fess honest

trades.

15 All that are with me salute

importance; and as many of the buildings were erected by Herod the Great, it is not unlikely that there were Jews living there. The situation was low and swampy, and by the time of Julian it had fallen into decay.

12. Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently.] I.e. supplying them with all that they need for it. Of Zenas nothing certain is known; although various traditions of no value make him to have been one of the seventy, to have written a life of Titus, and to have been Bishop of Diospolis. We cannot even determine whether he was a Roman jurist or a Jewish doctor of the law. The word, voμukós, is used always in the latter sense in the Gospels; and in the epistles it does not occur excepting here, and just before in ver. 9, as an epithet to "strivings" or "contentions." For Apollos see on Acts xviii. 24. It is possible that Zenas and Apollos might be the bearers of this epistle.

14. And let our's also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses.] Rather, and let ours too (those who belong to our

Amen.

2

It was written to Titus, ordained the first bishop of the church of the Cretians, from Nicopolis of Macedonia.

brotherhood at Crete) learn to be forward in good works (see ver. 8) for the necessary wants, ie. of Zenas, Apollos, and other ministers of the Gospel. So did the Philippians in St. Paul's case. Phil. iv. 16. Some refer "ours" to Zenas and Apollos, "men of our order," "ministers," and explain the precept. "Let them do as I do; not merely be helped by you, but maintain themselves by honest labour." But not only is such a reference obscure, but it is not likely that the phrase "to be foremost in good works" would be met again so soon in a sense so very different. The connexion is obvious: "Do you help Zenas and Apollos with what they need for their journey; and not you only, but let all who belong to our brotherhood, learn to be kind, liberal, and helpful in such cases.'

15. in the faith.] Not merely as friends, but as Christians.

Amen.] Is probably a later addition.

The subscription is in this case demonstrably spurious. St. Paul was not yet at Nicopolis, ver. 12.

I. I.

THE

OCCASION OF THE LETTER.

HE attempts which have been made to satisfy the natural curiosity of the readers of this brief but exquisite letter as to most of the persons who are mentioned in it by St Paul have been rather unsuccessful. Almost the only facts which appear with entire historical certainty from the evidence of the letter itself are these-that Philemon stood in the relation of master to Onesimus, his slave; and that Onesimus, who had run away to Rome, was sent back to Philemon by St Paul. It seems, however, in the highest degree probable, from internal as well as external evidence, that we can determine the relationship of other members of the household from which Onesimus had fled. If Onesimus is the

slave, Philemon is the husband, Apphia the wife, Archippus the son. It is further evident that Philemon must have been in comfortable, if not affluent, circumstances; that for Christ's sake he shewed hospitality and love to distressed saints; and that he, as well as Archippus, occupied official positions in the Church, which brought them into relation with St Paul. But when we are told that Philemon, Archippus', Onesimus, were or became

1 By St Jerome Archippus is said to have been Bishop of Colosse. But it would be a more plausible inference from Col. iv. 16, 17, that he was Bishop of Laodicea (Theodor. Mops. in loc.). Nor is external testimony altogether wanting to this effect. In the Apostol. Constit.' (VII. 46) Philemon is spoken of as Bishop of Colosse, Archippus as Bishop of Laodicea (Wieseler, 'Chronol. d. Apost.' 450 sqq.). Tillemont says that the Greek Menæa make him Bishop of Gaza, but martyred and buried at Colosse. Theodoret mentions that the house of Philemon was still shewn at Colosse, in the fifth century. It was also said that after discharging pastoral—perhaps episcopalfunctions at Colosse, he taught at Gaza when Nero was emperor, and laid down his life in the proconsulship of Androcles. The connection of Archippus with Laodicea, and the admonitory

PAGE

III. Its connection with Roman slavery. 822 IV. External Testimony to the Epistle. 829

Bishops who occupied certain sees, we suspend our assent-not because the assumption of a regular episcopate at that time involves an anachronism-but because the evidence is imperfect or con

passage (Col. iv. 17), have given rise to the deeply interesting conjecture that the "be zea lous" of our Lord (Rev. iii. 19), addressed to the angel of the Laodicean Church, is the counterpart to the "take heed" of St Paul (Colossians and Philemon,' Bishop Lightfoot, p. 43). There is, however, much force in the objection to this view of the message to Archippus in Colossians. When St Paul writes to a Bishop, he can speak sternly enough of the sins and failures of ministers (1 Tim. iii. 3-8, v. 20, 22, 24). When he writes to the people, he looks entirely at the better and more hopeful side (see note on I Thess. v. 12, 13). It would seem to be ethically inconsistent with his method to administer a rebuke to a pastor indirectly through his people -a process which might have been felt by Ar tion. (So Theophyl. See also Storr, 'Interpret. chippus to be wanting in delicacy and consideraEpist. ad Coloss. ad loc., and the note of Niemeyer, 'Comment. Hist. Gramm. in Paul. ad Philem. Ep.,' p. 6.)

