The Chiastic Structure and Meaning of Paul's Letter to Philemon

Although chiastic structures of Paul's letter to Philemon have been proposed in the past, none has proven to be entirely satisfactory¹. Not convincing as true chiasms, they have failed to disclose the real purpose of the letter². We wish to propose a more compelling chiastic structure and to utilize its rhetorical function to reveal more precisely the purpose and meaning of this shortest and subtlest of Paul's letters³.

To be truly convincing a chiastic structure must adhere to rigorous criteria and methodology⁴. It must be evident that the chiasm has not been imposed upon the text but actually subsists and operates within the text. First, we will demonstrate how Paul's letter to Philemon naturally divides itself into nine distinct literary units based upon verbal repetitions and syntax within each unit. Secondly, we will demonstrate how these nine units form an A-B-C-D-E-D'-C'-B'-A' chiastic pattern based upon precise verbal parallels between the chiastically paired units. Thirdly, through a close, audience-oriented listening to the sequence of these units within the letter, we will demonstrate how their chiastic structure operates rhetorically to indicate what exactly Paul is so deftly communicating in this most sensitively and tactfully persuasive letter⁵.

We propose the following Chiastic Structure of Paul's letter to Philemon

A ¹Paul a prisoner of Christ Jesus (Xristou= 'Ihsou=) and Timothy the brother to Philemon our beloved and fellow worker (sunergw=|) ² and Apphia the sister and Archippus our fellow soldier and the assembly at your house. ³Grace (xa/rij) to you (u(mi/n) and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (kuri/ou 'Ihsou= Xristou=).
B ⁴I thank (Eu)xaristw=) my God every time I make mention of you in my prayers (proseuxw=n), ⁵hearing of your love and faith, which you have toward the Lord (ku/rion) Jesus and for all the holy ones, ⁶ that the partnership of your faith might become effective in the recognition of all the GOOD (a)gaqou=) that is among us for Christ (Xristo/n). ⁷For (ga_r) I have had much joy and encouragement in your love (th=| a)ga/ph| sou), because the hearts (ta_ spla/gxna) of the holy ones have been refreshed (a)nape/pautai) through (dia_) you, brother (a)delfe/).
C ⁸Therefore, though having much boldness in Christ to command to you (soi) what is proper, ⁹ on account of love I would rather appeal, being as I am, Paul (Pau=loj), an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus. ¹⁰ I appeal to you (se) for my (e)mou=) child, whom I have begotten in prison, Onesimus,
D ¹¹ who was once to you useless but now is indeed both to you (soi_) and to me (e)moi_) useful, ¹² whom I am sending back to you, him (au)to/n), that is my (e)ma_) heart, ¹³ whom I wanted to keep (kate/xein) for myself, so that (i#na) he might serve on your (sou=) behalf me (moi) in the imprisonment of the gospel,
E ¹⁴ but without your (sh=j) consent I resolved TO DO (poih=sai) nothing, so that (i#na) your (sou) GOOD (a)gaqo/n) might not be as under compulsion but rather under benevolence.
D' ¹⁵ For perhaps it was for this reason he was separated for awhile, so that (i#na) you might have him (au)to_n) back (a)pe/xh|j) forever, ¹⁶ no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me (e)moi/), but how much more to you (soi_) both in the flesh and in the Lord. ¹⁷ If then you have me as a partner, welcome him (au)to_n) as me (e)me/).
C' ¹⁸ And if he has wronged you (se) in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me (e)moi_). ¹⁹ I, Paul (Pau=loj), am writing in my own hand, I will repay; but may I not say to you (soi) that you more than owe me your very self!
B' ²⁰ Yes, brother (a)delfe/), may I benefit from you in the Lord (kuri/w|); refresh (a)na/pauso/n) my heart (ta_ spla/gxna) in Christ (Xristw=|). ²¹ Confident of your obedience (th=| u(pakoh=| sou) I am writing to you, knowing that YOU WILL DO (poih/seij) even more than I say. ²² And at the same time also prepare for me a guest room; for (ga_r) I am hoping that through (dia_) your prayers (proseuxw=n) I will be granted (xarisqh/somai) to you.
A' ²³ Epaphras, my fellow captive in Christ Jesus (Xristw=| 'Ihsou=), greets you, ²⁴ as well as Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers (sunergoi/). ²⁵ The grace (xa/rij) of the Lord Jesus Christ (kuri/ou 'Ihsou= Xristou=) be with your (u(mw=n) spirit⁶.

 

I. The Nine Units of the Letter

1. Opening Address and Greeting (vv. 1-3)

An inclusion consisting of an inverted repetition of the name Jesus Christ defines the first unit (vv. 1-3) of Paul's letter to Philemon. The unit begins with the opening address of the letter, 'Paul a prisoner of Christ Jesus' (v. 1), and concludes with the opening greeting of the letter, 'Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ' (v. 3). Although the titles 'Lord' (v. 5) and 'Christ' (v. 6) appear alone in the second unit (vv. 4-7), the double designation 'Jesus Christ' or 'Christ Jesus' does not occur there, further indicating the distinction of the first from the second unit of the letter.

The occurrence of the pronoun 'our' in each of the three verses further secures the unity of this first unit. Through the first two occurrences Paul draws addressees of the letter closely to himself and Timothy: Philemon is our beloved and fellow worker (v. 1); and Archippus is our fellow soldier (v. 2). But the third occurrence, as it follows the second person plural address, 'to you' (u(mi=n), draws together both the senders and the recipients of the letter under the fatherhood of God and lordship of Jesus Christ that they share among one another and with all other Christians: 'Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ' (v. 3). Although 'us' (h(mi=n) occurs in the next unit (v. 6), 'our' (h(mw=n) occurs only in the opening unit of the letter (vv. 1-3), thus confirming the distinctiveness of this first unit.

2. Thanksgiving (vv. 4-7)

An inclusion formed by a repetition of e)pi_, which occurs only here in the letter, defines the unity and distinctiveness of the second unit (vv. 4-7), the thanksgiving customary in Pauline letters⁷. The unit begins with Paul thanking God 'in (e)pi_) my prayers' (v. 4) and concludes with Paul having much joy and encouragement 'in (e)pi_) your love...' (v. 7). These prepositional phrases are conceptually related. It is in his prayers that Paul thanks God for the love (v. 5) of Philemon, for it is in his love that Paul has had much joy and encouragement (v. 7).

The repetition of ei)j, which likewise occurs only within this unit of the letter, further indicates this unit's singularity. The love (and faith) that Philemon has 'for (ei)j) all the holy ones' (v. 5) is part of 'the good that is among us for (ei)j) Christ' (v. 6).

A chiastic repetition of the nouns 'love' and 'faith' adds to the unit's coherence. Paul hears of Philemon's (a) love (a)ga/phn) and (b) faith (pi/stin), 'which you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the holy ones' (v. 5). The partnership of Philemon's (b') faith (pi/stew/j) 'might become effective in the recognition of all the good that is among us for Christ' (v. 6). For Paul has had much joy and encouragement in Philemon's (a') love (a)ga/ph|)...(v. 7)⁸. Although the noun 'love' occurs again in the next unit (v. 9; cf. 'beloved' in 1,16), 'faith' occurs only in this unit of the letter, further indicating its individuality.

Finally, the repetition of 'the holy ones', a designation which occurs only in this unit of the letter, confirms the unity and uniqueness of this second unit. Paul has heard of Philemon's love for the holy ones (tou_j a(gi/ouj; v. 5) and the hearts of the holy ones (tw=n a(gi/wn; v. 7) have been refreshed by Philemon.

3. Appeal (vv. 8-10)

An inclusion formed by a repetition of 'you' referring to Philemon defines the unity of the third unit (vv. 8-10). 'To command what is proper to you (soi)' occurs at the beginning of this unit (v. 8) and 'I appeal to you (se)' at the end (v. 10).

The repetition of the words 'Christ' and 'appeal' further defines the unity and distinctiveness of this unit. Paul has much boldness in 'Christ' to command what is proper to Philemon (v. 8), as Paul is a prisoner of 'Christ' Jesus (v. 9). From love Paul would rather appeal (parakalw=) to Philemon (v. 9), and so, 'I appeal (parakalw=) to you' for Onesimus (v. 10). Although the related noun 'encouragement' (para/klhsin) occurred in the previous unit (v. 7), the verb 'appeal' occurs only in this unit of the letter, thus demonstrating its distinctiveness. The repetition of the very similar words 'prisoner' (de/smioj, literally 'chained' or 'bonded' in v. 9) and 'prison' (desmoi=j, literally 'in chains' or 'in bonds' in v. 10) adds to this unit's cohesiveness.

4. Onesimus (vv. 11-13)

The set of three relative clauses referring to Onesimus, after he has been climactically named for the first and only time in the letter in v. 10, secures the unity and uniqueness of the fourth unit (vv. 11-13): 'who (to/n) was once useless...' (v. 11); 'whom (o$n) I am sending back...' (v. 12); 'whom (o$n) I wanted to keep...' (v. 13)⁹. The occurrences in every verse of the pronouns referring respectively to Philemon and Paul add to this unit's coherence: '...to you (soi_) and to me (e)moi_)...' (v. 11); '...to you (soi)...my (e)ma_) heart' (v. 12); '...I (e)gw_)...for myself (e)mauto_n)...on your (sou=) behalf he might serve me (moi)...' (v. 13).

