Did the Apostle Paul send Onesimus back to Philemon as a slave?

[tonychanyt]

De 23:

15 You shall not give up to his master a slave who has escaped from his master to you. He shall dwell with you, in your midst, in the place that he shall choose within one of your towns, wherever it suits him. You shall not wrong him.

Don't send the runaway slave back to his original owner. This Mosaic law contradicted Roman law more than a millennium later.

BSB, Phm 1:

10 I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whose father I became while I was in chains.

Paul considered Onesimus to be his spiritual son. The name "Onesimus" meant "useful" or "profitable" in Greek. He made a wordplay with the name:

11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.

Onesimus became a believer under Paul's care. He became useful to the Lord.

12 I am sending back to you him who is my very heart.

Roman law required a runaway slave (fugitivus) to be returned to his original owner.

13 I would have liked to keep him with me,

That's against Roman law.

so that on your behalf he could minister to me in my chains for the gospel. 14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness will not be out of compulsion, but by your own free will.

Paul didn't want to order Philemon but to appeal to him.

15 For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back for good— 16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a beloved brother. He is especially beloved to me, but even more so to you, both in person and in the Lord.

Paul sent Onesimus back to Philemon, not as a slave but as a fellow believer in the Lord. Paul appealed to Philemon's sense of Christian love to set Onesimus free to be a slave (bondservant) in Christ. Paul didn't appeal to Moses' De 23:15.

17 So if you consider me a partner, receive him as you would receive me. 18 But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to my account. 19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand. I will repay it—not to mention that you owe me your very self.

Subtly, Paul drew on his apostolic authority to try to convince Philemon to free Onesimus. Paul crafted his letter carefully to avoid violating Roman law and telling Philemon what to do.

20 Yes, brother, let me have some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.

It was a masterpiece in deliberative rhetorical writhing.

Around the same time, Paul wrote a separate letter to the Colossians 4:

7 Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. 8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, 9 and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here.

Philemon's local congregation was aware that Onesimus was a trustworthy individual.

Did the Apostle Paul send Onesimus back to Philemon as a slave?

Yes, according to Roman law.

No, according to Christian love. Paul appealed to Philemon to receive Onesimus as a beloved brother in the Lord.

Ignatius mentioned Onesimus being the bishop of Ephesus. Provided this was the same person, Onesimus went from slave to brother to bishop. Ephesus was only 200 km from Colossae. There was a good chance that Philemon obliged.

 

[Hoping2]

De 23:


Don't send the runaway slave back to his original owner. This Mosaic law contradicted Roman law more than a millennium later.

BSB, Phm 1:


Paul considered Onesimus to be his spiritual son. The name "Onesimus" meant "useful" or "profitable" in Greek. He made a wordplay with the name:


Onesimus became a believer under Paul's care. He became useful to the Lord.


Roman law required a runaway slave (fugitivus) to be returned to his original owner.


That's against Roman law.


Paul didn't want to order Philemon but to appeal to him.


Paul sent Onesimus back to Philemon, not as a slave but as a fellow believer in the Lord. Paul appealed to Philemon's sense of Christian love to set Onesimus free to be a slave (bondservant) in Christ. Paul didn't appeal to Moses' De 23:15.


Subtly, Paul drew on his apostolic authority to try to convince Philemon to free Onesimus. Paul crafted his letter carefully to avoid violating Roman law and telling Philemon what to do.


It was a masterpiece in deliberative rhetorical writhing.

Around the same time, Paul wrote a separate letter to the Colossians 4:


Philemon's local congregation was aware that Onesimus was a trustworthy individual.

Did the Apostle Paul send Onesimus back to Philemon as a slave?

Yes, according to Roman law.

No, according to Christian love. Paul appealed to Philemon to receive Onesimus as a beloved brother in the Lord.

Ignatius mentioned Onesimus being the bishop of Ephesus. Provided this was the same person, Onesimus went from slave to brother to bishop. Ephesus was only 200 km from Colossae. There was a good chance that Philemon obliged.

What ever happened to Onesimus, was in Philemon's hands.

 

[Reluctant Theologian]

De 23:


Don't send the runaway slave back to his original owner. This Mosaic law contradicted Roman law more than a millennium later.

BSB, Phm 1:


Paul considered Onesimus to be his spiritual son. The name "Onesimus" meant "useful" or "profitable" in Greek. He made a wordplay with the name:


Onesimus became a believer under Paul's care. He became useful to the Lord.


Roman law required a runaway slave (fugitivus) to be returned to his original owner.


That's against Roman law.


Paul didn't want to order Philemon but to appeal to him.


Paul sent Onesimus back to Philemon, not as a slave but as a fellow believer in the Lord. Paul appealed to Philemon's sense of Christian love to set Onesimus free to be a slave (bondservant) in Christ. Paul didn't appeal to Moses' De 23:15.


Subtly, Paul drew on his apostolic authority to try to convince Philemon to free Onesimus. Paul crafted his letter carefully to avoid violating Roman law and telling Philemon what to do.


It was a masterpiece in deliberative rhetorical writhing.

Around the same time, Paul wrote a separate letter to the Colossians 4:


Philemon's local congregation was aware that Onesimus was a trustworthy individual.

Did the Apostle Paul send Onesimus back to Philemon as a slave?

Yes, according to Roman law.

No, according to Christian love. Paul appealed to Philemon to receive Onesimus as a beloved brother in the Lord.

Ignatius mentioned Onesimus being the bishop of Ephesus. Provided this was the same person, Onesimus went from slave to brother to bishop. Ephesus was only 200 km from Colossae. There was a good chance that Philemon obliged.

I like your explanation - still we don't know whether Paul was urging Philemon to literally grant Onesimus his freedom, but he did urge him to receive as a brother. It's fascinating Paul in his letters does not command slave owners to release their slaves - slavery wasn't defined as sin by Torah. Paul reminds the slave owners to treat their slaves well, as even the slave owner has a Master (Yeshua) - see Ephesians 6:9:

And masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.

It's unfortunate that most translations obscure Paul's opening salutation in several letters in which he describes himself as a 'slave to God/Christ' - obediently and proudly serving Him. (Romans 1:1, Philippians 1:1, Titus 1:1)