Writer: Paul

1. What are some of the characteristics of the letter to Philemon?

THIS very tactful and loving letter of Paul is of great interest to Christians today. Not only is it the shortest epistle preserved from the hand of the “apostle to the nations” but in the whole Bible only Second and Third John contain less material. Also, it is the only “private” letter of Paul, in that it was not addressed officially to a congregation or a responsible overseer but was addressed to a private person and dealt solely with the special problem Paul wanted to discuss with this Christian brother, the apparently well-to-do Philemon, who lived in the Phrygian city of Colossae, in the very heart of Asia Minor.​—Rom. 11:13.

2. Against what background and for what purpose was the letter to Philemon written?

² The purpose of the letter is clearly revealed: During his first imprisonment in Rome (59-61 C.E.), Paul had great freedom to preach the Kingdom of God. Among those who listened to his preaching was Onesimus, a runaway slave from the household of Philemon, Paul’s friend. As a result, Onesimus became a Christian, and Paul decided, with Onesimus’ consent, to send him back to Philemon. It was at this time, also, that Paul wrote letters to the congregations in Ephesus and Colossae. In both of these letters, he gave good counsel to Christian slaves and slave owners on how to conduct themselves properly in this relationship. (Eph. 6:5-9; Col. 3:22–4:1) However, over and above this, Paul composed a letter to Philemon in which he personally pleaded in behalf of Onesimus. It was a letter written with his own hand​—an unusual thing for Paul. (Philem. 19) This personal touch added greatly to the weight of his plea.