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Expression of Christian Sympathy and Recognition
Phm_1:4-7
Phm_1:5. Ἀêïýùí , hearing (not ἀêïýóáò merely, having heard), perhaps from Onesimus himself, who might easily have spoken with Paul concerning the good in the house and the heart of Philemon. [Epaphras, who was a Colossian and then at Rome (Col_1:7; Col_4:12), may have brought similar tidings, or have confirmed them.—This participle ( ἀêïýùí ) states the ground of åὐ÷áñéóôῶ in Phm_1:4, not of ìíåßáí óïõ ðïéïýìåíïò . The reason for his giving thanks would not be named at all, unless it be found in this clause; and as we see from other passages (Rom_1:8; Eph_1:16; Col_1:4), to leave the act unexplained would be contrary to Paul’s usage.—H].—Of thy love and faith. By the former term, we are to think not so much of love to men in general, as rather of Christian love to the brethren; by the latter, not of fidelity, which would conflict with the usual signification of this word, especially when it is connected with ἀãáðῇ , but of that living faith of the heart of which Jesus Christ is the object.—Which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward [unto] all the saints ( ἥí ἔ÷åéò ðñὸò ôὸí Êýñéïí Ἰçóïῦí êáὶ åἰò ðÜíôáò ôïὺò ἁãßïõò ). With most interpreters we prefer to regard these words as a Chiasm, and construe them as if they stood: ôὴí ðßóôéí , ἣí ἔ÷åéò ðñὸò ôὸí Êýñéïí Ἰçóïῦí , êáὶ ôὴí ἀãÜðçí , ἣí ἔ÷åéò åἰò ðÜíôáò ôïὺò ἁãßïõò . [Render: the faith which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and the love which thou hast unto all the saints.] “There is nothing strange,” says Winer, (N. T. Gr., p. 365) “in such a Chiasm.” It is in favor of this view that the change of preposition ( ðñüò , åἰò ) can be fully explained only in this way, and further that it becomes then unnecessary to understand ðßóôéí in an unusual and impossible sense, as is unavoidable if this word refers also to åἰò ðÜíôáò ôïὺò ἁãßïõò . That in this case the love is mentioned as a fruit before faith as the root, can surprise no one. As Bengel says: “Primo loco ponitur amor, quia ad amoris specimen hortatur Philuemonem, cui ordo fidei et amoris pridem erat notus.” By this reference to Christian love for the brethren as universal, unqualified in its nature, a claim is indirectly asserted for Onesimus, the newly-converted brother, for a share in that love.—[The foregoing is the almost universally accepted view. So Theodoret, Calvin, Grotius, Estius, Bengel, Koch, Rothe, De Wette, Wiesinger, Alford. Yet a few critics still, chiefly in order to avoid such a transposition of the words, render ðßóôéí fidelity, instead of faith; and thus would have the word denote qualities which Philemon could exercise at the same time towards Christ and towards his followers. But ðßóôéò has this sense very rarely in the New Testament, and never when coupled, as here, with ἀãÜðç ; comp. Eph_1:15; 1Th_3:6; 1Ti_1:14; 2Ti_1:13; see also Col_1:4. Meyer, it is true, objects to the passages referred to, as irrelevant, because the order in which the terms occur there is ðßóôéò , ἀãÜðç ; and hence different from that here. But no writer is so mechanical as to place his words always in the same order, and ἀãÜðç , as the fruit of faith, may be mentioned first, as naturally as ðßóôéò , the antecedent or source of love. Especially may the love be named first in this instance, because, as Calvin suggests, Paul would expect Philemon in effect to manifest his love to Onesimus as evidence that he had a genuine faith in Christ. Ellicott argues that ôὴí ðßóôéí may belong, in its ordinary sense, both to ðñὸò ôὸí Êýñéïí Ἰçóïῦí and to åἰò ðÜíôáò ôïὺò ἁãßïõò , i. e., faith toward the Lord Jesus, which is evinced at the same time unto the saints. But that view leaves ôὴí ἀãÜðçí without any specified object to which the love is directed (since ἣí ἔ÷åéò would strictly carry forward ôὴí ðßóôéí only), and (which is still more decisive) overlooks the manifest relation in which this passage stands to Col_1:3-4, where the terms in question are distributed without ambiguity. The Apostle says there to the Colossians: “We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you; since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints.” That Epistle was written at the same time with this; and it is hardly possible that the expressions so nearly coincident should not be intended to convey the same meaning.— Ἁãßïé , ÷ְãåֹùִׁéí , saints, designates Christians as holy or consecrated, i. e., to the service of Christ or God. As used in the New. Testament, the appellative belongs to all who profess to be disciples, and does not distinguish one class of them (as the Roman Catholics pretend) as superior in point of excellence to the rest of men. It refers to the normal or prescribed standard of Christian character rather than the actual one; for we find it applied sometimes to those who were censured for their want of a correct Christian life. Thus, for example, those addressed by this title in 1Co_1:2 were among those whose conduct the Apostle condemns so severely in 1Co_3:1; 1Co_11:21.—H.]
