Skip to content

Passage Research

Philemon 1 — Sermon Preparation

Below is a research summary for Philemon 1, drawn from openly licensed scholarly databases — original-language morphology, classic sermons from the church fathers through the Puritans, and ancient geography data.

25
verses
334 / 141
Greek words / lemmas
11
classic sermon excerpts
4
preachers & commentators

Philemon 1 in the Greek

Distinctive vocabulary of this chapter, based on original-language morphology.

Greek Transliteration Strong's Count KJV renderings
σπλάγχνον splánchnon G4698 3 bowels, inward affection, tender mercy
ἀδελφός adelphós G80 4 brother
ἀγάπη agápē G26 3 charity, dear, love
Παῦλος Paûlos G3972 3 Paul, Paulus
ἀναπαύω anapaúō G373 2 take ease, refresh, rest
συνεργός synergós G4904 2 companion in labour, helper, labourer together with, workfellow
δέσμιος désmios G1198 2 in bonds, prisoner

How preachers through history handled this text

11 public-domain excerpts on Philemon 1, from the church fathers to the Puritans.

Matthew Henry 5 Chrysostom 3 Spurgeon 2 John Wesley 1

“When we speak of the nature of any sin or offence against God, the evil of it is not to be lessened; but in a penitent sinner, as God covers it, so must we. Such changed characters often become a blessing to all among whom they reside. Christianity does not do away our duties to others, but directs to the right doing of them. True penitents will be open in owning their faults, as doubtless Onesimus had been to Paul, upon his being awakened and brought to repentance; especially in cases of injury done to others. …”

— Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise), on Philemon 1:15–22 (Public Domain)

Need the complete sermon prep report on this passage?

Greek exegesis, historical background, current scholarship, sermon outlines, illustrations — a complete PDF report on Philemon 1, delivered in 45 minutes.