Name Philemon

Greek name (Φιλήμονος) [Philemon], derived from ancient Greek word (φίλημα) [filima] means - "loving; kissing".

The name from the list of seventy disciples of Christ in the Eastern Christian tradition. Except the twelve apostles [Andrew brother of the Apostle Peter (the fisherman from Bethsaida, a disciple of John the Baptist), Peter (he is Simon son of John, also called Cephas), John the Evangelist, James son of Zebedee, Philip of Bethsaida, Bartholomew, Nathaniel, Matthew the tax collector (also Levi Alpheus), Thomas, James the son, Thaddeus son of Alpheus (also known as Jacob or Judah Levi), Simon the Zealot (also Simon the Zealot) and Judas Iscariot (who betrayed Jesus)] Jesus Christ also chosen seventy others: Agabus, Aquila, Amplus, Ananias, Andronicus, Apelles, Apollos, Aristarchus, Aristobulus, Artemas, Archippus, Asyncritus, Achaicus, Barnabas, Gaius, Euodias, Epaphras, Epaphroditus, Epenetus, Erastus, Hermas, Hermes, Zenas, James, Jason, Justus, Herodion, Carpus, Cleopas, Clement, Quadratus, Crescens, Crispus, Quartus, Linus, Lucius, Luke, Mark, John, Narcissus, Nicanor, Olympas, Onesimus, Onesiphorus, Parmenas, Patrobus, Prochorus, Pudens, Rufus, Silas, Silvan, Simeon, Sosipater, Sosthenes, Stachys, Stephen, Tertius, Timon, Timothy, Titus, Tychicus, Trophimus, Urban, Thaddeus, Philip, Philologus, Fortunatus, Dionysus, Phlegon, Simeon Niger.

Saint Philemon was a citizen of Colossae, to whom St. Paul addressed a private letter, unique in the New Testament, which bears his name. As appears from this epistle, Philemon was his dear and intimate friend, and had been converted most probably by him (verse 19) during his long residence at Ephesus (Acts, xix, 26; cf. xviii, 19), as St. Paul himself had not visited Colossae. Rich and noble, he possessed slaves; his house was a place of meeting and worship for the Colossian converts (verse 2); he was kind, helpful, and charitable providing hospitality for his fellow Christians. St. Paul calls him his fellow labourer (synergos, verse 1), so that he must have been earnest in his work for the Gospel, perhaps first at Ephesus and afterwards at Colossae. It is not plain whether he was ordained or not.