Letter To Philemon

Paul’s distinctive contribution to Christianity is his heresy- the doctrine of salvation by faith. A salvation available not just to the descendants of Abraham, but to the pagan, non-Jewish world as well. When he was writing to those in the Roman capital, Paul makes the declaration that proved to be the cornerstone of all his writings Romans 1:16-17, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, ‘The one who is righteous will live

Contemporary World A. The power that Paul has and how he uses it to help Philemon, Onesimus, and Christians in general. 1. Paul is an elder, a prisoner, a father, and a brother that wants to bring everyone together with God’s word so that they can have compassion and forgive each other (Philemon). He is an example of a parent or a teacher that is trying to guide their students or children in the right direction without making them do things they do not want. Having authority did not make Paul boss Philemon around about what he should do with Onesimus, but instead, he guided him to make the right choice by himself.

Philemon is a short letter dealing with the relationship of Christian slaveholders to their human property. Paul's missionary activity was not only directed at slaves, but it was contingent on the support of slaveholders as well (Roth, 2014). Some scholars argue that Onesimus either stole money or other property from Philemon, while others contend that he displeased his master in some way. In any event, Onesimus made his way to the place Paul was imprisoned, where he was thereby converted to Christianity. There is some dispute as to whether Onesimus found Paul by chance, or if he sought him out for the purpose of assisting Onesimus in reconciling with his master. Paul may have, in fact, filled the role of a third party who could resolve the

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 “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

The Apostle grew very fond of Onesimus and loved him dearly. Onesimus needed to return to his responsibility but was fearful because of his mistakes. Paul wrote the letter on Onesimus' behalf to encourage Philemon to accept Onesimus. This relationship demonstrates the way that love, grace, and order should be. To love Onesimus enough to instruct him to return to his responsibility as a slave not only follows the path of order

By gaining a better understanding of that culture we can continue to interpret passages of scripture through a more accurate lens. In Philemon we are able to see the way the honor culture has shaped Paul’s letter, and better understand the gravity of the situation. Accepting a runaway slave back into the household, no longer as a slave, but as a brother; without receiving punishment, was a completely radical concept at the time . This also helps us to better understand the impact of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the lives of these people. Paul is able to boldly write this letter, not because of his own authority, but because of “the faith that [Philemon has] toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints” (Philemon,

In this passage of the second letter to the Corinthians, Paul addresses several concerns. He is addressing the situation of a man who has sinned not only against himself, but against the Corinthian Church as well. He explains why he wrote a letter rather than bringing sorrow upon them. Paul is sensitive to the Lord’s leading, and in love, writes to the church encouraging them to discipline this man in love for the purpose of restoring him. He urges the Corinthians to be obedient and love the man through forgiving and encouraging him. Paul shares with them his trust in the Lord for the outcome of this matter and how burdened he was for restoration to take place. He warns them of the need to not allow Satan a foothold through this

In this letter Apostle Paul showed how great his love was for the church of Philippi, showing his gratitude for their financial support to further the work of the ministry and to express his concern about their spiritual walk. His only thought was about advancing the cause of Christ and building the Philippians’ faith to continue their mission in spite of the persecution they were facing. Within their church many of the people were at odds and some were trying to hinder the spread of the Gospel. Because of this, Paul encourages the church of Philippi to "stand fast, be of the same mind, rejoice in the Lord always but by prayer let your request be made known and the peace of God shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (4:1-7).

Paul begins the letter of Romans by introducing himself and stating his mission. Concisely stating the gospel message, Paul encourages the Roman Christians to “bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name” (1:5), or for the glory of Jesus Christ. He goes on to write of his desires and intentions to visit Rome in order to preach the gospel of Christ to the Jews as well as the Gentiles. Paul continues by explaining his excitement for the gospel as well as the need to live the gospel out in our lives. Finishing the first chapter, Paul presents the inexcusable idolatry, sinfulness, and evilness of the ungodly.

Even though Onesimus was beneficial to Paul, Paul would write a letter, what is believed

The book of Philemon is the shortest of all Paul’s letters. It is said this letter was written around AD 60. The genre of this book is Pauline Epistle and the theme is love and forgiveness. This letter demonstrates not only the concern of the apostle for a converted slave, but the demonstration of brotherhood in Christ. Paul asks Philemon who is the master of a runaway slave, by the name of Onesimus, to take him back as a brother in Christ. Onesimus had stolen from his master and fled to Rome. He met Paul and received Christ as his Savior. Even though Paul knew that Onesimus was Philemon’s slave, Paul sends Onesimus home and ask Philemon to receive him back and that they charge Paul’s account for what Onesimus had done. Paul also sent

In order to comprehend and gleam the theological insights of Philemon, or any Biblical scripture, it is imperative that, at least, a basic understanding of the historical and cultural principles be present in the mind of the reader. Without a comprehension of these truths, a false understanding or misrepresentation of the text may occur. This is not to say that nothing can be obtained from the scripture in and of itself. However, many deeper details may remain hidden without further exploration. As is stated in 2 Timothy 2:15, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

9 Instead of being commanding, however, Paul rather make his appeal towards Philemon more loving and soft. He begins his appeal my mentioning who he is; an older man imprisoned due to Christian persecution.

It is interesting to note, that Paul loved Onesimus, as Paul referred to him as my child. Paul wanted Onesimus to remain with him and help him in the ministry. In addition, I reflected on the sovereign work of God in the lives of humanity, and I realized that Onesimus was one of countless souls, that Paul was preordained to led to the way of salvation: Jesus Christ. Further, Onesimus was a significant life twined into Paul's God ordained purpose for his life.

The book of Philemon is an Epistle written by the Apostle Paul while he was imprisoned in Rome. It was written to his Christian friend Philemon. Paul's purpose in writing was to ask Philemon to forgive his runaway slave named Onesimus.