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as a visitor to Colossæ at the same time as he is restored to his master.1

We gather from the epistle that Philemon had been converted to Christianity through the instrumentality of the apostle, and had since then earned a reputation for charity and devotion, his house being one of the meeting-places of the Church. It was owing to special circumstances, however, that he had the distinction of having an apostolic letter addressed to him. A slave of his, Onesimus by name, had absconded (like many another Phrygian slave) and made his way to Rome, the great resort of needy adventurers, apparently with the aid of money stolen from his master. There he was providentially brought under the influence of Paul, and became a confirmed Christian, endearing himself to the apostle by his grateful and devoted services in the Gospel." As Onesimus was Philemon's

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1 Col. iv. 9 (quoted p. 168, note 2); Philemon ver. 12: "whom I have sent back unto thee in his own person.' 2 Ver. 66 19: that I say not unto thee how that thou owest to me even thine own self besides." His conversion was probably a result of Paul's labours in Ephesus about six or seven years before. (See p. 167.)

3 Ver. 2: "to the church in thy house." Vers. 4-7: "I thank my God always, making mention of thee in my prayers, hearing of thy love, and of the faith which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all the saints;

For I had much joy and comfort in thy love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through thee, brother." The practice of meeting for worship in private houses was quite common a hundred years later.

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the question of the heathen prefect: "Where do you assemble?" Justin Martyr answered, "Where each one can and will. You believe, no doubt, that we all meet together in one place; but it is not so, for the God of the Christians is not shut up in a room, but He fills heaven and earth, and is honoured everywhere by the faithful." Justin adds that his own house was ordinarily used for Christian meetings. "There is no clear example of a separate building set apart for Christian worship within the limits of the Roman empire

before the third century, though apartments in private houses might be specially devoted to this purpose." Cf. Rom. XVI. 5: "Salute the church that is in their house" (i.e. of Prisca and Aquila); I Cor. xvi. 19: 66 Aquila and Prisca salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house"; Col. iv. 15: Salute the brethren that are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church that is in their house."

4 A very common name for slaves, as inscriptions show. In the beginning of the second century, however, we find a bishop of Ephesus bearing the name-a tribute, perhaps, to the memory of the friend for whom Paul wrote this epistle.

5 Vers. 18, 19: "But if he hath wronged thee at all, or oweth thee aught, put that to mine account; I Paul write it with mine own hand, I will repay it."

6 Vers. 10-13: "I beseech thee for my child, whom I have begotten in my bonds, Onesimus, who was aforetime unprofitable to thee, but now is profitable to thee and to me: whom I have sent back to thee in his own person, that is, my very heart: whom I would fain have kept with me, that in thy behalf he might minister unto me in the bonds of the gospel." Many slaves were clever and versatile men who would prove valuable converts if thoroughly consecrated; and such a man Onesimus seems to have been.

lawful slave, Paul could not think of retaining him permanently in his service, so he took the opportunity afforded by Tychicus' return to Asia to send him back to his master.1 In doing so he gave him this letter to Philemon with the view of winning for him a merciful reception, and to save him from the severe and cruel punishment which was permitted by the Roman law-even to the extent of death --in such cases.2

3. Date and Place of Composition.

At Rome, 62-63 A.D. (see pp. 151-5).

4. Character and Contents.

This is the only letter of St. Paul addressed to a friend on a matter of private business that has come down to us, although we cannot doubt that many others were written by him which have not been preserved. On all sides it has received the warmest praise and admiration-not on account of its language, which has nothing particular to recommend it, but for its tact, delicacy, and good feelings

iv.

1 Vers. 12, 13 (quoted above); Col. 7-9 (quoted p. 168, note 2).

The slave was absolutely at his master's disposal; for the smallest offence he might be scourged, mutilated, crucified, thrown to the wild beasts." Aristotle calls a slave "a living chattel,” “a living implement," (кtîμά τι ἔμψυχον, ἔμψυχον ὄργανον).

