Philemon (; , ) was an early Christian in

Asia Minor Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

who was the recipient of a private letter from Paul of Tarsus which forms part of the Christian

New Testament The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ...

. This letter is known as

Epistle to Philemon The Epistle to Philemon is one of the books of the Christianity, Christian New Testament. It is a Prison literature, prison letter, authored by Paul the Apostle (the opening verse also mentions Saint Timothy, Timothy), to Saint Philemon, Philem ...

, although it is addressed "to Philemon, our dear friend and fellow worker, also to Apphia our sister (possibly Philemon's wife) and Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets in your home". Paul asks Philemon to "take back"

Onesimus Onesimus of Byzantium (, meaning "useful"; died , according to Sacred tradition, Catholic tradition), also called ''Onesimus'' and The Holy Apostle Onesimus in the Eastern Orthodox Church, was a Roman slavery, slave to Philemon (biblical figur ...

, who may previously have been his

slave Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

. Philemon is known as a saint by several Christian churches along with Apphia (or Appia), seen as his wife. Philemon was a wealthy Christian and a minister (possibly a

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

). Const. Apost., VI, 46 The Menaia of 22 November speak of Philemon as a holy apostle who, in company with Apphia, Archippus, and

, had been martyred at Colossae during the first general persecution in the reign of

Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68) was a Roman emperor and the final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 until his ...

. In the list of the Seventy Apostles, attributed to Dorotheus of Tyre, Philemon is described as bishop of Gaza.

References

External links

Santiebeati: Saint Philemon
{{DEFAULTSORT:Philemon Seventy disciples 1st-century deaths People in the Pauline epistles Saints from Roman Anatolia Christian saints from the New Testament 1st-century bishops in Roman Anatolia 1st-century Romans Year of birth unknown People from Colossae Epistle to Philemon Slave owners