The Letter to Philemon (The Anchor Yale Bible | AYB)

by Joseph A. Fitzmyer

Publisher:

Yale University Press

, 2008

Overview

The apostle Paul’s letter to his friend and fellow Christian Philemon, which focuses on the question of slavery, has long inspired debate. Onesimus, one of Philemon’s slaves, has left his master’s house and sought refuge with Paul, during which time he has converted to Christianity. In a letter to Philemon, Paul assures his friend that he is sending Onesimus back, but pleads for mercy on the slave’s behalf, asking Philemon to treat him as a beloved brother and as he would treat the apostle himself.

Examining Paul’s letter within the context of the social, political, and economic realities of the time, Joseph A. Fitzmyer sheds light on the question of whether Paul was suggesting that Onesimus be granted freedom from slavery or whether he was simply advocating a lenient treatment of Onesimus. His insights not only clarify Paul’s position but show why the letter is relevant in the Church today.

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Key Features

• Offers original translations, including alternative translations, annotations, and variants
• Provides verse-by-verse commentary on the text
• Presents the reader with historical background, including analysis of authorship and dating
• Features an extensive bibliography of primary and secondary literature

Contents

• Prescript and Greeting (1–3)
• Thanksgiving (4–7)
• The Body of the Letter (8–20)
• Conclusion (21–25)

Top Highlights

“Hellenistic Athens (London: Macmillan, 1911) 54. It has been estimated that in general about a third of the ancient population in Greece and Italy would have been slaves.” (Page 26)

“The social and economic structure of ancient Palestine was not, therefore, built on slavery, as it often was in other contemporary cultures and lands.” (Page 29)

“‘The Government’s Pursuit of Runaway Slaves,’ NDIEC 8 (1997–98) 9–46; cf. P. Arzt, ‘Brauchbare Sklaven.’” (Page 28)

“both in the consanguinary sense (en sarki) and the religious sense (en kyriō)’ (‘Paul’s Epistle to Philemon,’ 370).” (Page 18)

“Philemon, a young, well-to-do, and respected Christian of a small Phrygian town in the Lycus Valley of Asia Minor.” (Page 12)

Product Details

• Title: Letter to Philemon
• Author: Joseph A. Fitzmyer
• Series: Anchor Yale Bible (AYB)
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2000
• Pages: 138

About Joseph A. Fitzmyer

Joseph A. Fitzmyer (1920–2016), SJ, was professor emeritus of biblical studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. He was a noted scholar of New Testament and Aramaic, and taught at Woodstock College, University of Chicago, Fordham University, and Weston School of Theology. In 1984 he was awarded the Berkitt Medal for Biblical Studies by the British Royal Academy. He was the American member of the Biblical Commission, president of Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas, and past president of both The Society of Biblical Literature and the Catholic Biblical Association. He authored over 20 books, including The Dead Sea Scrolls and Christian Origins, and he was coeditor of the New Jerome Biblical Commentary.