לעזר

Apphia is addressed in the letter to Philemon as 'our sister' (Philemon 1:2), alongside Philemon and Archippus. She is the only woman named in the letter, and the familial designation 'sister' indicates she was a recognized member of the Christian community. Most interpreters believe she was Philemon's wife, making her co-owner of the household church where Paul's letter would have been read. As a member of a household that owned a slave (Onesimus), she would have been directly affected by Paul's appeal for Onesimus's freedom and restoration. Early Christian tradition in Asia Minor venerated Apphia as a martyr.