Philippians and Philemon - MR Vincent - 1906.pdf

13, 14] A FAVOR FREELY GRANTED 1 87
in the discharge of a ministry congenial to both. The suggestion
is already conveyed by that Onesimus, in becoming a
Christian disciple, has passed into a new and higher sphere of
service, in which he and his master are on common ground. At
the same time, there is a hint that Onesimus, even as a slave, is
rendering better service to the master whom he has wronged, in
thus serving Philemon's friend and teacher ; serving no longer as
a menial, but in hearty sympathy with his master.
iv Tot? /? «:
* in the bonds of the gospel '
of which the gospel is the cause ; in my imprisonment which has
resulted from the preaching of the gospel. Thus a hint is added
of his need of such service as that of Onesimus, which has the
a ei/CKtv
: " my bonds exhort you which I wear for the
force of an appeal, as in vs. 9, 10. (Comp. Eph. iv. i, vi. 20,
and Ign. Trail, xii. : /Aas ,
sake of Jesus Christ." See also £/>h. xi : Magn. i.).
' 14. ;( t^s (% : but without thy judgment.' * But,'
though I had the inclination. apart from,' in N.T. almost ,*
entirely supplements av€v, ' without,' which occurs only three times,
and not in Paul. (See Ellic. on Eph. ii. 12.) ,not fre-
quent in N.T. Primarily *a means of knowing' ():
; .
the
organ by which one knows. Hence mind and its operations,
thought, judgment, opinion. (See Acts xx. ; 3 i Cor. i. 10,
vii. 25; 2 Cor. viii. 10; Apoc. xvii. *
13, 17.) Mind ' or 'judgment
' .
is the meaning throughout the N.T. Paul was unwilling
to take any steps without having Philemon's judgment as to what
was right in the
^
case,
*
: I determined.' Comp. the aor. with the imperf;
I was deliberating and came to the decision.
' - ? jj :
* in order that thy benefit
might not be as of necessity '; the benefit, namely, which Philemon
would confer by allowing Onesimus to remain with Paul.
-not in the sense of * morally good,' but * kindly,' * benefi-
cent.' (Comp. Rom. v. 7, vii. 12; i Thess. iii. 6; Tit. ii. 5;
I Pet. ii. 18, and see Lightf. JVolgs on Eps. of St. P. from
Unpublished Commeniaries, pp. 45, 286, 303.)
The point made by Mey., Ellic, Beet, Alf., that rh-is general —
the category under which falls the special »' of Onesimus' remaining
— seems to be an over-refinement. The special reference to irpos
4(vs. 13) is not affected by the fact that Paul did not intend to keep
Onesimus (Mey.). His intention was in abeyance for a time. He actually
wished to keep him, and debated with himself whether he should not keep
him, but he did not resolve to keep him. In that case Philemon would
have served Paul, and Paul would have received a benefit from him without
consulting him, which was what he did not wish.
»
:
' as of necessity ' ;
' compulsion-wise ' (ElHc.)
Os, seeming as, wearing the appearance of. Introduced because