ΠΡΟΣ ΦΙΛΗΜΟΝΑ
1
Greeting
1 Παῦλος, δέσμιος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,* ιησου χριστου f35 [40%] ¦ ~ 21 ℵA [60%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP,NU (Though Paul uses the sequence ‘Christ Jesus’ in verses 6 and 23, I take it that here and in verse 9 it is properly ‘Jesus Christ’—he alternates them.) καὶ Τιμόθεος ὁ ἀδελφός, Φιλήμονι τῷ ἀγαπητῷ καὶ συνεργῷ ἡμῶν, 2 καὶ Ἀπφίᾳ τῇ ἀγαπητῇ† αγαπητη f35 (94.8%) RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ αδελφη ℵA,I,048 (4.9%) NU ¦ conflations (0.3%) καὶ Ἀρχίππῳ τῷ συστρατιώτῃ ἡμῶν, καὶ τῇ κατ᾿ οἶκόν σου ἐκκλησίᾳ· 3 Χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.
Paul commends Philemon
4 Εὐχαριστῶ τῷ Θεῷ μου πάντοτε μνείαν σου ποιούμενος ἐπὶ τῶν προσευχῶν μου, 5 ἀκούων σου τὴν ἀγάπην καὶ τὴν πίστιν ἣν ἔχεις πρὸς τὸν Κύριον Ἰησοῦν, καὶ εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους, 6 ὅπως ἡ κοινωνία τῆς πίστεώς σου ἐνεργὴς γένηται ἐν ἐπιγνώσει παντὸς‡ παντος f35 ℵA,C [80%] RP,HF,OC,TR,NU ¦ 1 εργου [20%] CP ἀγαθοῦ τοῦ ἐν ὑμῖν§ υμιν f35 ℵ [45%] TR ¦ ημιν A,C,048v [55%] RP,HF,OC,CP,NU (The 3rd person is correct. It is as Philemon understands the resources available in his local congregation that the sharing of his faith will become more powerful.) εἰς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν·* ιησουν f35 [98%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ — ℵA,C [2%] NU 7 χάριν† χαριν f35 (88.1%) RP,HF,OC,TR ¦ χαραν ℵA,C,048 (11.9%) CP,NU (The first four words of verse seven offer four variant sets—observe how the attestation fluctuates, word by word.) γὰρ‡ γαρ f35 ℵA,C,048 (86.3%) RP,HF,OC,TR,CP,NU ¦ δε (0.5%) ¦ — (13.2%) ἔχομεν§ εχομεν f35 (84.7%) RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ εχωμεν (4.2%) ¦ εσχον ℵA,C,048 (7.4%) NU ¦ εχω (2.5%) ¦ five other variants (1.3%) πολλὴν* εχομεν πολλην f35 (88.4%) RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ ~ 21 ℵA,C,048 (10.5%) NU ¦ five other variants (1.1%) καὶ παράκλησιν ἐπὶ τῇ ἀγάπῃ σου, ὅτι τὰ σπλάγχνα τῶν ἁγίων ἀναπέπαυται διὰ σοῦ, ἀδελφέ.
Paul intercedes for Onesimus
8 Διό, πολλὴν ἐν Χριστῷ παρρησίαν ἔχων ἐπιτάσσειν σοι τὸ ἀνῆκον, 9 διὰ τὴν ἀγάπην μᾶλλον παρακαλῶ—τοιοῦτος ὢν ὡς Παῦλος πρεσβύτης, νυνὶ δὲ καὶ δέσμιος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.† ιησου χριστου f35 [95%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ ~ 21 ℵA,C [5%] NU 10 Παρακαλῶ σε περὶ τοῦ ἐμοῦ τέκνου, ὃν ἐγέννησα ἐν τοῖς δεσμοῖς μου,‡ μου f35 C [97%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ — ℵA [3%] NU Ὀνήσιμον 11 —τὸν ποτέ σοι ἄχρηστον, νυνὶ δὲ§ δε f35 A,C [98%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ 1 και ℵ [2%] [NU] σοὶ καὶ ἐμοὶ εὔχρηστον—ὃν ἀνέπεμψα.
12 Σὺ δὲ* συ δε f35 [97%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ σοι ℵA,C [2%] NU ¦ σοι 12 [1%] αὐτόν, τοῦτ᾿ ἔστιν τὰ ἐμὰ σπλάγχνα, προσλαβοῦ† προσλαβου f35 C(048) (98.7%) RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ — ℵA (1.3%) NU 13 —ὃν ἐγὼ ἐβουλόμην πρὸς ἐμαυτὸν κατέχειν, ἵνα ὑπὲρ σοῦ διακονῇ μοι,‡ διακονη μοι f35 [95%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ ~ 21 ℵA,C [5%] NU ἐν τοῖς δεσμοῖς τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, 14 χωρὶς δὲ τῆς σῆς γνώμης οὐδὲν ἠθέλησα ποιῆσαι, ἵνα μὴ ὡς κατὰ ἀνάγκην τὸ ἀγαθόν σου ᾖ, ἀλλὰ κατὰ ἑκούσιον. 15 Τάχα γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο ἐχωρίσθη πρὸς ὥραν, ἵνα αἰώνιον αὐτὸν ἀπέχῃς 16 —οὐκέτι ὡς δοῦλον, ἀλλ᾿ ὑπὲρ δοῦλον, ἀδελφὸν ἀγαπητόν, μάλιστα ἐμοί, πόσῳ δὲ μᾶλλον σοί, καὶ ἐν σαρκὶ καὶ ἐν Κυρίῳ.
