A Woman of Influence: Exploring the Role(s) of Apphia in Paul’s Appeal to Philemon

Paul includes Apphia as a recipient in his letter to Philemon. He addresses her as ‘the sister’ but gives no further indication of her role. While scholars have often assumed that Apphia is Philemon’s wife, a close reading of the text points away from this designation. This article explores other roles Apphia might have had by examining the roles and occupations women had in the first-century Mediterranean world. It then uses historical imagination to describe three roles Apphia could have had within her cultural context. These roles help to demonstrate why Paul would include her as a recipient and find in her a valuable ally in his appeal on behalf of Onesimus.