Who wrote the book of Philemon? Who was the author of Philemon?

Paul's epistle to Philemon is one of the few books in the NT whose authenticity has hardly ever been doubted. Paul mentions his own name three times in this his shortest epistle (verses 1.9.19). Twice he speaks of being a prisoner of Jesus Christ. He mentions this also in his other “prison epistles” (Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians).

Philemon is not mentioned anywhere else in the NT. The epistle shows that he was a believing Christian and an esteemed acquaintance of the Apostle. The Epistle is addressed to Philemon, with the church in his house, and to sister Apphia and Archippus. Archippus is also mentioned in Col. 4:17. This shows that Philemon lived in Colossae. In Col. 4:7-9 we learn that Onesimus was from Colossae also.

This beautiful little letter addressed by Paul to Philemon does not occupy the right place in the New Testament. It should be put after the Epistle to the Colossians, for it was written at the same time as that Epistle. Tychicus carried from Rome the two Epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians. Onesimus, his travelling companion, received from the prisoner of the Lord this personal letter to Philemon. It was therefore written at the same time as Colossians, during the first imprisonment of the Apostle Paul, about the year 61 or 62. Its genuineness cannot be doubted, though some critics have done so. Dean Alford says: "The internal evidence of the Epistle itself is so decisive for its Pauline origin--the occasion and object of it so simple, and unassignable to any fraudulent intent, that one would imagine the impugner of so many of the Epistles would have at least spared this one, and that in modern times, as in ancient, according to Tertullian and Jerome, 'Sua illam brevitas defendisset.' ("Its own brevity would be its defence.") The objections raised against this Epistle we do not need to state nor investigate, for they are pure inventions and do not require an answer.

The Epistle to the Ephesians was written by the Apostle Paul when he was a prisoner (chapter 3:1; 4:1; 6:20). There can be no doubt that the Colossian Epistle and the Epistle to Philemon were sent by Paul the same time as the Ephesian Epistle. The date was about 62 A.D. Tychicus and Onesimus, the runaway slave, but now through grace "a brother beloved" (Philemon 16) were sent to Colossae by Paul (Col. 4:7-9). Tychicus carried the letter addressed to the Colossians to correct the evils which had arisen in that church, and to warn them against the wicked doctrines which were being promulgated amongst them. Onesimus the slave carried that beautiful little Epistle addressed to his master Philemon. And at the same time when Tychicus and Onesimus left Rome, Paul handed to Tychicus the Epistle to the Ephesians. Never before and never after were such weighty and blessed documents entrusted to human messengers. The reception of the authorship of Paul has been almost universal; only in very recent times has the Pauline authorship been foolishly questioned by some rationalistic critics.

He wrote this Epistle, not as he usually did, by an amanuensis, but with his own hand! That shows again what a fine character he was. He had full confidence in Philemon not alone that he would grant him his request, but that he would even do more than he had asked.

It will be noticed that 1 & 2 Thessalonians contain no title, but the names only of Paul and his two companions. In Philemon Paul takes the title of "prisoner" only, and links Timothy with himself. In every other of his Epistles, except Philippians, Paul uses the title of "apostle." This title included in it the authority that the Lord had given him (See 2 Cor. 10:8), and in most of these Epistles he is exercising this authority. In Corinth and Galatia the churches had challenged his authority. In Philemon Paul says, "I might be much bold to enjoin thee that which is convenient, yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged." That tells us plainly why he does not wish to exercise his authority here; so we would not expect to find the title "apostle." We do not know the human author of Hebrews, and it is best for us not to guess at what the Lord has seen best to hide: but we can well understand the reason that we find no title, or "signature", of author here, for in Hebrews Christ Himself is the Apostle, the High Priest, the Author and Finisher of faith (3:1 & 12:2). How unseemly would it have been for any man to have assumed a place or title in the face of such an array of titles of our Lord Himself!*

Paul does not here introduce himself as an apostle, but as "a prisoner of Jesus Christ." Here we may observe the wisdom and delicacy of the Spirit of God. In addressing Timothy and Titus Paul was careful to bring forward his apostleship for obvious reasons. In those Epistles, we find inspired regulations for the internal order of the house of God, and for the walk which becomes the saints individually. Authority was as valuable there, as its omission is precious here. Paul would rest the matter of Onesimus entirely upon the ground of divine grace, which, he was assured, reigned in Philemon's heart. He was not alone in his appeal, but associated Timothy with himself to give it additional force.

"Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ:" thus he opens the letter. He would not put his request on the ground of his apostleship, lest he might bring in the force of authority, where all that would meet and reflect Christ in the matter must turn on the state and the willing answer of his heart to whom be was appealing in grace. "Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother," for the desire was not confined even to Paul, but Timothy gladly joined himself with this most touching communication of Paul — "unto Philemon our dearly beloved." There was no doubt as to right and wrong: Onesimus was inexcusable; but love abides, and can never fail. To love and count on love is of faith, and prevails. But Philemon was not only an object of tender affection, but a "fellow-labourer," and the nature of the case made it expedient, unlike the usual character of apostolic addresses, to add the household.

"Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellow-labourer, and to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to the church in thy house: Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." (Philemon 1-3). Philemon was evidently a wealthy man, with slaves under him. One of his slaves, Onesimus, ran away and went to Rome. Probably he stole from his master before he left. In Rome he met the Apostle Paul, and through him, Onesimus found the Lord, and became His slave.

Paul writes this exquisite little Epistle, commending Onesimus to his old master, as he sends him back again. This is God's order, and we may well believe that Philemon receives him now "for ever; not now as a slave, but above a slave, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord."

"Paul, prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy the brother, to Philemon our beloved and fellow-worker, and to Apphia the sister, and to Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to the assembly in thy house: grace to you and peace from God our Father and [the] Lord Jesus Christ" (Philemon 1-3).

But still to return to the salutation, — "Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ." In this he showed Philemon two things: first, that he was a sufferer, and not one who had maintained his place in the world by his confession of Christ; secondly, that all the irksomeness of his prison was removed, by his ability to see that men were only the hand of the Lord, so that he was content to be there, for he was the Lord's prisoner. And when he comes to the special point of his writing to Philemon, he then presents himself "such a one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ."