Sometimes regarded as trivial because of its brevity, the letter to Philemon remains valuable both for its insight into the social setting of the New Testament and for its reiteration of a central component of the gospel—brotherly love. Barth and Blanke’s commentary is unique for its exhaustive study of the ancient world at the time Philemon was written. They examine the institution of slavery in Paul’s day, drawing on secular sources from Greece and Rome and from Christian writers of the time. The references to slavery found in Ephesians, Colossians, and 1Timothy are also compared and contrasted with Paul’s words in Philemon.
The verse-by-verse commentary focuses on important themes in Pauline theology, including love, faith and faithfulness, church unity, providence, free will, and human responsibility. Barth makes his exposition even more useful by surveying the history of the interpretation of Philemon, from the patristic age to modern liberation theologians. The product of Barth’s lifelong research, which was completed by Helmut Blanke after Barth’s death, will surely become the standard work on Philemon.
