From: Richard Lindeman (richlind@ix.netcom.com)
Date: Mon Mar 16 1998 - 20:53:37 EST
Back to Philemon 6... Katy Barnwell certainly raises enough questions to
keep us busy on it for awhile, but it sure would be nice to have a few
others join in the discussion! Just dive in anywhere... the water is nice
and warm. :-)
Katy Barnwell writes:
>
>Here are three alternative interpretations that seem to be the most
>likely of a range of possibilities suggested by commentators:
>
>(3) Sharing means "fellowship" as in the first interpretation, but
> here it is the fellowship Paul and Timothy (as writers of the
> letter) have with Philemon (to whom they are writing) that is in
> focus. The words "in the knowledge of every good thing" refer to
> the result of their fellowship. Thus the Good News Bible (GNB)
> takes the meaning to be that as Philemon fellowships with Paul and
> Timothy, they will come to ?a deeper understanding of every
> blessing which we have in our life in union with Christ.
Of the three possibilities that Katy offers... I guess that I have to vote
for
what's behind door #3. The reason why I think that this is the answer is
essentially because of Philemon 17 where Paul begins the summary of the
epistle. EI OUN MH EXEIS KOINWNON PROSLABOU AUTON hWS EME
I think that in this verse Paul is telling us what he means by KOINWNIA in
verse 6.
I'm not saying that I agree with the Good News Bible translation here. But
I definitely
think that this is the kind of fellowship that Paul has in mind.
Rich Lindeman
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