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Philemon 7-20
Beloved:
I have experienced much joy and encouragement from your love,
because the hearts of the holy ones
have been refreshed by you, brother.
Therefore, although I have the full right in Christ
to order you to do what is proper,
I rather urge you out of love,
being as I am, Paul, an old man,
and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus.
I urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus,
whose father I have become in my imprisonment,
who was once useless to you but is now useful to both you and me.
I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you.
I should have liked to retain him for myself,
so that he might serve me on your behalf
in my imprisonment for the Gospel,
but I did not want to do anything without your consent,
so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary.
Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while,
that you might have him back forever,
no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a brother,
beloved especially to me, but even more so to you,
as a man and in the Lord.
So if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me.
And if he has done you any injustice
or owes you anything, charge it to me.
I, Paul, write this in my own hand: I will pay.
May I not tell you that you owe me your very self.
Yes, brother, may I profit from you in the Lord.
Refresh my heart in Christ.
The Word of the Lord.
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At the time of Christ, there were an estimated 60 million slaves living within the Roman Empire. They were treated as harshly as one can imagine; legally, they were tools in the hands of their masters.
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Our first reading addresses the horror of slavery, but in a very unique way. This Letter to Philemon is the only personal letter written by Saint Paul which history has preserved.
Paul is writing to a slave owner, Philemon, about his slave – and now Paul’s cherished friend and disciple in the Lord – Onesimus.
We don’t know exactly how, but Onesimus escaped the hands of his master and made his way to Rome where he found Saint Paul and was likely baptized by him.
Now Paul is awaiting his execution in prison. Before his death, he’s decided to make a risky, wrenching decision: to send Onesimus back to his master, Philemon.
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The entire letter is a single chapter, but it’s soaked in faith, hope, and love.
Paul writes to Philemon, hoping his words will inspire a change of heart, allowing Philemon to receive Onesimus, not as a slave, but as a free person and brother in Christ.
According to Roman Law, Philemon reserved the right to crucify Onesimus for running away from him. The stakes couldn’t be higher.
What did he do? Did Philemon keep Onesimus, kill him, or welcome him as a brother?
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We aren’t certain.
However, fifty years after this letter was written, Saint Ignatius of Antioch – one of the early Christian bishops and martyrs – mentions someone named Onesimus in one of his pastoral letters, stating how highly regarded he was as a Christian and a bishop.
He also uses the same style in his letter that Paul did in his Letter to Philemon.
It’s quite possible this Onesimus, once a slave, then baptized by Paul, returned to Philemon, was freed, and became a leader in the early Church… even a bishop.
Such as story teaches us many lessons about life, faith, and forgiveness. But perhaps Saint Paul sums it up best, “We are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).
May we treat each other accordingly today.
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Image credits: (1) Learn Religions (2) LivingWithFaith.org (3) Devoted to You