Home: Colosse.
Family: His wife may have been Apphia (see “Apphia and Archippus” at Philem. 2).
Occupation: Probably a businessman.
Special interests: He regularly hosted a gathering of Christians in his home.
Best known for: Receiving a letter from Paul regarding the return of his runaway slave Onesimus.
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Apphia may have been the wife of Philemon and possibly the mother or sister of Archippus. Some manuscripts give the phrase “to the beloved Apphia” as “to Apphia the [or our] sister.” The use of the word sister as well as the placement of Apphia’s name between those of the two men (along with the terms used to describe them) suggest that Philemon, Apphia, and Archippus were leaders of the Christian community at Colosse.
Paul addressed this letter to Philemon as the owner of Onesimus, to Philemon, Apphia, and Archippus as spiritual leaders, and to their church as a body of believers. Paul must have intended for Philemon not to decide on his own what to do but to rely on his friends in the faith to help him make a Christlike decision.
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Name means: “Useful.”
Home: Originally from Phrygia, he worked in Colosse, lived for a time in Rome, and eventually returned to Colosse.
Occupation: Slave.
Best known for: Running away from his master Philemon, but later returning to him after converting to Christianity.
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Who hasn’t wondered why God allowed a particular event to happen? It’s a question we ask both under our breath and out loud. In a world of mysteries and uncertainties, we cannot help but wonder why?
Some consider it futile, harmful, or irreverent to ponder why things happen or to question God’s ways. “God has His reasons,” they say. “It is not our place to know why.” Or, “We shouldn’t question God’s purposes. There are things we won’t know until we get to heaven, so why bother wondering about them now?”
Paul’s words to Philemon, however, indicate that contemplating what God may be up to is useful. Paul had no Scripture that would explain why Onesimus had come to faith and was prepared to return to Philemon. So he offered Philemon his own opinion, based on what some call “theological reflection.”
God encourages us to reflect on our circumstances. We should consider what He may want to teach us. We should pay close attention to the unusual, unexpected, and undesirable events that come our way. Thinking hard about these things will help us bring God and His Word into everyday life. We will never find all the answers, but we will always discover more of God in our lives by wondering why?
More: For more on the process of theological reflection, see “Discovering God’s Purpose for You” at Gen. 45:5–8.
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Paul wrote to the Colossians, “There is neither … slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all” (Col. 3:11). He wrote to the Galatians, “There is neither slave nor free … for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28).
Christ made social divisions and distinctions immaterial, and His followers rightly condemn practices that degrade people. Yet it seems that first-century Christians did not actively campaign against slavery. As far as we know, they never urged slaves to rebel or petitioned the government for change. Yet in Philemon we clearly observe Paul asking a believing slave-owner to reject the practice of slavery and instead put the Christian ideals of Colossians 3:11 and Galatians 3:28 into action. Philemon and Onesimus had a unique opportunity to prove the gospel’s power over slavery.
Slavery was just one of several cultural divisions that early Christians began to break down. Some others include:
• Hellenists and Hebrews (Acts 6:1–7).
• Samaritans and Jews (8:5–8).
Slavery still persists in the world today, including in nations that have formally outlawed it. When considering social justice, we should ask not whether a certain practice is legal but whether it allows people to be treated with dignity in the way that God desires. And the more we further the gospel, the more common ground we will have to put an end to other conflicts that divide us.
More: Christians are all in the same family, no longer divided by ethnicity, social status, or gender. See “We Are Family” at Gal. 3:28. To learn about some Christians who were victims of slavery both in past centuries and in the modern era, see articles on the lives of Denver Moore (here), Harriet Tubman (here), Josephine Bakhita (here), Frederick Douglass (here), Sojourner Truth (here), George Washington Carver (here), Booker T. Washington (here), and Olaudah Equiano (here). Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin in response to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which outlawed giving assistance to runaway slaves. See here for an article on her life.
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Healing the Past
Booker Taliaferro Washington (1856–1915) was nine years old when the Civil War came to a close, ending slavery in the United States. Of this pivotal moment in history Washington later recalled,
Some man who seemed to be a stranger (a United States officer, I presume) made a little speech and then read a rather long paper—the Emancipation Proclamation, I think. After the reading we were told that we were all free, and could go when and where we pleased. My mother, who was standing by my side, leaned over and kissed her children, while tears of joy ran down her cheeks. She explained to us what it all meant, that this was the day for which she had been so long praying, but fearing that she would never live to see.
For the rest of his life, Washington fought to secure and expand this new found freedom for African Americans.
Washington was born into bondage, the son of a slave and a white planter whom his mother refused to identify. Raised on a tobacco farm in southwestern Virginia, he lived in a log cabin that also served as the plantation’s kitchen. The cabin had no windows, only rough openings that let in both light and the weather. Like other slaves, Washington wanted to learn, but it was illegal for him to attend school.
After the Civil War, Washington worked in salt furnaces and coal mines for several years but eventually made his way five hundred miles east to a school that had been established for the purpose of educating freed slaves. In 1881, the energetic twenty-five-year-old became the first teacher and administrator at the Tuskegee Institute, a newly established teacher’s college and agricultural research center in Alabama. Washington presided over the school for the rest of his life, where he recruited many other leading African American academics to its ranks, including the brilliant agriculturalist George Washington Carver (see here for an article on his life).
Washington believed that the best way for African Americans to secure equal rights was through demonstrating “industry, thrift, intelligence, and property.” While he secretly contributed to causes that fought against legal segregation and disenfranchisement of blacks, in his public life he tended to operate within the social constraints of his era. This strategy proved effective in building friendships with many white entrepreneurs, educators, politicians, publishers, philanthropists, and ministers, but Washington’s methods also garnered criticism from fellow black intellectuals such as W. E. B. Du Bois, who called Washington “the Great Accommodator.” Washington responded by arguing that confrontation could lead to disaster for the black minority. Working with supportive whites was, in the long run, the only way to overcome racism.
The end of the Civil War had brought freedom to four million people who now faced new decisions and new challenges. To Washington, the best way to help this generation succeed was by looking forward rather than dwelling on the past. He dedicated his life to teaching others both the skills they needed to thrive in their present society and the attitude they needed to create a better one. “The only thing worth living for is the lifting up of our fellow men,” said Washington. He also said, “We should not let our grievances overshadow our opportunities.”
Washington’s methods were practical, but his desire to prevent hostility was also rooted in his faith. He followed a God who forgives, who loves peace, and who heals past wrongs. “In the sight of God there is no color line,” Washington declared, “and we want to cultivate a spirit that will make us forget that there is such a line anyway.”
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The letter to Philemon offers only a small part of the conversation between Paul and Philemon, and gives no details about what happened next—how Philemon responded and how Onesimus was treated upon his return. However, the name Onesimus appears in letters written by Ignatius of Antioch. The bishop was arrested around A.D. 110 and taken to Rome for trial. During the journey he wrote to the church at Ephesus, addressing a new bishop there named Onesimus. Many believe that this was the same Onesimus who ran away from Philemon but later came to faith and returned. Whatever the case, the story of Onesimus and Philemon holds a number of significant lessons for modern readers to take away:
• It shows that in Christ there is always room for reconciliation and second chances.
• It illustrates how God works behind the scenes to bring people to faith and restore relationships.
• It shows the power of the gospel to work at a distance and effect change from city to city, coast to coast, continent to continent.
• It demonstrates the value of mentorships.
• It appeals to our sense of humanity and brotherhood in Christ, inspiring us to aid the oppressed and relinquish old prejudices.
• It shows that in Christ, people can change.
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