SUMMARY
As PaulThe Apostle Paul, originally known as Saul of Tarsus, was the author of several New Testament letters and the founder of many Christian communities. More asks Philemon for something specific—that he should welcome Onesimus—Paul alludes to his own welcome of Philemon into life in Christ.
ANALYSIS
On first reading, verses 17-19 sound as if Paul is proposing a simple exchange to Philemon: Paul will take on debt that belonged to OnesimusSlave of Philemon for whom Paul appealed in his Letter to Philemon. More, and Onesimus will take on the welcome meant for Paul. The arrangement is similar to what is sometimes called the “happy exchange” whereby Christ takes on the sin of human beings and sinners take on his righteousness.
Paul does offer such an exchange, but then he adds another sentence. “I say nothing about your owing me even your own self.” The comment is usually understood to be a reference to the fact that Paul was the missionary who brought the gospel of JesusJesus is the Messiah whose life, death, and resurrection are God's saving act for humanity. More Christ to Philemon and his householdA household is a living unit comprised of all the persons who live in one house. A household would embrace all the members of a family, including servants and slaves. In the book of Acts, stories are told of various persons and their households, like... More. Philemon owes the new life he has in Christ to Christ of course, but perhaps also in a sense to the one who preached Christ to him, that is, Paul.
Still, Paul’s rhetoric here, declaring that he will “say nothing” (verse 19) about the very thing he brings up, reminds us that as we read this letter, we are reading someone else’s mail. We do not know the broader relational context for the comment. Had Philemon expressed gratitude to Paul for his preaching with similar words? “I owe you my very self!” Or perhaps the householder and the apostleDerived from a Greek word meaning "one who is sent," an apostle is a person who embraces and advocates another person's idea or beliefs. At the beginning of his ministry Jesus called twelve apostles to follow and serve him. Paul became an apostle of Jesus... More exchanged banter when they were together, and Paul is writing in that same jovial voice? Modern readers of the letter cannot know the answers to these questions. We can, however, recognize that Paul sees the welcome that he offered to Philemon when he proclaimed Christ to the householder is an analog for the welcome that Paul asks Philemon to show to the returning Onesimus.
