Denver Journal - 4:0205 - The Letter to Philemon

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Volume 4 - 2001
Editor: Richard S. Hess

Joseph A. Fitzmyer, The Letter to Philemon. [Anchor Bible] New York and London: Doubleday, 2000. $21.95. xvi + 138 pp.
ISBN 0-385-49629-X.
Entire commentaries just on Philemon are few and far between, usually being combined with longer works on
Colossians, since both epistles purport to be addressed to the church in that area. The Anchor Bible series, however, has
separated the two letters, allowing one of the world's leading New Testament scholars, Joseph Fitzmyer, now professor
emeritus from the Catholic University in Washington D.C. to pen this comparatively short yet very helpful volume, Fitzmyer
has already written much longer works on Luke, Acts and Romans for the same series; his volume on Romans often seems
closer to Martin Luther in its perspective than to traditional Catholicism and the same is true here, though Philemon raises
far fewer major theological issues.
Very cautiously, Fitzmyer favors an Ephesian imprisonment in the mid-50s over the Roman imprisonment in the early
60s with which the narrative of Acts ends as Paul's location for writing this short letter. He suspects that the term partner,
used in the context of vv. 17-18 of Philemon may suggest that Paul and Philemon had been business partners of some kind.
V. 19 suggests that Paul led Philemon to the Lord even as v. 10 more explicitly demonstrates that Paul was Onesimus'
spiritual father. With several recent studies, Fitzmyer confesses to have changed his mind about the traditional view on
Onesimus as a runaway slave (a perspective never stated explicitly in the letter) and prefers instead to see Onesimus and
Philemon to have had some kind of domestic quarrel, perhaps involving Onesimus absconding with funds, which led to
Onesimus traveling to Paul to request him to fill the role in the Roman culture of amicus domini (friend of the master) and
intercede on his behalf with Philemon trying to reconcile the two. Because Paul sees Colossians and Ephesians as later
pseudonymous writings he thinks Colossians 4:9 reflects a later period when Philemon has indeed set Onesimus free. With
a minority of interpreters throughout church history (but including John Calvin), he also suspects that vv. 16 and especially
21 hint that Paul is requesting the converted slave be granted his liberty, in keeping with early church tradition that he did
indeed become manumitted and even served as bishop of Ephesus near the turn of the century. This interpretation, like the
early church tradition, could of course be true, even if Colossians and Philemon are both Pauline and sent out at the same
time to Colossae.
Fitzmyer has good introductory sections as well on literary parallels, especially in the Hellenistic world both to the
traditional perspective of Onesimus as a runaway and, in even more detail, complete with primary source materials in Latin
and English translation, material germane to the practice of an amicus domini. He treats the vexed issue of slavery briefly
but helpfully, finding Paul sowing the seeds, however implicitly, for more full-fledged emancipation at a later date. Like most
of the commentaries in this series and especially those by Fitzmyer, there are voluminous bibliographies; indeed they
occupy 36 of the 138 pages of main text (and indices account for another 10).
In commenting on the epistle itself, Fitzmyer notes the tact and pastoral sensitivity that Paul adopts, avoiding appeal
to his apostolic authority while stressing his desire that Philemon's co-operation be voluntary. He stresses that this is a
public letter, given the address that includes Apphia, Archippus, and the church that meets in Philemon's house, a
mechanism that puts added accountability on Philemon to respond to Paul's requests. Even in a letter this short, the
thanksgiving (vv. 4-7) is unusually rich, introducing eight theological themes, four unique to this sectionfaith, God's
dedicated people, joy and consolation--and four of which are unpacked in the rest of the epistle--love, the Lord Jesus,
sharing, and the good. Curiously Fitzmyer says there are nine altogether but lists only eight. He recognizes that v. 6 is not
about evangelism (contra the NIV's the sharing of your faith but rather about the warm interpersonal relationships
(koinonia or fellowship) that Philemon's faith produces and thus lead Paul to hope for a positive response to his letter and
thus to Onesimus. Fitzmyer adopts the textual reading of presbutesold man in v. 9, noting that if one follows Philo's
definitions of the various terms for men of various ages this would put Paul between 50 and 56 years of age. He suspects
the work that Paul would like Onesimus to help him with is evangelization, however.
Overall, one is struck again what a rich collection of themes appears and how many at times subtle nuances of
leadership, indeed even mentoring, style can be inferred from this brief letter. This commentary should take its place with
Dunn's and O'Brien's, both attached to Colossians in the New International Greek Testament and Word Biblical commentary
series, respectively, as one of the three most detailed and helpful English language commentaries on Philemon. We are

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Denver Journal - 4:0205 - The Letter to Philemon

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grateful God has granted Fitzmyer as long, healthy and fruitful retirement as he has had thus far and wish for many
additional similar years.
Craig L. Blomberg
Professor of New Testament
Denver Seminary

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