5. Philemon's Consent (v. 14)

A break in the syntactical pattern occurs in v. 14, separating it from the preceding unit (vv. 11-13). The sequence of relative clauses referring to Onesimus has concluded, so that the focus has shifted from Onesimus to Philemon. And the previous pattern in which occurrences of the pronoun referring to Philemon were coupled with occurrences of the pronoun referring to Paul has likewise concluded. Now the pronouns refer only to Philemon: 'your (sh=j) consent' and 'your (sou) good' (v. 14). That the focus returns to Onesimus, the subject of the verb in v. 15, confirms that v. 14 functions as the fifth unit of the letter, distinct from both the preceding (vv. 11-13) and succeeding (vv. 15-17) units.

That the words 'without' (xwri_j), 'consent' (gnw/mhj), 'nothing' (ou)de_n), 'I resolved' (h)qe/lhsa), 'compulsion' (a)na/gkhn), and 'benevolence' (e(kou/sion) occur only in v. 14 further confirms this unit's distinctiveness. The repetition of the full form of the preposition 'under' (kata_), which occurs only in this unit (cf. the short form in v. 2: 'at your house' [th=| kat' oi]ko/n]), contributes to both the unity and uniqueness of this fifth unit.

6. Philemon's Beloved Brother (vv. 15-17)

A pair of inclusions formed by second person singular verbs for 'have' with Philemon as subject and by the pronoun 'him' referring to Onesimus defines the unity of the sixth unit (vv. 15-17). This unit begins with Paul telling Philemon that 'him (au)to_n) you might have back (a)pe/xh|j) forever' (v. 15) and concludes with Paul's plea that 'if then you have (e!xeij) me as a partner, welcome him (au)to_n) as me' (v. 17). Repetitions of the pronoun referring to Paul add to this unit's cohesiveness: 'especially to me (e)moi/)' (v. 16); 'if then you have me (me)' (v. 17); and 'as me (e)me/)' (v. 17). As already noted, the return to the focus on Onesimus, 'no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother' (v. 16), in this sixth unit indicates its distinctiveness from the fifth unit focused on Philemon (v. 14).

7. Philemon's Debt to Paul (vv. 18-19)

An inclusion constituted by forms of the verb 'owes', which occur only in this unit, and by the pronoun referring to Philemon defines both the unity and distinctiveness of the seventh unit (vv. 18-19). The unit begins with Paul addressing Philemon about Onesimus, 'And if he has wronged you (se) in any way or owes (o)fei/lei) you anything' (v. 18), and concludes as Paul tells Philemon, 'but may I not tell you (soi) that you more than owe (prosofei/leij) me your very self' (v. 19).

Repetitions of the pronoun referring to Paul add to this unit's cohesiveness: 'charge it to me (e)moi_)' (v. 18); 'I (e)gw_), Paul, am writing in my own (e)mh=|) hand, I (e)gw_) will repay' (v. 19); 'you more than owe me (moi) your very self' (v. 19).

8. What Philemon Will Do (vv. 20-22)

An inclusion formed by first person singular verbs with Paul as the subject and recipient of a future benefit or grace, verbs which occur only in this unit, define the unity and uniqueness of the eighth unit (vv. 20-22). The unit begins with Paul addressing Philemon, 'Yes, brother, may I benefit (o)nai/mhn) from you' (v. 20), and concludes with Paul addressing the entire assembly, 'I will be granted (xarisqh/somai) to you' (v. 22).

Repetitions of the pronouns referring respectively to Paul, Philemon, and the assembly contribute to the unity of this unit: 'May I (e)gw/) benefit from you (sou)...refresh my (mou) heart' (v. 20); 'confident of your (sou) obedience I am writing to you (soi)' (v. 21); 'prepare for me (moi)...through your (u(mw=n) prayers I will be granted to you (u(mi=n)' (v. 22). That this unit contains repeated occurrences of the second person plural pronoun (v. 22) distinguishes it from both the preceding (vv. 18-19) and succeeding (vv. 23-25) units. This form of the pronoun occurs only once in the succeeding ninth unit (v. 25) and not at all in the preceding seventh unit.

9. Closing Greetings (vv. 23-25)

An inclusion consisting of an inverted repetition of the name Jesus Christ defines the ninth unit (vv. 23-25). The unit begins with a reference to Epaphras as 'my fellow captive in Christ Jesus' (v. 23) and concludes with a reference to 'the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ' (v. 25). Unique occurrences of the words 'greets'

('Aspa/zetai/), 'Epaphras', 'fellow captive' (sunaixma/lwto/j) (v. 23), 'Mark', 'Aristarchus', 'Demas', 'Luke' (v. 24), and 'spirit' (pneu/matoj) (v. 25) demonstrate this unit's distinctiveness within the letter.

II. The Parallels and Pivot of the Chiastic Structure

A. Paul begins with a framework of imprisonment and partnership under grace (vv. 1-3).
A'. Paul closes with a framework of imprisonment and partnership under grace (vv. 23-25).

Verbal repetitions of significant words in the same sequence indicate the parallelism between the opening A unit (vv. 1-3) and the closing A' unit (vv. 23-25) in the chiasm. 'Epaphras, my fellow captive in Christ Jesus' (v. 23) parallels 'Paul a prisoner of Christ Jesus' (v. 1). The greeting from Paul's 'fellow workers (sunergoi/)' (v. 24) corresponds to Paul's address to Philemon as 'our beloved and fellow worker (sunergw=|)' (v. 1). 'The grace (xa/rij) of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your (u(mw=n) spirit' (v. 25) parallels 'grace (xa/rij) to you (u(mi=n) and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ' (v. 3). That the nouns 'fellow worker(s)', 'grace', and the full designation 'Lord Jesus Christ' occur only in these two units enhances the parallelism.

The sequence of repeated nouns is the same in both units: Christ Jesus – fellow worker(s) – grace – Lord Jesus Christ. Only the pronouns do not occur in the same position in the sequence. 'To you' (u(mi=n) occurs before 'Lord Jesus Christ' in the opening greeting (v. 3) and 'your' (u(mw=n) occurs as the last word of the letter after 'Lord Jesus Christ' in the closing greeting (v. 25). This straight parallelism stands in contrast to the inverted parallelism that, as we will see, characterizes the other chiastically paired units. This distinguishes the opening (vv. 1-3) and closing (vv. 23-25) units of the chiasm as constituting a framework of imprisonment and partnership under grace for the entire letter. Within this framework the argument of the letter is conducted in the other, inversely parallel units of the chiasm.

B. From love Philemon's partnership can result in doing good for Christ (vv. 4-7).
B'. From obedience Philemon will do good in benefiting Paul with Onesimus (vv. 20-22).

The B (vv. 4-7) and B' (vv. 20-22) units of the chiasm are inversely parallel. The B unit ends in v. 7 with Paul's address to Philemon as 'brother' (a)delfe/); and the B' unit begins in v. 20 with Paul's address to Philemon, 'yes, brother' (nai_ a)delfe/). 'Refresh (a)na/pauso/n) my heart (ta_ spla/gxna) in Christ' (v. 20) inversely parallels 'the hearts (ta_ spla/gxna) of the holy ones have been refreshed (a)nape/pautai) through you' (v. 7). The conclusion of the B' unit, 'for I am hoping that through your prayers (proseuxw=n) I will be granted (xarisqh/somai) to you' (v. 22), inversely parallels the introduction of the B unit, 'I thank (Eu)xaristw=) my God every time I make mention of you in my prayers (proseuxw=n)' (v. 4).

There are further correspondences between the B and B' units: 'in the Lord' (v. 20) – 'toward the Lord' (v. 5); 'in Christ' (v. 20) – 'for Christ' (v. 6); a o$ti clause in v. 22 and v. 7; 'through (dia_) your prayers' (v. 22) – 'through (dia_) you' (v. 7). That the vocative case of 'brother', the noun 'prayers', and the verbs 'refresh' and 'I thank/I will be granted' occur only in the B and B' units enhances their chiastic parallelism.

C. Paul appeals to Philemon for Onesimus (vv. 8-10).
C'. Paul wants Philemon to charge him for any debt of Onesimus (vv. 18-19).

The C (vv. 8-10) and C' (vv. 18-19) units continue the inverse parallels of the chiasm. 'If he has wronged you (se) in any way' at the beginning of the C' unit (v. 18) parallels 'I appeal to you (se)' at the end of the C unit (v. 10). And 'charge it to me (e)moi_)' at the beginning of the C' unit (v. 18) parallels 'for my (e)mou=) child' at the end of the C unit (v. 10). The name 'Paul' in the middle of the C' unit (v. 19) corresponds to the name 'Paul' in the middle of the C unit (v. 9). 'But may I not tell you (soi)' at the end of the C' unit (v. 19) parallels 'to command what is proper to you (soi)' at the beginning of the C unit (v. 8).

Each of these units contains a repetition of significant verbs that occur only within these respective units: 'I appeal' (parakalw= in vv. 9-10) in the C unit and 'owes' (o)fei/lei in v. 18; prosofei/leij in v. 19) in the C' unit. That, except for the first word in the letter, the name 'Paul' occurs only in these units enhances their chiastic parallelism.

D. Paul wanted to keep Onesimus, his heart, to serve on behalf of Philemon (vv. 11-13).
D'. Paul wants Philemon to welcome Onesimus as a beloved brother and partner (vv. 15-17).

The D (vv. 11-13) and D' (vv. 15-17) units continue the parallelism of the chiastic structure, but with a notable deviation in the inverse pattern. The D unit ends with a i#na clause in v. 13 and the D' unit contains a i#na clause in its first verse (v. 15). 'Have him back (a)pe/xh|j) forever' in the first verse of the D' unit (v. 15) inversely and antithetically parallels 'whom I wanted to keep (kate/xein) for myself' in the last verse of the D unit (v. 13).

