Read continuously Fragment on the Letter to Philemon · §1 · Severianus of Gabala
Paul's unusual opening word prepares his appeal
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Severianus is explaining how Paul opens the letter to Philemon with a striking word that sets up the request he is about to make for Onesimus.
In many of his letters Paul places an unusual word at the start, one that is preparatory for the argument he is about to introduce. Here too, since he was about to make a request on behalf of Onesimus, he shows the credibility of his appeal through his own worth—and his worth is being in chains.
Greek Phm
1,1 Ἐν πολλαῖς ἐπιστολαῖς ξένον τίθησι ῥῆμα τοῦ μέλλοντος εἰσάγεσθαι λόγου
κατασκευαστικόν, καὶ νῦν ἐπειδὴ ἔμελλεν ἀξιοῦν ὑπὲρ Ὀνησίμου τῇ ἑαυτοῦ ἀξίᾳ–
ἀξία δὲ αὐτοῦ τὸ δεδέσθαι–, τὸ ἀξιόπιστον τῆς παρακλήσεως δείκνυσιν.
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About this text Severianus of Gabala in a few lines on Philemon: Paul opens with his chains to give credit to his plea for Onesimus.
This fragment was written by Severianus of Gabala (fl. c. 400), a Christian bishop and preacher. It is a short comment on the opening of Paul's letter to Philemon. Severianus wrote it to explain how Paul prepares his reader for the request he is about to make.
The occasion is Paul's appeal on behalf of Onesimus. Severianus observes that Paul often places an unusual word at the start of a letter as a preparatory move for the argument to come. In Philemon, Paul is about to make a request for Onesimus, and he shows the credibility of his appeal through his own worth.
A reader should know that the key term rendered here as "unusual word" refers to a striking word Paul uses for rhetorical preparation. Paul's "worth" is his claim to consideration, and that worth consists in his being in chains, meaning his imprisonment. The lowly state of being bound is what gives his appeal its persuasive force. The text comments on the letter to Philemon, and the person a reader will meet is Onesimus, the one on whose behalf Paul makes his request.
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