This verse continues from verse 15 as the completion of the sentence, “so that you might have him back for ever, (16) no longer as a slave but…” (as Revised Standard Version has done). It should be noticed that if the Revised Standard Version translation is taken literally, it means that Paul is telling Philemon that Onesimus is to be in deed and in fact a free man. But this does not seem to be what Paul means, and Lohse quotes with approval the comment of H. von Soden that the particle as “expresses the subjective evaluation of the relationship without calling its objective form into question … and therefore the line of thought found in 1 Cor 7.20-24 is not exceeded.” Good News Translation has tried to indicate this by and now he is not just a slave (compare Phillips “not merely as a slave”; Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “So now he is for you much more than a slave, that is, a beloved brother”).
The negative-positive contrast in the Good News Translation and now he is not just a slave, but much more than a slave may require an inversion in some languages, for example, “and now he is much more than a slave, he is not just a slave” or “… not a slave only.” By placing the positive statement before the negative, the meaning of the entire expression may often be more readily understood.
In some languages a slave is described as “one who must work without pay,” but more often a term for slave refers to “an owned person” or “a person who belongs to someone else.” The first part of verse 16 may, therefore, be rendered as “and now he is much more than just a person whom you own.”
A dear brother in Christ: Onesimus is now Philemon’s Christian brother, and it is this fact which must determine their relationship from now on. A dear brother in Christ may be equivalent to “a dear fellow believer in Christ,” or “a fellow believer in Christ who is dear to you,” or “a Christian fellow believer dear to you.”
The second part of the verse could be translated, “he means so much to me, but he will mean much more to you…”; compare New International Version “He is very dear to me but even dearer to you…” In a number of languages, it is far more meaningful to use an intensive expression together with a comparative rather than to employ an exclamation, for example, “he means very much to me, and he will mean even more to you.” To express the concept involved in the verb mean, it may be useful to speak of “value,” for example, “he is so valuable to me, but he will be even more valuable to you.”
Both as a slave and as a brother in the Lord translates what is literally “both in the flesh and in the Lord” (so Revised Standard Version). The Greek “in the flesh” means Onesimus’ natural status as a slave; he is still a slave (compare Lohse), but now he is also a dear Christian brother, which is something altogether new for Philemon. The translation should reflect the fact that nowhere in this letter does Paul tell Philemon, in so many words, to set Onesimus free, nor does he take it for granted that Philemon will do so. Rather he seems to take it for granted that Onesimus will continue to be Philemon’s slave, even though their relationship is now transformed by the fact that Onesimus is a Christian. (in verse 21, however, Paul may be hinting that he hopes that Philemon will set Onesimus free.) Lightfoot quotes Meyer on this double relationship “in the flesh and in the latter, he had the slave for a brother.” Their relation as Christian brothers transcendent and transformed but did not replace their relationship as master and slave.
Both as a slave and as a brother in the Lord may be rendered as “he is your slave and he is also your fellow believer in the Lord.” This expression both as a slave and as a brother in the Lord should be combined with the concept of the value which Onesimus will now constitute for Philemon. The meaning may be expressed in some instances as “very much appreciated both as your slave as well as your fellow believer in the Lord.”
“Your fellow believer in the Lord” may also be rendered as “one who believes in the Lord even as you do.”
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to Philemon. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .