Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Philemon 1:3

"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." — Philemon 1:3 (ASV)

The salutation is significant for its departures from Paul’s other salutations. The letter is in the form of an ancient letter of commendation, and Paul’s opening words are calculated to suggest that his appeal for Onesimus should be favorably received.

Paul is a “prisoner of Jesus Christ” and therefore suffers for the sake of the Gospel. His suffering is a mark of his apostleship, which in turn lends weight to any suggestion he might make. Furthermore, Timothy, a well-recognized young steward of the Gospel, joins him in the appeal. Finally, Paul not only greets Philemon, the owner of Onesimus, but also his wife Apphia. She is as much a party to the decision as her husband, because according to the custom of the time, she had day-to-day responsibility for the slaves.

As for Archippus and the church, Paul includes them in the salutation with good reason. Archippus, one of the leading figures in the community (perhaps a pastor), and the church will bring appropriate pressure to bear on Philemon should he fail to fulfill the great apostle’s request. Philemon would have had to have been a very strong-minded individual to resist the plea of Paul and his protege Timothy.