Phm_1:6. That the communication of thy faith may become effectual. That ( ὅðùò ) connects this clause immediately with Phm_1:4, and includes at once the contents and the object of the intercession, concerning which the Apostle has already declared at what time it takes place and under what circumstances it is called forth. So Chrysostom, Winer, De Wette, Meyer would refer this verse directly to Phm_1:5, and find indicated here the aim or tendency of ἣí ἔ÷åéò , i.e., of the faith which Philemon has, which seems to us by no means necessary, and affords a sense least clear and simple. [Having stated that he prayed so constantly for his friend, Paul would naturally mention what it was that he desired in his behalf; and would be understood most readily as pointing out that object. For an exact parallel to this connection, see Eph_1:16, where the language is almost identically the same that we have here, and where the telic clause ( ἳíá ὁ èåüò , ê . ô . ë .) can refer only to ìíåßáí … ðñïóåõ÷ῶí ìïõ . It is Paul’s habit, in fact, whenever he speaks of praying for others, to specify the blessing or result which he would secure for them; comp. Rom_1:10; Php_1:9; Col_1:9; Col_4:12; 2Th_1:11. To deny that ὃðùò in this place goes back to Phm_1:4, makes ðñïóåù÷ῶí ìïõ an exception to that practice.—H].—1. The communion (or fellowship) of thy faith ( ἡ êïéíùíßá ôῆò ðßóôåþò óïõ , communio fidei tuœ), i. e., the faith which thou dost possess and manifest in common with us (so Luther, Bengel, and others). No grammatical objection lies against this view, though controverted by Meyer and others (comp. Php_1:5; Php_2:1, and other passages). The objection also that nobiscum in the case has to be read arbitrarily into the text, we cannot admit to be valid, especially when we see that ἐí ἡìῖí follows so immediately. See other views enumerated and considered in Meyer on this passage.—[The explanation thus stated is the one generally adopted. It is peculiar to this view that it limits the Christian unity to a single point, viz., that of the community of faith (= êáôὰ êïéíὴí ðßóôéí in Tit_1:4), and thus fails to recognize the entire contents of the êïéíùíßá or fellowship of believers as unfolded by other related passages. On the whole, no single expression in the Epistle is so uncertain as this. It may be well to mention some of the other principal opinions. (1) May not êïéíùíßá ôῆò ðßóôåùò mean fellowship or participation in the traits of character or virtues, in the blessings, pursuits, hopes, which result from faith (genit. subjecti or auctoris) in the Redeemer, and which makes those who profess this faith co-partners ( êïéíùíïß ) with each other? This use of the genitive would be similar to äéêáéïóýíç ðßóôåùò (Rom_4:13), righteousness or justification on which faith secures, and ÷áñὰ ôῆò ðßóôåùò (Php_1:25), joy which springs from faith, and the like. Meyer objects that the genitive after êïéíùíßá (except where it is that of a person) in the N. T. usage points out properly the object in which the participation consists. But this relation of the two nouns is not a necessary one; for nothing is more common than the genitive of cause or source after the governing noun. In this instance we may infer the object of participation from the idea of the word itself, just as in Gal_2:9 we infer it from the subsequent clause ( êïéíùíßáò ἵíá , ê . ô . ë .). Such essentially must be the use and meaning of êïéíùíßá in 1Jn_1:6; 1Jn_1:1, though in John’s writings the subjective part, the community or kindredship of character, seems to prevail over that of the personal benefits of the common faith. The train of thought then would be this: Having such evidence ( ἀêïýùí , ê . ô . ë .) that Philemon was a sharer in the grace of the gospel, the Apostle prays that his friend’s participation in the blessings of Christian fellowship, founded on his faith and evinced as so real by his love, may become more and more perfect by his full comprehension of all the duties and virtues ( ðáíôὸò ἀãáèïῦ ) which honor the Christian name ( åἰò ×ñéóôὸí Ἰçóïῦí ). Approximations to this same idea of a copartnership which links all believers to each other, with variations in the language, will be found in 1Co_9:23; Eph_3:6; Eph_4:13; Coloss. Phm_1:12; 1Ti_6:2; Heb_3:1; 1Pe_5:1. (2) The participation of thy faith enjoyed by others, i. e., in the fruits of this faith, his charities and other acts of piety. So Meyer, whom Ellicott follows. But in the preceding verse it