Philemon 1:16

16. no longer as a servant, but more than a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much rather to thee, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

a.

Philemon was to consider that in having Onesimus forever, he would have him no longer as a slave, but as one much superior to a slave, a beloved brother.

It is almost unthinkable that a person could enslave his own brother. In the song O Holy Night there are these lovely words concerning Christ:
Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother;
And in his name all oppression shall cease.

b.

Paul declares that Onesimus is beloved specially to me. This is a superlative form, meaning most of all. However Philemon's love for Onesimus was to be even more than Paul's (more than most!).

The idealism of Paul and his high expectations concerning Philemon, show the power of the Holy Spirit to transform attitudes, feelings, and actions.

c.

Philemon's love for Onesimus was to be both in the flesh and in the Lord. He was not to feel as one party who said, Oh, I love foreigners; I just don-'t want to be around them. It is often pretense to claim to love people abstractly, but not in the flesh. 1 John 4:20.