But 'a beloved brother, especially to me (e)moi/), but how much more to you (soi_)' in the middle of the D' unit (v. 16) inversely parallels 'useful to you (soi_) and to me (e)moi_)' in the first verse of the D unit (v. 11), as well as 'he might serve on your (sou=) behalf me (moi)' in the last verse of the D unit (v. 13). 'Welcome him (proslabou=) as me (e)me/)' in the last verse of the D' unit (v. 17) corresponds to 'whom I am sending back to you, him (au)to/n), that is my (e)ma_) heart' in the middle of the D unit (v. 12). That the pronoun 'him' referring to Onesimus and the verbs 'keep' and 'have back' occur only in these units enhances their chiastic parallelism.

E. The good that Philemon can do in regard to Onesimus must be from benevolence (v. 14). 

The E (v. 14) unit represents the central and pivotal point of the chiastic structure. Although as a unit it is unparalleled, it does contain within it some key parallels with the other units. Like the D (v. 13) and D' (v. 15) units the E unit contains a i#na clause. Like the C (v. 8 and v. 10) and the C' (v. 18 and v. 19) units the E unit contains occurrences of the pronoun referring to Philemon: 'your (sh=j) consent' and 'your (sou) good' (v. 14).

But most noteworthy are the E unit's parallels with the B and B' units. 'So that your good (a)gaqo/n) might not be as under compulsion but rather under benevolence' in the second half of the E unit parallels 'all the good (a)gaqou=) that is among us for Christ' in the middle of the B unit (v. 6). And 'but without your consent I resolved to do (poih=sai) nothing' in the first half of the E unit parallels 'knowing that you will do (poih/seij) even more than I say' in the middle of the B' unit (v. 21). That these are the only occurrences of the noun 'good' and the verb 'do' in the letter enhances the significance of these parallels.

III. Listening to the Chiastic Structure of the Letter

We will now focus on how the authorial or implied audience responds as it hears the chiastic sequence of the letter¹⁰. The authorial or implied audience refers to the audience Paul envisions in composing the letter. Paul assumes this audience possesses the knowledge necessary to actualize the letter's meaning. Although we cannot presume that the audience of the letter to Philemon has heard the other Pauline letters or the Acts of the Apostles, we can use them to glean much of the knowledge about Paul's missionary work that he presupposes on the part of his implied audience¹¹.

A. Paul opens with a framework of imprisonment and partnership under grace (vv. 1-3).

Paul's opening designation of himself as 'a prisoner of Christ Jesus' (v. 1) has a threefold meaning for the audience: (1) that Paul is located in a prison because of his preaching of the gospel about Christ Jesus¹²; (2) that Paul's being in prison is for the sake of preaching the gospel about Christ Jesus — that is, that he can advance the gospel despite being in prison (cf. Phil 1,12-18); (3) that Paul is a 'prisoner' of Christ Jesus in a metaphorical sense which transcends his literal imprisonment, as it expresses both Christ's total, authoritative claim upon Paul for the preaching of the gospel and Paul's total dedication to that claim¹³. As a 'prisoner' Paul addresses the audience as one who has special authority from and for the preaching of the gospel about Christ Jesus.

Timothy 'the brother' (v. 1) is a co-sender together with Paul of the letter. The audience presumably knows that Timothy is a preeminent fellow worker of Paul in the preaching of the gospel, and thus a figurative rather than literal brother ¹⁴. The simple designation, 'the' (not 'my', 'your', or 'our') brother, has the rhetorical effect of connoting Timothy's independence as a fraternal fellow worker, who shares with both Paul and the audience a responsibility for furthering the gospel¹⁵. Although Paul is the primary author, the addition of Timothy as a co-sender adds his authority, while indicating that this is not a purely private and personal but rather a public and communal letter concerning the advancement of the gospel.

That Philemon is addressed first and with a double designation as both 'our beloved one and fellow worker' (v. 1) indicates that he is the primary recipient of the letter¹⁶. As one 'beloved' by both Paul and Timothy and as their 'fellow worker'¹⁷, Philemon is addressed as one who shares an independent but mutual responsibility for promoting the gospel¹⁸.

Paul designates the next addressee of the letter, Apphia (v. 2), as 'the sister', that is, like Timothy, 'the brother' (v. 1), another fellow worker of Paul in the mission of the gospel¹⁹. Paul designates the next addressee, Archippus (v. 2), as our 'fellow soldier', a figurative term for a fellow worker with the loyalty of a soldier in the metaphorical 'warfare' involved in the work of advancing the gospel²⁰. Finally Paul addresses the letter to 'the assembly at your house' (v. 2), a gathering of Christians as a worshipping congregation at Philemon's house, thus, a 'house church'²¹.

This establishes the rhetorical situation of the letter. As a prisoner in the work of promoting the gospel of Christ Jesus, Paul, together with a co-sender, his fraternal fellow worker Timothy, is addressing an implied audience composed not only of the beloved fellow worker Philemon, the primary addressee (v. 1), but also two other fellow workers, Apphia and Archippus, as well as the assembly of Christians gathered at the house of Philemon for the public reading of the letter (v. 2). Thus, the letter is a communal rather than private communication between partners with a mutual concern and responsibility for advancing the gospel.

Paul directs the opening greeting of grace and peace 'to you' (the plural, u(mi=n) — not just to Philemon but also to the other fellow workers and the assembly gathered at his house (v. 3). Rhetorically the greeting unites the senders and recipients of the letter under the grace and peace they have all freely and graciously received from God, their common ('our') Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. It is because of the grace and peace that comes from the 'Lord Jesus Christ' (v. 3) that Paul is a prisoner of 'Christ Jesus' (v. 1) and a partner with Philemon and his other fellow workers, who share his concern and responsibility for the gospel. The A (vv. 1-3) unit thus sets for the entire letter a tone of gratitude for the God-given grace and peace the senders and recipients share with all who believe in and work to promote the gospel of Jesus Christ.

B. From love Philemon's partnership can result in doing good for Christ (vv. 4-7).

The transition from the A to the B units is by way of a catch-word connection. In response to the grace (xa/rij) that comes from God (qeou=) (v. 3) Paul thanks (Eu)xaristw=) his God (qew=|) every time he makes mention of Philemon in his prayers (v. 4)²². Paul thanks God for Philemon's 'love and faith', both of which are directed to both 'the Lord Jesus', in response to the grace and peace that come from 'the Lord Jesus Christ' (v. 3), and to 'all the holy ones' (v. 5)²³. Included among 'all the holy ones', that is, all believers, is the audience, the assembly at Philemon's house (together with Apphia and Archippus, v. 2), listening to the letter²⁴. Paul has drawn them, as beneficiaries of Philemon's love and faith, into his prayers of thanksgiving for Philemon. They stand before Philemon as public witnesses who can identify with and verify what Paul is saying about Philemon.

How Philemon's faith (pi/stin) can be directed to all the holy ones (v. 5) is indicated by the purpose of Paul's prayer, namely, that the partnership of Philemon's faith (pi/stew/j) might become effective in the recognition (by all the holy ones) of all the good that is among 'us' (Paul and Philemon) for (promoting the gospel about) Christ (v. 6)²⁵. The faith (and love) that Philemon has 'for all the holy ones' (v. 5) can effect a public recognition of all the good that is among Paul and Philemon 'for Christ' (v. 6). And all the good that Paul and Philemon can do 'for' (ei)j) Christ (v. 6) is also 'for' (ei)j) all the holy ones (v. 5), including the audience listening to the letter at Philemon's house²⁶.

Paul is confident that in their partnership as fellow workers he and Philemon can do something good for Christ and for the holy ones (vv. 5-6), 'for' (ga_r) Paul has had much joy and encouragement in Philemon's love (cf. v. 5), because the hearts of the holy ones have already been and still are refreshed (a)nape/pautai, perfect tense) through Philemon (v. 7)²⁷. Paul employs the emotional word 'hearts' (spla/gxna) and concludes this thanksgiving unit by addressing Philemon affectionately and warmly as 'brother' (a)delfe/), further associating him with Paul's co-sender and preeminent fellow worker Timothy, 'the brother' (v. 1)²⁸. In this B (vv. 4-7) unit Paul has thus awakened in his audience not only a sense of gratitude for all the good that Philemon has already done in refreshing their hearts as holy ones (v. 7), but also an expectation of a further good that Paul and Philemon together as fraternal partners and fellow workers can do for all the holy ones and for Christ (vv. 5-6).

C. Paul appeals to Philemon for Onesimus (vv. 8-10).

Alliterative catch-words link the C to the B unit. The Paul who had (e!sxon) much (pollh_n) joy and encouragement (para/klhsin) in (e)pi_) your (sou) love (v. 7) now has (e!xwn) much (pollh_n) boldness (parrhsi/an) in Christ to command (e/pita/ssein) to you (soi) what is proper (v. 8). Paul's relationship to Christ (e)n Xristw=|, v. 8), which he shares with Philemon and the rest of the audience, who are among the holy ones (vv. 5, 7), gives him the boldness to command Philemon to do what is proper, that is, the good that Philemon can do for Christ (ei)j Xristo/n, v. 6)²⁹.