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3 Luther said of it: This epistle showeth a right noble lovely example of Christian love. Here we see how St. Paul layeth himself out for poor Onesimus, and with all his means pleadeth his cause with his master; and so setteth himself as if he were Onesimus, and had himself done wrong to Philemon. Even as Christ did for us with God the Father, thus also doth St. Paul for Onesimus with Philemon. We are all his Onesimi to my thinking.' "Though he handleth a subject," said Calvin, "which otherwise were low and mean, yet after his manner he is borne up aloft unto God. With such modest entreaty doth he humble himself on behalf of the lowest of men, that scarce

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anywhere else is the gentleness of his spirit portrayed more truly to the life.' Renan calls it "a true little masterpiece of the art of letter-writing "; and Sabatier says of it that "it gleams like a pearl of the most exquisite purity in the rich treasure of the New Testament. It has often been compared with the letter of the younger Pliny to his friend Sabinianus, interceding for a freedman who had offended him; but the apostolic letter, although inferior in literary style, is based on far broader principles, and appeals to far higher motives, than the good-hearted persuasions of the cultivated Roman. For example, the following expressions, which occur in the latter, would be unworthy of a place in our epistle: "You may be angry again if he deserves it; and in this you will be the more readily pardoned if you yield now. . . . Do not torture him lest you torture yourself at the same time. For it is torture to you, when one of your gentle temper is angry."

While the apostle puts the case very strongly in favour of Onesimus so strongly that it has been finely said, “the word emancipation seems trembling on his lips,". - he refrains from any interference with Philemon's civil rights, seeking only to awaken within him such feelings of humanity and kindness as will be a safeguard against harsh and unbrotherly conduct.1 In this respect the epistle affords a good illustration of the remedial and reforming influence of the Gospel, which seeks to gain its ends from within and not from without, by persuasion rather than by compulsion.2

It has been described as the letter of a Christian gentleman, animated by strong Christian feeling, tempered with discretion, and expressed with dignity and modera

1 Vers: 14-17. "but without thy mind I would do nothing; that thy goodness should not be as of necessity, but of free will. For perhaps he was therefore parted from thee for a season, that thou shouldest have him for ever; no longer as a servant, but more than a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much rather to thee, both in the flesh and in the Lord. If then thou countest me a partner, receive him as myself." Vers. 20, 21: "Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my heart in Christ. Having confidence in thine obedience I write unto thee, knowing that thou wilt do even beyond what I say.'

2 While asserting the equality of all men, in a moral and spiritual sense, in the sight of God, the apostle recognised slavery as an existing institution, which must be submitted to by those who could not legally obtain their freedom, and exhorted slaves to be obedient to their

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masters according to the flesh" (1 Cor. vii. 21-24; Eph. vi. 5-9; Col. iii. 22-iv.1). The slave system was so long established, and so widespread (the number of slaves in many cities far exceeding that of the freemen), that for the apostles to have set themselves in direct opposition to the law, by preaching emancipation as an essential part of the gospel, would have been to rouse against them the hostility of the governing and educated classes, and might have led to a servile war, which would have cost thousands of lives, and would probably only have

fastened their chains more securely on the necks of the victims. But by teaching the universal brotherhood of men in Jesus Christ, and admitting all alike to full communion in the Church, the apostles brought an influence to bear upon society which could not fail in course of time to lead to the abolition of slavery, and which very soon led to voluntary efforts on the part of congregations to purchase the freedom of their slave-members, as well as to a change of social sentiment with regard to those who remained in that condition. "Among the heroes and heroines of the Church, were found not a few members of this class. When slavegirls, like Blandina in Gaul, or Felicitas in Africa, having won for themselves the crown of martyrdom, were celebrated in the festivals of the Church with honours denied to the most powerful and noblest born of mankind, social prejudice had received a wound which could never be healed " (Lightfoot). In the measures passed by Constantine, the first Christian Emperor, for ameliorating the condition of slaves, we have the initiation of a movement which was to culminate in the nineteenth century, in the abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire, the liberation of twenty millions of serfs by the Emperor of Russia, the emancipation of the negro in the United States of America, and the final effort to heal "the open sore of the world" in the dark continent of Africa.

