The letters to the Colossians and Philemon should be considered together. Both letters are written from “Paul and Timothy” (Colossians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,, Philemon 1Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon…). The returning runaway slave Onesimus, now a believer, is the central figure in Philemon. Paul is sending him back (Philemon 12 Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him,…) in Philemon, and in Colossians he is also returning (Colossians 4:9-10 With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They shall make known unto you all things which are done here.Aristarchus my fellowprisoner saluteth you, and Marcus, sister’s son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him😉. This seems to indicate that Colossians and Philemon were written and delivered together to the church in Colossi, along with a letter we no longer have to the Laodiceans (Colossians 4:16 cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.). Other characters appear in the same geographic location in both books: Archippus (Philemon 2 And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house:, Colossians 4:17 And say to Archippus,… ) is greeted, while Luke (Philemon 24 Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers., Colossians 4:14), Aristarchus (Philemon 24, Colossians 4:10), and Epaphras (Philemon 24, Colossians 4:12) are with Paul. Mark (Philemon 24) is also with Paul, but may come later to Colossi (Colossians 4:10).
Colossians is written while Paul is in prison (Colossians 4:10, Colossians 4:18). The bearer of the letters was apparently Tychicus (Colossians 4:7), and the collection of letters he was carrying probably included Ephesians (Ephesians 6:21-22 …Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things:…). Mark has obviously now been reconciled with Paul, unlike the situation at the beginning of Paul’s second missionary journey (Acts 15:26-31 …So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle:). Demas (Philemon 24) is still with Paul, though later he will “forsake” him (2 Timothy 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me…). The question as to the date of the letter thus comes down to which prison – Caesarea or Rome? It is impossible to be dogmatic, but the fact that Paul has few Jewish companions (Colossians 4:11 …These only are my fellowworkers unto the kingdom of God…) seems more likely in Rome than in Caesarea, which is in the land of Israel. Also, the work and gospel of Mark is connected to Rome, and since Mark is with Paul when this letter is written, a Roman origin seems more likely. This would place the letters of Colossians and Philemon at the same time, around 61-62 A.D.
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