Nevertheless, as an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus, Paul would rather appeal on the basis of love (v. 9). The encouragement (para/klhsin) that Paul has had in Philemon's love (e)pi_ th=| a)ga/ph| sou) (v. 7) for all the holy ones (v. 5) leads him to appeal (parakalw=) on account of love (dia_ th_n a)ga/phn, v. 9) — not only Philemon's love for the holy ones (v. 5) but Paul's love for Philemon, 'our beloved' (v. 1)³⁰. That Paul refers to himself both as an 'old man' (presbu/thj) and again as a prisoner of Christ Jesus (cf. v. 1) evokes from his audience empathy and respect both for his old age and for his special relationship to Christ as a literal and metaphorical prisoner³¹. That Paul is both an old man and a prisoner of Christ Jesus intensifies the motivation for Philemon to extend to Paul the same love he demonstrated to the holy ones.

Having stated his preference to appeal (parakalw=, v. 9) to rather than to command Philemon (v. 8), Paul makes his appeal: 'I appeal (parakalw=) to you for my child, whom I have begotten in prison, Onesimus' (v. 10)³². That Paul appeals 'for' (peri_), in the sense of 'on behalf of'³³, 'my (e)mou=, possessive adjective in the emphatic position) child'³⁴, that is, the child of Paul the old man and prisoner (v. 9), evokes Philemon's love not only for Paul, who loves Philemon (v. 1), but for Onesimus, who, as Paul's 'child', has now become one of the holy ones (cf. v. 5)³⁵. That Paul has figuratively and spiritually 'begotten' (e)ge/nnhsa), that is, converted Onesimus into a holy one while 'in prison'³⁶, not only demonstrates to his 'fellow worker' Philemon how Paul is doing the work of advancing the gospel even as a prisoner of Christ Jesus (vv. 1, 9), but summons Philemon to share in Paul's special love for his child begotten by Paul as an old man in prison³⁷. Only after referring to him as 'my own child' begotten in prison does Paul climactically announce the name of Onesimus³⁸.

D. Paul wanted to keep Onesimus, his heart, to serve on behalf of Philemon (vv. 11-13).

The pronouns referring to Philemon and Paul serve as catch-words connecting the D to the C unit: 'I appeal to you (se) for my (e)mou=) child' (v. 10)...'who was once to you (soi) useless but now is indeed to you (soi_) and to me (e)moi_) useful' (v. 11). Having named Onesimus, a frequently-attested name for slaves meaning 'the useful one', Paul employs a clever word play on the name to further persuade Philemon to extend his love to both Paul and his 'child' Onesimus³⁹. That Onesimus ('useful') was once 'useless' (a!xrhston) to Philemon acknowledges that as a slave he was useless to Philemon while he was away from his household⁴⁰. But, on a deeper level, since a!xrhston sounds like a-Xristo/n ('without Christ'), Onesimus was 'useless' to Philemon while he was 'without Christ', that is, a non-Christian. Now, however, Onesimus is 'useful' (eu!xrhston) to both Philemon and Paul since he has become Paul's 'child', that is, 'with Christ' (eu-Xristo/n), a good Christian⁴¹. Through this shrewd word play Paul proposes to his audience that the formerly non-Christian, 'useless' Onesimus has now become a Christian 'useful' to both Philemon and Paul in their common work of advancing the gospel⁴².

The sequence of emphatic pronouns referring to Paul in his relationship to Onesimus, the focus of this D unit, continues: 'whom I am sending back to you, him, that is my (e)ma_) heart' (v. 12). This intensifies Paul's warmly close and affectionate relationship to Onesimus. Not only is Onesimus 'my (e)mou=) child' (v. 10), who is 'to me (e)moi_) useful' (v. 11), but, indeed, he is 'my (e)ma_) heart' (v. 12). Paul is appealing to the Philemon whose love touched the 'hearts' (spla/gxna) of the holy ones (v. 7) to extend that love (cf. v. 5) to Onesimus, who as Paul's child has now become a holy one, indeed, Paul's very 'heart' (spla/gxna, v. 12)⁴³.

The D unit concludes with three more occurrences of the pronoun to underline Paul's special relation to Onesimus: 'whom I (e)gw_) wanted to keep for myself (e)mauto_n), so that he might serve on your behalf me (moi) in the imprisonment of the gospel' (v. 13)⁴⁴. Here Paul states what he wants from his fellow worker Philemon. Although Paul is sending Onesimus back, he really wants to retain him, so that he can continue to serve Paul as a fellow missionary worker in the 'imprisonment' of the gospel 'on your behalf' (u(pe_r sou=), that is, in place of, as a representative substitute for, Philemon himself⁴⁵.

Paul here is not rebuking Philemon for failing to serve Paul as his fellow worker for the gospel⁴⁶. The purpose clause, 'so that (i#na) he might serve on your behalf me in the imprisonment of the gospel' (v. 13), further specifies the purpose clause that expresses the content of Paul's prayer, 'that (o#pwj) the partnership of your faith might become effective in the recognition of all the good that is among us for Christ' (v. 6). Paul is offering Philemon the opportunity for them as partners in faith to do a further good for Christ by allowing Onesimus to serve Paul as Philemon's representative fellow worker. That Onesimus might serve on 'your' (sou=) behalf 'me' (moi) in the imprisonment of the gospel (v. 13) elaborates how Onesimus can more precisely be both 'to you' (soi_) and 'to me' (e)moi_) 'useful' (v. 11).

E. The good that Philemon can do in regard to Onesimus must be from benevolence (v. 14).

The pronouns referring to Philemon and the conjunction i#na form catch-words linking the E to the D unit: 'so that (i#na) he might serve on your (sou=) behalf' (v. 13)...'but without your (sh=j) consent I resolved to do nothing, so that (i#na) your (sou) good might not be as under compulsion but rather under benevolence' (v. 14). The purpose clause, 'so that (i#na) your good (a)gaqo/n)', that is, 'so that (i#na)' Onesimus might on behalf of Philemon serve Paul in the imprisonment of the gospel (v. 13), recalls and refines the purpose clause expressing Paul's prayer, 'that' (o#pwj) the partnership of Paul and Philemon might become effective in the recognition of all the 'good' (a)gaqou=) they can do for Christ (v. 6). In other words, the 'good' that Philemon can do (v. 14) is not general but very specific it consists in allowing Onesimus to serve Paul as Philemon's representative in the work of advancing the gospel (v. 13)⁴⁷.

Having expressed what he wants from Philemon, namely, for Onesimus to serve Paul in the work of the gospel (v. 13), Paul begins to explain why he wants it, namely, because it would be a good deed of Philemon's love in response to the grace of God (v. 14). Paul respectfully resolved to do nothing without the consent of his partner and fellow worker Philemon, so that Philemon's good might not be 'as under compulsion' (v. 14), which would be the case if Paul had merely retained Onesimus for himself (v. 13) and commanded Philemon to release him for service with Paul (v. 8). Rather, Paul wants Philemon's good to be done 'under benevolence' (v. 14), that is, freely, voluntarily, in accord with his love for the holy ones (vv. 5-7) in response to God's freely given grace (v. 3)⁴⁸.

In referring to all of the previous units, this E unit brings the rhetorical thrust of the first half of the chiasm to a climax: Philemon's good of allowing Onesimus to serve with Paul must be done from benevolence for Onesimus as Paul's very 'heart', so that Onesimus can be useful to both Philemon and Paul (D unit). Philemon's good must not be under the compulsion of Paul's command, but on account of his benevolent love for the old man and prisoner Paul and his 'child' Onesimus (C unit). Philemon's benevolent 'good' is a further 'good' (v. 6) that he as a partner of Paul can do from his faithful love for all the holy ones (B unit). The benevolence of Philemon's good would appropriately accord with the freely given grace of God that has made Philemon a fellow worker of Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus (A unit).

As its central and pivotal point, the E unit (v. 14) not only climaxes the first half of the chiasm but serves as the transition and dominant motivation for the completion of Paul's argument in the second half. Now that Paul has subtly but pointedly established what he wants from Philemon and why he wants it, he will clarify and bolster his argument by way of inversely parallel developments of the previous units of the letter.

D'. Paul wants Philemon to welcome Onesimus as a beloved brother and partner (vv. 15-17).

The word 'without' (xwri_j in v. 14; e)xwri/sqh in v. 15) and the conjunction i#na (v. 14 and v. 15) serve as catch-words connecting the D' to the E unit. The purpose clause, 'so that (i#na) you might have him (au)to_n)' — the 'him' (au)to/n) Paul is sending back to Philemon as 'my heart' (v. 12) — 'back forever' (v. 15) corresponds to the purpose clause in the pivot of the chiasm, 'so that (i#na) your good...' (v. 14), and begins the inverse parallelism between the D and D' units, 'so that (i#na) he might serve...' (v. 13). Paul suggests that Onesimus was purposefully 'separated' from Philemon by God (divine passive) for awhile, so that he can have him back 'forever' (v. 15), that is, in a new, deeper, and paradoxical sense⁴⁹. Philemon can have Onesimus back forever by benevolently doing the good (v. 14) of allowing him to serve Paul in place of Philemon for the gospel (v. 13). In other words, Philemon paradoxically can 'have back' (a)pe/xh|j, v. 15) Onesimus 'forever' by giving him to Paul, who wants 'to keep' (kate/xein, v. 13) him for missionary work.

