What does Philemon 1:25 mean?

The closing phrase, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ," was also used by Paul in 2 Corinthians 13:14 and Philippians 4:23. In both other cases, Paul was close to those he wrote to. This is the only personal letter written by Paul in the New Testament where this same phrase is used, perhaps indicating a closer concern for Philemon.

The final phrase "be with your spirit" refers to Philemon's spirit, not the Holy Spirit. The majority of later manuscripts end this letter with "Amen," similar to other New Testament letters. However, this closing "Amen" was not a consistent part of the manuscript tradition until the New Testament letters began circulating as a collection and were used in churches; it is therefore likely a later addition.

Interestingly, Paul ends with "your" spirit using a plural "all of you" form in Greek. So, this refers not only to Philemon, but also to his family and the church that met in his house (Philemon 1:2).

The Bible does not record what happened to Philemon and Onesimus. However, the letter of Ignatius to the Ephesians, from the early second century, mentions a man named Onesimus as a bishop in Ephesus following Timothy. Later tradition adds that Onesimus was arrested in Rome and martyred, though this is less certain.