Philemon 1:16 (DBY)

Passage

not any longer as a bondman, but above a bondman, a beloved brother, specially to me, and how much rather to thee, both in [the] flesh and in [the] Lord?

Nearby Context

Philemon 1:14 but I have wished to do nothing without thy mind, that thy good might not be as of necessity but of willingness:

Philemon 1:15 for perhaps for this reason he has been separated [from thee] for a time, that thou mightest possess him fully for ever;

Philemon 1:16 not any longer as a bondman, but above a bondman, a beloved brother, specially to me, and how much rather to thee, both in [the] flesh and in [the] Lord?

Philemon 1:17 If therefore thou holdest me to be a partner [with thee], receive him as me;

Philemon 1:18 but if he have wronged thee anything or owe anything [to thee], put this to my account.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "longer", "bondman", "above", "beloved", "brother", "specially", and "much". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "longer" and "bondman", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "for perhaps for this reason he has..." into verse 17's "If therefore thou holdest me to be...", so "longer" and "bondman" 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 "longer" and "bondman" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.