Day 70: Philemon. Paul, a Slave, and his Master
Today we have another short, personal letter: Paul's letter to a man named Philemon.
What I love about this letter is that, just like all good personal letters, we don't know exactly what i going on, because we only have one side of the conversation. But we know that Paul's letter to Philemon has to do with one of Philemon's slaves, Onesimus. Onesimus may have run away, or Philemon himself may have sent him to Paul. But now Paul has met him, and he is sending him back to Philemon. In the meantime, Onesimus has become a believer, and when Paul sends him back to his master, he asks him to consider Onesimus not simply as a slave but as a brother in Christ.
Because of the delicacy of Paul's words (and the fact that it is only one side of the conversation), it's not clear whether he is trying to convince Philemon to set Onesimus free, or simply to treat him more fairly.
And of course there's more going on, but this very short letter is a window not just into an aspect of the first century world and church, but a glimpse of the apostle Paul: charming, passionate and persuasive. And witty -- the word "Onesimus" means "useful.
What I love about this letter is that, just like all good personal letters, we don't know exactly what i going on, because we only have one side of the conversation. But we know that Paul's letter to Philemon has to do with one of Philemon's slaves, Onesimus. Onesimus may have run away, or Philemon himself may have sent him to Paul. But now Paul has met him, and he is sending him back to Philemon. In the meantime, Onesimus has become a believer, and when Paul sends him back to his master, he asks him to consider Onesimus not simply as a slave but as a brother in Christ.
Because of the delicacy of Paul's words (and the fact that it is only one side of the conversation), it's not clear whether he is trying to convince Philemon to set Onesimus free, or simply to treat him more fairly.
And of course there's more going on, but this very short letter is a window not just into an aspect of the first century world and church, but a glimpse of the apostle Paul: charming, passionate and persuasive. And witty -- the word "Onesimus" means "useful.
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