I finished Romans and wanted to read another scripture, but didn’t want to launch into a whole new book, so I present: Philemon. It’s a one pager. In fact, after an extended introduction and conclusion, it’s a one paragrapher, a plea for freedom.
Like most of Paul’s writings it’s a letter, but unlike the others written to whole churches or leaders of groups, it has an audience of one person, Philemon, a slave owner, about one other person, Onesimus, his runaway slave. It’s an argumentative letter, and I mean that in the English class sense. Paul, the religious lawyer, is presenting a case to his reader and pulling every emotional and social string available to him.
The introduction. This letter is from both Paul and his protégée Timothy. It greets Philemon and his house church colleagues Apphia and Archippus. They’re mentioned for group dynamics, but this letter isn’t for them or even about them. They are called in as witnesses to the Big Ask.
The warm up. The next part of the letter is the bread in the sandwich of the letter. Paul extols Philemon’s love and faith and expresses his refreshment at his joy and comfort from his love. Paul is adding sugar to sweeten the medicine.
The main course. Paul says he could demand obedience from Philemon, but instead is asking nicely for him favor. Paul calls himself an old man, and prisoner, and Onesimus his figurative child he bonded with in prison, but also calling him formerly useless. I am assuming he is calling him that because he ran away from his service. Unlike racial slavery, a bondservant was working off a debt that either he or his family owed. He wasn’t necessarily born into slavery, nor expected to live his entire life that way unless the debt exceeded what he could work off in his lifetime. Either way, he had run off, was caught and jailed with Paul. Despite this violation of Roman law and social precedence, Paul doesn’t want Philemon to think of Onesimus just as a worker, but a friend a brother to Paul, and not just him, but God as well.
The kicker. Paul not only wants Philemon to welcome back Onesimus with open arms but also forgive his debts. Paul even offers to pay him back any additional charges Onesimus has incurred. Paul also relates his relationship status to the situation. Treat him how you would treat me. Love him how you love me.
The finale. Paul says that he is confident that Philemon will exceed his expectations. He also promises to visit, so he should prepare a room for him. Like his other letter, Paul includes greeting from their other shared acquaintances. Your friends all say, “Hi.” Again, more witnesses to this act of generosity that Paul is requesting.
While this short letter has rightly been used as an example of why people should not have slaves, it’s also applicable to Christians today. Often in our relationships with others, people owe us for things emotionally or socially and it’s justifiable to hold them accountable or even consider them lesser because of unpaid violations. However, just has Jesus has forgiven us of our debts, we are also supposed to forgive our debtors. It’s in the Lord’s prayer.
We cannot hold our brothers and sisters as slaves and experience freedom in Christ. The two are linked together. Our relationship with Jesus depends on how we treat others. If we are to prepare a place for him, we need to attend to our outstanding relationships debts.
