This guide explores and summarizes scholarship on Philemon, acquainting beginning students with what has been said about Philemon, and equipping them to understand the larger debates and conversations that surround it. It explores how different initial scholarly assumptions result in different interpretations and "meanings;" these meanings always have ethical implications. Reading Philemon challenges us to rethink the process of commentary and the communities interpretation creates. Though only one chapter long, Paul's Letter to Philemon has generated a remarkable amount of commentary and scholarship over the centuries, figuring in debates over textual reconstruction, the formation of biblical canon, the culture of ancient Rome, Greek language and its translation, and the role of the Bible in Western politics and economics. The focus of this short letter is labor, love and captivity. Tradition since Chrysostom has argued the letter is an appeal to Philemon on behalf of a fugitive slave Onesimus, now a convert to Christianity. Yet this interpretation depends upon several assumptions and reconstructions. Other equally plausible contexts could be -- and have been -- argued.

The book of Colossians is Paul's letter to a young, confused church that faced the problem of false teaching. In it he masterfully presents Jesus Christ as Creator/Sustainer of the universe and the supreme Head of the church. The book of Philemon is a personal and warm letter from one believer to another. Speaking on behalf of Onesimus, a runaway slave, Paul implores Philemon to be merciful and take him back now as a Christian brother rather than a slave. The books in the Jensen Bible Self-Study Guide series are designed to provide you with a broader understanding of God’s Word. Offering historical context and background, author information, charts, and other helps, these books will equip you with a comprehensive reference tool you’ll return to often. Each study includes an opportunity for analysis, response, and further study in a response-oriented format. The thirty-nine books in this series are suitable for both personal and group use.

A knowledgeable and evangelical guide to Paul’s letters to the Colossians and to Philemon With brilliant exegesis and sound practical insight, noted commentator Douglas J. Moo explicates the Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon, with an eye toward their application for readers today. Moo bases his commentary on the Greek text of the letters, while accessibly explaining the English text to his contemporary audience. Freshly revised and updated, this second edition remains methodologically sound, authentically evangelical, and pastoral in approach. This invaluable volume of the Pillar New Testament Commentary series offers biblical insights to a wide range of readers, from teachers and students, to pastors and parishioners, to scholars and laypersons.

Despite having enjoyed almost universal assent by scholars up till now, Chris Hansen swims into practically uncharted waters to show that one of the most overlooked and inconspicuous New Testament writings may, in fact, be a forgery. In the first English language book to ever cover the subject of Philemon’s authenticity, Hansen provides a detailed historiographical overview of the problem, and raises challenging questions regarding the literary contents, themes, style, and intertextual relationships in Philemon. Hansen’s research and surprising conclusions will certainly be of interest to those unfamiliar with Philemon’s questionable history.

The slave Onesimus is the central figure in the letter to Philemon, but he remains silent throughout the discourse. Studies of the letter focus on whether or not Onesimus was a fugitive slave, and on the question of Paul's intentions for him: did he want Philemon to accept him back as a brother in faith; did he expect Philemon to return Onesimus to him for his own use; or was Paul hinting that Philemon should manumit Onesimus? This study centers on Onesimus as an intentional convert; the first Christian slave whose name we know. Using research about early Christian slavery, slavery in the Roman world, and comparative evidence from African-American slave narratives, this study starts from the assumption that Onesimus had his own motives and aspirations in pursuing his association with Paul, and reconstructs his voice using hints within and outside the text that suggest his agency and subjectivity.

Intended as companions to the Blackaby Study Bible, these guides also stand alone as a complete study of a book of the Bible. The lessons include: Leader's Notes 7 studies based on reference materials included in the Blackaby Study Bible An explanation and interpretation of Scripture A story that illustrates the passage in focus Other Bible verses related to the theme Questions for reflection Suggestions for application in everyday life.

Leading People into the Way of Jesus You might not immediately think of yourself as a “leader,” but the apostle Paul likely would. When Paul uses the term leader in a church context he includes anyone who mentors or cares for people into the way of Jesus. In this volume of the New Testament Everyday Bible Study series, Scot McKnight explores four letters written by Paul to three pastoral leaders—Timothy, Titus, and Philemon—and how they model wise advice for leaders in the churches of Ephesus, Crete, and Colossae. Throughout the study of these four letters, McKnight reveals important elements of leadership for us today through Paul’s mentoring of these three leaders. The first three letters are commonly referred to as the Pastoral Epistles, as Paul pastors Timothy and Titus on how to lead churches in Ephesus and Crete, and in the fourth letter, Paul pastors Philemon to lead a house church through a challenge. While these letters are specific to their contexts, they offer timeless wisdom for all sorts of church leaders, from parents and teachers to pastors and business leaders. In the New Testament Everyday Bible Study Series, widely respected biblical scholar Scot McKnight combines interpretive insights with pastoral wisdom for all the books of the New Testament. Each volume provides: Original Meaning. Brief, precise expositions of the biblical text and offers a clear focus for the central message of each passage. Fresh Interpretation. Brings the passage alive with fresh images and what it means to follow King Jesus. Practical Application. Biblical connections and questions for reflection and application for each passage.

We all long for more—more wisdom, more maturity, more power, more faith. To satisfy our longings we attend seminars, go to concerts, read popular books and more. As you dig into their depths of wisdom in this ten-session LifeGuide® Bible Study, you'll discover how to find lasting fulfillment in Christ.

When the Apostle Paul wrote to the newly-formed churches he had planted throughout the Middle East and Asia Minor, he could visualize faces and names of real people he had met ... and recalled their challenges and victories as well. These three unique Epistles each bring a different aspect of life as a Christian, both in the 1st century and the 21st century as well. "Jeanne has the courage to tackle God's Word as if it was written for me in my circumstances!" A Dedicated Reader

Concise yet comprehensive, manageable and affordable, T&T Clark Study Guides are an invaluable resource for students, preachers and Bible study leaders. Each book in the series gives the reader a thorough introduction to a particular book of the Bible or the Apocrypha and includes: • An introduction to the contents of the particular biblical book • A balanced survey of the important critical issues • Attention to literary, historical, sociological, and theological perspectives • Suggestions about critical appropriation of the text by the contemporary reader • Reference to other standard works through annotated bibliographies. All the books in the series, formerly published by Sheffield Academic Press, are by leading biblical scholars and the authors have drawn on their scholarly expertise as well as their experience as teachers of university and college students.