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.

B'. From obedience Philemon will do good in benefiting Paul with Onesimus (vv. 20-22).

        The pronouns referring to Paul (e)gw_, e)mh=|, e)gw_ in v. 19; e)gw_ in v. 20) and Philemon (soi in v. 19; sou in v. 20) serve as catch-words linking the B' to the C' unit. Continuing the commercial metaphor, Paul furthers his appeal to his fraternal business partner: ‘Yes, brother may I benefit from you in the Lord’ (v. 20)⁵⁷. Through a word play Paul can ‘benefit’ or ‘profit’ (o)nai/mhn) from his fraternal business partner, who owes Paul his very self (v. 19), if Philemon grants him ‘Onesimus’ ('Onh/simon), which means ‘beneficial’ or ‘profitable’⁵⁸. Within the chiastic parallelism with the B unit Paul may ‘benefit’ from Philemon in the Lord (kuri/w|, v. 20) because of Philemon’s love and faith for the Lord (ku/rion, v. 5).

        Paul’s appeal, ‘Yes, brother (a)delfe/)...refresh (a)na/pauso/n) my heart (ta_ spla/gxna) in Christ’ (v. 20) in the B' unit is based on what Paul affirmed in the B unit, ‘because the hearts (ta_ spla/gxna) of the holy ones have been refreshed (a)nape/pautai) through you, brother (a)delfe/)’ (v. 7). Philemon can refresh Paul’s heart (mou ta_ spla/gxna, v. 20) by refreshing Onesimus, who is Paul’s own heart (ta_ e)ma_ spla/gxna, v. 12). To refresh Paul’s heart, then, Philemon must forgive any debt of Onesimus (vv. 18-19), welcome Onesimus as a useful partner and beloved brother (vv. 15-17), and benevolently (v. 14) allow Onesimus to serve Paul on Philemon’s behalf in the work of advancing the gospel (v. 13). Within the chiastic parallelism Philemon may refresh Paul’s heart in Christ (Xristw=|, v. 20) because of all the good there is among us for Christ (Xristo/n, v. 6).

        In writing to Philemon Paul is confident in the B' unit of ‘your obedience’ (th=| u(pakoh=| sou, v. 21), that is, Philemon’s obedience to Paul’s appeal to his love for Paul and Onesimus (vv. 9, 16), because Paul in the B unit expressed his joy and encouragement in ‘your love’ (th=| a)ga/ph| sou, v. 7) for all the holy ones. Paul knows that Philemon will do ‘even more than I say (le/gw)’ (v. 21), that is, even more than what Paul ‘says’ (le/gw) in telling Philemon that he owes him his very self (v. 19), namely, what Paul is implying — that Philemon give him Onesimus as a substitute payment for himself.