0Theodoret tells the story of the runaway slave Onesimus, baptized by Paul in Rome, and explains how Paul's greeting and opening appeal to Philemon are framed to win his request.
1.3Theodoret marvels that a runaway thief became Paul's child in prison, and that the once useless Onesimus is now useful to both Philemon and Paul.
1.13Theodoret explains that Paul would not keep Onesimus without Philemon's consent, and that Philemon later sent Onesimus back to Paul, who sent him with Tychicus to Colossae.
1.17Theodoret admires the persuasive force of Paul's request that Philemon receive Onesimus as he would Paul.
1.18Theodoret notes that Paul hints at Onesimus's theft and takes the debt on himself.
1.19Theodoret explains Paul's pledge to repay Onesimus's debt, his reminder that Philemon owes him his salvation, and the closing greetings, and draws a rule for teaching slaves.
Honoured by the Orthodox tradition. Honoured as a saint or in a church calendar by: Orthodox.
Date
ca. 436-448 (approximate) · Theodoret wrote his commentaries on the Pauline letters at Cyrrhus; the order and dates are inferred.
Written at
Cyrrhus, Syria (probable)
Language
Greek
Genre
commentary
Reference system
chapter.verse (the ref names the first verse of a note; Migne marks verse numbers in the margin; ref 0 is the hypothesis before the first verse). Chapter and verse are fitted from the OCR-damaged numerals and may be off; verses whose numeral was lost stand inside the preceding ref.
SBL abbreviation
Interp. Phlm.Not yet checked
Clavis
CPG 6209 (not yet checked)
Text from
J.-P. Migne, ed., Patrologia Graeca 82 (Paris) (Printed edition in the public domain; OCR transcription (archive.org) of public-domain page images)
Critical editions
J.-P. Migne, ed., Patrologia Graeca 82 (Paris, 1864) (cited, not reproduced)