| |
Books of the Bible |
Written by the Apostle Paul to Philemon.
Approximately A.D. 62, while Paul was a prisoner in Rome.
To intercede on behalf of Onisimus, a runaway slave. The letter attempts to bring Philemon to deal with Onisimus as a brother in Christ and not merely as a slave who had betrayed and robbed his master.
Greeting (1-3)
Paul's prayer for Philemon (4-7)
Paul's plea to Philemon (8-22)
Closing & final greetings (23-25)
The most significant issue in the historical context of Philemon is the matter of slavery. During the first century slavery was as common as employment for wages is today. Slavery was not an institution that could be removed without destroying the entire economy. Neither Christ nor Paul made any effort to overthrow the institution of slavery, instead they both sought to personalize those who were slaves. Among the Jewish population there were relatively few slaves and they had a great many religious and civil rights. A Jew could not be held a slave by another Jew for more than 6 years, punishment was restricted and killing a slave was punished. Among the Romans the situation was considerably different, slaves constituted half or more of the general population, they were considered to be the absolute property of their master and could be punished or even killed with impunity. Christianity introduced the concept of slaves as having a relationship with God that made them of equal value as any free man, all are slaves to sin and only in Christ is their freedom.
Philemon – a slave owner who had been converted to Christianity by Paul. He most likely lived in Colosse. Onesimus – a runaway slave owned by Philemon who evidently stole money or property from Philemon when he ran away. He was converted by Paul in Rome and served him there before being sent back to Philemon to make amends for running away and stealing.
Philemon was not written with the intention of instructing believers in a church or to lay down doctrine. It was written to a personal friend and fellow believer whom Paul hoped to influence so that he would behave in a way that would be pleasing to the Lord. The basic teaching of this letter is the importance of Christian love over the cultural standards. Paul encourages Philemon to recognize Onesimus now as a beloved brother, all has changed since they are both now under Christ. Even Philemon's financial loss must now be viewed under grace, to the extent that Paul is willing to assume that debt so that Philemon may have no obstacle to exercising Christian love toward Onesimus.