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Glite Dictionary
Epistle to Philemon

Epistle to Philemon

9.9
A short book in the New Testament where Paul asks for forgiveness for a runaway slave
  • proper noun
  • /ɪˈpɪsəl tə faɪˈliːmən/
translation icon : Epístola a Filemón
  • Many scholars analyze the Epistle to Philemon for its message on forgiveness and reconciliation.

Examples

  • The Epistle to Philemon is one of the shortest books in the New Testament.

  • The Epistle to Philemon is one of the shortest books in the New Testament.

  • During Bible study, we discussed themes from the Epistle to Philemon.

  • Have you read the Epistle to Philemon?

  • In the New Testament, the Epistle to Philemon highlights the themes of forgiveness and reconciliation.

  • Many scholars believe that the Epistle to Philemon was written while Saint Paul was imprisoned.

  • The Epistle to Philemon addresses the issue of slavery in the context of Christian love and brotherhood.

Synonyms

Philemon
vsEpistle to Philemon
  • Literature
1 9.9

A short New Testament letter from Paul asking forgiveness for a runaway slave

is the descriptive title that explicitly calls it a letter
Epistle of Paul the Apostle to Philemon
vsEpistle to Philemon
9.9

A short letter in the Christian Bible from Paul asking Philemon to forgive his runaway slave

is a shorter title that omits the author's name

Surface Forms

Epistle to Philemon main

Morphology

epistle + to + Philemon

The phrase is compositionally built: 'epistle' = letter, 'to' = addressed to, and 'Philemon' = a person, so a learner who knows the constituents will understand it denotes a letter addressed to Philemon. Although it is the conventional title of a New Testament book with specific historical content, that specific meaning is directly derivable from the parts and follows common cross-linguistic titling patterns.

Etymology

Epistle to Philemon is literally a short epistle meaning 'letter' from Paul to a man named Philemon, in which Paul asks him to forgive a slave who had run away. So the title points to a very short New Testament book about forgiveness and making peace.