One of my heroes is the Member of Parliament for Hull, in the year 1780, William Wilberforce. He went on to be elected Member of Parliament for Yorkshire in 1784, always an independent MP. The following year, he became a Christian, and wondered whether he should leave politics. He carried on, but his new found faith gave him a sharp social conscience. He sought to use his position in Parliament to campaign for issues he felt strongly about, and one of those was the trade in slaves from Africa to work in the West Indies. After many setbacks and some skilful political manoeuvring, the Slave Trade Act became law on 25th March, 1807.
There was still work to do. Outlawing the trade of slaves didn’t outlaw slavery itself, and many slaves were still poorly treated. But by his sheer perseverance, driven by his Christian faith, the corner was turned, and across the empire the institution of slavery was to be unpicked, bit by bit.
It’s a shame that it took so long. I don’t mean the 27 years of Wilberforce’s political career. I mean the 1800 years from the time of Christ to the abolition. Slavery was a key building block of Roman culture in the time of Christ, and the letter of Philemon totally destabilises it. What Paul says here subverts the social order of the day, and makes the abolition of slavery inevitable in any society that is gripped by the Christian gospel.
Actually, as we’ll see, Philemon is subversive in some far bigger ways, which gives it a very powerful message for today as well.
The Letter of Philemon
Let’s meet the cast. The letter was written by the apostle Paul, during one of his times in prison, possibly in Rome. If you want proof that you can live out your God-given calling without personal liberty, here’s a walking example. Or, rather, a shackled and chained example.
It was written to Philemon. He lived in the ancient city of Colossae, and he had a large house. One of the churches in Colossae used to meet there. We meet two of them in verses 2 and 3 – a lady called Apphia, and a man named Archippus. Possibly they were Philemon’s wife and son, but we don’t know that. Paul greets them, but the rest of this letter is very personal. Paul is just writing to Philemon, as he has something very personal to ask him.
The favour concerns a man called Onesimus. Onesimus was a household slave for Philemon. He wasn’t a terribly good one, to be honest. Verse 11: He was useless to Philemon. Indeed, slaves from his part of the country had a reputation for not being terribly useful. But now he’d made matters worse – he’d run away. Now he wasn’t just useless. He was a thief. That might mean he’d stolen money from Philemon to help him abscond. Or it may just mean that he’s been absent without leave for some time.
Being a runaway slave wasn’t much fun in the ancient world. Any day, you could be caught. You’d either be returned to your master, where you’d be punished, and in extreme cases killed. Or you’d be sold to a new owner, and the money from the sale would be sent back to your old master to clear the debt; doubtless the person who caught you would keep their cut. It was a life looking over your shoulder, until someone caught up with you and your life becomes worse than before you ran away.
So he goes to see Paul. Philemon knew Paul well. Philemon himself had become a Christian through Paul’s ministry. Paul was like a father to Philemon. Onesimus must have thought: “Perhaps Paul can tell me what to do.” Paul told Onesimus about Jesus. And now Onesimus became a Christian, too. Paul has a new spiritual son, Onesimus. He and Philemon have that in common.
Paul loved having Onesimus with him. He was a great support to him in prison, helping Paul to carry on spreading the good news of Jesus. But it’s now time for Onesimus to face up to his past. When you become a Christian, God forgives all your past mistakes. But it doesn’t mean they go away. It would have been wrong for Paul to keep Onesimus. It was against the law, as Onesimus was another man’s slave. And it was to betray his friendship with Philemon, who was like a brother to him.
So it’s time to send Onesimus back. Onesimus would have been very nervous making the trip. So Paul sends a letter with him. He asks Philemon to do three things.
Welcome him
Firstly, welcome him. Verse 17: If you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. That’s an extraordinary thing to ask. Philemon is to be glad to see him back. And not through gritted teeth. He’s to give him the same welcome that he’d give if the apostle Paul turned up on his doorstep. Welcome him. Open arms. “Good to see you my friend”. {Gulp!}
Forgive him
Second, forgive him. Paul doesn’t want any debts to stand in the way of this warm welcome. So he says this, verse 18: If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. Then he adds his own personal IOU: I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will pay it back. Anything that Onesimus owes – money stolen, time lost, Paul will pay. Forgive him.
Release him
Third, release him. We have to read between the lines a little here. Paul may be asking Philemon to free him, no longer a slave. Look at verse 15: Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back for ever – no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother.
Now it may be that this is not be a request to free Onesimus. It could be saying that he’s not treat his slave as a slave, but as a brother. But it seems to me to read better as a request that he lets him go.
And even if he remains in Philemon’s service, what duties will Philemon give him? Look at verse 13: I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. But I did not want to do anything without your consent.
Paul would love to have Onesimus as a colleague in his great missionary work. Maybe Philemon will send him back to where he’s in prison. More likely, Paul expects to be released and then to go to Philemon’s house. He could then pick Onesimus up, and take him as a travelling companion on his next missionary journey, the next Timothy or Barnabas.
