The Freed Man Returns to the House of His Bondage

A verse commentary on the one-chapter New Testament book of Philemon, short, rich, good.

Onesimus, enslaved in the house of Paul’s friend Philemon, one day stole all he could and escaped. The penalty: crucifixion.

Clearly, Onesimus was desperate to get out.

But in his flight, he met Paul, and through Paul, he met the risen Lord.

Now Onesimus and Philemon were part of the same family. And yet they each carried hurts. Injustice. Theft.

What shall be the new kingdom response? How to bridge the gap between brothers? How to encourage reconciliation?

Could the apostle straighten out this tangle with only a few words?

Under house arrest, with no other option, he would try, using all his rhetorical power.

And so Onesimus returned to the house of his bondage, carrying a letter.

No easy way around. Only the difficult way through.

Though Paul wrote many powerful epistles to large groups, and several letters to ministry partners Timothy and Titus, this is the only extant letter to a normal person, living life and seeking to usher in an entirely new way of living.

Paul shows up, surprisingly enough, with a sense of humor, dropping in an occasional pun. (Who even knew Paul had a sense of humor?)

Truly, a letter for the ages, as all generations struggle with imbalances of power, with injustice, with the need for healing and reconciliation.

Come have a vision for a way to restore relationships.