Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Philemon 1:16

"no longer as a servant, but more than a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much rather to thee, both in the flesh and in the Lord." — Philemon 1:16 (ASV)

In similar fashion he contrasts “slave” (GK 1528)—a temporal and demeaning condition—with “brother” (GK 278)—an eternal relationship in the Lord. The innate problem of the slavery of human beings troubled the ancients. In many of the ancient religions and in Greek and Roman law insofar as religion was concerned, Onesimus would have been treated as an equal. But Paul is claiming the enabling power of the love of Christ to break the economic and social barriers between people. Ancient pagan religions never claimed that they loved the gods or were loved by them as the motive for people to love one another. But to Paul, Philemon will love Onesimus all the more because of both long-standing human ties and their common faith.

Here, where Paul so sensitively suggests that Philemon take Onesimus back “no longer as a slave, but better than a slave” (cf. also v.17), it almost seems as if emancipation is implied.