So Paul may want Philemon to release Onesimus from slavery. Certainly, Paul hopes Philemon will release Onesimus from being with him, so that he can work with Paul in spreading the gospel. Release him.
So there are the three things Paul wants Philemon to do. Welcome him. Forgive him. Release him. Each one is utterly radical. So why on earth should Philemon do such a thing.
Two reasons, and here is how this letter is subversive even today.
His Debt to the Gospel
Firstly, his debt to the gospel. His debt to the gospel.
The letter starts with a prayer. Every time Paul prays for Philemon, he thanks God for him. He knows that Philemon has genuinely experienced God’s love. How does Paul know this? Because it comes out in the way Philemon loves other Christians.
Did you notice that Paul refuses to pull rank in this letter. He’s an apostle. He can speak with the authority of the risen Christ, command obedience if he wants. Verse 8: Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. He knows Philemon shows great love for other Christians. It shows that he knows the loving God. So he simply appeals to him to do so with Onesimus. To live out the love of God that he’s experienced.
And then there’s the moment when Paul asks Philemon to write off Onesimus’ debts. He adds this line in verse 19: “not to mention that you owe me your very self”. It’s because of Paul that Philemon became a Christian. He has received something so precious from Paul that anything Paul asks him to do for Onesimus is dwarfed in comparison. Cancelling Onesimus’ debts is miniscule, compared to the debts of his that God has cancelled in Christ.
If we know the Lord Jesus, we know God’s love, we know God’s forgiveness, we know what it is to have our debts written off by God. And if Philemon knows that, his forgiveness and welcome of Onesimus will follow like night follows day.
We find it so hard to forgive one another. We always bring up what we think someone owes us. Whether it’s money or property that someone needs to give us back, favours to repay, kindnesses to give back. We so often struggle to let these things go.
We need the same reservoir of God’s love, forgiveness, and debt cancellation that Philemon had. The more we’ve experienced of that, the more we’ll be able to welcome people we would naturally turn away, the more we’ll be able to forgive people we would naturally bang to rights.
His debt to the gospel.
His Status as a Brother
That’s the first reason why Philemon would do such radical things as welcome, forgive and release Onesimus. The second reason is his status as a brother. His status as a brother.
The heart of the letter is verse 16: Have him back for ever – no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother.
When Onesimus became a Christian, something changed. He joined the family of those who call God Father. Philemon is in the same family, and that made them brothers.
Even if Philemon didn’t free Onesimus, their relationship has changed forever. Master and slave are now siblings. They’re on an equal footing, the same rank.
Picture them in church the next Sunday. They don’t go to different churches. They don’t get comfy seats versus a rug on the floor. One week Philemon preaches and Onesimus serves coffee. The next week Onesimus preaches and Philemon serves coffee. The week after they’re on the crèche rota together. It’s the ancient world on its head. Whether you’re a master or a slave makes no difference – you’re brothers.
This is the truly radical thing about this letter. It finds two groups who could not be more different, more separate in the ancient world. Master and slave. And it levels the playing field between them. In Christ’s church, they’re side by side. They’re both slaves of Christ, and children of God.
This is why this little letter undermined the institution of slavery in a way that was bound to lead to its abolition. Once you say that in Christ, slave and master become brothers, equals, the whole system would come down like a house of cards. It’s only a shame that it took 18 centuries to happen.
I think it’s hard to find equivalents today. We don’t have any divisions as hard-wired as that between master and slave.
Class can be. In the old days, the upper classes would have a private chapel on their landed estate. The working classes would go to the parish church. Between the wars, there was a growth in the middle class, which slightly bridged that. But sadly, not many churches are equally welcoming, regardless of the background of those who would come.
Rank can be, too. We have a number of institutions that are very hierarchical. Some private sector workplaces are, but especially the police and the armed forces. Also you get it in some sectors of government. The moment the army have one padre for the officers, and a different one for the non-commissioned ranks, they fundamentally undermine the gospel. If the local police have a monthly prayer meeting, you can’t have different ones for constables and senior officers – for a few moments each month, they’re brother and sister, not officer and madam.
In some parts of the country, race and language are another area where deep divisions and mistrust can exist. Immigrants and native-born, there’s one church for us all.
Maybe we have to work out what our own examples are. The Christian church is a family for people from all sectors of society. There’s no rank or class in here. Our sin levels the playing field, and then God’s grace lifts us all up to the wonderful privilege of being God’s children.
His debt to the gospel. His status as a brother.
Conclusion
I hope you agree: The world that this little letter opens up is an extremely attractive one. Deep divisions between humans form a scar across our communities. The church is where those scars can heal, as being in the family of God smooths over those cracks.
I wonder if the challenge for each of us is a simple one: Who, in this church, do we find it hard to accept? Who do we feel is not really in the same league, on the same level as us. Maybe we look down on them. Maybe we feel they look down on us. Maybe there are past debts, mistakes from long ago, that are hard to let go.
Paul would say this to us: As we experience the love of God, so we can show that same love to others. As we know the forgiveness of God, so we can wipe out the debts of others. As we find the fatherhood of God, so we can see other Christians as our brothers and our sisters.