Note: Since this text is so short (only one "chapter"), references to the Letter to Philemon normally indicate only the verse number(s), without a chapter number (e.g., not Phlm 1:3 but simply Phlm 3; and not 1:6-8 but simply 6-8).
Letter Opening (1-7)
Sender & Recipient (1-2)
Formulaic Greeting (3)
Thanksgiving for Philemon's faith and love (4-7)
Letter Body (8-22)
Paul appeals to Philemon on behalf of Onesimus,
who is now a beloved brother in Christ (8-16)
Settling "accounts" between
Philemon and Paul, which will settle Onesimus' account as well (17-22)
Letter Closing (23-25)
Individual Greetings from Epaphras and four co-workers in Christ (23-24)
The Historical Context: From Where, To Where, and When?
Paul mostly likely wrote this letter from Ephesus (where he was in jail) to Colossae (where Philemon lived), cities in the Roman province of Asia, the Western part of ancientAnatolia.
The Social Context: Slavery & Prisons in the Roman Era
In many significant respects, slavery in the Roman Empire was very different from slavery in 19th century USA:
Many people were "debt slaves," who had sold themselves (or been sold by their family) to pay off a debt.
Many slaves were eventually freed by their masters, either as a reward for good service or after their debt had been paid.
Some slaves were given considerable responsibilities and could even travel, esp. when sent on an errand by their masters.
The judicial system of the Roman Empire was very different from the world today, esp. the role of prisons:
Roman "prisons" were not used to incarcerate condemned criminals as punishment after trial, but were only holding tanks for accused persons still awaiting trial (better called "jails").
Roman prisons normally did not provide anything; for prisoners to survive, family members or friends had to bring them food, clothing, blankets, medicine, and other necessities.
How one understands why the slave Onesimus was in jail with Paul greatly affects how one interprets the purpose of this letter:
Traditional Interpretation
Contemporary Interpretation
Onesimus was a "runaway slave" who had fled from his master, Philemon.
Onesimus, a slave, had been sent on a mission by his master, Philemon.
He was caught and put into the same jail as Paul by coincidence.
Philemon had sent Onesimus to assist and care for Paul in jail.
Onesimus begged Paul to write to Philemon,
to ask Philemon not to punish the runaway slave further after he is returned home.
Paul takes the initiative in writing to Philemon,
to ask Philemon to set the slave free so he can become a Christian missionary.
He was also a thief who had stolen something from his master, Philemon.
He was not a thief, but probably a debt slave; thus Philemon would lose out if he set Onesimus free.
Onesimus' Later Life as a Christian:
Onesimus is mentioned one other time in the NT. At the end of Paul's letter to the Colossians, he mentions that he is sending Tychicus ("my beloved brother, trustworthy minister, and fellow slave in the Lord"; Col 4:7-8) together with Onesimus ("a trustworthy and beloved brother, who is one of you"; Col 4:9) as his messengers to the Christians in Colossae.
Later Christian tradition (after the NT) refers to Onesimus as the first "bishop" of the Christian Church in Colossae.
Having learned how slavery and prisons were very different in the Ancient World than we might have thought, read Paul's letter to Philemon again. Then...
Discuss which of the two interpretations listed above makes more sense to you.
Imagine that you were in Philemon's position. How would you respond to the request that Paul makes of you?
How is the message of this letter still relevant for us today? How would it apply to relationships between people, maybe especially between employers and employees, or business owners to their clients?
