Philemon 1:23

23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, [a]

Philemon 1:23 Meaning and Commentary

Philemon 1:23

There salute thee Epaphras
Who was a Colossian, and minister of the church at Colosse, and so might be well known to Philemon, who seems to have been of the same place and church; see ( Colossians 1:7 ) ( Colossians 4:12 Colossians 4:13 ) his name is omitted in the Ethiopic version:

my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus;
this good man, and minister of Christ, might have been sent by the Colossians, as Epaphroditus was by the Philippians, to the apostle at Rome, to pay him a visit, and comfort and assist him under his afflictions; and staying and preaching the Gospel there, was committed to prison, or was laid in bonds, as the apostle was, and upon the same account; namely, for the sake of Christ, and his Gospel. For by this time Nero began to persecute the Christians, which he did in the better and more moderate part of his reign; for among several things for which he is commended by the historian F2, this is one;

``"Afficti suppliciis Christiani, genus hominum superstitionis novae ac maleficae"; the Christians were punished, a sort of men of a new and bad religion:''

and Epaphras being at Rome, when this persecution broke out, was taken up and put in prison, as were also Aristarchus, ( Colossians 4:10 ) and Timothy, ( Hebrews 13:23 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F2 Suetonius in Vita Neronis, c. 16.

Philemon 1:23 In-Context

21 Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.
22 One thing more—prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping through your prayers to be restored to you.
23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you,
24 and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Footnotes 1

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.