{Obedience} (hupako(8869)). "Compliance" seems less harsh to
us in the light of  9 . {I write} (egrapsa). Epistolary aorist
again. {Even beyond what I say} (kai huper ha leg(935c)). That can
only mean that Paul "knows" (eid(9373), second perfect active
participle of oida) that Philemon will set Onesimus free. He
prefers that it come as Philemon's idea and wish rather than as a
command from Paul. Paul has been criticized for not denouncing
slavery in plain terms. But, when one considers the actual
conditions in the Roman empire, he is a wise man who can suggest
a better plan than the one pursued here for the ultimate
overthrow of slavery.