This summary of the book of philemon provides information about the title, authors, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of philemon. It is a prison letter, coauthored by paul the apostle with timothy, to philemon. The apostle paul wrote the first of these letters, each addressing a specific situation or problem. This volume presents spiritual commentaries on three of pauls letters. In the process of this, paul asks philemon to charge this to his own account. These commenatries open up the spiritual riches contained in pauls letters for non. Which book was written as an introduction to pauls theology for a church paul hoped would help him on a missions trip to spain. It is a prison letter, coauthored by paul the apostle with timothy, to philemon, a leader in the colossian church. The pauline letters in the christian scriptures new testament did not start out as epistles. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of bible. Philemon is a picture of the gospel of jesus christ at work in a corrupt and unjust world.
The significance of epistolary greetings goes beyond identifying author and audience. A quick guide to the pauline epistles overviewbible. The epistles are letters written to the fledgling churches and individual believers in the earliest days of christianity. The book of philemon is a prison epistle letter written while in prison, which paul wrote circa 61 a. Moo begins his commentary on colossians by acknowledging the impact the letter has had on christian theology and practice. The opening words of 1 thessalonians identify the authors as the coworkers paul, silvanus identified as silas in the book of acts, and timothy. The heart of pauls letter to philemon is the fellowship that comes from reconciliation. It is listed among pauls letters by both the early heretic marcion who came to rome in a. The key personalities of philemon are paul, philemon, and onesimus. Read more about paul and his letters in the section epistles of paul. Tf because they are letters, the epistles have not had a great deal of influence on the development of christian doctrine. Paul met and converted a servant named onesimus to christianity after he escaped from his master philemon who was a member of the church in colosse. It will be, perhaps, the major point of this essay to show that there is sound reason for the opinion that it was the position of importance achieved eventually in the christianity of asia by the former slave onesimus which accounts for the inclusion of philemon in the primi tive collection of the pauline letters.
How do i know pauls epistles are relevant for my life. The letter to philemon is the shortest of the pauline epistles. If by pauls letters youre talking about the epistles in the new testament, obviously theyre important because they are part of gods inspired word. This book is dedicated entirely to the interpretation of pauls letter to philemon. Which book of the new testament has been attributed to paul even though it does not claim pauline authorship. Onesimus, whose name means useful, can only be of value to his master if he returns, and to paul if he stays. Introduction slavery in the grecoroman world slavery in israel freedom and slavery in pauls letters philemon in the pauline letter tradition people, places, and possible journey the occasion of the letter movement of the letter the dual appeal of philemon theological significance of pauls appeal supportive. In the bible book that bears philemons name, paul addressed his beloved. When paul referred to the resurrection of christians he used the future tense in most cases, but colossians, chapter 2, verse 12, and chapter 3, verse 1, presuppose that because the christian is.
Then he states, our concern will be to discern what this portion of gods word has to say to christians today p. Epistle simply means a literary letter which was intended to be published and read by the general public. The epistle to philemon, a very short letter dealing with only one topic, certainly was written by paul. Rather he would earnestly desire him to do what was right. It deals with the themes of forgiveness and reconciliation. In the letter to philemon paul does not directly take. Pauls letter to philemon is the eighteenth book in the new testament.
The pauline epistles are the fourteen books in the new testament traditionally attributed to paul the apostle, although many dispute the anonymous epistle to the hebrews as being a pauline epistle there is nearly universal consensus in modern new testament scholarship on a core group of authentic pauline epistles whose authorship is rarely contested. Sep 12, 2017 this volume presents spiritual commentaries on three of pauls letters. These commenatries open up the spiritual riches contained in pauls letters for non specialists. The book of philemon demonstrates the gospel in action. We know from this letter, that philemon was probably a man who had some wealth. So the letter to philemon has specific instructions for an individual church leader like the pastoral epistles but is addressed to a local congregation like a church letter. Philemon the slaveowner and onesimus the runaway slave or bondservant had both been reconciled to god through pauls ministry. Philemon is the shortest and perhaps the most personal of pauls epistles. Which of the following is not one of the pastoral epistles. Pauls letters, romans, galatians, corinthians, timothy, titus. Three other letters philippians, philemon, and colossians are still regarded as genuine letters of paul, although some question remains about where they were written, for no conclusive evidence indicates whether it was rome or ephesus, in both of which paul was a prisoner. Its written to philemon whose slave onesimus ran away and became a believer under pauls teaching. Paul was writing philemon as a brother in christ and now that onesimus had trusted in christ, paul wanted philemon to consider him as a brother in christ too. The format of the pauline letters saint marys press.
As the shortest of pauls letters 335 words, it is situated at the end of the pauline corpus, which has been traditionally arranged not by date but from the longest to the shortest romans through philemon. It is situated in the midst of the pauline corpus, the collection of letters attributed to the apostle paul the books of romans through philemon. In spite of pauls tact in approaching philemon, it is obvious that he wants philemon to release onesimus so that he can retain him for his own service. Onesimus, philemon s runaway slave, had in some way contacted paul and come under the influence of the christian gospel. It is believed by many that paul wrote the book of hebrews.
