Philemon 1-16
Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our dear friend and co-worker, to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow-soldier,
and to the church in your house:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith towards the Lord Jesus. I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ. I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother.
For this reason, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do your duty, yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love—and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful both to you and to me. I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. I wanted to keep him with me, so that he might be of service to me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel; but I preferred to do nothing without your consent, in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not something forced. Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back for ever, no longer as a slave but as more than a slave, a beloved brother—especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
Reflection
It is sometimes said that the Bible contains no condemnation of slavery. In fact, I believe that the Book of Revelation contains a clear denunciation, which we shall read tomorrow. But today we hear Paul trying to stick to his principle of remaining obedient to the state and its institutions (Romans 13), while believing that following Christ requires living a life that is very different from the norm in the Roman Empire.
This skilfully worded letter appeals to Philemon to see Onesimus in a new light. Onesimus is now a Christian; that means he and Philemon are brothers. Paul never quite spells out the obvious conclusion, that he must not just be treated well, but be freed from slavery. Perhaps in case the letter was intercepted, Paul did not wish to say in so many words that the institution of slavery –vital to the economic system of the Roman Empire – was utterly wrong. But he does try to persuade Philemon do right by Onesimus.
As a Church policy officer, I had to convey to the government that the Church believes in change on a global and national scale, and also that each individual matters. So, the Church sends representatives to global COP climate and biodiversity conferences (I attended COP26 in Glasgow), but we also encourage each congregation to become an EcoChurch. In Wales, churches campaigned for the Welsh Government to declare Wales a Nation of Sanctuary, which it did in 2021; but local churches and families welcome refugees from Afghanistan, Syria, Ukraine and elsewhere into their homes and into church property. We campaign for changes to alleviate poverty nationally, and we welcome individuals to our foodbanks and local pantries.
We do not choose between individual and global justice. Paul powerfully appeals for an individual. Tomorrow we will read a call for global justice.
Prayer
Loving God,
we know that the causes of the suffering of individuals
can involve systems and institutions which neither they nor we can control.
Give us the wisdom to see when we must help the individual in front of us,
even though we cannot solve the root causes of their injustice,
and when we must campaign for change on a global scale.
In both cases, give us the courage to do what is right.
Amen.