Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer, This letter affords a specimen of the highest wisdom as to how Christians ought to manage social affairs on exalted principles.
Prisoner of Jesus Christ - one whom Christ's cause has made a prisoner (cf. Philemon 1:13). He does not call himself, as in other letters, "Paul an apostle: he is writing familiarly, not authoritatively. Our ... fellow-labourer - in building up the church at Colosse, while we were at Ephesus. (See 'Introduction' to Colossians.)