Best first collection for Clement, Ignatius, Polycarp, the Didache, Barnabas, Hermas, and Papias in one place.
Onesimus
c. 49* – c. 109 · b. Colossae · Bishop of Ephesus
* Date marked with an asterisk is a placeholder estimate (lifespan heuristic), not a sourced claim. Hover for the derivation.
Bishop
Quick facts
- Born
- c. 49*, Colossae
- Died
- c. 109
- See
- Ephesus
- Region
- asia minor
- Era
- apostolic father
- Significance
- Minor(1/4)
- Also known as
- Onesimus of Byzantium
Highlights
- Main contribution
- Slave of Philemon converted by Paul (Philem. 10).
- Primary source
- Philemon 10-16
Slave of Philemon converted by Paul (Philem. 10). Often identified with the bishop Onesimus of Ephesus greeted by Ignatius in his letter to the Ephesians.
Recommended reading near Onesimus
A cover-visible starting point chosen from the curated reading path, either by this figure or by their era.
Chain to Jesus
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Common questions
- Who was Onesimus?
- Onesimus (?–109) — Slave of Philemon converted by Paul (Philem. 10). Often identified with the bishop Onesimus of Ephesus greeted by Ignatius in his letter to the Ephesians.
- Who taught Onesimus?
- Paul of Tarsus.
- Who did Onesimus correspond with?
- Ignatius of Antioch.
Sources for biography
- Philemon 10-16 primary
- Ignatius, To the Ephesians 1.3 primary
documented connections(1)
- taught (incoming) Paul of TarsusPhilemon 10-16
tradition connections(1)
- corresponded (incoming) Ignatius of AntiochIgnatius greets a Bishop Onesimus of Ephesus in his Letter to the Ephesians; the identification with Paul's freed slave Onesimus is traditional and not certain.Ignatius, To the Ephesians 1.3, 6.2
External resources
📖WikipediaFull encyclopedic biography with footnotes and further reading.🔗WikidataStructured data hub linking to library catalogues, archives, and academic sources worldwide.🏛️WikisourcePublic-domain primary texts and translations (search).⛪Catholic Encyclopedia1913 reference — long entries, useful for less-known figures (search for Onesimus).