And to our beloved Apphia - This was a female (Greek ἀγαπητῇ agapētē), and was probably the wife of Philemon.

And Archippus our fellow-soldier - See the notes at Colossians 4:17. It has been supposed that he was a son of Philemon, and this would appear not to be improbable, as he was one of his family. On the term "fellow-soldier," see the notes at Philippians 2:25. It is applied here to one who was a minister of the gospel, and who is spoken of in con nection with Paul as enlisted under the banners of the Captain of salvation, and waging a warfare with the wickedness of the world; compare the notes at 2 Timothy 2:3-4. That Archippus was a minister of the gospel, is clear from Colossians 4:17.

And to the church in thy house - Either the church that commonly met in his house, or more probably that was composed of his own family; compare the notes at Romans 16:5.

Apphia. Απφια. Under the word Απφα Suidas says: Αδελφης και αδελφου ὑπακορισμα· Appha is the affectionate address of a brother or sister; or the diminutive of a brother and sister, used to express kindness and affection. Hence the apostle, referring to the meaning of the word, says: Και Απφιᾳ τῃ αδελφῃ αγαπητῃ· And to Apphia the beloved sister. Though αδελφῃ, sister, be not in our common text, it is found in AD*EFG, several others, the Itala, Vulgate, Slavonic, etc.; and is undoubtedly genuine.

Archippus, Αρχιππος. The ruler or master of the horse; from αρχων, a chief, and ἱππος, a horse. Heroes of old were, both among the Greeks and Trojans, celebrated for their skill in managing and taming the horse, and employing him in war; this frequently occurs in Homer. The import of the name of Archippus might suggest this idea to the apostle's mind, and lead him to say: Archippus our Fellow Soldier.

Suidas mentions a person of this name, who was once victor at the games, in the ninety-first Olympiad.

There was one of the pupils of Pythagoras of this name; and I introduce him here for the sake of a quotation from St. Jerome, (Apol. adv. Ruffin.), relative to the doctrines taught by him and his fellow disciple, Lysis: Φευκτεον πανταπασι και εκκοπτεον ασθενειαν μεν του σωματος, απαιδευσιαν δε της ψυχης, ακολασιαν δε της γαστρος, στασιν δε της πολεως, την δε διαφωνιαν απο της οικιας, και κοινῃ απο παντων το ακρατες· "By all means and methods these evils are to be shunned and cut off: effeminacy from the body; Ignorance from the soul; delicacies from the belly; sedition from the city; discord from the house; and, in general, intemperance from all things." Vid. Fab. Thes. Erud. Schol.

Onesimus, Ονησιμος. Useful or profitable; from ονημι, to help. The import of this name led the apostle to play upon the word thus: I beseech thee for any son Onesimus - which in time past was to thee Unprofitable, but now Profitable to thee and me.

To the Church in thy house - The congregation of Christians frequently assembling in Philemon's house; for at this time the Christians had neither temples, churches, nor chapels. See the note on Romans 16:5, and the reference there.

It is very probable that Apphia was the wife of Philemon, and Archippus, their son, the pastor of the Church at Philemon's house.

And to our beloved Apphia,.... The Alexandrian copy reads, "to sister Apphia"; and the Vulgate Latin version, "to the beloved sister Apphia"; for this is a woman's name; and it is thought that she was the wife of Philemon, since she is placed next to him, and before Archippus, a minister of the word; and very prudently is she wrote to, and justly commended, in order to engage her to use her interest with her husband to receive his servant again, who otherwise might have stood against it, and been a very great hinderance to a reconciliation: this clause is wanting in the Ethiopic version:

and Archippus our fellow soldier; that this Archippus was a preacher of the Gospel at Colosse is manifest from Colossians 4:17 wherefore the apostle styles him a fellow soldier; for though this character belongs to private Christians, who are enlisted as volunteers under Christ, the Captain of salvation, and fight under his banners, against sin, Satan, and the world, being accoutred with the whole armour of God, and are more than conquerors through Christ that has loved them; yet it very eminently belongs to the ministers of the Gospel, who are more especially called upon, to endure hardness, as good soldiers of Christ; to war a good warfare, to fight the good fight of faith; and besides the above enemies common to all believers, to engage with false teachers, and earnestly contend for the faith of the Gospel, that so it may continue with the saints. Now this man was in the same company, and in the same service, engaged in the same common cause, against the same enemies, and under the same Captain, and was expecting the same crown of immortality and glory, and therefore he calls him his fellow soldier; and he wisely inscribes his epistle to him, that he might make use of the interest he had in Philemon, and his wife, to bring this matter to bear, the apostle writes about:

and to the church in thy house: not in the house of Archippus, but in the house of Philemon; and designs not the church at Colosse, as though it met at his house; but his own family, which for the great piety and religion which were among them, and for the good order and decorum in which they were kept, were like a church of themselves; and here again the apostle acts the wise part, in order to gain his point, by taking notice of them, who might some of them have been injured or affronted by Onesimus, when with them; and so entertained some resentment against him, and might put a bar in the way of his reception into the family again.

Our beloved Apphia (Ἁπφίᾳ τῇ ἀγαπητῇ)

Read τῇ ἀδελφῇ the (our) sister. Commonly supposed to have been Philemon's wife. The word is not the common Roman name Appia, but is a Phrygian name, occurring frequently in Phrygian inscriptions. It is also written Aphphia, and sometimes Aphia.

Archippus

Possibly the son of Philemon and Apphia. From Colossians 4:17 he would appear to have held some important office in the church, either at Colossae or at Laodicaea, which lay very near. In Colossians his name occurs immediately after the salutation to the Laodicaeans.

Fellow-soldier

In christian warfare. Perhaps at Ephesus. Applied also to Epaphroditus, Philippians 2:25.

The church in thy house

See on Romans 16:5.

And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house:

1:2 Our beloved Apphia. Supposed to have been Philemon's wife.

And Archippus. The connection has suggested that he was Philemon's son. He was no doubt a minister. See Col 4:17.

The church in thy house. As the early church had no houses of worship, it met in private houses.

1:2 To Apphia - His wife, to whom also the business in part belonged. And the church in thy house - The Christians who meet there.

2. Apphia-the Latin, "Appia"; either the wife or some close relative of Philemon. She and Archippus, if they had not belonged to his family, would not have been included with Philemon in the address of a letter on a domestic matter.

Archippus-a minister of the Colossian Church (Col 4:17).

fellow soldier-(2Ti 2:3).

church in thy house-In the absence of a regular church building, the houses of particular saints were used for that purpose. Observe Paul's tact in associating with Philemon those associated by kindred or Christian brotherhood with his house, and not going beyond it.

1:1-7 Faith in Christ, and love to him, should unite saints more closely than any outward relation can unite the people of the world. Paul in his private prayers was particular in remembering his friends. We must remember Christian friends much and often, as their cases may need, bearing them in our thoughts, and upon our hearts, before our God. Different sentiments and ways in what is not essential, must not make difference of affection, as to the truth. He inquired concerning his friends, as to the truth, growth, and fruitfulness of their graces, their faith in Christ, and love to him, and to all the saints. The good which Philemon did, was matter of joy and comfort to him and others, who therefore desired that he would continue and abound in good fruits, more and more, to God's honour.