“If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account;”
If he has wronged you in anything or owes you anything, charge it to my account — the acknowledgment of Onesimus's possible debts (ei ti edelikēn — if he wronged you) respects Philemon's legitimate grievance; the slave's flight may have caused financial loss. But Paul assumes the liability (anangellan — charge to account), placing his credit (lōgos) before Philemon. The substitution is Christological — Paul steps into the debtor's place, canceling the sentence through personal assumption of the obligation.
Church Fathers on Philemon 1:18
No procedure is so apt to gain a hearing, as not to ask for everything at once. For see after how many praises, after how much preparation he has introduced this great matter. After having said that he is “my son,” that he is a partaker of the Gospel, that he is “my bowels,” that you receive him back “as a brother,” and “hold him as a brother,” then he has added “as myself.” And Paul was not ashamed to do this. For he who was not ashamed to be called the servant of the…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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