Paul’s Greetings

1  Here is a letter from Paul who is a prisoner of Christ Jesus (cf. Col. 4:3, 18). On the basis of verses 9 and 10, this definitely is a physical confinement and not a way of speaking metaphorically. Paul’s brother in Christ, Timothy, joins him in the sending of the letter (cf. Col. 1:1) to Philemon, a dear friend and fellow worker. Philemon is a dear (agapētos, “beloved”) friend because he belongs to a community that is characterized by love; he is a fellow worker because he is actively involved in the work of the gospel in Colossae.

2  One of the ways in which Philemon has demonstrated his love and concern for the gospel is by opening his house for church meetings. The fact that the greeting extends to the church and includes Apphia and Archippus makes this epistle more p…