Philemon 1:21

21. Having confidence in thine obedience I write unto thee, knowing that thou wilt do even beyond what I say.

a.

Paul was persuaded by his personal knowledge of Philemon that he would be obedient to the request to receive Onesimus. He could even assert more than that: he knew that Philemon would do more than he requested in the letter.

b.

We can well imagine that Philemon emancipated Onesimus, and then helped him by training, and counsel, and perhaps financial assistance and intercession on his behalf with others to become a self-supporting citizen in the society of free Christians.

c.

If such actually happened it is unthinkable that Onesimus ever became overbearing and contemptuous and demanding toward his former master. It sometimes happens that those who have been helped out of slavery or poverty become overbearing and intolerably demanding toward the very people to whom they owe all they are and have.

d.

Some commentators start a new division of the outline of Philemon at Philemon 1:21, assuming that the conclusion and salutations start there, and go on to the end of the epistle. But inasmuch as the proposed visit by Paul to Philemon served as a powerful incentive to Philemon to receive Onesimus, we have included Philemon 1:21-22 as part of division III, Paul's intercession for Onesimus.