That Philemon can have Onesimus back forever 'no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother (a)delfo_n a)gaphto/n)' (v. 16), appeals to Philemon to relate to Onesimus in the same way that Paul relates to Philemon, that is, as a beloved (a)gaphtw=|) fellow worker (v. 1) and brother (a)delfe/, v. 7)⁵⁰. As a 'beloved brother', Onesimus is to be treated not only as a Christian but as a fellow worker of Paul, just like Philemon, Apphia, and Archippus (vv. 1-2)⁵¹. That Onesimus is a beloved brother especially 'to me' (e)moi/), Paul, but even more 'to you' (soi_), Philemon (v. 16), develops, by way of inverse parallelism with the D unit, how Onesimus, by serving on 'your' (sou=) behalf 'me' (moi) in the imprisonment of the gospel (v. 13), is both 'to you' (soi_) and 'to me' (e)moi_) useful (v. 11). Onesimus is a beloved brother to both Paul and Philemon 'in the flesh', that is, in the world as a fellow worker for the gospel, and 'in the Lord', that is, as a Christian (v. 16).

If Philemon truly considers Paul to be his partner (koinwno/n; cf. koinwni/a in v. 6), then Paul requests that Philemon welcome 'him' (au)to_n), the 'him' (au)to/n) who is 'my' (e)ma_) heart (v. 12 in the D unit), as 'me' (e)me/), Paul (v. 17)⁵². In other words, Philemon is to welcome Onesimus as if he were Paul himself, the old man and prisoner of Christ Jesus (vv. 1, 9), Philemon's fraternal partner and fellow worker for the gospel.

C'. Paul wants Philemon to charge him for any debt of Onesimus (vv. 18-19).

The conjunction 'if' (ei) in v. 17 and v. 18) and the pronoun 'me' (e)me/ in v. 17; e)moi_ in v. 18) serve as catch-words joining the C' to the D' unit. In accord with their 'partnership' for the gospel Paul employs a commercial or business metaphor⁵³. If Onesimus has wronged 'you' (se), Philemon, in anyway or 'owes' anything, Philemon is to 'charge' it 'to me' (e)moi_), Paul (v. 18)⁵⁴. Within the inverse parallelism of the chiasm Paul is appealing to Philemon to 'charge' him, because he has already appealed 'to you' (se) for 'my' (e)mou=) child, whom Paul has begotten in prison, Onesimus (v. 10 in the C unit). As the 'father' of Onesimus, Paul accepts responsibility for the debts of his 'son'⁵⁵.

With a triplet of emphatic pronouns Paul underlines his acceptance of the debt of Onesimus: 'I (e)gw_), Paul, am writing in my own (e)mh=|) hand, I (e)gw_) will repay' (v. 19). But, in view of the chiastic parallelism with the C unit, this is the 'Paul' (cf. Pau=loj in vv. 9, 19) who, as an old man and prisoner of Christ Jesus, is appealing to Philemon on the basis of love (v. 9). Does Paul's 'business partner' really want to charge this old man and prisoner for the debt of his 'son' Onesimus, Paul's very 'heart' (v. 12) and Philemon's 'beloved brother' (v. 16)?

Paul then deftly reverses the debts of their partnership: 'But may I not tell you that you more than owe me your very self!' (v. 19). Whereas Onesimus may 'owe' (o)fei/lei) a debt to Philemon (v. 18), Philemon 'more than owes' (prosofei/leij) Paul his very self (v. 19), both as a Christian and as a 'business partner' of the 'prisoner of Christ Jesus' (vv. 1, 9)⁵⁶. Within the chiastic parallelism 'may I not tell you (soi)' (v. 19) corresponds to Paul's having much boldness in Christ to command 'you' (soi) what is proper (v. 8). Rather than command, Paul appeals to Philemon on the basis of love (v. 9) and the good he can do under benevolence (v. 14, the pivot of the chiasm). Since Philemon more than owes Paul his very self, he ought graciously, from love and under benevolence, not only to cancel any debt of Onesimus, but allow his slave to serve Paul as a substitute fellow worker for his 'business partner' Philemon (v. 13) in payment of Philemon's debt to Paul of his very self!

B'. From obedience Philemon will do good in benefiting Paul with Onesimus (vv. 20-22).

The pronouns referring to Paul (e)gw_, e)mh=|, e)gw_ in v. 19; e)gw_ in v. 20) and Philemon (soi in v. 19; sou in v. 20) serve as catch-words linking the B' to the C' unit. Continuing the commercial metaphor, Paul furthers his appeal to his fraternal business partner: 'Yes, brother may I benefit from you in the Lord' (v. 20)⁵⁷. Through a word play Paul can 'benefit' or 'profit' (o)nai/mhn) from his fraternal business partner, who owes Paul his very self (v. 19), if Philemon grants him 'Onesimus' ('Onh/simon), which means 'beneficial' or 'profitable'⁵⁸. Within the chiastic parallelism with the B unit Paul may 'benefit' from Philemon in the Lord (kuri/w|, v. 20) because of Philemon's love and faith for the Lord (ku/rion, v. 5).

Paul's appeal, 'Yes, brother (a)delfe/)...refresh (a)na/pauso/n) my heart (ta_ spla/gxna) in Christ' (v. 20) in the B' unit is based on what Paul affirmed in the B unit, 'because the hearts (ta_ spla/gxna) of the holy ones have been refreshed (a)nape/pautai) through you, brother (a)delfe/)' (v. 7). Philemon can refresh Paul's heart (mou ta_ spla/gxna, v. 20) by refreshing Onesimus, who is Paul's own heart (ta_ e)ma_ spla/gxna, v. 12). To refresh Paul's heart, then, Philemon must forgive any debt of Onesimus (vv. 18-19), welcome Onesimus as a useful partner and beloved brother (vv. 15-17), and benevolently (v. 14) allow Onesimus to serve Paul on Philemon's behalf in the work of advancing the gospel (v. 13). Within the chiastic parallelism Philemon may refresh Paul's heart in Christ (Xristw=|, v. 20) because of all the good there is among us for Christ (Xristo/n, v. 6).

In writing to Philemon Paul is confident in the B' unit of 'your obedience' (th=| u(pakoh=| sou, v. 21), that is, Philemon's obedience to Paul's appeal to his love for Paul and Onesimus (vv. 9, 16), because Paul in the B unit expressed his joy and encouragement in 'your love' (th=| a)ga/ph| sou, v. 7) for all the holy ones. Paul knows that Philemon will do 'even more than I say (le/gw)' (v. 21), that is, even more than what Paul 'says' (le/gw) in telling Philemon that he owes him his very self (v. 19), namely, what Paul is implying — that Philemon give him Onesimus as a substitute payment for himself. Paul knows that 'you will do' (poih/seij, v. 21) even more than Paul says in telling Philemon to welcome Onesimus as Paul himself (v. 17), by doing what Paul himself wants 'to do' (poih=sai, v. 14) with Philemon's consent, as stated in the center and pivot of the chiasm, namely, to allow Onesimus to serve Paul in place of Philemon for the gospel (v. 13).

That Philemon is at the same time to prepare a guest room for Paul (v. 22) strengthens Paul's plea for Philemon's hospitable 'welcome' of Onesimus as if he were Paul himself (v. 17). They will want to extend to Onesimus, who is coming ahead of Paul, the same hospitality Paul is requesting for himself. Furthermore, since Paul himself expects to come, Philemon need not send Onesimus back to Paul in prison. The gracious granting of Onesimus as a benevolent gift to Paul can appropriately take place in the house of Philemon as a further 'refreshing' of the holy ones (v. 7).

Within the chiasm the o#ti clause in v. 22 of the B' unit, 'for (o#ti) I am hoping that through your prayers I will be granted to you', corresponds to the o#ti clause in v. 7 of the B unit, 'For (o#ti) I have had much joy and encouragement in your love, because the hearts of the holy ones have been refreshed through you, brother'. Because the hearts of the holy ones 'have been refreshed' by God (divine passive) through (dia_) 'you' (v. 7), Philemon, Paul now hopes that through (dia_) 'your' prayers, that is, through the prayers of the assembly of the 'refreshed' holy ones at Philemon's house (the plural pronoun u(mw=n), 'I will be granted' by God (divine passive) 'to you' (u(mi=n), that is, to the whole assembly (v. 22).

Within the chiasm Paul's hope that 'through your prayers (proseuxw=n) I will be granted (xarisqh/somai) to you' by God in v. 22 of the B' unit corresponds to Paul's thanking (Eu)xaristw=) God every time he makes mention of Philemon in his prayers (proseuxw=n) in v. 4 of the B unit. Through their prayers for Paul to be granted to them, Philemon and the assembly at his house reciprocate and complement Paul's prayers of thanksgiving for Philemon in response to the grace (xa/rij) of God (v. 3) that unites them all as Christians and fellow workers for the gospel. That through the prayers of all of them Paul 'will be granted' to them by the 'grace' of God under which they all stand further motivates Philemon, with the support and approval of the whole assembly praying for Paul, benevolently to grant Onesimus to Paul as the 'good' that he can do both for Paul and the holy ones (v. 6) not 'as under compulsion but rather under benevolence' (v. 14, the pivot of the chiasm)⁵⁹.

A'. Paul closes with a framework of imprisonment and partnership under grace (vv. 23-25).

The pronouns referring to Paul (moi in v. 22; mou in v. 23) serve as catch-words connecting the A' to the B' unit. After addressing the whole assembly at the end of the B' unit, 'through your (plural) prayers I will be granted to you (plural)' (v. 22), Paul resumes addressing 'you' (se), Philemon alone, at the beginning of the A' unit (v. 23). That Epaphras, 'my fellow captive in Christ Jesus', as well as four of Paul's 'fellow workers' (sunergoi/), greets Philemon (vv. 23-24 in the A' unit) reinforces the appeal of Paul as a 'prisoner of Christ Jesus; see also v. 9) to Philemon as Paul's and Timothy's beloved 'fellow worker' (sunergw=|) (v. 1 in the A unit) in partnership for the gospel⁶⁰.

