Philemon-Introduction-Slavery in the First Century A.D
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday February 24, 2013
Philemon: Introduction-Slavery in the First Century
Lesson # 2
Please turn in your Bibles to Philemon 1.
This morning we will study the subject of slavery in the first century A.D., which will in turn help to understand us Paul’s letter to Philemon since Paul is writing to a Christian slave owner regarding one of his runaway slaves who became a Christian through his ministry.
Philemon 1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our beloved brother and fellow worker, 2 and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints; 6 and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ’s sake. 7 For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother. 8 Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper, 9 yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— 10 I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment, 11 who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. 12 I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart, 13 whom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel; 14 but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will. 15 For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, 16 no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. 17 If then you regard me a partner, accept him as you would me. 18 But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account; 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well). 20 Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say. 22 At the same time also prepare me a lodging, for I hope that through your prayers I will be given to you. 23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, 24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers. 25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. (NASB95)
There were by some accounts up to sixty million slaves in the Roman Empire in the first century A.D. and many of these slaves became Christians and fellowshipped in the local assemblies with their masters.
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia defines slavery as, “the voluntary or involuntary servitude to an individual, the state, or temple that entails reduction of legal status and social status to the level of property.”
There were many ways in which one became a slave in the ancient world: (1) Capture in war (2) Kidnapping on slave raiding or piracy expeditions (3) One was an offspring of a slave (4) Punishment for crimes or debt (5) Sold into slavery by parents, relatives, or spouses (5) Sold into slavery to satisfy debts (7) To escape starvation (8) Self-sale to escape destitution or gain an elite position in society.
The first known major society where there were slaves was in Athens, Greece, which is ironic since the Athenians were known for their strident views on personal freedom.
The nation of Israel was commanded by the Lord God to make slaves of those whom they conquered in battle.
There were five ways in which one could become a slave Israel: (1) Those who sold themselves into slavery because of debt. (2) Those who were prisoners of war. (3) Those who were born into slavery (Gen. 17:23; Lev. 22:11) (4) Those who were sold into slavery, i.e., Joseph (Gen. 37:28, 36) (5) Those who were caught committing the crime of breaking and entering (Ex. 22:2-3).
The rights of slaves in Israel included the privilege of observing the following: (1) Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:12-15) (2) Passover celebration (Exodus 12:4).
Hebrew slaves were to be freed after six years of service (Exodus 21:1-4; Deuteronomy 15:12-18).
A slave could remain a perpetual slave if the slave chose to do so (Exodus 21:5-6; Deuteronomy 15:16-18).
All Hebrew slaves were to be manumitted every fiftieth year in the year of Jubilee regardless of the length of their work as slaves.
Manumission is the “act or process of releasing someone from slavery.”
Slaves could be manumitted by: (1) Redemption (2) Elapse of time (6 years) (3) The Year of Jubilee (4) Physical disability (Ex. 21:26-27) (5) Purchasing one’s freedom through the accumulation of personal assets (Lev. 25:49)
Slavery was a major institution in the Roman Empire.
From the third Century B.C. onward slaves flooded into Rome from all quarters as a result of their victories in wars.
Some slaves became professional men such as: (1) Philosophers (2) Teachers (3) Artists (4) Architects.
Criminals and the unfortunate were employed in the gladiatorial schools and some worked the mines and quarries.
Roman law stated that the slave had no legal rights since they were considered as “property” under Roman law.
Domestic slaves were often treated as members of the family.
Family life was not denied the domestic slave and on many of their tombstones there was written the words of a master who was greatly indebted to them and loved them.
It was not unusual for slaves to risk their lives to protect their masters and many voluntarily accompanied their masters into exile and several gave their lives for their masters.
Many owners freed their slaves and proceeded to marry them and some treated them as friends such as Seneca who ate with his.
The slave contributed greatly to both the economic and social life of the Empire.
The dress of slaves in Rome was no different than the freeman and this was for public security, which was done because the percentage of slaves far exceeded freemen in the Empire.
In the ancient world, runaway or fugitive slaves were outlaws and with the exception of great slave revolts, runaway slaves did not band together.
