Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Philemon 1:5

"hearing of thy love, and of the faith which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all the saints;" — Philemon 1:5 (ASV)

In both pagan and Christian letters of the first centuries of the Christian era, the salutation was often followed by an expression of thanksgiving and a prayer. Paul here tells when he gives thanks—“always... in my prayers”—and also tells why he does so—“because I hear about your love and faith” (cf. Romans 1:8–10; 1 Thessalonians 1:2–11; Colossians 1:3–8). The “you” in “I remember you” is singular, suggesting that the recipient of the letter is primarily Philemon.