The whole tone and

tion not untouched with humour.1 structure of the letter was well fitted to bring out the better nature of Philemon; and it was doubtless to strengthen the appeal-by making Philemon realise that the eyes of his fellow-Christians were upon him—that Paul associates Timothy with himself in his opening greeting, which is addressed not to Philemon alone, but also to other Christian members of his household, and to the congregation meeting for worship in his house; 2 and he sends salutations from several others whose names are given at the close.3 He even throws out a hint that it may not be long before he visits Philemon in person.1

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1 In ver. II there is a play on the name "Onesimus," which in the original ('Ovýσμos) means profitable"; and also in ver. 20, óvaíμny (onaimen), "let me have help of thee." Perhaps there is a similar play of words in ǎxpηotov (achreston=unprofitable), and expηorov (euchreston = profitable) of ver. II with reference to the word Xplorós (Christos). Farrar calls attention to an interesting parallel in the language of an English preacher (Whitfield) when appealing to the comedian Shuter, who had often played the character of Ramble. "And thou, poor Ramble, who hast so often

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rambled from Him, oh, end thy
ramblings and come to Jesus."
2 Vers. 1, 2: Paul, a prisoner of
Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
to Philemon our beloved and fellow-
worker, and to Apphia our sister, and to
Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to
the church in thy house."

3 Vers. 23, 24: "Epaphras, my fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus, saluteth thee; and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow-workers."

4 Ver. 22: "But withal prepare me also a lodging: for I hope that through your prayers I shall be granted unto you."

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CHAPTER XVI.

"THE EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE

EPHESIANS."

1. Authorship.

As regards external evidence, this is one of the best-attested of Paul's epistles; and until recently its genuineness was never doubted.1

Internally it bears a strong resemblance to Colossians, seventy-eight of its one hundred and fifty-five verses containing expressions that are also found in that epistle.2 No

1 Echoes of its language, more or less distinct, are found in the writings of Clement of Rome, Barnabas, Hermas, and Ignatius. The last-named writer, in his letter to the Ephesians, refers to Paul as "making mention of you in Christ Jesus, in all his epistle" (or "in every epistle,” ἐν πάσῃ ἐπιστολῇ). Polycarp quotes as Scripture what appears to be a passage in Ephesians: "Modo, ut his scripturis dictum est, 'Irascimini, et nolite peccare' et 'Sol non occidat super iracundiam vestram. The epistle was acknowledged by Marcion; it is included in the Muratorian Canon, and in the Syriac and Old Latin Versions; and it is expressly quoted as Paul's by Irenæus, Clement of Alexandria, and Origen.

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2 E.g. cf. the following parallel passages:-Eph. i. 21-23: "far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and he put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all"; Col. i. 16-19: "for in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and unto him; and he is before all things, and in him

all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it was the good pleasure of the Father that in him should all the fulness dwell." Eph. iv. 15, 16: "but speaking truth in love, may grow up in all things into him, which is the head, even Christ; from whom all the body fitly framed and knit together through that which every joint supplieth, according to the working in due measure of each several part, maketh the increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love"; Col. ii. 19: "And not holding fast the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and bands, increaseth with the increase of God." Eph. iv. 22-24: "that ye put away, as concerning your former manner of life, the old man, which waxeth corrupt after the lusts of deceit; and that ye be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, which after God hath been created in righteousness and holiness of truth"; Col. iii. 9,

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"lie not one to another; seeing that ye have put off the old man with his doings, and have put on the new man, which is being renewed unto knowledge after the image of him that created him." Eph. v. 19, 20: "speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;

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