I give thanks to my God, always making a remembrance of thee in my prayers.
ευχαριστω τω θεω μου παντοτε μνειαν σου ποιουμενος επι των προσευχων μου
6 Church Fathers comment on this verse
He does not immediately, nor at the very beginning of the Epistle, ask Philemon for mercy. First he expresses admiration for this man and praises him for his virtues. He also presents no small proof of his own love for him, namely that he always remembers him in his prayers.
Every time I remember you, he says, and I remember you always when I pray, so often I thank God for your virtue. What this virtue is, he explains further.
I always remember you, says the Apostle, praying also for your progress. I glorify the God of all, because I hear what faith you have acquired in the saving Master, how great a love you possess, and what services you deem worthy for those who honor divine things. And I ask and entreat the common Benefactor to grant you complete possession of the good things.
In the twenty-five verses of the apostolic Epistle to Philemon the following parts may be discerned.
I. The introduction (Phlm 1-9). After the customary greeting from himself and Timothy, and after wishing the grace and peace of God to Philemon, his fellow worker, and likewise to beloved Apphia and Archippus his fellow soldier, the holy Apostle Paul expresses his joy and thanksgiving to God.
He has heard of Philemon's labors of love and faith. On the basis of these virtues, he expresses confidence that he could boldly command him in whatever he wished. Yet, for love's sake, he wishes instead to address him with a certain request.
The Apostle thanks God for the good qualities of Philemon's faith and life, and especially for his disposition toward the saints. He wishes that all this may have good fruits in Christ Jesus.
According to the explanation of blessed Theodoret, the Apostle speaks here as if saying: "I glorify the God of all. For I hear what faith you have toward the Master Who saved you, and how great a love you have.
I hear what services you deem worthy to render to those who revere divine things. And I ask and entreat the common Benefactor to grant you perfect possession of the good things."
"I pray," he says, "that the fellowship of your faith may become effectual. In the knowledge of every good thing means that you may attain every virtue, and that you may have no deficiency.
Faith becomes effectual when it is accompanied by works. For faith without works is dead. He did not say, your faith, but the fellowship of your faith, that is, your faith common with us.
He joins Philemon to himself and suggests that they are one body. Thus he persuades him with particular force. If you are my partner in faith, he says, you must also be my partner in every other matter" (Chrysostom).
"By fellowship of faith he means almsgiving. Every good thing is offered up to Jesus Christ. So now, if you receive Onesimus and give me satisfaction, you will do this to Christ Himself" (blessed Theophylact).
Every time I pray, he says, I remember you in my prayer. Remembering you, I thank my God for you.
By saying that he thanks God for Philemon, he lets him understand that he is pleased with him. He acknowledges him as perfected in Christianity, and thereby gladdens him and encourages him toward still greater good.
This is not foreign to the purpose of the epistle. Yet by such thanksgiving he also raises Philemon's spirit with his own before the face of God.
He teaches him to see in God the source of his perfections, and to humble himself all the more in awareness of them, rather than think highly of himself.
He should strive in every way, like the Apostle, to appear thankful before God. This too is not far from the purpose of the epistle.
For one must give thanks not only by word, but much more by works pleasing to God. One such work the Apostle will immediately set before him.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 12 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS