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Introduction to Philemon
• Who was it written to?
– Written to Philemon, Apphia and his wife, Archippus and his son, and the entire assembly of believers.
– Philemon’s decision would not be private
– From Colosse (Colossians 4:9)
• Purpose of the Book?
– Commend Philemon for his Christian compassion (1-7)
– Encourage the forgiveness and restoration of Onesimus by Philemon (8-21)
– Send greetings from Paul and friends (23-25)
This book encourages Philemon to forgive Onesimus, one of his slaves that had run away and subsequently become a Christian. Paul sends Onesimus back to Philemon, encouraging Philemon to received him back not as a runaway slave, but as a BROTHER. Their relationship has changed for eternity. There is much that could be said about this book, it's demonstration of Paul as pastor, and a lot of other things, but I want to focus today on a difficult issue: why didn't Paul use this letter to condemn slavery? This would have been the perfect chance, right? There are many levels to this issue and many possible ways to answer. Here are some good (summarized and paraphrased) thoughts from John Piper on this question (click here to read the full article):
Why didn’t Paul condemn slavery?
He didn’t remove the institution, he replaced it with something better and new: an eternal family relationship. Here are some ways that he blew the whole idea of slavery to pieces in this letter.
1. Paul draws attention to Philemon’s love for all the saints (5). This puts Philemon’s relation with Onesimus (now one of the saints) under the banner of love, not just commerce.
2. Paul shows Philemon how asking is better than commanding when it comes to relationships governed by love (8-9). Acting out of freedom from a heart of love is the goal in the relationship.
3. Paul raises the intensity of the relationship again with the word forever (15). In other words, Onesimus is not coming back into any ordinary, secular relationship. It is forever.
4. Paul says that Philemon’s relationship can no longer be the usual master-slave relationship (16). Whether he lets Onesimus go back free to serve Paul, or keeps him in his service, things cannot remain as they were.
5. Paul refers to Onesimus as Philemon’s beloved brother. This is the relationship that takes the place of slave (16).
6. Onesimus’s identity is now the same as Philemon’s. He is “in the Lord.” (16)
“The upshot of all this is that, without explicitly prohibiting slavery, Paul has pointed the church away from slavery because it is an institution which is incompatible with the way the gospel works in people’s lives. Whether the slavery is economic, racial, sexual, mild, or brutal, Paul’s way of dealing with Philemon works to undermine the institution across its various manifestations. To walk “in step with the truth of the gospel” (Galatians 2:14) is to walk away from slavery.” –John Piper [1]
Introduction to Philemon
• Who was it written to?
– Written to Philemon, Apphia and his wife, Archippus and his son, and the entire assembly of believers.
– Philemon’s decision would not be private
– From Colosse (Colossians 4:9)
• Purpose of the Book?
– Commend Philemon for his Christian compassion (1-7)
– Encourage the forgiveness and restoration of Onesimus by Philemon (8-21)
– Send greetings from Paul and friends (23-25)
This book encourages Philemon to forgive Onesimus, one of his slaves that had run away and subsequently become a Christian. Paul sends Onesimus back to Philemon, encouraging Philemon to received him back not as a runaway slave, but as a BROTHER. Their relationship has changed for eternity. There is much that could be said about this book, it's demonstration of Paul as pastor, and a lot of other things, but I want to focus today on a difficult issue: why didn't Paul use this letter to condemn slavery? This would have been the perfect chance, right? There are many levels to this issue and many possible ways to answer. Here are some good (summarized and paraphrased) thoughts from John Piper on this question (click here to read the full article):
Why didn’t Paul condemn slavery?
He didn’t remove the institution, he replaced it with something better and new: an eternal family relationship. Here are some ways that he blew the whole idea of slavery to pieces in this letter.
1. Paul draws attention to Philemon’s love for all the saints (5). This puts Philemon’s relation with Onesimus (now one of the saints) under the banner of love, not just commerce.
2. Paul shows Philemon how asking is better than commanding when it comes to relationships governed by love (8-9). Acting out of freedom from a heart of love is the goal in the relationship.
3. Paul raises the intensity of the relationship again with the word forever (15). In other words, Onesimus is not coming back into any ordinary, secular relationship. It is forever.
4. Paul says that Philemon’s relationship can no longer be the usual master-slave relationship (16). Whether he lets Onesimus go back free to serve Paul, or keeps him in his service, things cannot remain as they were.
5. Paul refers to Onesimus as Philemon’s beloved brother. This is the relationship that takes the place of slave (16).
6. Onesimus’s identity is now the same as Philemon’s. He is “in the Lord.” (16)
“The upshot of all this is that, without explicitly prohibiting slavery, Paul has pointed the church away from slavery because it is an institution which is incompatible with the way the gospel works in people’s lives. Whether the slavery is economic, racial, sexual, mild, or brutal, Paul’s way of dealing with Philemon works to undermine the institution across its various manifestations. To walk “in step with the truth of the gospel” (Galatians 2:14) is to walk away from slavery.” –John Piper [1]
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