2,) his liberality to poor Christians, (ver.

5, 7,) and from the marked respect and deference paid to him by the Apostle.

He also had received a letter from the Apostle, and he asks leave to read it.
"He then tells them that Onesimus is present; that he has been sent back by the Apostle Paul, and with the full, cordial consent of Onesimus himself.

He would ask permission for Onesimus to say a few words.
"'Come hither,' says the pastor, 'and tell us what the Lord hath done for thee, and how he hath had mercy on thee.' "'Let me wash the saints' feet,' says Onesimus, 'but I am not worthy to teach in the church.' "He proceeds to tell them, in full, of his escape from his master, after robbing him; of his meeting the Apostle at Rome; of his conversion; of his voluntary return to spend his days, if such be the will of God, as the servant of Philemon.
"The account of these proceedings reaches Laodicea, not far distant, to which place Paul had also sent a letter, and the Colossians, agreeably to the Apostle's charge, exchange letters, and no doubt the letter to Philemon is also read to the Church which is at Laodicea.
"Whereupon, we will suppose, a controversy at once springs up.

There had already appeared in this region of Phrygia, as we infer from the Epistle to the Colossians, serious errors, among them a kind of angel worship and asceticism, or abstinence from things lawful, and a state of things called Gnosis, (Eng.