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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
What is, "Yea, brother"? Receive him, he says. For this we must understand though unexpressed. For dismissing all pleasantry, he again pursues his former considerations, that is, serious ones. And yet even these are serious. For the things that proceed from Saints are of themselves serious, even when they are pleasantry.
Theophylact of Ohrid
From heartfelt speech the apostle again passed to something more important, imploring: "let me have joy," he says, "of thee," that is, let me enjoy thy good deeds, not in worldly matters, but in those which are in the Lord. Give rest, he says, to my love for you, or my heart for Christ's sake. For it is not to me that you do a kindness, but to Christ.
Oecumenius
"Yes, brother". Again, from what is pleasing it advances to what is serious. "Yes," he said, "brother." What? Accept it yourself. I will take advantage from you in things that are according to Christ. "May I enjoy". That is, I delight in your excellent works in the Lord. May I see you growing rich in all spiritual blessings. "refresh my heart". Paul says, Refresh my love for you for the sake of Christ.
Western Saints
Augustine of Hippo
But when you have joy of a man in God, it is God rather than man that you enjoy. For you enjoy Him by whom you are made happy, and you rejoice to have come to Him in whose presence you place your hope of joy. And accordingly, Paul says to Philemon, "Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord." For if he had not added "in the Lord," but had only said, "Let me have joy of thee," he would have implied that he fixed his hope of happiness upon him, although even in the immediate context to "enjoy" is used in the sense of to "use …
Jerome
"So, brother, I might enjoy you in the Lord." The Latin language does not clarify the Greek word 'proprietatem'. What he says, "yes, brother, yes" is something like the adverb of flattery. But we interpreters sound more flowing and diluted as "so, brother," something else more than what is written. For as Anna's Hebrew word frequently translated by the seventy interpreters as "oh yes", indicates a prayerful attitude in their own language. …
Thomas Aquinas
And he adds, Yes, indeed, brother, may I too make use of you, as if to say, if you want me for a partner, take him back, and I will so use you, brother, that is, if you do it, you will fill my wishes with joy. For to make use is to use the fruit and thus it is to use for the useful, as I enjoy fruit. It implies the sweetness of the fruit; Song of Songs 2:3: 'And his fruit was sweet to my palate.' And the end, because the ultimate produce of the tree is its fruit. …
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