2 The conjecture that Onesimus may have been the Bishop of Ephesus mentioned by Ignatius is scarcely worthy of the contemptuous dismissal which it has received. The date of the Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians (prob. A.D. 107) presents no difficulty. The Onesimus of been much more than 70 at that date. (We are St Paul's Epistle to Philemon need not have unable to find any proof of the idea of some German scholars that the Ep. of Ignatius to the Ephes. implies that their bishop was a young man in A.D. 107.) It only states that the writer's acquaintance with him was recent (cap. v.). There is certainly something 'very striking and suggestive in the way in which after mentioning Onesimus, their visible bishop (ev σapkì èπiσków), and just afterwards again in junction with three other names, Ignatius goes off with a series of allusions to the Epistle to Philemon (ὀναίμην ὑμῶν, cf. v. 20; οὐ διατάσσομαι ὑμῖν, cf. v. 8 ; δέδεμαι ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι, cf. v. 1, 9, 13; προέλαβον παρακαλεῖν ὑμᾶς, cf. vv. 8, 9, Ignat. 'Epist. ad Ephes.' II. III.). Such an identification of Onesimus, Bishop of Ephesus, with the Onesimus of St Paul on the part of Ignatius seems not improbable. Onesimus, said in the Roman martyrologies to have been martyred at Rome, is remembered in the Greek Church on Feb. 15, in the Latin on Feb. 16.

flicting. That the letter was delivered by Onesimus is clear, not so much from the subscription which was added at a later period, as from the whole context and nature of the case. What else is certain is mainly this, that the fugitive slave,— thief as well as fugitive,—was converted and apparently baptized by St Paul'; that he rendered the Apostle services, deeply felt and recognised; that he was loved by his instructor with a peculiar tenderness, witnessed to by that wealth of pathetic terms of endearment-his son (v. 10); his brother (v. 16); his heart (v. 12); his very second self (v. 17).

2. ANALYSIS OF ITS CONTENTS. An analysis of this tenderly beautiful Epistle may seem as superfluous as the analysis of an Idyll. Yet such a structural framework may serve to shew that the Apostle had formed no overweening estimate of the weight and strength with which his Epistles impressed contemreaders (2 Cor. x. 10). The very porary whirl and rush of words and apparent dislocation of construction is not without its meaning.

i. The Salutation. VV. I, 2, 3. ii. The Prelude. vv. 4, 5, 6, 7. Affectionate introduction.

His thankfulness for his friend, v. 4; caused by what he had heard of Philemon's true love and faith, v. 5; subject of his prayer, v. 6; beautiful result of Philemon's goodness, v. 7.

iii. The Request.

7. 21.

1 The spiritual generation spoken of in v. 10 is, however, not to be understood of baptism only, but of Christian teaching and instruction. Cf. Clem. Alexandrin. 'Strom.' Lib. I. "When St Paul so often calls Onesimus his son, his heart, &c., when he says that he was wishing to retain Onesimus with him to minister unto him in the bonds of the Gospel, we must infer that the slave had not only received elementary instruction from the Apostle but had been washed in the sacred laver and admitted to the mystery of the Holy Communion. Otherwise

he could not have been considered entirely as a son and as one of the faithful, and designated for such a function in the Church. So that Onesimus was sent back to Philemon not as a mere catechumen but as a perfect and (so to speak) full-grown disciple of Christ" (S. Gentil. Opp. V. 383).

from custody, and hope of visiting his friend, v. 22.

(c) Joint salutations to Philemon, vv. 23, 24.

(d) Grace be with your spirit'.

II. THE RHETORIC OF THE EPISTLE TO PHILEMON.

The rhetorical skill and beauty of the Epistle to Philemon was once a favourite subject with Christian commentators and critics. Modern writers, while doing ample justice to the tenderness and pathos of this short letter, have been

