Section 190
90Gk. ἐγώ ἀπoτίσω (the one NT instance of ἀπoτίνω), written as a ϰεɩϱóγϱαφoν (cf. Col. 2:14). The aorist ἔγϱαψα is epistolary.
91Of Onesimus he has said εἰ δέ τɩ . . . ὀφείλεɩ (“if he owes anything”); to Philemon he says ϰαὶ σεαυτóν μoɩ πϱoσoφείλεɩς (“you owe me in addition even yourself”). The prefix πϱoσ- in πϱoσoφείλεɩς may imply: over and above the debt I have mentioned (owed by Onesimus), there is another debt to which I could refer if I had a mind to (ἵνα μὴ λέγω, “not to mention,” involves the mention of the very thing which needs no mention). Or perhaps Paul means: you owe me your regaining of Onesimus; let me remind you of another debt you owe me. At any rate he reminds Philemon that he owes Paul his Christian life: Paul is his spiritual father. If Col. 2:1 is rightly taken to mean that Paul had not visited the Lycus valley (see p. 90), he and Philemon must have met elsewhere, perhaps while Philemon was on a visit to Ephesus. If Paul could say cheerfully with regard to Onesimus’s debt τoῦτo ἐμoὶ ἐλλóγα (“put this on my account”; “charge it to me”), who would underwrite Philemon’s debt to Paul? No one, of course; only Philemon could make some practical acknowledgment of it—by granting Paul the favor for which he does not ask outright.