Philemon An Ancient Letter - 1143 Words

Philemon is a letter in genre, specifically an ancient letter. It is written to Philemon in Colossae, but also Apphia, Archippus and the house church of which Philemon was leader. As the host of a church and a slaveowner, it is safe to assume Philemon was comfortable economically and socially. Philemon is referred to as a beloved fellow worker who owes Paul his â€Å"own self,† which may imply that Paul converted Philemon. Paul writes to Philemon while a prisoner, though it is unknown where. If he was imprisoned at either Ephesus or Caesarea when Philemon was written, then it would be dated around 54-58 CE. If Paul is imprisoned at, which is unlikely given the great distance between Rome and Colossea, then the letter should be date to around†¦show more content†¦However, in the world in which Paul writes, slaves did a variety of roles. Many were even respected and placed in managerial positions. Thus to conclude that Onesimus is merely a thief that stole from his mast er and then ran away is to read our own experiences of American slavery into the text. This is something we must be aware of in order to clearly see both the ambiguity of the text and other explanations. Whatever the situation, Onesimus needs Paul’s intercession. The relationship is clearly tense, and Onesimus may face severe discipline if he returns. Paul, however, beseeches Philemon to receive Onesimus the same as Paul would be received. In this way, Paul is calling upon the good relationship he has with Philemon. Paul clearly assumes Christian authority over Philemon, and expects Philemon to obey; nevertheless Paul chooses to use love and friendly beseeching to persuade Philemon rather than to order him. He implores Philemon to receive Onesimus as â€Å"no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother.† Building on this, Paul wants Philemon to do even more. Thus it is likely that Paul means precisely what he said; he wants Philemon to free Onesimus. Int erestingly, Paul uses words such as brother, beloved, and child, words which are relational in nature. Thus for Philemon to keep Onesimus enslaved is to keep his brother, and Paul’s dear spiritual offspring, enslaved. Paul is building the case that it would be improper, and