is the love which is shown to the saints, while Christ is the object of the faith; and hence with that meaning we should have expected êïéíùíßá ôῆò ἀãÜðçò óïõ , rather than of ðßóôåþò óïõ . Besides, if we must refer ὃðùò , ê . ô . ë .. to åὐ÷áñéóôῶ , the Apostle in that case appears as offering thanks for acts of Philemon yet to be performed ( ãÝíçôáé ); and if, as others prefer, we refer ὃðùò (see above) more strictly to ðñïóåõ÷ῶí , then the prayers in which Paul remembers Philemon so constantly ( ìíåßáí óïõ ðïéïýìåíïò ) are prayers in fact not so much for him, as for others. (3). It is understood of the impartation (communication in that sense) of his faith, i. e., by the same metonymy as before, of its effects in the form of charitable acts. But in this instance, too, ôῆò ἀãÜðçò would be a more obvious word than ôῆò ðßóôåùò . It may be urged also that the phraseology with that sense is unlike Paul’s. It is characteristic of him that he shrinks as it were instinctively from giving any apparent countenance to the idea that one person may impart faith to another. See Eph_2:8.—H.]—This faith, however, which Philemon shares in common with Paul and others [or this co-partnership with them into which his faith brings him] should not leave him empty or unfruitful, but Paul desires that it should show itself effective, appear in outward acts, viz.: In the knowledge of every good thing which is in us (see the critical remarks) unto (for) Christ Jesus. Ἐðßãíùóéò , plena et accurata cognitio, such as can arise only out of love; see Php_1:9. (Comp. here the profound remark of Pascal: “Human things one must know, in order to love them; divine things he must love, in order to know them.”) The faith, therefore, which is common to Philemon and others, must show its power in the fact, that it helps him (combined with love) to an ever-growing and better knowledge—of what? Everything (in a Christian sense) good which is in us (Philemon, Paul, and all other believers). The expression is somewhat peculiar, but appears in its true light when we view it in connection with the special object of the letter, for the better attainment of which the Apostle is preparing the way by this remark. If the faith of Philemon shows itself in a more and more radical knowledge of the good which is found in others, he will by no means take amiss the request which Paul is about to address to him. He will not allow himself to be kept by any resentment from perceiving and appreciating the good which is already manifest in the newly-converted Onesimus; he will gladly make common cause with the Apostle in a case like the present, in which he can do so much to cherish and promote that which is good.—[It is surprising that any should understand this knowledge ( ἐðßãíùóéò ) not as Philemon’s, but that which others might acquire from his example respecting the nature and requirements of the gospel. The analogy of this passage to Php_1:9-11 shows the incorrectness of that view: “And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge, and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent, that ye may be sincere, and without offence till the day of Christ; being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God.” See also Col_2:2. That faith and knowledge, truth and obedience, may assist each other, may go hand in hand, is everywhere, as here, the burden of the Apostle’s prayer for the saints.— Ἐí ἡìῖí , in us (see on the text), because the soul is the sphere in which the believer’s faith operates. It is beautifully presupposed here that “whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report” (Php_4:8) they all ( ðᾶí ἀãáèüí ) have their proper dwelling-place and home in the bosoms of Christians, and that it is their duty as it should be their glory to furnish to the world the outward proof of this inner Christendom, and thus give, each one for himself, the evidence that the idea and the reality are not in his case separated from each other. It is thus that God is glorified (Mat_5:16).—H.]—For Jesus Christ ( åἰò ×ñéóôὸí Ἰçóïῦí ) does not connect itself with ἐíåñãὴò ãÝíçôáé (De Wette), but points out the direction and tendency of what is morally good, which the Apostle would have Philemon duly recognize. It contributes to the promotion of the cause and work of the Lord, and is also for this reason a worthy object of the regard and exemplification of Philemon. [ Åἰò ×ñéóôüí lit. unto Christ, i. e., for his praise and honor.—H.]
