Philemon was a well-to-do Roman citizen from Colossae, who met Paul during his mission in Ephesus, and he became a follower of Jesus. Then later, when Paul’s co-worker Epaphras started a Jesus community in Colossae, Philemon became a leader of a church that met in his house. Now Philemon, like all household patriarchs in the Roman world owned slaves, one of whom was named Onesimus. At some point, these two had a serious conflict, Onesimus wronged Philemon in some way, maybe it was theft or he cheated him, 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 King, and no longer as a slave.
Paul prays, praising Philemon and thanking God for the love and faithfulness Philemon has shown to Jesus and to his people. That the partnership that springs from his faith may effectively lead him to recognize all the good things that work in us, leading us into the King. When two or more people receive something together and share in it, becoming partners, that faithfulness to Jesus, recognizing that all of his followers are equal partners, who share together in the gift of God’s love and grace. This experience of equal partners among Jesus’ followers is not just an idea that we think about, it is something that we do in our relationships. Paul’s request, he finally brings up Onesimus, that he’s become Paul’s “child” in prison, meaning that Paul led Onesimus to dedicate his life and allegiance to Jesus. So, Paul and Onesimus are now family members in the King, he has been serving Paul faithfully in prison, even though Paul wants to keep him around, he knows this unresolved conflict with Philemon has to be reconciled, if they say that they are followers of Jesus. Paul’s bold request, that Philemon receive Onesimus back, no longer as a slave, but as more than a slave, as a beloved brother in the Lord.
This is a really tall order, under Roman law, Philemon had every legal right to have Onesimus punished or put in prison. Paul is not only asking him to forgive Onesimus, but to welcome back his former slave into Colossae as a social equal, as a family member, this is way more than kindness, this is unheard of, it is freeing a slave and then treating them like a family member, it upsets the status quo of the Roman social order. Why should Philemon do such a thing? Paul recalls, if you are truly a partner with me, then welcome Onesimus as if he were me, if he has wronged you or owes you anything, charge it to me and I will repay. In this request, we see the heart of Paul’s gospel message being acted out, it is about reconciliation, in the King, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting people’s sins against them. In this situation, Paul is putting himself in the place of Jesus, he will absorb the consequences of Onesimus’ wrongdoing, he will pay the costs, so that Onesimus can be reconciled to Philemon. But Paul’s message was about more than just a legal transaction, it is also about partnership, Onesimus and Philemon and Paul are all equals before God, they all share the same need for forgiveness. The ground is level before the cross, Philemon and Onesimus can no longer relate to each other as master and slave, they are family members, they are brothers in the King. In God’s new family, people are not Greek or Jewish or circumcised or uncircumcised or foreigners or uncivilized or slave or free, but the King is all and is in all people.
Paul stating his confidence, that Philemon will do even more than Paul has requested, he does not need to explain the cross with words, because he is demonstrating it through his actions, he is embodying the meaning of the cross. Paul has made himself the place, through which Onesimus and Philemon are reconciled to God and then to each other, the implications of the good news about Jesus are extremely personal and never private. The fact that Philemon and Onesimus are now brothers in the King, it makes their master-slave relationship totally irrelevant, the family of Jesus’ people is the place where all are equal recipients of God’s grace, it is a new kind of society, a new humanity where people’s value, social status is not defined by race or gender or social or economic class, in the King, there are simply new humans, who are equal partners, who share together in God’s healing mercy through Jesus.
Paul prays, praising Philemon and thanking God for the love and faithfulness Philemon has shown to Jesus and to his people. That the partnership that springs from his faith may effectively lead him to recognize all the good things that work in us, leading us into the King. When two or more people receive something together and share in it, becoming partners, that faithfulness to Jesus, recognizing that all of his followers are equal partners, who share together in the gift of God’s love and grace. This experience of equal partners among Jesus’ followers is not just an idea that we think about, it is something that we do in our relationships. Paul’s request, he finally brings up Onesimus, that he’s become Paul’s “child” in prison, meaning that Paul led Onesimus to dedicate his life and allegiance to Jesus. So, Paul and Onesimus are now family members in the King, he has been serving Paul faithfully in prison, even though Paul wants to keep him around, he knows this unresolved conflict with Philemon has to be reconciled, if they say that they are followers of Jesus. Paul’s bold request, that Philemon receive Onesimus back, no longer as a slave, but as more than a slave, as a beloved brother in the Lord.
This is a really tall order, under Roman law, Philemon had every legal right to have Onesimus punished or put in prison. Paul is not only asking him to forgive Onesimus, but to welcome back his former slave into Colossae as a social equal, as a family member, this is way more than kindness, this is unheard of, it is freeing a slave and then treating them like a family member, it upsets the status quo of the Roman social order. Why should Philemon do such a thing? Paul recalls, if you are truly a partner with me, then welcome Onesimus as if he were me, if he has wronged you or owes you anything, charge it to me and I will repay. In this request, we see the heart of Paul’s gospel message being acted out, it is about reconciliation, in the King, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting people’s sins against them. In this situation, Paul is putting himself in the place of Jesus, he will absorb the consequences of Onesimus’ wrongdoing, he will pay the costs, so that Onesimus can be reconciled to Philemon. But Paul’s message was about more than just a legal transaction, it is also about partnership, Onesimus and Philemon and Paul are all equals before God, they all share the same need for forgiveness. The ground is level before the cross, Philemon and Onesimus can no longer relate to each other as master and slave, they are family members, they are brothers in the King. In God’s new family, people are not Greek or Jewish or circumcised or uncircumcised or foreigners or uncivilized or slave or free, but the King is all and is in all people.
Paul stating his confidence, that Philemon will do even more than Paul has requested, he does not need to explain the cross with words, because he is demonstrating it through his actions, he is embodying the meaning of the cross. Paul has made himself the place, through which Onesimus and Philemon are reconciled to God and then to each other, the implications of the good news about Jesus are extremely personal and never private. The fact that Philemon and Onesimus are now brothers in the King, it makes their master-slave relationship totally irrelevant, the family of Jesus’ people is the place where all are equal recipients of God’s grace, it is a new kind of society, a new humanity where people’s value, social status is not defined by race or gender or social or economic class, in the King, there are simply new humans, who are equal partners, who share together in God’s healing mercy through Jesus.