,e allow. Dut un old commentator says bluntly he.d the choice of granting or refusing giveu that Onesiruus we.a" do.muosus ru~ et Curto." to him, had St. Paul kept Onesimus still at How could he have been, in his unconverted Rome, e.nd merely written to inform him ol ,t.. te, otherwise than "unprofitable" to his the fuct. Hie consent might then foirly have mBllter? "Olim pe.ge.nus," says a Lapide, been said to be e:i:t01"ted, not freely given.  4 THE EPISTLE TO PHILEM.ON. [1-26.