Phm_1:7. For we have [or, I had] great joy, &c.—For the reading here, see notes on the text. Before the Apostle brings forward his urgent request in behalf of Onesimus, he states yet further the subjective ground of the thanksgiving mentioned in Phm_1:4. He had cause for it in the joy which he as well as Timothy [if the verb be plural] derived from what they heard respecting Philemon, and in the consolation also ( ðáñÜêëçóéí ) from that source which the Apostle so much needed in his state of captivity. Calvin: “Hoc autem est rarœ charitatis, ex aliormn bono tantum percipere gaudii.” [ Ðïëëὴí belongs apparently to both nouns. See Win. § 59. 5 (6th ed.) If we read ἔó÷ïí , I had, the aorist refers to the time when Paul received the joyful information.—H.]—In thy love (lit. upon as the cause, ἐðß ) defines the source or occasion of Paul’s joy and consolation, and this love as appears from what immediately follows, is love not to the Lord directly, but his suffering members on earth.—Because ( ὅôé ) the hearts, strictly the bowels ( óðëÜã÷õá ); comp. Php_1:8; 2Co_6:12, and below, Phm_1:12; Phm_1:20. [This use of the term, = øַçֲîִéí , as denoting the seat of the affections, is a common Hebraism.] What saints ( ἀãßùí ) and what consolation are here meant we are not told more definitely. It is not necessary to restrict the statement to poor believers and worldly benefactions. All that Philemon did for the Colossians who met together in his house, and for others in wider circles, may not improperly come within the scope of this language. For he showed himself in truth a brother ( ἀäåëöÝ ), as Paul terms him with so much love and tenderness at the end of this exhortation.—[They may have been not Colossians merely whom Philemon aided, but persons from other places, especially missionary friends whom he entertained in his house, or forwarded on their journeys. See Tit_3:13; 3 John Phm_1:6. In this hospitality and benevolence of Philemon we have on illustration of that trait in the character of the primitive disciples, which compelled the heathen to exclaim: “See how these Christians love one another!”—H.]
Footnotes:
Phm_1:4. [For the place of always, see Notes on the text.—H.]
Phm_1:6. The received text has ἐí ὑìῖí , in you. We read ἐí ἡìῖí , in us, with A. C. D. E. I. K. and others. [So Tischendorf, Meyer, Wiesinger; The origin of ὑìéí is seen readily in the natural reference to the Colossians.—H.]
Phm_1:7. We find no sufficient ground for preferring ÷Üñéí to ÷áñÜí , nor ἔó÷ïí or ἔó÷ïìåí for ἔ÷ïìåí . See the testimonies in Tischendorf. [Green (Developed Criticism, p. 164) decides for ÷Üñéí chiefly because, as being less obvious, it might be more easily displaced. On the contrary, as Meyer suggests, åὐ÷áñéóôῶ (Phm_1:4) may have led some copyist to substitute ÷Üñéí for ÷áñÜí . As to the other verb, there is more doubt. The received ἔ÷ïìåí , we have (as in A. v.), has much less support than ἔó÷ïí , I had, as Griesbach, Lachmann, Wordsworth, Ellicott, and others decide. Tischendorf has both forms in different editions. Meyer prefers ἔó÷ïìåí , we had, but without sufficient reason. We have åó÷ïí in Sinaitic Codex.—H.]