Doug moos the letters to the colossians and to philemon is hot off the press, and i enjoyed spending some time surveying it this morning. Another difference from the genuine pauline letters can be noted in this latter section. Paul wrote this letter, as well as philippians, colossians and philemon, from prison, so they are often called the prison epistles. Paul was one of the most important early christian missionaries. The letters to the colossians and to philemon dts voice. The letter to philemon is the shortest of all paul s writings and deals with the practice of slavery. Overview of the pauline epistles of the new testament. Full text of philemon among the letters of paul microform. Biblical literature the pauline letters britannica. Thus this commentary aims to meet the need of christians today by developing the meaning and significance of these letters in their original context. Unlike the gospels and acts, the pauline epistles hardly contain any.
Pauls letter to philemon mainly deals with a request being made by the apostle to a. Jan 16, 2018 some point out that in the letters to timothy and titus, paul uses different vocabulary and even conceives of various aspects of theology soteriology, ecclesiology, eschatology differently than he does in his ten earlier letters romans, 12 corinthians, galatians, 12 thessalonians, ephesians, philippians, colossians, philemon. The letter of paul to philemon, brief new testament letter written by paul the. The shortest of pauls letters, philemon shows a spirit of courtesy, discretion, loving concern and a request for forgiveness for a brother who otherwise could face harsh. How many books of the new testament claim to have been written by paul. One of the visitors converted under pauls teaching was a man named philemon, a slaveowner from the nearby city of colossae philemon 1. The pauline epistles, also called epistles of paul or letters of paul, are the thirteen books of the new testament attributed to paul the apostle, although the authorship of some is in dispute. Biblical literature biblical literature the pauline letters. Biblical literature the letter of paul to philemon. Verses 14 suggest that paul wants philemon to send onesimus back to paul possibly freeing him for the purpose. The epistles of paul and you free bible study guides. Moo in this volume not only explains accurately the meaning of the letters to the colossians and to philemon but also applies that meaning powerfully to twentyfirstcentury readers.
The letters of the pauline corpus are arranged in roughly descending order of length from romans to philemon, with hebrews added at the end. Philemon, however, is not a purely personal letter, because it is addressed to a. The letter suggests that paul was in prison at the time of the writing. The series is written with serious pastors and bible teachers in mind. The format of the pauline letters this handout is part of the living in christ series. The story of his work and travels is told in the book of acts. Offering to pay any of onesimus debts, paul removes any last excuse philemon might have used to reject pauls request. Philippians, colossians, philemon february, 2014 ross arnold, winter 2014. Implications for canon, bulletin for biblical research 5 1995. A biblical theology of the letters to timothy and titus. The book of james, for example, starts, james, a servant of god and of the lord jesus, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion james 1. The apostle paul was one of gods greatest servants and was used by him to boldly proclaim the good news of the coming kingdom of god to the world in the first century and, through these epistles, to people. This was an established literary style as early as the 4th century bce.
Onesimus, a slave belonging to philemon, had fled from his master, possibly stealing money in the process vv. I paul have written it with mine own hand philemon 19 note. Philemon provides valuable historical insights into the early churchs relationship to the institution of slavery. It was written to philemon as a plea to request forgiveness for his runaway servant onesimus, who was a new believer in jesus christ. One of pauls shortest and the most explosive letters, the book of philemon demonstrates the gospel through action. The letter of paul to philemon epistle by saint paul britannica. Apparently philemon was welltodo, for his home was large enough to accommodate the church assemblies, and he was a slave owner. The letter is approached from a wide variety of perspectives, thus yielding several new insights into its interpretation. It has been suggested that the slave was released to help paul, that in his later years he might have become bishop of ephesus, and that his ministry or service was the collection of the pauline corpus. The authors salutation, however conventional and formal, specifies the nature of the relationship between author and audience and even draws lines around the conversation being carried on by the letter in hand. These letters are the oldest extant christian writings. The letters to the colossians and to philemon pillar new. Some point out that in the letters to timothy and titus, paul uses different vocabulary and even conceives of various aspects of theology soteriology, ecclesiology, eschatology differently than he does in his ten earlier letters romans, 12 corinthians, galatians, 12 thessalonians, ephesians, philippians, colossians, philemon. The book of philemon was written in approximately a.
