Philemon 10-16

10: I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment,
11: who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me.
12: I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart,
13: whom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel;
14: but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will.
15: For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back 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.

***

After preparing Philemon for what he was about to say, Paul made his request. Onesimus was a slave of Philemon. He somehow became separated from him—possibly by running away—and ended up with Paul who led him to the Lord. Onesimus’ name means “useful,” and Paul used this play on words to say he was formerly useless to Philemon but was now useful to both of them as a brother in Christ.

Paul shared his strong feelings toward Onesimus saying that by sending him back to Philemon he was sending his “very heart.” He called him a beloved brother. Paul wanted to keep him there with him to minister to him while he was in prison but didn’t want to do so without Philemon—his owner’s—consent.

Paul wanted Philemon to receive Onesimus back not as a slave, but as a brother. He said maybe this was why the temporary separation between the two occurred, so that he would have him back forever as a brother in Christ. He would mean much more to both Philemon and Paul as a brother than he did before.

Although the Bible doesn’t speak in favor of slavery, it doesn’t normally call for an uprising of slaves against their masters either. God did call Moses to lead Israel out of slavery in Egypt, but He pleaded with Pharoah first to grant the request willingly. He reluctantly did, then changed his mind and ended up drowned in the Red Sea (Exodus 1-14). With or without Pharoah keeping his word, God granted Israel their freedom from slavery. His plan would proceed. However, Jesus didn’t come to redeem social or political policies, but to redeem individual hearts of people who are themselves to transform their society by kingdom principles.


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