A Plea For Onesimus

A PLEA FOR ONESIMUS

"8 Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, 9 yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ— 10 I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains, 11 who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me. 12 I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart, 13 whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel. 14 But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary. 15 For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever, 16 no longer as a slave but more than a slave—a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord." Philemon 1:8-16.

Philemon was a wealthy man living in Colossae (modern-day Turkey). And like most rich men of that time, he had slaves and one of those slaves was Onesimus. This fellow called Onesimus whose name means “useful” or “profitable, had betrayed, stolen, and run from his master. Onesimus travelled all the way to Rome. While there, he met Apostle Paul who had been imprisoned for preaching. Yet he refused to allow the imprisonment hinder him from reaching out to the lost souls, and in doing so, Onesimus became a believer. Paul wanted the new convert, Onesimus, to stay and help him, but wonders if he should go back and be reconcile with his master. Paul was facing difficulty with his aging body and his imprisonment, so it would have been better for him to keep Onesimus, but Paul was determined to send him back to Philemon. He hoped that Philemon would accept, forgive and be reconciled with Onesimus, his former slave but now a believer in the Lord Jesus.

In those days, a runaway slave was supposed to be punished according to Roman law. So for Philemon to not do that may be a reason to lose respect of his community and compromise his reputation. On the other hand, he was a Christian and forgiveness is at the very heart of Christianity. God had forgiven Philemon and in turn, he was also to pass along this agape love and forgive Onesimus. Would he? Would he display the proper Christian conduct to his slave who is now a believer and a brother in Christ or would he resort to anger and vengeance.

NO MORE SLAVES:

"Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin." John 8:34.

Slavery was a common issue in the ancient world. They were much lower than servants. The powerful and the wealthy had many slaves to ran their farms, homes, and businesses. These slaves were held in the hand of their masters, who have the right to issue commands without any explanation. There was no negotiation by a slave with his master regarding what he could do or not do. Slaves were bought and owned. Slaves had no freedom to do as they pleased. In fact, they were pieces of property that was owned or discarded. A slave was a possession of his master and is bound to obey him. The master had the power of life and death over him. Slaves did not have any rights of their own, but were bound to a life of slavery with not even a shred of hope. A slave could be sold, exchanged, given away or seized as payment for debt. A slave can be bought at a price.

Before becoming a disciple of Paul and a believer in the Lord Jesus, Onesimus was a slave! We too were once slaves. "Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." Galatians 4:7. Slaves to sin; with no rights and privileges. Ephesians 2:1-2. But Jesus sets us free from sin and at the same time enables us to live a life of righteousness. Our freedom in Christ means we're no longer slaves to sin. We're freed from habitual sin and now stand before God reconciled and made holy, blameless and free. We no longer allow sin to reign in our bodies, obeying its lusts, but instead we are to present ourselves to God as instruments of righteousness. Romans 6:12-14. We have been given power to conquer sin and are set free from its slavery. We're free to live the life God has created us to live. We're free from sin, and its hold.