John Paul Heil, «The Chiastic Structure and Meaning of Paul’s Letter to Philemon», Vol. 82 (2001) 178-206

This article proposes a new chiastic structure for Paul’s letter to Philemon based on rigorous criteria and methodology. The center and pivot of the chiasm, ‘but without your consent I resolved to do nothing, so that your good might not be as under compulsion but rather under benevolence’ (v. 14), is a key to explicating the letter’s supposedly unclear purpose. Paul wants Philemon to give his former slave Onesimus back to Paul as a beloved brother and fellow worker for the gospel of Jesus Christ, because of Philemon’s response to the grace of God evident in his faithful love for the holy ones as a beloved brother and fellow worker of Paul.

the flesh and in the Lord. ¹⁷ If then you have me as a partner, welcome him (au)to_n) as me (e)me/).
C' ¹⁸ And if he has wronged you (se) in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me (e)moi_). ¹⁹ I, Paul (Pau=loj), am writing in my own hand, I will repay; but may I not say to you (soi) that you more than owe me your very self!
B' ²⁰ Yes, brother (a)delfe/), may I benefit from you in the Lord (kuri/w|); refresh (a)na/pauso/n) my heart (ta_ spla/gxna) in Christ (Xristw=|). ²¹ Confident of your obedience (th=| u(pakoh=| sou) I am writing to you, knowing that YOU WILL DO (poih/seij) even more than I say. ²² And at the same time also prepare for me a guest room; for (ga_r) I am hoping that through (dia_) your prayers (proseuxw=n) I will be granted (xarisqh/somai) to you.
A' ²³ Epaphras, my fellow captive in Christ Jesus (Xristw=| 'Ihsou=), greets you, ²⁴ as well as Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers (sunergoi/). ²⁵ The grace (xa/rij) of the Lord Jesus Christ (kuri/ou 'Ihsou= Xristou=) be with your (u(mw=n) spirit⁶.

I. The Nine Units of the Letter

1. Opening Address and Greeting (vv. 1-3)

        An inclusion consisting of an inverted repetition of the name Jesus Christ defines the first unit (vv. 1-3) of Paul’s letter to Philemon. The unit begins with the opening address of the letter, ‘Paul a prisoner of Christ Jesus’ (v. 1), and concludes with the opening greeting of the letter, ‘Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ’ (v. 3). Although the titles ‘Lord’ (v. 5) and ‘Christ’ (v. 6) appear alone in the second unit (vv. 4-7), the double designation ‘Jesus Christ’ or ‘Christ Jesus’ does not occur there, further indicating the distinction of the first from the second unit of the letter.

        The occurrence of the pronoun ‘our’ in each of the three verses further secures the unity of this first unit. Through the first two occurrences Paul draws addressees of the letter closely to himself and Timothy: Philemon is our beloved and fellow worker (v. 1); and Archippus is our fellow soldier (v. 2). But the third occurrence, as it follows the second person plural address, ‘to you’ (u(mi=n), draws