Paul asks for obedience
17 Εἰ οὖν με§ με f35 ℵA,C [90%] RP,HF,OC,CP,NU ¦ εμε [10%] TR ἔχεις κοινωνόν, προσλαβοῦ αὐτὸν ὡς ἐμέ. 18 Εἰ δέ τι ἠδίκησέν σε ἢ ὀφείλει, τοῦτο ἐμοὶ ἐλλόγει.* ελλογει f35 [95%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ ελλογα ℵA,C,048 [5%] NU 19 Ἐγώ, Παῦλος, ἔγραψα τῇ ἐμῇ χειρί, «Ἐγὼ ἀποτίσω» (ἵνα μὴ λέγω σοι ὅτι καὶ σεαυτόν μοι προσοφείλεις.). 20 Ναὶ ἀδελφέ, ἐγώ σου ὀναίμην ἐν Κυρίῳ· ἀνάπαυσόν μου τὰ σπλάγχνα ἐν Κυρίῳ.† κυριω f35 (74.3%) RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ χριστω ℵA,C (20.3%) NU ¦ — (3.3%) ¦ part of a larger omission (2.2%) [homoioteleuton] (The repetition of εν κυριω so soon bothered the Alexandrians’ sense of style.)
21 Πεποιθὼς τῇ ὑπακοῇ σου ἔγραψά σοι, εἰδὼς ὅτι καὶ ὑπὲρ ὃ ‡ ο f35 [97%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ α ℵA,C [3%] NU λέγω ποιήσεις. 22 Ἅμα δὲ καὶ ἑτοίμαζέ μοι ξενίαν, ἐλπίζω γὰρ ὅτι διὰ τῶν προσευχῶν ὑμῶν χαρισθήσομαι ὑμῖν.
Farewell
23 Ἀσπάζονταί§ ασπαζονται f35 [85%] RP,HF,TR,CP ¦ ασπαζεται ℵA,C [15%] OC,NU σε Ἐπαφρᾶς ὁ συναιχμάλωτός μου ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ,* ιησου rell ¦ — CP 24 Μᾶρκος, Ἀρίσταρχος, Δημᾶς, Λουκᾶς, οἱ συνεργοί μου.
25 Ἡ χάρις τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν† ημων f35 A,C [98%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ — ℵ [2%] NU Ἰησοῦ‡ ιησου f35 [20%] ¦ 1 χριστου ℵA,C [80%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP,NU (Being a very personal letter, Paul is less formal.) μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ὑμῶν. Ἀμήν.§ αμην f35 ℵC [98%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ — (𝕻87)A,048v [2%] NU,* The citation of f35 is based on thirty-six MSS—18, 35, 201, 204, 328, 386, 394, 444, 604, 757, 824, 928, 959, 986, 1072, 1075, 1100, 1247, 1249, 1503, 1548, 1637, 1725, 1732, 1761, 1768, 1855, 1864, 1865, 1876, 1892, 2080, 2466, 2554, 2587 and 2723—all of which I collated myself. All except 328, 394, 959, 986, 1892 and 2080 are ‘perfect’ representatives of f35 in Philemon, as they stand, the others having a single variant each. The uniformity is impressive. Since these MSS come from all over the Mediterranean world (Sinai, Jerusalem, Patmos, Constantinople, Bucharest, Aegean, Trikala, Athens, Mt. Athos [seven different monasteries], Grottaferrata, Vatican, etc.) they are certainly representative of the family, giving us the precise family profile—it is reflected in the Text without exception.
In the statements of evidence I have included the percentage of manuscript attestation for each variant, within either ( ) or [ ]. I have used ( ) for the evidence taken from TuT, which I take to be reasonably precise. For the variant sets that are not covered there I had to revert to von Soden and the apparatus of N-A27, supplementing from other sources where possible (Scrivener and Tischendorf)—the percentages offered, I have used [ ] for these, are extrapolations based on a comparison of these sources.
I venture to predict, if complete collations ever become available, that for any non-Byzantine variants listed with 5 to 1% support (in my apparatus) the margin of error should not exceed ±1%; for non-Byzantine variants listed with 10 to 6% support the margin of error should hardly exceed ±3%; where there is some division among the Byzantine witnesses the margin of error should rarely exceed ±15%. However, I guarantee the witness of Family 35. Please see the last footnote for Matthew for further information.