1 See Anal. Logic. in Epp. Pauli,' authore Johann. Piscator. Pp. 156-161.

It may be well to note some other instances of the Apostle's rhetoric of love. A point comes when he must at last definitely write down the name which was so likely to irritate Philemon. With a subtle tact of infinite delicacy he defers to the last possible moment a name which might set up angry recollections in arms against his plea, until he has prepared the way by a whole series of affecting touches. "For the love's sake, I rather beseech-being such an one as Paul, aged, as it is also a prisoner of Jesus Christ, I beseech thee for my son, whom I have begotten in my bonds · Onesimus " — (vv. 9, 10). The man who can write with such noble variety is not wanting in the playful touch which so often accompanies true pathos. He plays-shall we say he almost puns?-twice, once upon the meaning, once upon the name, of Onesimus. With what subtle tenderness the Apostle takes the sting out of the slave's two great offences ! Onesimus was a fugitive. How winningly St Paul puts it! "Perhaps he was separated" (v. 15).— He had stolen his master's property. "If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought" (v. 18). It is not necessary to go very deeply into the distinctions of Roman law for the Apostle's bond-"I Paul have written with mine own hand." It is a gentle mockery of money business. The note closes in the same unrivalled strain by his asking to have a lodging prepared for him, if he is given as a gift in answer to the prayers of Philemon and his family. Philemon certainly would be ashamed to meet St Paul after having

1 ἄχρηστον, εὔχρηστον, v. 1. The further allusion, which some older commentators recognise, to the word Christ as then pronounced ("formerly without Christ, now right Christian"), is surely very probable. "Judæos impulsore Chresto assidue tumultuantes Româ expulit." Sueton. 'Claud.' 25. Tertullian ('Apol.' III.), and Lactantius ('Instit. Div.' IV. 7), speak of the mistake in pronunciation. Indeed, the very play upon the word thus pronounced is found in two very early writers (Εγώ μὲν οὖν ὁμολογῶ εἶναι Χριστιανός ...ἐλπίζων εὔχρηστος εἶναι τῷ Θεῷ. ἴσως δ ̓ ἔτι αὐτὸς σὺ ἄχρηστος ὢν τῷ Θεῷ κ.τ.λ. Theophyl. ad Autolyc.' I. 1, p. 4, edit. Humphry. Пepì dè τοῦ σε καταγελᾷν μου, καλοῦντά με Χριστιανόν οὐκ οἶδας ὃ λέγεις. πρῶτον μὲν ὅτι τὸ χριστὸν ἡδὺ Kal expηorov. Ibid. 1. 12, p. 26—XpioTiarol yàp εἶναι κατηγορούμεθα, τὸ δὲ χρηστὸν μισεῖσθαι οὐ Sikatov. Justin M. 'Apol.' 1. 4.

2 καὶ ἀδελφέ, ἐγὼ σου ὀναίμην ἐν Κυρίῳ, ν. 20.

refused to grant him a request which lay so near his heart. The thought of seeing the Apostle would inspire Philemon with hope and joy-the passions which produce especial alacrity in complying with the wishes of those in reference to whom they are felt'.

III. ITS CONNECTION WITH ROMAN SLAVERY.

One of the Epistles of the Captivitythat to the Ephesians-deals with one great department of private family-life, viz. the relation of husband and wife.

1 Bauer, Rhetor. Paul.' 1. 240 (quoted by Niemeyer). The style of St Paul has never been

described with a more candid and reverent free

dom than by Melanchthon, who certainly does not

suppose that the Apostle "was as far as possible from common sense." "Let those who would take away his doctrine as trivial at least credit Paul with common sense. For, granting that the department of literary art which contains style and rhetoric was in great measure wanting to him, we must allow that he possessed invention and arrangement, which do not so much belong to technical learning as to ordinary judgment. And yet there appear in Paul's style certain unmistakeable notes of liberal knowledge. He uses words and figures which are redolent of Greek culture. His forms of reasoning are not without art. For he defines with the air of a man who knows what he is about. He carefully things which he discusses. He sees the points investigates the causes and first origin of the which are against him, and has in an extraordinary degree the power of removing some of these and mitigating others. He possesses too another characteristic of genuine literary art. He adds to his arguments epilogues, not mere otiose pieces of composition, but effusions quivering with the genuine beat of the affections. And he has the power of intermingling exactly in due proportions those emotions which are called ráon with the tender affections which are called on. I, therefore, credit him not only with invention and arrangement, but with one department of rhetorical skill. For in his language there is a weight of its own, and an elegance of its own, though it is interspersed with Hebraisms, which mar the beauty of the composition. Besides, technical composition is wanting, i.e. care and skill in weaving the texture of periods, which is so important in securing perspicuity. But St Paul's style sometimes flows on to an undue length, because it wants the boundary of periods. Sometimes, again, he indicates the argument as if merely by a dot or point, by two or three words, so that the sentence is left imperfect, and, as it were, mutilated. We see Paul almost after the fashion of Thucydides employing a brief rugged style (brevi, exili, et confragoso genere orationis) whose brevity would be more luminous with more care in composition," 'Dedic. in Ep. ad Rom.,' Opp. IV. pp. 2, 3.

2

Eph. v. 22-33.

more

vehement