Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered to me in the bands of the gospel:

“Dost thou see after how much previous preparation, he has at length brought him honorably before his master, and observe with how much wisdom he has done this. See for how much he makes him answerable, and how much he honors the other. Thou hast found, he says, a way by which thou mayest through him repay thy service to me. Here he shows that he has considered his advantage more than that of his slave, and that he respects him exceedingly.”

“Having set down the Apostle's confidence concerning Philemon's goodness, he here sets forth his petition. And first he shows the person for whom he petitions; second, from this he concludes his petition, at the words but you, him. Concerning the first he does two things: first, by describing the person, he shows that he is acceptable to him by reason of spiritual generation; second, by reason of a change of character. He says therefore: truly I am to be heard, because my petition contains honesty and piety, on behalf of my son Onesimus, concerning whom is my present concern. And having acquired a son at a time of decline, he loves him the more, as an old man does sons begotten in old age. Gen. 37:3: But Israel loved Joseph above all his sons, because he had begotten him in his old age. But this one he begot in chains. Second, there is a change in character. For if he had persevered in sin, he would not have been worthy of pardon. And note that he says less, and signifies more. For Tully teaches that one ought to diminish his own deed as much as he can. Thus the Apostle speaks lightly of this man's fault, saying unprofitable, that is, harmful in taking away your goods; but now, having been converted from evil to a state of virtue, he is profitable for the service of God and of men. 2 Tim. 2:21: If therefore anyone shall cleanse himself from these, he shall be a vessel sanctified unto honor. Prov. 25:4: Take away the rust from silver, and there shall come forth a most pure vessel. Then, when he says but you, him, he sets forth his petition. And first the petition is set forth; second he answers a question, at the words whom I. He says therefore: you, then, receive him as my own bowels. And this for the reason that I have seen him amended, the sign of which is that I have sent him back to you. Against this, Deut. 23:15: You shall not deliver up to his master the servant who has fled to you, etc. I answer. This is true when the master seeks him unto death; and therefore he says but you, etc. Phil. 1:7: Because I have you in my heart, and in my chains and in the defense, etc. And he answers a question, because one might say: if he is profitable to you, why do you not keep him until death? Therefore he states what is the reason for sending him. First he shows his intention of keeping him; second, why he desisted from his intention, at the words but without your counsel. He says therefore to Philemon, who, although he was a great man, was nevertheless accustomed to minister to the Apostle. Matt. 20:26: Whoever will be greater among you, let him be your minister. Hence out of this confidence he proposed to keep him, that in Philemon's place he might minister to him. Hence he says whom I would have kept with me, that in your stead, etc. Which was most necessary, since he was in chains for Christ. For provision must be made when someone suffers for his lord. But the reason why he desisted is that he did not wish to use another's property, the master being unaware. Hence he says without counsel, etc., as if to say: if I had kept him, it would then please you, who could not resist, and there would be a kind of compulsion. But I did not wish it thus; rather, I wished that it be done voluntarily. Ex. 25:2: From every man who offers of his own accord, you shall receive them, namely, the first-fruits. 2 Cor. 9:7: Not with sadness, or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. Then, when he says for perhaps, he sets forth the reason why Philemon ought to receive him kindly. And first on the part of God; second on the part of the Apostle himself, at the words if therefore you have; third on the part of Philemon himself, at the word trusting. On the part of God, because often the providence of God permits that which seems evil to happen, so that from it good may follow, as is clear in the case of Joseph, who was sold, that he might deliver Egypt and his father's family. Gen. 45:5: For God sent me before you for your preservation. And he says perhaps, because the judgments of God are incomprehensible, Rom. 11:33. And he says for a servant, that is, in place of a servant. Matt. 23:8: But you are all brothers. And not only to you, but to me, in comparison to God, although he is a son in ministry. How much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord? This can be explained in two ways: in one way, that it be referred to the first origin of divine creation, and thus he is a brother. Deut. 32:6: Is not he your father, who possessed, and made, and created you? Mal. 2:10: Is there not one father of us all? Has not one God created us? Likewise, in God, through faith. Or rather, it was for Philemon's good that he was his kinsman according to the flesh, because according to the flesh he was his servant, since all that he was to him in the flesh was his own. Hence for a twofold reason one is moved by charity, namely, by love according to the origin of the flesh, and by spiritual love. But on the part of the Apostle, first he alleges his own friendship, under the pretext of which he wishes him to be received; second he stands surety for him regarding the loss; third he shows the duty of reception. The second, at the words but if. The third, at the words therefore, brother. He says therefore: if then you have me as a companion, receive him. 1 John 1:7: But if we walk in the light, as he also is in the light, we have fellowship with one another. And he says as also me, because he is joined to me. Matt. 10:40: He who receives you receives me. Second, he obliges himself to make satisfaction on his behalf for the loss. He says therefore: if he has done any wrong, namely, in leaving your service, charge this to me, as if to say: I will make satisfaction. Gal., last chapter: bear one another's burdens. And more: for first he promises that he will pay; second he shows that Philemon is a debtor for this, not of necessity but of will. He says therefore I Paul, as if to say: that you may be certain of the restitution, I have written by hand. And this is not necessity, because you owe me your very self, whom I have delivered from eternal death. And such a one owes himself to his deliverer. Tob. 9:2: If I should give myself to you as a servant, I would not be worthy of your providence. And he adds, saying: therefore, brother, may I enjoy you, as if to say: if you wish to have me as a companion, receive him, and thus may I enjoy you, brother; that is, if you do this, you will fulfill my will with joys. For to enjoy is to use fruit, and as using pertains to the useful, so enjoying pertains to the fruit. But fruit implies sweetness. Cant. 2:3: And his fruit was sweet to my throat. Likewise, an end, because the last thing from the tree is the fruit. And therefore properly it is to have something as delightful and final. And hence it is that Augustine says: we enjoy things known, in which the will delights on account of sweetness. Likewise, to enjoy is to cling to something for its own sake. Sometimes therefore enjoy and use are taken commonly, insofar as they imply delight without its contrary. Ecclus. 8:10: Enjoy the great man without complaint. He says therefore: thus may I enjoy you, because in nothing are you contrary to me. And if in this you satisfy me, there will be nothing in my heart concerning you that saddens me, and thus you will delight me. But if enjoy is taken as something final, then man is not to be enjoyed, but God alone. Against which is that saying of Wis. 2:6: Let us enjoy the good things that are, and let us use the creature as in youth, speedily, etc. Hence he adds in the Lord, that is, may I enjoy you in the delight of God, rejoicing over the divine good in you, because its act is love, and enjoyment is the effect, namely, of charity. Therefore it is added: in this, refresh my bowels. For a man is refreshed spiritually when the desires of his soul are satisfied. As if to say: fulfill the inmost desires of my heart. And not in evil things, but in Christ, and therefore the fulfillment of the desire is good. Then, when he says trusting, the reason is taken from the side of Philemon, and there is a commendation of his obedience. And first he shows how he trusts in his obedience; second he enjoins upon him another similar thing. He says therefore trusting, etc. 2 Cor. 7:16: I rejoice that in all things I have confidence in you. 1 Kings 15:22: Obedience is better than sacrifices. But he writes more cautiously, because a man more readily heeds someone when he hopes to see him again, than if he despairs of it. And therefore he says: and at the same time, prepare me a lodging. For he was accustomed, when he was at Colossae, to lodge in his house. Chrysostom: a pleasant word, that a poor man should, across so many spans of lands, by letter, command a rich man to prepare a lodging. For what needed to be prepared for one who was content with bread and a cheap pottage? It must be said therefore that he says this not for the sake of the preparation of a lodging, but to insinuate familiarity and love; and by this he the more provokes him to obey. So he. The Apostle therefore did not say this on account of outward preparation, but for the sake of his devotion. For I hope through your prayers, etc. Against this: he was never restored to them, but died at Rome; therefore his hope failed. I answer. The hope of a just man is twofold: namely, a principal hope directed to his own good, and in this it never fails for himself; the other is secondary, namely, concerning the trial of others, and in this it sometimes fails, because the merits of those others stand in the way, just as the just are sometimes not heard on behalf of others. But was he then deceived in his confidence? It must be said that to know future things belongs to God alone, and not to human knowledge, except prophetic knowledge. And none of the prophets knew all future things about himself, except Christ alone, who did not have the Holy Spirit by measure. Thus Isaac, a great prophet, was deceived concerning Jacob. Hence it is no wonder concerning the Apostle, if he did not know. Then he ends the letter with a salutation; and first on the part of others; second on his own part. He says therefore there salute you, etc. Concerning all these it is found in Col. 4:12. But there is a doubt concerning what he says: Demas. How can this be, since it is said in 2 Tim., last chapter: Demas has forsaken me, loving this world? How then does he use his name? It must be said that he had already returned to him. But this does not seem so either, because this letter preceded the second letter to Timothy, since here he says I hope, etc., whereas there he foretells his own death, saying: and the time of my dissolution is at hand. And therefore it must be said that Paul was at Rome for nearly nine years, and this letter was written at the beginning. But the second letter to Timothy was written at the end of his life, and then Demas, wearied by the long chains, left him. And the letters of Paul are not arranged according to time, for the letters to the Corinthians were before the letter to the Romans, and this one was before the last letter to Timothy. And that one is placed first on account of its subject matter, because it concerns something more worthy. His salutation is the same as in the second letter to Timothy. Thanks be to God. Amen.”