There are many differences of opinion regarding the probable sequence and authorship of pauls letters, but there is also substantial agreement in many respects. Moo, in this new volume, not only explains accurately the meaning of the letters to the colossians and to philemon but also applies that meaning powerfully to twentyfirstcentury readers. They provide an insight into the beliefs and controversies of early christianity. Romans, 1 corinthians, 2 corinthians, galatians, ephesians, philippians, colossians, 1 thessalonians, 2 thessalonians, 1 timothy, 2 timothy, titus, and philemon. He was a man of conviction who was willing to suffer for the gospel. Sadly, many misconstrue this to say that paul condones slavery but that is not even in the context of the book of philemon. Paul, the letters of amazing bible timeline with world. Its another outstanding addition to the pillar nt commentary series. Exhibiting the same brilliant exegesis and sound practical insight found in his previous works, noted commentator douglas j. Paul then wrote this letter to philemon, pleading with him to forgive onesimus and to receive him back. Philemon was a slave owner who also hosted a church in his home. In more formal biblical works such as the gospels or the epistle to the romans or even paul s letters to churches at philippi or colossae, it might be easy to get the impression that god does not care or have time for. In future articles, we will go into much greater detail about the messages and instructions contained in each of these epistles of paul. The pauline epistles are the letters written by the apostle paul that are included in the canon of scripture.
A oneparagraph summary of each of pauls epistles in the new testament of the bible, also known as the. At least he had a nice home, and it was believed it was large enough that the church had been held in his home. New testament letters and the letter to the romans bible. A study of pauls letter to philemon genevan institute. The theology of the shorter pauline letters ebook, 1993. There are more old testament citations in hebrews than in any other new testament book. Even though some of the most radical critical scholars 2 did question pauline authorship of philemon, it is maintained by most to this day. The pauline epistles are romans, 1 corinthians, 2 corinthians, galatians, ephesians, philippians, colossians, 1 thessalonians, 2 thessalonians, 1 timothy, 2 timothy, titus, and philemon.
It outlines the format of pauls letters in the new testament. Philemon paul and the pauline letters libguides at st. An introduction to the book of philemon related media. In the bible book that bears philemons name, paul addressed his beloved brother as a fellow worker, a title given to those who served for a time alongside paul. In terms of volume, pauls writings constitute about onefourth of the entire new testament. Moo, in this new volume, not only explains accurately the meaning of the letters to the colossians and to philemon but also applies that meaning powerfully to. He was in prison because of his testimony for the gospel. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Paul himself wrote in 2nd timothy chapter 3 that all scripture is godbreathed, a term meani. The letter of paul to the romans romans sparknotes. If in fact he did, that would bring to 14 the total number of books of the new testament written by this great soldier of the cross. The prison epistlesephesians, philippians, colossians, and philemonare so named because they were written by the apostle paul during one of his incarcerations.
All of the following are categories of pauline letters except. The other seven letters of the new testament that follow the pauline corpus are collectively referred to as the catholic epistles. Epistles new testament letters to the early churches. And the fact that they were written to whole regions and churches would caution us from thinking that the letters have only tiny, small, particular congregational significance. He suggests that this can be done only after an indepth study of. But it is also different from other letters, written to persons, such as the ones to timothy and titus, in that this one. Biblical literature the letter of paul to philemon britannica. For each letter there is an introduction,the text according to the new american bible with as insightful exposition,and reflections on the letter s significance for christian life today. If philemon is pauline, so is colossians which has been doubted by several modern scholars. Written and dispatched at the same time as the epistles of colossians and ephesians, philemon was one of paul s personal letters which included those he sent to titus and timothy. Paul, the letters of amazing bible timeline with world history.
Ephesians may have been intended to be passed along to other congregations in the area, since paul did not include the types of personal greetings he often had in his letters. Book of philemon overview insight for living ministries. Biblical literature the letter of paul to the colossians. Study 10 the letter of paul to philemon words of life. The pauline epistles include the collection of letters written by the apostle paul that are part of the new testament. Which book of the nt has been attributed to paul even though it does not claim pauline authorship. Among these letters are some of the earliest extant christian documents.
Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. The letter to philemon reminds us that gods revelation to humanity is intensely personal. In the new testament canon of 27 books, 21 are called letters, and even the revelation to john starts and ends in letter form. Donfried puts 1 and 2 thessalonians in their cultural context, and identifies a number of key themes in these letters, such as the notion of election. To unfold the significance of the good news of christ for particular churches. A summary of the letter of paul to the romans romans in s bible. Philemon helps show us that the way to peace for every conflict is for all sides to unite in practicing the way of life expounded in the pages of this very remarkable book, the bible. When paul referred to the resurrection of christians he used the future tense in most cases, but colossians, chapter 2, verse 12, and chapter 3, verse 1, presuppose that because the christian is risen with christ, ethical demands can be made. During his travels paul wrote letters or epistles to various congregations and individuals. The epistle of paul to philemon, known simply as philemon, is one of the books of the christian new testament. Romans is unique among the undisputed pauline letters because. This book breaks new ground in offering an exposition of the theological message of the shorter pauline letters. The primary purpose of this letter, the most personal of all pauls letters, was to ask philemon to forgive onesimus and accept him back as a beloved brother and fellow servant in the gospel see vv. Jul 25, 2016 and the fact that they were written to whole regions and churches would caution us from thinking that the letters have only tiny, small, particular congregational significance.