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.

under compulsion but rather under benevolence’ (v. 14, the pivot of the chiasm)⁵⁹.

A'. Paul closes with a framework of imprisonment and partnership under grace (vv. 23-25).

        The pronouns referring to Paul (moi in v. 22; mou in v. 23) serve as catch-words connecting the A' to the B' unit. After addressing the whole assembly at the end of the B' unit, ‘through your (plural) prayers I will be granted to you (plural)’ (v. 22), Paul resumes addressing ‘you’ (se), Philemon alone, at the beginning of the A' unit (v. 23). That Epaphras, ‘my fellow captive in Christ Jesus’, as well as four of Paul’s ‘fellow workers’ (sunergoi/), greets Philemon (vv. 23-24 in the A' unit) reinforces the appeal of Paul as a ‘prisoner of Christ Jesus; see also v. 9) to Philemon as Paul’s and Timothy’s beloved ‘fellow worker’ (sunergw=|) (v. 1 in the A unit) in partnership for the gospel⁶⁰.

        At the conclusion of the A unit Paul placed his audience within a framework of grace, ‘Grace (xa/rij) to you (u(mi=n) and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ’ (v. 3). In accord with the love (vv. 5, 7, 9) that corresponds to that grace, Paul appealed for the further ‘good’ (vv. 6, 14) that Philemon can do for the assembly and for Paul in benevolently granting him Onesimus to work for the gospel (v. 13). At the conclusion of the A' unit Paul reinforces the framework of grace as the motivation for his appeal, ‘The grace (xa/rij) of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your (u(mw=n) spirit’ (v. 25).

        From the grace (xa/rij) that is with ‘your’ (u(mw=n) spirit (v. 25) Paul further motivates the assembly to pray, so that through ‘your’ (u(mw=n) prayers Paul ‘will be granted’ by grace (xarisqh/somai)‘to you’ (u(mi=n) (v. 22). The grace of Paul being granted to the assembly provides the final motivation and occasion for Philemon benevolently (v. 14), from grace, to grant Onesimus to Paul to serve