Philemon 1:1-25

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Philemon 1:6

That the communication of thy faith ,.... The grace of faith itself cannot be communicated from one to another; a believing parent cannot communicate it to his children, nor a master to his servants, nor a minister to his hearers; but an account of it, of its actings and exercises, of the joy of it, and of the peace a soul is filled with through believing, may be given to the mutual comfort and edification of saints; and it may be shown forth to others by the fruits of it, works of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Philemon 1:7

For we have great joy and consolation in thy love ,.... In the expressions and acts of it to the poor saints; for which reason the apostle gives thanks for it before; and it is a pleasure and comfort to an ingenuous mind, though it is not in his power to do good to the poor saints himself, to see that others have both abilities, and a heart to relieve them: because the bowels of the saints are, refreshed by thee, brother ; meaning, not only that their bellies were filled with food, for... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Philemon 1:8

Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ ,.... Or use much freedom of speech in the name of Christ, as an ambassador of his, and great authority as his apostle, which was given him for edification: to enjoin thee that which is convenient ; which became him as a believer in Christ, and a minister of the Gospel; which was his duty, and was obligatory upon him, agreeable to the doctrines of Christ; who taught men to love their enemies, to be reconciled to their brethren, that had... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Philemon 1:9

Yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee ,.... Either for the sake of the great love which the apostle bore to Philemon, being, as he calls him, his dearly beloved, he took this method; or because of Philemon's great love to all the saints before mentioned, he was encouraged to proceed in this manner, hoping on that account to have success; or it may be, it was for the sake of that love with which God had loved him, and which he puts him in mind of, to engage him to grant his request; that... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Philemon 1:10

I beseech thee for my son Onesimus ,.... Now he comes to the request itself, and mentions by name the person on whose account he makes it, and whom he calls his son; not merely because of his affection to him, but because he really was his spiritual father; he had been the happy instrument of his conversion, and he was his son according to the common faith, or in a spiritual sense: hence it follows, whom I have begotten in my bonds : which is to be understood of a begetting again, or of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Philemon 1:11

Which in time past was to thee unprofitable ,.... Yea, injurious and hurtful; one that was an eye servant, that loitered away his time, and set an ill example to fellow servants; and not only so, but embezzled his master's goods, and robbed him, and run away from him. So every man, in his state of unregeneracy, is an unprofitable man, Romans 3:12 unprofitable to God, to men, and to themselves; their sins will not profit them, though they may promise them liberty and pleasure; nor will... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Philemon 1:12

Whom I have sent again ,.... From Rome to Colosse, or to Philemon, wherever he was, along with this epistle: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels ; meaning his son, who, in a spiritual sense, came out of his bowels, to whom he stood in the relation of a spiritual father; so the Syriac version renders it, as my son, so receive him; see Genesis 15:4 and for whom he had a most strong affection, and tender regard; his bowels yearned for him, and he suggests by this... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Philemon 1:13

Whom I would have retained with me ,.... At Rome, where the apostle was a prisoner: that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the Gospel ; the apostle was in bonds, not for any crime, for any immorality he had been guilty of, but for the sake of the Gospel, for professing and preaching that; for this he was an ambassador in bonds, as he elsewhere says, Ephesians 6:20 . Now he would have kept Onesimus with him, either to have waited upon him, in his bonds, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Philemon 1:14

But without thy mind would I do nothing ,.... Which shows great modesty and humility in the apostle, that though as such he had an authority, which he could have used, as well as had understanding and judgment how to have used it without consulting Philemon, or having his sense of this affair, yet chose to consult him: and it also shows the strict regard the apostle had to equity and justice, that he would do nothing with another man's servant without his consent; he would not seem to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Philemon 1:15

For perhaps he therefore departed for a season ,.... The apostle in this clause seems to soften this business of Onesimus in running away from his master; he calls it not a running away, but a departure, an absence from him, and that but for a little while; and suggests that the hand of God might be in it; that there was an overruling providence that attended it, such as was in Joseph's going down into Egypt; and that this separation of Onesimus from his master, for a short time, was in... read more

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