Abstract
With this new addition to the prestigious Evangelisch-Katholischer Kommentar zum Neuen Testament series, Martin Ebner presents a sensible, scholarly, and highly usable commentary on the shortest letter in the Pauline corpus. In an age when many commentaries on this twenty-five verse letter run to several hundred pages, Ebner’s commentary is sufficiently detailed to cover the major exegetical issues, but not so overburdened with excurses and mini-studies that one loses sight of the thought contained in the letter.
The commentary is arranged into three main parts. First, there is an introduction to the major issues that are helpful to understand before approaching the text (pp. 1-26). Here initially Ebner sets out his proposal for the structure of the letter (see p. 8). Next he discusses various proposals surrounding the case of Onesimus and the circumstances that led to the composition of the letter. Four proposals, both classic and more recent are laid out in a brief and fully comprehensible manner. A third topic probes the communication structure of the letter (pp. 14-20) and draws out the impact this written communication might have when read in a public community setting. The fourth topic discusses the standard topics of the actual situation behind the letter focusing upon the place and time of composition (pp. 20-25). Finally Ebner discusses the intention of the letter.
Second, the commentary on the text of the letter is presented on pages 29-131. Each section commences with a German translation of the text. However, throughout the discussion there is a detailed consideration of the origin Greek text. Third, the commentary concludes with an evaluation of the letter and various critical issues in light of the foregoing exegesis, as well as offering some thoughts on prospects for further study. Here Ebner states that his preferred model for understanding the background circumstances is that of viewing Paul as an amicus domini. That is Onesimus seeks Paul’s intervention to represent his case as a runaway slave to his master Philemon. Particularly useful is the brief discussion of the reception history of this letter (pp. 148-171).
Ebner’s work is an important contribution to scholarship on the Letter to Philemon. It will no doubt become the standard German language commentary on the text, and it is likely to be cited and discussed widely in all New Testament scholarship on this short, but perennially fascinating letter.