At the conclusion of the A unit Paul placed his audience within a framework of grace, 'Grace (xa/rij) to you (u(mi=n) and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ' (v. 3). In accord with the love (vv. 5, 7, 9) that corresponds to that grace, Paul appealed for the further 'good' (vv. 6, 14) that Philemon can do for the assembly and for Paul in benevolently granting him Onesimus to work for the gospel (v. 13). At the conclusion of the A' unit Paul reinforces the framework of grace as the motivation for his appeal, 'The grace (xa/rij) of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your (u(mw=n) spirit' (v. 25).

From the grace (xa/rij) that is with 'your' (u(mw=n) spirit (v. 25) Paul further motivates the assembly to pray, so that through 'your' (u(mw=n) prayers Paul 'will be granted' by grace (xarisqh/somai)'to you' (u(mi=n) (v. 22). The grace of Paul being granted to the assembly provides the final motivation and occasion for Philemon benevolently (v. 14), from grace, to grant Onesimus to Paul to serve on his behalf in the metaphorical imprisonment of the gospel(v. 13).

* * *

Many surmise that what Paul wants of Philemon is unclear. The chiastic structure of the letter, however, indicates not only what Paul wants from Philemon, namely, Onesimus to serve on his behalf in the work of the gospel (v. 13), but also why he wants it, namely, as a further good that Philemon can do under benevolence (v. 14) for Paul and the holy ones based on love and in response to grace.

In the A unit (vv. 1-3) of the chiasm Paul's greeting as a prisoner of Christ Jesus places the audience of the letter within a framework of God's grace. In response to this grace Paul in the B unit (vv. 4-7) thanks God in his prayers for Philemon's faithful love toward the holy ones, suggesting that as partners they can do a further 'good' for Christ. On the basis of love Paul as an old man and prisoner of Christ Jesus appeals for his 'child' Onesimus in the C unit (vv. 8-10). In the D unit (vv. 11-13) Paul indicates that he would like Onesimus, his very heart, who as a Christian has become 'useful' to both Philemon and Paul, to serve Paul on behalf of Philemon in the work of the gospel. The first half of the chiasm reaches its climax in the E unit (v. 14) with Paul's resolve that the 'good' that Philemon can do in granting him Onesimus be under benevolence.

As the center and pivotal point of the chiasm, the E unit (v. 14) serves as the dominant motivation for the development of Paul's appeal in the second half. Through inverse parallelism with the D unit, in which Paul wants to keep Onesimus for himself, the D' unit (vv. 15-17) suggests that Philemon can have Onesimus back forever by giving him back to Paul after welcoming him as a beloved brother and as a partner like Paul himself. In the C' unit (vv. 18-19) Paul himself offers to pay any debts of his 'child' for whom he appealed in the C unit, Onesimus, but reminds Philemon that he more than owes Paul his very self, thus suggesting Onesimus as payment. Paul in the B' unit (vv. 20-22) wants his 'brother' Philemon to refresh his heart (Onesimus), as he refreshed the hearts of the holy ones in the B unit; in reciprocal and complementary correspondence to Paul's prayers of thanks for grace (B unit), Paul hopes through the prayers of the assembly to be granted to them from grace as further motivation and occasion for Philemon graciously to grant Onesimus to Paul (B' unit). The greetings of grace to the entire assembly that frame the letter in the A and A' (vv. 23-25) units provide the ultimate motivation for Philemon to grant Onesimus to Paul under the benevolence of grace.

SUMMARY

This article proposes a new chiastic structure for Paul's letter to Philemon based on rigorous criteria and methodology. The center and pivot of the chiasm, 'but without your consent I resolved to do nothing, so that your good might not be as under compulsion but rather under benevolence' (v. 14), is a key to explicating the letter's supposedly unclear purpose. Paul wants Philemon to give his former slave Onesimus back to Paul as a beloved brother and fellow worker for the gospel of Jesus Christ, because of Philemon's response to the grace of God evident in his faithful love for the holy ones as a beloved brother and fellow worker of Paul.

NOTES

¹ A chiastic structure of five pairs of parallel units, instead of the nine-part system offered by T. BOYS, Tactica Sacra (London 1824) 65-66, was proposed by N.W. LUND, Chiasmus in the New Testament. A Study in Formgeschichte (Chapel Hill 1942) 219. A more complex chiastic structure of ten pairs of parallel units has more recently been proposed by J.W. WELCH, "Chiasmus in the New Testament", Chiasmus in Antiquity: Structures, Analyses, Exegesis (ed. J.W. WELCH) (Hildesheim 1981) 225. The center of both of these proposed chiasms consists of a pair of paralleled units, whereas the center and pivotal point of the chiasm that we are proposing consists of one unparalleled unit. The deficiencies of both Lund's and Welch's proposals, especially at the center of their respective chiasms, have been pointed out by J.D. HARVEY, Listening to the Text: Oral Patterning in Paul's Letters (Grand Rapids 1998) 279-282. Harvey concluded: 'Both Welch's and Lund's proposals reflect the points of verbal correspondence between the epistolary opening and closing. Each, however, has weaknesses at its center. Neither is particularly compelling' (ibid., 282).

² For some alternative, non-chiastic proposals for the structure of Paul's letter to Philemon, see J.L. WHITE, "The Structural Analysis of Philemon: A Point of Departure in the Formal Analysis of the Pauline Letter", SBL.SP 1 (1971) 1-47; F.F. CHURCH, "Rhetorical Structure and Design in Paul's Letter to Philemon", HTR 71 (1978) 17-33; B.L. MIGLIAZZA, "Text Analysis Observations from Philemon Using Fleming's Stratificational Model", Notes 2 (1988) 36-48; A.H. SNYMAN, "A Semantic Discourse Analysis of the Letter to Philemon", Text and Interpretation. New Approaches in the Criticism of the New Testament (eds. P.J. HARTIN – J.H. PETZER) (NTTS 15; Leiden 1991) 83-99; D.L. ALLEN, "The Discourse Structure of Philemon: A Study in Textlinguistics", Scribes and Scriptures. New Testament Essays in Honor of J. Harold Greenlee (ed. D.A. BLACK) (Winona Lake 1992) 77-96; D.M. RUSSELL, "The Strategy of a First-Century Appeals Letter: A Discourse Reading of Paul's Epistle to Philemon", Journal of Translation and Textlinguistics 11 (1998) 1-25.

³ On the significance of chiastic structures, see R.E. MAN, "The Value of Chiasm for New Testament Interpretation", BSac 141 (1984) 146-157;A. STOCK, "Chiastic Awareness and Education in Antiquity", BTB 14 (1984) 23-27; J. BRECK, "Biblical Chiasmus: Exploring Structure for Meaning", BTB 17 (1987) 70-74.

⁴ The criteria and methodology for determining a true chiastic structure are discussed by C.L. BLOMBERG, "The Structure of 2 Corinthians 1–7", Criswell Theological Review 4 (1989) 4-8; I.H. THOMSON, Chiasmus in the Pauline Letters (JSNTSS 111; Sheffield 1995) 13-45. See also S.E. PORTER – J.T. REED, "Philippians as a Macro-Chiasm and Its Exegetical Significance", NTS 44 (1998) 213-231. Very useful is Blomberg's list of nine criteria for detecting an extended chiasmus: (1) there must be a problem in perceiving the structure of the text in question, which more conventional outlines fail to resolve; (2) there must be clear examples of parallelism between the two 'halves' of the hypothesized chiasmus, to which commentators call attention even when they propose quite different outlines for the text overall; (3) verbal (or grammatical) parallelism as well as conceptual (or structural) parallelism should characterize most if not all of the corresponding pairs of subdivisions; (4) the verbal parallelism should involve central or dominant imagery or terminology, not peripheral or trivial language; (5) both verbal and conceptual parallelism should involve words and ideas not regularly found elsewhere within the proposed chiasmus; (6) multiple sets of correspondences between passages opposite each other in the chiasmus as well as multiple members of the chiasmus itself are desirable; (7) the outline should divide the text at natural breaks which would be agreed upon even by those proposing very different structures to account for the whole; (8) the center of the chiasmus, which forms its climax, should be a passage worthy of that position in light of its theological or ethical significance; (9) ruptures in the outline should be avoided if at all possible.

⁵ Many interpreters think that it is rather unclear as to what exactly Paul wants of his audience in this letter. Typical is J.M.G. BARCLAY, "Paul, Philemon and the Dilemma of Christian Slave-Ownership", NTS 37 (1991) 170-171: '[T]he letter is skilfully (sic) designed to constrain Philemon to accept Paul's request, and yet, at the same time, it is extremely unclear what precisely Paul is requesting!' Most recently, C. FRILINGOS, "'For My Child, Onesimus': Paul and Domestic Power in Philemon", JBL 119 (2000) 100: 'Still the letter's purpose remains obscure'. Politeness on the part of Paul may partially explain this lack of clarity according to A. WILSON, "The Pragmatics of Politeness and Pauline Epistolography: A Case Study of the Letter to Philemon", JSNT 48 (1992) 116. Although Paul's letter to Philemon is very politely and carefully composed, we maintain that the chiasm we are proposing for it clarifies not only what Paul precisely wants of Philemon and the assembly in his house, but also — and just as, if not more, importantly — why he wants it.

⁶ This is our own translation. The italicized words indicate the verbal repetitions that define each unit. The Greek words in parentheses indicate the parallels between the chiastically paired units. And the words in small capitals indicate the parallels with the central, pivotal unit of the chiasm (v. 14). The significance of these repetitions and parallels is explained in the following sections.

