Reflection by The Rev'd Dr Deborah Broome

Not very subtle, Paul!

Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to our beloved coworker Philemon …  Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  

… though I am more than bold enough in Christ to command you to do the right thing, 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. I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me. I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. I wanted to keep him with me so that he might minister to me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel, but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not something forced. Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back for the long term, 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.  So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to me. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it. I say nothing about your owing me even your own self. Yes, brother, let me have this benefit from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ. Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.  One thing more: prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping through your prayers to be restored to you.                              Philemon 1-22

Here is most of Paul’s letter to Philemon, one of the shortest epistles in the New Testament.  It seems very much a personal note – so why did the Church want to keep it and incorporate it into what became the Bible?  It’s because of what Paul was asking in this letter – he’s looking at what following Christ might actually look like in practice.

A slave named Onesimus (the name means “useful” – hence the puns) had wronged his owner Philemon, who was a Christian, and had run off.  Onesimus had met Paul and become a Christian.  We’re not sure exactly what Onesimus had done – perhaps he’d stolen some money and then absconded.  Under Roman law whoever gave hospitality to a runaway slave was liable to the slave’s master for the value of each day’s work lost – so maybe Paul’s promising to make up the amount incurred by Onesimus’ absence.  Whatever happened, the letter acts as a covering note to ensure that Philemon will receive back his delinquent slave and treat him kindly.

Except that runaway slaves couldn’t expect kindness – they could be imprisoned and whipped, or even crucified.  Onesimus is really vulnerable here.  But the letter isn’t just asking for mercy on a humanitarian level – Paul doesn’t even think that Onesimus will be punished.  Running through Paul’s appeal is Christian compassion, and the idea that Philemon is already in debt to Paul himself: because of Paul’s preaching of the gospel he has salvation.  And there’s that appeal that Philemon will do “even more than I ask.”  Paul’s possibly hoping that Philemon would free the slave.

On the surface it all sounds very tactful, but it’s not really.  Paul says he wants Philemon’s actions to be “voluntary and not something forced.”  He’s acting like he’s not placing any constraint on Philemon, other than the obligations of love.  But imagine if the Prime Minister had written to a local MP, asking her to research something or to attend a possibly boring meeting – only he writes it in gigantic letters and pins it up on the door?  Because that’s roughly what Paul’s doing here.  What he’s asking of Philemon isn’t going to stay private.  He intends his letter be read out in church – and Philemon’s decision will become public knowledge.  He even adds “prepare a guest room for me” – a clear hint Paul hopes to come in person and visit Philemon.  Philemon has a choice, but Paul is going to check up on him.  It’s about as subtle as a brick.

And that’s because something important is at stake.  Philemon was a Christian.  He had been baptised.  Onesimus was now a Christian.  He too had been baptised.  The fact that Onesimus was a slave – and a runaway slave at that – wasn’t the point any more.  Philemon and Onesimus were now brothers in Christ.  If Philemon failed to receive his brother as a brother it would threaten the essence of what it means to be brothers and sisters together in the Christian community.  This is a community in which that shared experience of being sons and daughters of God and so brothers and sisters in Christ, is what matters, not what position or social status people have. 

This is genuinely revolutionary – no wonder this short letter stuck around!