*1:1 ιησου χριστου f35 [40%] ¦ ~ 21 ℵA [60%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP,NU (Though Paul uses the sequence ‘Christ Jesus’ in verses 6 and 23, I take it that here and in verse 9 it is properly ‘Jesus Christ’—he alternates them.)

†1:2 αγαπητη f35 (94.8%) RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ αδελφη ℵA,I,048 (4.9%) NU ¦ conflations (0.3%)

‡1:6 παντος f35 ℵA,C [80%] RP,HF,OC,TR,NU ¦ 1 εργου [20%] CP

§1:6 υμιν f35 ℵ [45%] TR ¦ ημιν A,C,048v [55%] RP,HF,OC,CP,NU (The 3rd person is correct. It is as Philemon understands the resources available in his local congregation that the sharing of his faith will become more powerful.)

*1:6 ιησουν f35 [98%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ — ℵA,C [2%] NU

†1:7 χαριν f35 (88.1%) RP,HF,OC,TR ¦ χαραν ℵA,C,048 (11.9%) CP,NU (The first four words of verse seven offer four variant sets—observe how the attestation fluctuates, word by word.)

‡1:7 γαρ f35 ℵA,C,048 (86.3%) RP,HF,OC,TR,CP,NU ¦ δε (0.5%) ¦ — (13.2%)

§1:7 εχομεν f35 (84.7%) RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ εχωμεν (4.2%) ¦ εσχον ℵA,C,048 (7.4%) NU ¦ εχω (2.5%) ¦ five other variants (1.3%)

*1:7 εχομεν πολλην f35 (88.4%) RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ ~ 21 ℵA,C,048 (10.5%) NU ¦ five other variants (1.1%)

†1:9 ιησου χριστου f35 [95%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ ~ 21 ℵA,C [5%] NU

‡1:10 μου f35 C [97%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ — ℵA [3%] NU

§1:11 δε f35 A,C [98%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ 1 και ℵ [2%] [NU]

*1:12 συ δε f35 [97%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ σοι ℵA,C [2%] NU ¦ σοι 12 [1%]

†1:12 προσλαβου f35 C(048) (98.7%) RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ — ℵA (1.3%) NU

‡1:13 διακονη μοι f35 [95%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ ~ 21 ℵA,C [5%] NU

§1:17 με f35 ℵA,C [90%] RP,HF,OC,CP,NU ¦ εμε [10%] TR

*1:18 ελλογει f35 [95%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ ελλογα ℵA,C,048 [5%] NU

†1:20 κυριω f35 (74.3%) RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ χριστω ℵA,C (20.3%) NU ¦ — (3.3%) ¦ part of a larger omission (2.2%) [homoioteleuton] (The repetition of εν κυριω so soon bothered the Alexandrians’ sense of style.)

‡1:21 ο f35 [97%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ α ℵA,C [3%] NU

§1:23 ασπαζονται f35 [85%] RP,HF,TR,CP ¦ ασπαζεται ℵA,C [15%] OC,NU

*1:23 ιησου rell ¦ — CP

†1:25 ημων f35 A,C [98%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ — ℵ [2%] NU

‡1:25 ιησου f35 [20%] ¦ 1 χριστου ℵA,C [80%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP,NU (Being a very personal letter, Paul is less formal.)

§1:25 αμην f35 ℵC [98%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ — (𝕻87)A,048v [2%] NU

*1:25 The citation of f35 is based on thirty-six MSS—18, 35, 201, 204, 328, 386, 394, 444, 604, 757, 824, 928, 959, 986, 1072, 1075, 1100, 1247, 1249, 1503, 1548, 1637, 1725, 1732, 1761, 1768, 1855, 1864, 1865, 1876, 1892, 2080, 2466, 2554, 2587 and 2723—all of which I collated myself. All except 328, 394, 959, 986, 1892 and 2080 are ‘perfect’ representatives of f35 in Philemon, as they stand, the others having a single variant each. The uniformity is impressive. Since these MSS come from all over the Mediterranean world (Sinai, Jerusalem, Patmos, Constantinople, Bucharest, Aegean, Trikala, Athens, Mt. Athos [seven different monasteries], Grottaferrata, Vatican, etc.) they are certainly representative of the family, giving us the precise family profile—it is reflected in the Text without exception.In the statements of evidence I have included the percentage of manuscript attestation for each variant, within either ( ) or [ ]. I have used ( ) for the evidence taken from TuT, which I take to be reasonably precise. For the variant sets that are not covered there I had to revert to von Soden and the apparatus of N-A27, supplementing from other sources where possible (Scrivener and Tischendorf)—the percentages offered, I have used [ ] for these, are extrapolations based on a comparison of these sources.I venture to predict, if complete collations ever become available, that for any non-Byzantine variants listed with 5 to 1% support (in my apparatus) the margin of error should not exceed ±1%; for non-Byzantine variants listed with 10 to 6% support the margin of error should hardly exceed ±3%; where there is some division among the Byzantine witnesses the margin of error should rarely exceed ±15%. However, I guarantee the witness of Family 35. Please see the last footnote for Matthew for further information.

© 2020 Wilbur N. Pickering