ADDRESSEE(S)
ADDRESSEE(S)
A problem arises from the address. The epistle is addressed "to Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker, to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier and to the church that meets in your home” (Phlm. 1-2). Philemon, mentioned first, is clearly the principal addressee, and Apphia may well be his wife, as is often assumed. We have no means of knowing whether Archippus was related to them or not (he is sometimes said to be their son). "Your” is singular in the Greek and doubtless refers back to Philemon.1 While the letter has many of the characteristics of a private communication, this opening shows that a house church is involved in its message, as well as its host. There is no convincing reason for denying that the letter was written to Philemon (though with two other people and a house church also included as recipients of the apostle’s message).