Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

• A. Salutation 1:1-2
  This salutation contains the three elements common in all of Paul's epistles and other correspondence of his day: the writer, the addressees, and a greeting."This salutation exhibits undoubted resemblances in form to secular ...
• I. Salutation 1:1-2
  Paul began this epistle by identifying himself and his companion and by wishing God's richest blessings on his readers."Almost all letters from the Greco-Roman period began with a threefold salutation: The Writer, to the Addr...
• 1. Paul's present imprisonment 1:12-18
  1:12 This verse is a topic sentence for all that follows through verse 26. Whenever Paul wrote, "I want you to know,"he introduced something important (cf. 2 Cor. 13:6; 2 Tim. 3:1).His readers could very understandably have c...
• Historical background
  The city of Colosse lay in the beautiful Lycus Valley about 100 miles east of Ephesus. It had been an important town during the Persian War of the fifth century B.C. Since then new trade routes had carried most traffic to its...
• A. The bearers of this epistle 4:7-9
  4:7-8 Paul sent Tychicus with this letter for two primary purposes. He wanted to provide more information about himself and his present ministry than he felt led to record in this letter. He also wanted to encourage the Colos...
• C. Greetings to others 4:15-17
  4:15 In addition to the neighboring Laodicean Christians, Paul sent greetings to Nympha, possibly the hostess of a Laodicean house-church. There is no evidence that Christians met in church buildings until the third century.1...
• Timothy's report 3:6-10
  3:6-7 Timothy had evidently rejoined Paul in Corinth (v. 16; cf. Acts 18:1). He brought good news that the Thessalonians were holding up well against the winds of persecution. They continued to trust in God and to love others...
• Historical background
  Timothy apparently became a Christian as a result of Paul's missionary work in Lystra (Acts 14:6-23). He joined Paul on the second missionary journey when the apostle's evangelistic team passed through that area where Timothy...
• A. Fellow workers and an opponent 4:9-15
  4:9-10 Paul urged Timothy to join him in Rome soon. He did not expect to live much longer (cf. v. 6)."The constitutional method of inflicting capital punishment on a Roman citizen was by the lictor's axe. The criminal was tie...
• Historical background
  Philemon appears to have been a comparatively wealthy Colossian who owned slaves, as did most of the rich in his day.1He evidently came to faith in Christ as a result of Paul's influence (v. 19), perhaps when Paul was residin...
• Message5
  As is true of so many of the shorter Bible books, this one too is an illustration (cf. Ruth and Esther). Philemon in particular illustrates the outworking in life of the great doctrines taught in the other Pauline writings, e...
• I. GREETING 1-3
  Paul began this letter by introducing himself and Timothy, by naming the recipients, and by wishing them God's grace and peace. He did so to clarify these essential matters and to set the tone for his following remarks.v. 1 P...
• II. THANKSGIVING AND PRAYER FOR PHILEMON 4-7
  Paul commended Philemon for the fruit of the Spirit that Philemon permitted the Spirit to manifest in his life. He also prayed that it would continue to abound to encourage Philemon to respond to the request that follows in a...
• A. Paul's appeal 8-11
  v. 8 Paul's confidence (Gr. parresia) was his assurance that if he commanded Philemon to do as he requested because Paul was an apostle, Philemon would do it.16Nevertheless he declined to appeal on that basis. Rather he appea...
• B. Paul's motives 12-16
  vv. 12-14 Onesimus had so endeared himself to Paul that his departure was an extremely painful prospect for the apostle. Paul could have justified keeping the slave with him, but he judged that Onesimus' obligation to return ...
• IV. CONCLUDING MATTERS 22-25
  v. 22 Paul expected release from his house arrest in Rome soon (cf. Acts 23:29; 24:13; 25:25-27; 26:31-32; Phil. 2:24). This happened, but we have no record that Paul did or did not fulfill his desire to visit Philemon. The p...
• Bibliography
  Barclay, William. The Letters to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. Daily Bible series. 2nd ed and reprint ed. Edinburgh: Saint Andrews Press, 1962.Barker, G. W., Lane, W. L., and Michaels, J. R. The New Testament Speaks. New York...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

• The Young Saul And The Aged Paul
  … the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.'--Acts 7:58.… Paul the aged, and now am a prisoner of Jesus Christ.'--Philemon 9.A FAR greater difference than that which was measu...