⁷ P. SCHUBERT, Form and Function of the Pauline Thanksgiving (BZNW 20; Berlin 1939); J.D.G. DUNN, The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon (NIGTC; Grand Rapids 1996) 315-316.

⁸ Neglecting this broader, verbal chiasm involving 'love' and 'faith' in vv. 5-7, scholars often point out a narrower, conceptual chiasm in v. 5: (a) love and (b) faith, (b') which you have toward the Lord Jesus and (a') for all the holy ones; THOMSON, Chiasmus, 23; HARVEY, Listening, 279; G.J. STEYN, "Some Figures of Style in the Epistle to Philemon: Their Contribution Towards the Persuasive Nature of the Epistle", Ekklesiastikos Pharos 77 (1995) 71. DUNN, Philemon, 317, rightly questions this proposed chiastic reading of v. 5: 'But there is no reason why Paul should not have thought of both love and faith as the sum of the Christian lifestyle and therefore of both as related to both "the Lord Jesus" and "all the saints"'. See also J. GNILKA, Der Philemonbrief (HTKNT 10; Freiburg 1982) 35-36; H. HЬBNER, An Philemon, An die Kolosser, An die Epheser (HNT 12; Tьbingen 1997) 30.

⁹ Although there is a relative clause referring to Onesimus in v. 10, 'whom (o$n) I have begotten', it occurs before the climactic naming of Onesimus and before the word 'prison' (desmoi=j), which ties v. 10 to v. 9 and thus to the third unit through the parallel with the word 'prisoner' (de/smioj).

¹⁰ On the oral nature of Paul's letters, which would have been publicly read and listened to by the audience probably in a liturgical setting, see HARVEY, Listening, 1-59.

¹¹ For more on the concept of the authorial or implied audience, see W. CARTER – J.P. HEIL, Matthew's Parables. Audience-Oriented Perspectives (CBQMS 30; Washington 1998) 9-14; J.P. HEIL, The Meal Scenes in Luke-Acts. An Audience-Oriented Approach (SBLMS 52; Atlanta 1999) 2-3.

¹² Of the three usually suggested possibilities — Caesarea, Rome, or Ephesus — for Paul's imprisonment, Ephesus seems the most probable; see DUNN, Philemon, 307-308, for the arguments for Rome or Ephesus. For a recent argument in favor of the Caesarean hypothesis, see E.E. ELLIS, The Making of the New Testament Documents (Biblical Interpretation Series 39; Leiden 1999) 266-275.

¹³ C.S. WANSINK, Chained in Christ. The Experience and Rhetoric of Paul's Imprisonments (JSNTSS 130; Sheffield 1996) 147-157. F. STAUDINGER, "desmo/j", EDNT I, 290: '...the gen.[itive] of source, quality, and possession expresses the apostle's inner relationship to Christ together with its missionary effect'.

¹⁴ On Timothy as Paul's fellow worker, see W.-H. OLLROG, Paulus und seine Mitarbeiter: Untersuchungen zu Theorie und Praxis der paulinischen Mission (WMANT 50; Neukirchen-Vluyn 1979) 20-23. In a variant but preferred reading of 1 Thess 3,2 Paul refers to Timothy as 'our brother and fellow worker for God in the gospel of Christ'. For the text-critical discussion, see B.M. METZGER, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (New York 1971) 631.

¹⁵ On 'brother' in the sense of a fraternal fellow worker of Paul, see J. BEUTLER, "a)delfo/j", EDNT I, 30; OLLROG, Mitarbeiter, 78. The fellow workers Paul names 'brother' include: Sosthenes (1 Cor 1,1), Apollo (1 Cor 16,12), Titus (2 Cor 2,13), Epaphroditus (Phil 2,25), Timothy (2 Cor 1,1; Phlm 1; Col 1,1). On the independence of Paul's fellow workers, see OLLROG, Mitarbeiter, 182-189.

¹⁶ Archippus, then, addressed third and with a single designation, 'our fellow soldier' (v. 2), is not the primary recipient, contra J. KNOX, Philemon Among the Letters of Paul. A New View of Its Place and Importance (New York 1959) 60-70; S.C. WINTER, "Paul's Letter to Philemon", NTS 33 (1987) 1-2.

¹⁷ O. WISCHMEYER, "Das Adjective AGAPHTOS in den paulinischen Briefen: Eine traditionsgeschichtliche Miszelle", NTS 32 (1986) 478.

¹⁸ For the significance of a 'fellow worker' of Paul, see W.A. MEEKS, The First Urban Christians: The Social World of the Apostle Paul (New Haven 1983) 133-134; OLLROG, Mitarbeiter, 63-72; ID., "sunergo/j", EDNT III, 304: '[A] person who is active with and like Paul as a representative of God in the mission "work" of proclamation. The sunergo/j is thus Paul's fellow worker, fellow missionary, mission colleague: "In the service of God we are fellow workers" (1 Cor 3:9) — not synergistically "God's fellow workers" ... The sunergo/j is also not Paul's "helper", "companion", or "servant", as the word has repeatedly been mistranslated'.

¹⁹ On 'sister' as a designation for a fellow worker of Paul, see OLLROG, Mitarbeiter, 77-78; J. BEUTLER, "a)delfh/", EDNT I, 30.

²⁰ On 'fellow soldier' as a metaphorical designation for a fellow worker or missionary colleague of Paul, see OLLROG, Mitarbeiter, 77; "sustratiw/thj", EDNT 3.314; WANSINK, Chained in Christ, 164-170; DUNN, Philemon, 312-313; D.J. WILLIAMS, Paul's Metaphors. Their Context and Character (Peabody 1999) 243, n. 141. In Phil 2,25 Paul designates Epaphroditus as 'my brother (a)delfo_n; cf. Phlm 1) and fellow worker (sunergo_n; cf. Phlm 1) and fellow soldier (sustratiw/thn; cf. Phlm 2)'.

²¹ J. ROLOFF, "e)kklhsi/a", EDNT 1.413; C. OSIEK – D.L. BALCH, Families in the New Testament World. Households and House Churches (Louisville 1997) 33, 97.

²² That xa/rij has a connotation of gratitude or thanks enhances its catch-word connection with eu)xaristw=; see K. BERGER, "xa/rij", EDNT III, 459. On the significance of 'grace' for Paul, see J.D.G. DUNN, The Theology of Paul the Apostle (Grand Rapids 1998) 319-323.

²³ DUNN, Philemon, 317. The singular relative pronoun h$n in v. 5 treats love and faith as a singular combination directed to both the Lord Jesus and all the holy ones; see P. STUHLMACHER, Der Brief an Philemon (EKK; Zьrich 1975) 32.

²⁴ On 'holy ones' as a designation for Christian believers, see H. BALZ, "a#gioj", EDNT I, 19.

²⁵ A subtle word play between Philemon as 'our fellow worker (sunergw=|)' (v. 1) and the 'effectiveness of your (sou e)nergh_j) faith' (v. 6) underlines how koinwni/a here refers to the partnership between Paul and Philemon as fellow workers in the advancement of the gospel. F. HAUCK, "koino/j", TDNT III, 798: 'koinwni/a is used esp. of a close life partnership'. J. HAINZ, "koinwni/a", EDNT II, 304: '...the word group represented by koinwni/a can be seen as the key to the total understanding of the letter to Philemon; i.e., the letter is a concrete demonstration of what Paul understands by koinwni/a'.

²⁶ That ei)j occurs only in vv. 5-6 within the entire letter enhances the significance of this parallelism.

²⁷ P. FIEDLER, "a)napau/w", EDNT I, 87: 'In Paul the word has to do with inner rest (through joy, comfort, etc.)'. See also 1 Cor 16,18; 2 Cor 7,13.

²⁸ For the significance of spla/gxna, see N. WALTER, "spla/gxnon", EDNT III, 265-266; BAGD, 763. DUNN, Philemon, 320-321: 'The compliment to Philemon becomes even more fulsome, strengthened still further by the personal warmth of the final a)delfe/ ... Whatever the precise circumstances, the more emotional note implicit in the use of spla/gxna (rather than the much more common kardi/a) should be noted; the emotional bonds between Philemon and 'the saints' were strong'.

²⁹ On the meaning of 'boldness' here, see H. BALZ, "parrhsi/a", EDNT III, 45-47; P.T. O'BRIEN, Colossians, Philemon (WBC 44; Waco 1982) 287-288. DUNN, Philemon, 325: '...the appeal here is not to Paul's apostolic authority vis-а-vis Philemon...As one equally "in Christ", Philemon could be expected to acknowledge that an "in Christ" obligation transcended all others'.

³⁰ For the significance of parakalw= in Pauline letters, see J. THOMAS, "parakalew", EDNT III, 26-27; C. J. BJERKELUND, Parakalф. Form, Funktion und Sinn der parakalф-Sдtze in den paulinischen Briefen (BTN 1; Oslo 1967). DUNN, Philemon, 326: '...its range of nuance strikes the right balance between obligation demanded and favor requested: "urge, exhort, appeal to, request, implore"'.

