Paul's letter to Philemon

Paul's letter to Philemon is the most unusual of his epistles because it does not contain doctrine about Jesus or the church, nor does it instruct one in living the Christian life. Yet, it alludes to one of the most basic doctrines of Christianity and instructs its recipient on how to deal with one of the thorniest issues Christians faced.

According to church tradition, its subject, the slave Onesimus, became an episkopos (bishop) later on and it was he who orchestrated the collection of Paul's letters into one volume. If this is true, it would explain the inclusion of this letter in the canon of Scripture. Onesimus would be one of the few who knew of this letter, and he would have a personal affection for what essentially saved him from the death that was the usual penalty for runaway slaves.

Writing from prison, Paul was explaining to Philemon the providence of God in bringing a slave whom they both knew, now a runaway, into Paul's prison where Paul ministered the gospel and Jesus Christ to him. Whether Onesimus was saved beforehand or sought out Paul first (as the only person whom he knew in the megapolis of Rome) and then found salvation in Jesus Christ is unsaid; however, the comment in verse 10, "begotten in my bonds" indicates Paul was God's instrument in saving Onesimus. But the question is immaterial. What is important is that a person came to Christ in faith and a soul was saved; this letter is the story of that event and what people did about the change.

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be thinking. Paul then returns to the reason for this letter: "my own heart." Wittingly or not, Paul has echoed the very mind and motivation of Jesus: "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." And from that love, Paul entreats the favor of one he cannot be sure will grant it, but who he is sure holds the power of life and death regarding the Onesimus for whom he is entreating it. And, like Jesus, Paul will not force anyone to do anything (in this life, anyway). Thus, he next explains that he wanted to keep Onesimus because he was suddenly invaluable to Paul who was in prison (which is another of God's ironies, since Onesimus belonged in prison and Paul is the innocent one who should have been at liberty). However, as much as Paul was oppressed by unjust laws, he yet insisted on keeping them himself. Thus, what Paul does insist on is that "without thy mind I would do nothing." Paul then takes a bold step and suggests that Onesimus' helpfulness was exactly the reason why God allowed him to run away in the first place. While this sounds like an odd excuse for criminal behavior, it is merely Paul ascribing to the God of the universe the ultimate causality. If it happened

Category: Philosophy - P