Day 191, Philemon
Paul’s letter to Colossae concluded with exhortations to be united in our demonstration of the life of Christ. In the final greetings, one name mentioned is Onesimus “who is from your city.” Paul says Onesimus is a faithful brother who has clearly shared in Paul’s sufferings in prison.
Today, we learn more of Onesimus’s story from Paul’s letter to Philemon, a good friend of Paul’s in Colossae. To fill in the details, it is best if I quote from the Passion Translation introduction to this letter.
“Here’s the backstory of this intriguing letter: Philemon had been one of Paul’s numerous coworkers in ministry. There was much history between Paul and Philemon, a person Paul considered a dear and trusted friend. It is believed that Philemon was wealthy and, along with his wife, led a dynamic house church in the city of Colossae, a city in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). Although Paul had never visited Colossae, there remained a strong bond of friendship between Philemon and Paul.
Apparently, Philemon owned a slave who stole from him and ran away. His name was Onesimus. (Onesimus means “useful” or “valuable.” See Col. 4:9. This reference of Onesimus in Colossians suggests that Colossians was written shortly after Philemon.) By events that only God could orchestrate, the fugitive Onesimus found himself imprisoned next to Paul. Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, Paul led his fellow prisoner to the Lord.
Paul sent the runaway slave back to Philemon carrying this letter in his hand asking his former master to fully receive Onesimus and be restored to him as a fellow believer. A slave who ran away could be punished by death according to the Roman laws of this era, yet Paul not only said Philemon should forgive him, but also love him as a brother returning home.”
So the overarching theme of this letter is love that forgives, and Philemon is being asked to see his runaway servant as a returning brother!
Interestingly, Paul writes to Philemon, his wife and son, and to the church that meets in his home. Unlike modern, western values, Paul had no difficulty writing publicly to a friend to urge him to change in response to the grace of God. This was not a private note between two people, it was a lesson in forgiving love to be read publicly!
There’s a problem Paul wants to resolve: the slave stole from his master and then ran away. Both offenses qualify him for harsh punishment, even execution. But now he is a believer, and Paul wants Philemon to forgive him and receive him back as a brother. The name Onesimus means valuable or useful, and Paul plays on this as he writes gently but clearly: NOW Onesimus is useful to Philemon and to Paul, because he has come to faith; he is a brother in Christ with gifts and a calling. Paul would gladly keep Onesimus with him: someone to care for you while under arrest was not common in the Roman world. Unless you had outside help you could starve; there was no prison system with warders and prisoners’ rights! Instead, Paul says Philemon could put Onesimus’ debt on Paul’s own account (in other words it would have to be very serious for Philemon to even consider holding it against his old friend). Paul also asks Philemon to receive Onesimus as if he were Paul arriving. Since Paul never went to Colossae as far as we know, this was a much treasured possibility. Paul wants Onesimus to be as welcomed and honored on arrival as he himself would be.
What an example of sacrificial love, and the beauty of forgiveness! May the same heart and spirit be ours today!
Have a great day!
Mark.