Philemon 1-21; Now, A Brother

"Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and co-worker, 2 to Apphia our sister, 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 When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God 5 because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus. 6 I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ. 7 I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother.

8 For this reason, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do your duty, 9 yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love—and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. 10 I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. 11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful both to you and to me. 12 I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. 13 I wanted to keep him with me, so that he might be of service to me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel; 14 but I preferred to do nothing without your consent, in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not something forced. 15 Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might 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 So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 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. I say nothing about your owing me even your own self. 20 Yes, brother, let me have this benefit from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say."

Introduction

The delightful little Book of Philemon is one of the most ignored epistles of the New Testament. It is ignored because we think the message of Philemon is straightforward to understand and, once understood, can quickly be laid aside to focus on more "essential" texts. What is this general understanding? That Paul is sending Onesimus, an escaped slave who has become a Christian under his ministry, back to his owner, Philemon, with the recommendation that Philemon either manumit Onesimus or, at least, treat him with the dignity and respect befitting brethren in Christ. This understanding, though not incorrect, ignores the passionate depth of the Epistle; its most personal tone; its rhetorical flourishes and argument; and its window into the way Paul thinks when he has the "upper hand" in a situation. Seen in this way, the Epistle not only gives us a glimpse into the character of Paul when he feels most powerful, but it shows us how he combines rhetorical touches and theological argument to pen a forceful appeal for help.

We don't know, of course, how Philemon received the letter, though I suggest below that if we read it in connection with Col. 3-4, Philemon heeded Paul's advice. We are on good grounds for supposing that Paul's experience with the slave Onesimus was a watershed event in Paul's ministry. As a result of this encounter, Onesimus became a helpful missionary for Paul, and Paul sent him to the Colossians (Col. 4:9) to minister. In that suggestive passage Onesimus is called "one of you" and "our faithful and dear brother." Does that mean that Onesimus originally hailed from Colossae or that his situation in life (slave) was similar to that of many in the Colossian congregation? In any case, Paul also did something unique in his letters in Col. 3-4. In the table of household duties (3:18-4:1), Paul inserted a special duty that masters owe their slaves--to treat them "justly and fairly," because they, too, know that they have a Master in heaven (4:1).

Therefore, Paul's encounter with Onesimus may have changed Paul as much as it changed Onesimus. The one who was formerly a slave now has become a "son" (cf. Phil. 10); so precious was he to Paul that he urged Philemon to treat Onesimus as if he was Paul himself. Thus, the major point of Philemon, the power of the Gospel to eradicate social barriers between people, has already worked its power in Paul even before Paul asks Philemon to demonstrate that same Gospel spirit. Seen in this light, then, Philemon is a wonderful study of the effect on all of the transformative power of the Gospel. To use Paul's language from an earlier letter, the story of Onesimus teaches that in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, but that we are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:28). This story, then, allowed Paul's theology to encounter Paul's ethics. It isn't surprising, then, that the result is among the most passionate and rhetorically sophisticated of Paul's letters.

The remainder of my treatment will focus on three points: (1) The Social Issue Behind the Epistle to Philemon; (2) The Personal Nature of the Epistle; and (3) The Letter's Rhetorical Tone.

I. Philemon and the Social Issue of Slavery

Slavery was a common phenomenon in the Graeco-Roman world. Not only was it practiced by the Romans when they defeated foes near and far, but it seemed to be sanctioned by the Scriptures themselves (Ex. 21, et al.). Many scholars have argued that slavery in the ancient world was not a race-based system; it was a reflection of the colonial inclinations of the great power of the day. In addition, the condition of slavery was a bit of a flexible one. Masters could be lenient; some slaves could get an education and even be teachers, not only of children but of others. For example, the most famous slave in antiquity, Epictetus (ca 55-135), was able to get an education from the Stoic philosopher Musonius Rufus. Though Epictetus was freed by his owner sometime in adulthood, he managed to write the most significant Stoic ethical treatise of the era.

Thus, we are not on firm footing if we equate ancient slavery easily with our understanding of Black slavery in America. Conditions varied tremendously and there was no universal imperial law on slavery. But even having said this, the reality assumed by Paul in Philemon is that Onesimus belongs to Philemon and that he owes a duty of obedience to him. Paul is very consciously interceding and intervening in this master-slave relationship to try to wear away the formal social institution between the two and (re)establish the relationship on a Christian footing.

In doing this the text is unclear whether Paul is urging Philemon to grant Onesimus his freedom or simply to accept him back without punishment. In my judgment Paul is not trying expressly to undermine the Roman social system in this epistle, nor is he urging manumission. Indeed, I think that the passage cited from Colossians above shows that Paul is more concerned with just relationships within received social structures than in overturning those structures. But Paul's words can also be slippery on occasion. Just as one could read other passages in his letters to suggest that subordination of women was improper in Christ (cf. Gal. 3:28), so one could read passages such as I Cor. 7:21 or Gal. 5:1 subtly to suggest that Christ's gift of freedom would generally overturn society's institutions of inequality.

The next essay explores the personal tone of the letter.

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