Onesimus

Why is slavery illegal? Great question to start with, isn’t it? We talked about it last week a little bit as we concluded Colossians, when Paul implored the slaves of the time to obey their masters, while also calling on masters to treat their slaves well. Why not just say right then and there, slavery is bad.

Because it wouldn’t work. Because these people that Paul are writing to are human. Because even today we conflate legal with morally good. Because as we see from the very beginning of the Bible from the fall of mankind, through the patriarchs, the Exodus, the establishment of kings and through the coming of the messiah Jesus, God moves humanity incrementally and through individuals.

We just finished last week the book of Colossians. Paul’s letter to the church in Collossea. This was most likely the first letter written while Paul was under house arrest for a 2 year period in Rome awaiting trial.

Now we have this other letter. He is writing to a man named Philemon. Before jumping in, let’s understand the context and the people involved. There’s an excellent introduction taken from “The Bible Project” online which us what I’ll be using.

It is actually his shortest letter in the New Testament but don't let its size trick you. It is one of the most explosive things that Paul ever wrote. Here is the backstory that we can piece together from details within the letter. Philemon was a well-to-do Roman citizen from Colossae who, likely, met Paul during his mission in Ephesus. And he became a follower of Jesus. Then later, when Paul's coworker Epaphras started a Jesus community in Colossae, Philemon became a leader of a church that met in his house. You’ll recall that Epaphras was mentioned by name in Colossians. In fact, this letter was very likely sent at the same time as Colossians. So Paul writes a letter to the group as a whole, and then writes this letter specifically to Philemon, who is a part of that church, and sends them both along with Tychicus and Onesimus.

Now, Philemon, like all household patriarchs in the Roman world, owned slaves, one of whom was named Onesimus. One of the men delivering these letters. At some point, these two had a serious conflict. Onesimus wronged Philemon in some way. Maybe it was theft or maybe he cheated him. We do not exactly know. But afterwards, Onesimus ran away. Eventually Onesimus came to Paul in prison, likely to appeal for help. In the process, he became a follower of Jesus and then a beloved assistant of Paul. So Paul finds himself in a very difficult and delicate situation as he writes this letter. He is going to ask Philemon not just to forgive Onesimus and receive him back but to embrace him as a brother in the Messiah and no longer as a slave.

With that understanding, let’s read the letter and unpack it as we move through.

Philemon 1–3 NIV

1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker—2 also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier—and to the church that meets in your home: 3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philemon 4–7 NIV

4 I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. 6 I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. 7 Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.

Philemon 8–11 NIV

8 Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9 yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus—10 that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. 11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.

Let’s take a moment right here. I could tell you what to do. Why? Because you have given your life to Jesus, just as I have. There is an expectation of how we conduct ourselves and how we treat others as followers of Jesus. And we can absolutely hold each other to account. But Paul doesn’t do that, does he? He approaches in love. Onesimus, your slave, has become a follower of Jesus. Paul is reminding Philemon how he already treats others, and explaining how Onesimus has taken on this familial role with Paul. Watch how Paul continues.

Philemon 12–14 NIV

12 I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. 13 I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. 14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary.

What you were doing, Philemon, Onesimus is now able to do. But Paul respects Philemon. He wants to be so careful to do right by both Onesimus and Philemon.

Philemon 15–16 NIV

15 Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever—16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.

And now we get to it. The heart of the letter. As Paul wrote in Romans 8:28 “28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Whatever wrong thing happened, perhaps God has bent it to His purposes. This slave has been assisting Paul in the work of spreading the gospel of Jesus. He is a part of the kingdom. He is a brother in the Lord! Pair this with what Paul wrote to the church at large, which Philemon would have read that letter as well. Colossians 3:11 “11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.”

This is an extremely bold request. Receive your slave back as a brother. As family. Philemon, by law, has the legal right to punish Onesimus, either by imprisonment, or potentially even put to death.

But then Paul does something truly amazing. The heart of the gospel is seen here. Keep this in mind. Onesimus wronged Philemon. Philemon is most likely angry toward Onesimus. Paul has now asked Philemon to receive this slave who wronged him back as a brother. Watch what Paul does.

Philemon 17–19 NIV

17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self.

Charge it to me. I will pay his debt. We often talk about taking on our cross. Our cross to bear. This picture of how WE suffer. But imagine taking up your cross in this way. Being willing to take on the debt of others. To stand in the gap for others to be reconciled.

Just as Jesus took on the debt of you and me, would we be willing to do the same for someone else?

This is a hard one, isn’t it? Imagine Philemon reading this letter, though. He would never dream of collecting that debt from Paul before this moment. But what Paul does here is so radical and so transformative, it puts this relationship with his slave and even the wrong done in to perspective. The perspective of the fact that we as followers of Jesus have been forgiven.

But all it is is following the example of Jesus.

Paul goes on to say

Philemon 20–21 NIV

20 I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.

We don’t know exactly how this played out. But we do know this. Onesimus was already there. He might have been standing close by as Philemon read the letter. Another show of faith and trust in Philemon as a follower of Jesus. Paul isn’t going to keep Onesimus with him until Philemon agrees. We also know this: This letter was considered scripture. Other people read it. It was considered inspired by the Holy Spirit. Therefore it’s contents went far beyond just the recipient, but was for all people.

Philemon and Onesimus become the blueprint for how masters and slaves relate to one another in the kingdom of Jesus. They are equal. They are brothers. Family. Not just an abstract teaching, but real people experiencing real anger and hurt. A real man learning that just because the law says something is ok doesn’t mean it’s right.

As the kingdom of Jesus spread over the centuries and men and women of God had opportunities to effect laws. they looked to Philemon and Onesimus as examples. This letter was a cornerstone in the abolition of slavery worldwide.

Does it still hold weight for us?

Are there those who have wronged you and you hold it against them? Maybe they really do owe you and you have every legal right to hold them to it.

Or maybe you have the opportunity to stand in the gap and help others be reconciled. That’s a hard one isn’t it? One thing you’ll notice here, though, is that Paul had influence and investment in both of their lives already.

This letter is a powerful one that shows us, more than anything else. We are all equal as followers of Jesus. In His kingdom there is no hierarchy other than He is above us all. We have roles, yes. But we are all equal before Him. All condemned by our sin, and all offered salvation through Jesus. Just as Paul models here, Jesus stands before God the father and says “however they have wronged you, whatever you are owed, charge it to me.”

What happened after this? We don’t know for sure.

Some early church writers (like Ignatius of Antioch, around A.D. 110) mention a bishop named Onesimus in Ephesus. Some scholars believe this could be the same Onesimus, grown older and become a leader in the church. But this isn’t certain—Onesimus was not an uncommon name.

Later traditions (not Scripture) say that Onesimus was eventually martyred for the faith, though details vary.

As for Philemon, there are no solid historical records about what happened to him. Tradition simply remembers him as a faithful Christian leader, possibly a bishop in Colossae.

Whatever happened, this letter to Philemon is the heart of the gospel in action. Forgiveness. Reconciliation. Salvation. Equality. A real issue between 2 real people. And this short letter had astounding real world effects over the centuries.

Praise the Lord for this letter.