Philemon
The Epistle to Philemon was written by Paul from Rome during his captivity to Philemon a church leader in Colossae concerning the return and reconciliation of a runaway slave Onesimus. The epistle is styled with effort to treat as brothers and as free those who were previously strangers and enslaved. Tychicus delivered the epistle to Philemon while on the same journey as delivering other apostolic letters to churchs to the Colossians and Ephesians. According to church tradition, Philemon was consecrated bishop of Colossae or Gaza and later martyred. And perhaps the Onesimus here mentioned around 63 AD is the same as the Onesimus mentioned by the 3rd bishop of Antioch, Ignatius of Antioch, in one of his Seven Epistles who recognized a bishop of Ephesus by the name Onesimus.
The western churches recognize Philemon as bishop of Colossae according to Apostolic Constitutions, book VII, section 46 and Onesimus was consecrated for ministry in Borea in Macedonia. The eastern churches recognize Philemon as moving away from Colossae and ultimately becoming bishop of Gaza according to the annual calendar commemorated February 15, noting the year 109 under the reign of Emperor Trajan, and note Onesimus as having traveled as a missionary to Spain, Carpetania, Colossae, Patras, and finally Ephesus.
Title - Thesis | Scroll | Short Description | Synthesis 2nd Temple | Antithesis | Synthesis Apostolic | Synthesis Amoraim | Continent Origin | Southern Worldview | Northern Worldview |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Philemon | Scroll 83 | Family in Christ | Paul's Epistle to Philemon | Pros Philemona | Didactic | NA | Asia | Pauline Epistle | Prison Epistle |
Category Reference Guide
Title/Thesis - The name of the book in American English
Synthesis 2nd Temple - The name of the book in order of its presentation other than the Apostles, ranging from 2nd temple Judaism up to the 1st century
Antithesis - The name of the book in another language
Synthesis Apostolic - The identity of the book in order of its presentation according to Tradition in the church after the 3rd century
Synthesis Amoraim - The name of the book in order of its presentation other than the Apostles, ranging from Tannaim up to the 5th century
Continent Origin - Continent from where the Text Type Source comes from
Southern Worldview - Catalog strategy for storing the scrolls include the interpretation. South means Africa or Egypt (Alexandrian) such as LXX. South of Palestine.
Northern Worldview - Catalog strategy for storing the scrolls include the interpretation. North means Asia or Persia (Babylonian) such as Masoretic. North of Palestine.
Here are additional resources for those who want to continue learning and exploring:
Link to some reference to Philemon in light of Ben Sirach