Philemon 1:25

The final benediction is typical of Paul. The "your" is plural in the Greek text and refers to the whole church in Philemon’s house. This is the only occurrence of pneuma ("spirit") in the epistle, and it clearly refers to the human spirit.

What happened as a result of this letter? Did Philemon forgive Onesimus? We have no direct record of his response to this letter. However the fact that Philemon preserved this epistle and allowed it to circulate among the churches strongly suggests that he did behave as Paul had requested. In Colossians 4:9 Paul referred to Onesimus as "our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of your number," which would have encouraged reception of him in Colossae. According to Christian tradition Onesimus later became bishop of Ephesus. [Note: O’Brien, p. 265.] However, another Onesimus may have been this bishop. [Note: Fitzmyer, p. 15.] Later church legends also identified Philemon as a bishop of Colossae. [Note: Ibid., p. 86.]

Paul’s bringing pressures of various kinds to bear on Philemon to respond as he requested, while verbally appealing in humble terms, has created problems for some students of this epistle. Was Paul being manipulative? Was he guilty of emotional blackmail? I do not think so. It would have been obvious to Philemon, as it is to us, that Paul definitely wanted a certain response to this letter. Nevertheless it would have been equally clear that Paul was making his appeal on the basis of love rather than apostolic authority. Motivation promotes the self-interest of the hearer, but manipulation promotes the self-interest of the speaker.

"Those who see in Paul’s earlier appeal a form of emotional manipulation should also acknowledge here [in Philemon 1:14] that Paul in effect confesses his vulnerability and complete dependence on Philemon’s goodwill. In the social relationships of a church existing in an unequal society there is a particular responsibility on the part of the powerful to act toward others in a spirit of goodness rather than standing on their rights." [Note: Dunn, p. 333.]

It is not inconsistent with love to motivate by pointing out obligations, opportunities, and consequences. [Note: See the fine article by Charles L. Schenck Jr., "Paul’s Epistle on Human Rights," His 26:8 (May 1966):1-4, which the author wrote during the civil rights movement in the United States.]