“Whom I would have retained with me,.... At Rome, where the apostle was a prisoner: that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the Gospel; the apostle was in bonds, not for any crime, for any immorality he had been guilty of, but for the sake of the Gospel, for professing and preaching that; for this he was an ambassador in bonds, as he elsewhere says, Eph 6:20. Now he would have kept Onesimus with him, either to have waited upon him, in his bonds, and to have provided for him the necessaries of life; or to have assisted him in the ministration of the word, in the room of Philemon, who, had he been there, would have been employed in such service; so that if the apostle had retained him, he would have been acting not for himself, but in the room of his master, and doing what he should have done, had he been on the spot. This the apostle observes to prevent an objection that might have been made; that since Onesimus was become so profitable to him, why did he send him back? why did he not keep him for his own service? this he obviates and removes, by signifying he should have done it, but for the following reason.”

“That in thy stead he might have ministered unto me - As Philemon was one of Paul's converts, he became thereby his spiritual father, and had a right to his services when in need. This was a strong argument, not only to induce Philemon to forgive his servant, but to send him back to the apostle, that he might minister to him in his master's stead.”

“I--emphatical. I for my part. Since I had such implicit trust in him as to desire to keep him with me for his services, thou mayest. I would have retained--different Greek from the "would," Plm 1:14, "I could have wished," "I was minded" here; but "I was not willing," Plm 1:14. in thy stead--that he might supply in your place all the services to me which you, if you were here, would render in virtue of the love you bear to me (Plm 1:19). bonds of the gospel--my bonds endured for the Gospel's sake (Plm 1:9).”