Philemon Chapter 1 verse 6 Holy Bible

Pulpit Commentary

Pulpit CommentaryVerse 6. - Render thus: So that the community of thy faith [with other Christians, whom you may be able to serve] may show itself in act, causing full acknowledgment [from the world without] of every good work for Jesus Christ that is in you (Revised Version is not clear here); literally, may become working. Not a theoretical or merely quiescent faith. He was to confess Christ before men (and see James 2:22). "For whatever good thing is in us makes manifest our faith" (Calvin). In you. Bishop Wordsworth reads ἡμῖν, "us" - the body of Christians, following A, C, D, E, K, L, with many Fathers and versions.

Ellicott's Commentary

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(6) That the communication of thy faith . . .--The general idea of St. Paul's prayer for Philemon is clear--that his "faith may become effectual," i.e., energetic and perfected, "in full knowledge." This is exactly the prayer which, in different forms and degrees of emphasis, opens all the Epistles of the Captivity. (See Ephesians 1:17; Philippians 1:9; Colossians 1:9.) It describes the true order of Christian life, so fully and beautifully drawn out in Ephesians 3:17-19, beginning in faith, deepened by love, and so growing to knowledge.But it may be asked, "Why the communication of thy faith?" (1) The phrase is unique, but the word rendered "communication" is the well-known word generally rendered "communion," or "fellowship," except where (as in Romans 15:26; 2Corinthians 8:4; 2Corinthians 9:13; Hebrews 13:16) it is used technically and derivatively of "the communication" of almsgiving. The phrase, therefore, should probably be rendered the "communion of thy faith," i.e., "thy fellowship in faith." (2) But, again, the question arises, "With whom is this fellowship? With God or man?" The answer probably is, "With both." Perhaps for growth in divine knowledge the communion need only be with God. But we observe that the knowledge is not merely "of every good thing," i.e., of all that is of God, but of "every good thing which is in you (or, better, in us) towards Christ Jesus." It is, therefore, the knowledge of good--that is, of God's gift--as dwelling in man by the unity which binds all to Christ Jesus. (3) Now for knowledge of this, fellowship with man is needed, as well as fellowship with God. The soul which dwells alone with God, even in the holiest seclusion, knows what is good in the abstract, but not what is good in man in the concrete reality. But Philemon's house was a centre of Christian life. St. Paul might, therefore, well speak of this his two-fold "fellowship in faith," and pray that it might grow into full knowledge at once of God and of man as in Him. (4) That all such growth must be "towards Christ Jesus," dependent on unity with Him and serving to deepen such unity, is the characteristic doctrine of all this group of Epistles, especially of the Colossian Epistle, of which Onesimus was one of the bearers. . . .