³¹ For the argument that presbu/thj means 'ambassador' here, see N.R. PETERSEN, Rediscovering Paul. Philemon and the Sociology of Paul's Narrative World (Philadelphia 1985) 125-128. More convincing, however, is R.F. HOCK, "A Support for His Old Age: Paul's Plea on Behalf of Onesimus", The Social World of the First Christians. Essays in Honor of Wayne A. Meeks (eds. L.M. WHITE – O. L. Yarbrough) (Minneapolis 1995) 67-81. See also J.N. BIRDSALL, "Presbu/thj in Philemon 9: A Study in Conjectural Emmendation", NTS 39 (1993) 625-630; R. RIESNER, Paul's Early Period: Chronology, Mission Strategy, Theology (Grand Rapids 1998) 214. DUNN, Philemon, 327: '...since age usually brought with it the wisdom of experience, the appeal is for the respect that a younger member of the same family or circle should pay to the elder (cf. Lev. 19:32; Sir. 8:6; hence the evolution of the near synonym, presbu/teroj, from 'older person' to synagogue or church leader, 'elder')'.

³² CHURCH, "Philemon", 26: 'By doubling the verb parakalw=, Paul pulls on Philemon's heart-strings not once, but twice. In the exordium, Paul commended Philemon for the love he had shown toward all the saints. Now it is for love's sake, and his child, whom he had begotten in prison, that Paul appeals, offering Philemon the opportunity to demonstrate that love'.

³³ BJERKELUND, Parakalф, 120-121; O'BRIEN, Philemon, 290.

³⁴ Compare the emphatic construction with the possesive adjective before the noun, 'For my child' (peri_ tou= e)mou= te/knou) in v. 10 with the more usual, non-emphatic construction with the possessive pronoun after the noun in v. 23, 'my fellow captive' (o( sunaixma/lwto/j mou).

³⁵ On 'child' as a term for a Christian or holy one in Paul, see G. Schneider, "te/knon", EDNT III, 341; BAGD, 808; O'BRIEN, Philemon, 290-291; DUNN, Philemon, 328.

³⁶ A. KRETZER, "ge/nna/w", EDNT I, 243; BAGD, 155; DUNN, Philemon, 328.

³⁷ O'BRIEN, Philemon, 291: 'That Onesimus ... had been converted by Paul during the latter's imprisonment (which was no doubt a frustrating time) probably made him feel a special affection for Onesimus'. On the intimacy of the Pauline parent-child relationship here, see O.L. YARBROUGH, "Parents and Children in the Letters of Paul", The Social World of the First Christians. Essays in Honor of Wayne A. Meeks (eds. L.M. WHITE – O.L. Yarbrough) (Minneapolis 1995) 133.

³⁸ O'BRIEN, Philemon, 290: 'The sentence is carefully constructed, for Onesimus' name stands last...with delicate tact Paul first establishes the central fact that Onesimus has become a Christian, converted during Paul's imprisonment'.

³⁹ On the meaning of 'Onesimus', see BAGD, 570; EDNT II, 518.

⁴⁰ DUNN, Philemon, 329 n. 22: ''Onh/simo=j, synonymous with xrhsto/j, is derived from the verb o)ni/nhmi, "profit, benefit, help"'.

⁴¹ Instead of the simple pronoun moi_, the use of the more emphatic e)moi_ ('to me') referring to Paul in v. 11 not only enhances the catch-word connection with e)mou= ('my') in v. 10, but also underlines how, as a Christian, Onesimus is 'useful' to Paul as 'my (e)mou=) child'.

⁴² On the significance of the word play here, see DUNN, Philemon, 329; HЬBNER, Philemon, 35.

⁴³ O. MONTEVECCHI, "Viscere di misericordia", RivB 43 (1995) 129: 'Paolo...vuole che Filemone consideri lo schiavo come un figlio che lui, Paolo, ha generato in catene, e su questo concetto insiste con un crescendo di intensitа'.

⁴⁴ For terminology similar to that in vv. 11-13 about a useful slave in a papyrus text contemporaneous to the letter to Philemon, see P. ARZT, "Brauchbare Sklaven: Ausgewдhlte Papyrustexte zum Philemonbrief", Protokolle zur Bibel 1 (1992) 56-58.

⁴⁵ On 'serve' (diakonh=|) in v. 13 as meaning not so much personal service to Paul in prison but service as a fellow missionary worker in the metaphorical 'imprisonment' of the gospel, and on 'your behalf' (u(pe_r sou=) as meaning 'in place of' or 'representative of' Philemon, see OLLROG, Mitarbeiter, 102-103; O'BRIEN, Philemon, 293-294; HЬBNER, Philemon, 36.

⁴⁶ DUNN, Philemon, 331.

⁴⁷ Although O'BRIEN (Philemon, 295) points out how Philemon's 'good' in v. 14 refers to a particular definite act, he misses its relation to v. 13: 'Up to this point nothing is stated explicitly about the nature of this good deed'.

⁴⁸ Although kata_ e(kou/sion (v. 14) literally means 'freely, voluntarily, of one's own free will', we translate it as 'under benevolence', that is, under 'good (free) will' because of the context which speaks of Philemon's 'good' (vv. 6, 14) as an act of love in response to God's benevolent grace (v. 3). O'BRIEN, Philemon, 294: 'The contrast mh_ w(j kata_ a)na/gkhn – a)lla_ kata_ e(kou/sion ('not by compulsion but of your own free will') was a common one, frequently found in the papyri'. See also 1 Pet 5,2 for the same antithesis and E. LOHSE, Colossians and Philemon (Hermeneia; Philadelphia 1971) 202.

⁴⁹ O'BRIEN, Philemon, 296: 'Paul is already in verse 15 speaking of the new relationship of this master to his slave, a relationship in the Lord Jesus Christ which is "for ever"'.

⁵⁰ For the argument whether or not Onesimus is a runaway slave, see P. LAMPE, "Keine 'Sklavenflucht' des Onesimus", ZNW 76 (1985) 135-137; J.G. NORDLING, "Onesimus Fugitivus: A Defense of the Runaway Slave Hypothesis in Philemon", JSNT 41 (1991) 97-119; R.E. GLAZE, "Onesimus: Runaway or Emissary?" The Theological Educator 54 (1996) 3-11; J.A. HARRILL, "Using the Roman Jurists to Interpret Philemon: A Response to Peter Lampe", ZNW 90 (1999) 135-138. For the argument that Onesimus purposefully came to Paul as the friend of his master Philemon, see B.M. RAPSKE, "The Prisoner Paul in the Eyes of Onesimus", NTS 37 (1991) 187-203. On the question of the manumission of Onesimus see N.H. TAYLOR, "Onesimus: A Case Study of Slave Conversion in Early Christianity", Religion and Theology 3 (1996) 271: 'Onesimus' release from domestic or workshop duties in order to attend Paul and assist in his work would not necessarily have involved his manumission'.

⁵¹ On 'brother' as a designation for a fellow worker of Paul, see OLLROG, Mitarbeiter, 77-78. A.D. Callahan misconstrues this when he understands Onesimus to be Philemon's literal sibling; see A.D. CALLAHAN, "Paul's Epistle to Philemon: Toward an Alternative Argumentum", HTR 86 (1993) 357-376; ID., "John Chrysostom on Philemon: A Reponse to Margaret M. Mitchell", HTR 88 (1995) 149-156; ID., Embassy of Onesimus. The Letter of Paul to Philemon (Valley Forge 1997); M.M. MITCHELL, "John Chrysostom on Philemon: A Second Look", HTR 88 (1995) 135-148.

⁵² On koinwno/j as a designation of a fellow worker of Paul in the sense of a partner, friend, or colleague, see OLLROG, Mitarbeiter, 77; HAINZ, "koinwni/a", 304. WILLIAMS, Paul's Metaphors, 168: 'Paul requests that Onesimus be treated as he would himself, that is, as Philemon's partner'.

⁵³ F. LYALL, Slaves, Citizens, Sons: Legal Metaphors in the Epistles (Grand Rapids 1984) 144-145: 'Paul and Philemon as Christians were in partnership, working for a common purpose ... both were devoting themselves to the same "business"'.

⁵⁴ WILLIAMS, Paul's Metaphors, 168: 'If Philemon was owed anything because of Onesimus, he should debit Paul's account, so to speak, in the partnership books' (his emphasis). See also C.J. MARTIN, "The Rhetorical Function of Commercial Language in Paul's Letter to Philemon (Verse 18)", Persuasive Artistry. Studies in New Testament Rhetoric in Honor of George A. Kennedy (ed. D.F. Watson) (JSNTSS 50; Sheffield 1991) 321-337.

⁵⁵ WILLIAMS, Paul's Metaphors, 60: 'the father was responsible for any debts his son might incur'. See also Yarbrough, "Parents and Children", 133.

⁵⁶ The prefix proj- intensifies Philemon's indebtedness to Paul; see "prosofei/lw", EDNT III, 176.

⁵⁷ O'BRIEN, Philemon, 301: 'The particle nai_ ("yes", "indeed", "certainly"), which can denote affirmation, agreement or emphasis, here strengthens Paul's appeal'.

⁵⁸ See the reference to DUNN, Philemon, 329 n. 22 in n. 40.

⁵⁹ On Paul's 'travelogue' in v. 22, FRILINGOS, "For My Child", 104, remarks: 'Despite its threatening undercurrents, however, the travelogue maintains a warm and familiar tone. It does not command obedience but expresses the hope for a family reunion'.

⁶⁰ On 'fellow captive' (sunaixma/lwto/j) as a designation for a fellow worker of Paul, see OLLROG, Mitarbeiter, 76. "sunaixma/lwtoj", EDNT III, 297: 'The noun evokes less the idea of normal imprisonment than military usage, namely, "prisoners of war", which Paul and his colleagues become in the battle for the gospel'. See also WANSINK, Chained in Christ, 171-172.