The Background of the Book of Philemon

The Book of Philemon is the shortest of Paul’s letters, yet it is still longer than most letters of its time. Philemon was not a hastily written note but a personal letter that Paul carefully crafted with subtle and deliberate wording.

Paul’s purpose in writing Philemon was not to advocate for the “social gospel” or to overthrow slavery. Nor was it simply to persuade Philemon to accept Onesimus. Rather, it was to teach the church how to practice fellowship among its members in the life of Christ. Onesimus needed to learn to set aside his fear, ask for forgiveness, and resolve his debt. Philemon needed to learn to set aside his prejudice, willingly forgive, and maintain a right relationship with the Lord. Paul also needed to learn to lay aside his authority, be gentle and humble, and do God’s will in a way that pleased God. Through this, the members of the body would forgive and love one another with self-sacrificial love, living out the “ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:19), so that the church would “reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).

Ignatius of Antioch, an early church father, mentioned in a letter to the church in Ephesus around 110-115 AD that the bishop of the church was an Onesimus, who may have been the runaway slave from this letter.

The letter was written between 61-62 AD, while Paul was imprisoned in Rome and shortly before his release. It was sent along with the books of Ephesians and Colossians by Tychicus and Onesimus (Ephesians 6:21-22; Colossians 4:7-9).