When was Philemon written?
When was Philemon written?
Answer
When the apostle Paul was under house arrest in Rome between AD 60 and 62, he wrote letters encouraging Christians to remain faithful to Jesus Christ. He wrote one letter to a believer in Colossae named Philemon about a slave named Onesimus, who had run away from Philemon’s household. Onesimus made his way to Rome, where he became a follower of Jesus through Paul’s ministry (Philemon 1:10). In a short letter, Paul appealed to his friend Philemon to show Onesimus grace.
Establishing Paul’s authorship of Philemon helps determine when he wrote the letter. The first verse reads, “Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker” (Philemon 1:1). He also refers to himself and his house arrest later in the letter, saying, “Yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus” (Philemon 1:9). Near the end of the epistle, he adds a personal note about a future visit: “And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers” (Philemon 1:22).
Philemon is one of the Prison Epistles; the others are Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. Paul’s imprisonment—his first in Rome—occurred after his third missionary journey (AD 53—57) and his arrest in Jerusalem (c. AD 57—58). Paul then wrote the Prison Epistles, including Philemon, between AD 60 and 62.
Additional support for this date comes from the close link between the letters of Philemon and Colossians. Several details connect the letters, including references to many of the same people. Paul refers to Onesimus as “my son” in Philemon 1:10 and as “our faithful and dear brother” in Colossians 4:9. He also mentions Archippus, whom Paul calls “our fellow soldier” in Philemon 1:2. Then, in Colossians 4:17, Paul urges him to “complete the ministry” he received. He calls Epaphras “my fellow prisoner” in Philemon 1:23, “our dear fellow servant” in Colossians 1:7, and one who is “always wrestling in prayer for you” in Colossians 4:12. These references suggest that Paul wrote and had the letters delivered around the same time.
The evidence shows that Paul wrote Philemon between AD 60 and 62 during his house arrest in Rome. In the letter, Paul asks Philemon to welcome Onesimus back not as a slave but as a “beloved brother” (Philemon 1:16). This exhortation reflects the gospel’s power to heal broken relationships, even amid the harsh realities of slavery. The letter calls for grace, forgiveness, and reconciliation, which are only possible through Jesus.