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Philemon

Biblical
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Colossian believer to whom Paul wrote a letter about his slave Onesimus

Detailed Definition
Philemon hosted a church in his home and was urged by Paul to receive Onesimus as a brother (Philemon 1–2). In poetry, Philemon embodies Christian hospitality, the ethical challenge of forgiveness, and how personal relationships become laboratories for gospel reconciliation.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Philemon 1:1–25, Philemon’s letter inspires poetry about radical grace in relationships; 19th-century abolitionist verse depicts Philemon receiving Onesimus as brother; Contemporary poems explore Philemon’s choice as model of costly forgiveness; In poems about hospitality, Philemon’s home becomes church; Some liturgical works honor Philemon as example of transformed social bonds; Educational poems cite Philemon to teach about Paul’s theology of reconciliation.
Additional Notes
Philemon, a Colossian believer, is the recipient of Paul’s letter concerning his slave Onesimus; the epistle models Christian ethics of forgiveness and equality; Philemon himself represents the challenge of embodying grace in social structures—ideal for poems on reconciliation, hospitality, and transformed relationships.
Also Known As
Philemon of Colossae Philemon the Beloved
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