Philemon 1:2 (ASV)

Passage

and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to the church in thy house:

Nearby Context

Philemon 1:1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our beloved and fellow-worker,

Philemon 1:2 and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to the church in thy house:

Philemon 1:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philemon 1:4 I thank my God always, making mention of thee in my prayers,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "apphia", "sister", "archippus", "fellow-soldier", "church", and "house". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "apphia" and "sister", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "Paul a prisoner of Christ Jesus and..." into verse 3's "Grace to you and peace from God...", so "apphia" and "sister" belong inside that flow. In Philemon context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "apphia" and "sister" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.