However, fugitive slaves on occasion came into contact with a fellow runaway but in general fugitive slaves were shunned by people out of fear of the consequences of harboring them.
Harboring fugitive slaves was prohibited by Roman law in both the East and West.
Runaways did have options in that they could join bandits or they could attempt to disappear or mix in with the people of great seaport cities or large cities such as Rome, Corinth and Ephesus.
There were many reasons why a slave would flee his master.
He or she might have been cruelly treated by their master or they could have been victims of torture or were maimed by their owner.
They also could have desired to return to their homeland.
The fugitive slave would make every attempt to distance himself from his master.
Even if they did depart the province in which their master lived, the fugitive had no assurance that they would not be caught and severely punished.
The runaway’s name, accent, language and conduct could betray them and cause them not to be accepted by the local population.
They were often hungry and exposed to the elements.
Furthermore, the fugitive’s wages if he could find a job would be below the minimum wage because of the many unemployed free persons and freedmen who lived in poverty in the Empire.
A fugitive would always feel hunted either by his master, the state or local police or professional slave catchers and would always be worried about capture.
However, despite these precarious circumstances, there were a couple of ways in which the fugitive’s flight could be successful.
First of all, they could seek asylum in the house of a free person who had an outstanding reputation in the local community or they could find asylum in the environs of a temple.
These two options are related to the situation with Onesimus in Paul’s epistle to Philemon.
If a fugitive slave decided to return to his master voluntarily because of the hardship they endured while on the run or as a result of capture, their fate was up entirely to their master.
They could be whipped, or beaten until they were crippled, they might be branded on their arms or head or the skin under their feet might be burned off by glowing iron plates.
A metal collar with their name and address might be fixed around their neck like a dog here in the twenty-first century and they even could be killed by the owner as an example to the rest of the slaves in his household.
If the slave owner decided to sell the fugitive slave, they would have to guarantee the buyer for a particular period of time, that the slave would not runaway.
However, if the fugitive slave had in fact found refuge with a benevolent and wealthy or high standing friend of their master’s house and was voluntarily returned carrying an intercessory letter, there was a distinct possibility of a gracious and kind reception by the owner.
This example is found in Paul’s epistle to Philemon where he interceded on behalf of Philemon’s runaway slave Onesimus.
In the Roman Empire the only legal avenue available to a slave to pursue his freedom was manumission.
Legal manumission could come about when the existence of a city or state was threatened by a foreign army.
The legal emancipation of a slave took place in the master’s home according to family and private rights but state and corporation laws required official ceremonies.
During the days of the apostle Paul in the first century, the safest way to grant and receive freedom was either by testament or by a letter.
This letter had to have a proper formula meaning that the wording could not be “I wish to be free” but rather “so and so is free” or “I order that he be free.”
The apostle Paul’s appeal in his epistle to Philemon with regards to his slave Onesimus is based upon his understanding of the doctrine of redemption as revealed in the Old Testament Scriptures as well as the revelation he received from the Holy Spirit regarding the redemption accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Spirit reminds Israel in the Old Testament that they were slaves in Egypt and yet God delivered them from this cruel bondage.
The purpose of this freedom was so that Israel could serve God rather than Pharaoh or the gods they worshipped in Egypt.
“Redemption” refers to that aspect of Christ’s finished work on the Cross-that “purchased” all of humanity out of the slave market of sin and is appropriated through the non-meritorious decision to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation.
The doctrine of redemption refers to the fact that Jesus Christ’s spiritual and physical deaths on the cross were a substitutionary ransom for the benefit of each and every member of the human race.
These unique substitutionary deaths redeemed the entire human race out from the slave market of sin in which each and every member of the human race was born physically alive but spiritually dead.
There are many references in the New Testament to the Lord Jesus Christ “purchasing” the entire human race out of the slave market of sin by means of His voluntary, substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the Cross (Mark 10:45; Matthew 20:28; Acts 20:28-29; Romans 3:24; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 6:20; 7:23; Galatians 3:13-14; 4:4-6; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:13-14; 1 Timothy 2:1-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 9:11-15; 1 Peter 1:17-19; 2 Peter 2:1; Revelation 5:9; 14:1-5).