Philemon

Such a short and simple book of the Bible, one might easily wonder why it was even put in there. To be honest, I’m entirely sure. Paul does not teach any doctrine in it, nor is it a book of correction. The book of Philemon is simply a letter written by Paul, whereby Paul is asking Philemon to do him a favor. You see, Philemon is fellow believer and friend of Pauls. In verse 4, Paul even goes so far as to say that Philemon is constantly in his prayers. The subject of this letter concerns the treatment of Onesimus, who Paul met in prison. Onesimus was a slave of Philemon’s who had escaped custody. By every legal right, Philemon could punish him severely or even kill him. In this letter, Paul pleads Onesimus’s case, because in his absense, he became a believer in Christ. Onisimus is returning to Philemon as a servant and will live as a servant, but Paul asks that Philemon treat him more as a brother than a slave.What can we learn from this book, then? Well, if anything, I think it is a prime example of how we are to treat each other as fellow believers. We each share a kinship and reaches far beyond race or social class. The black Christian, the hispanic Christian, and the homeless Christian are just as much your brother or sister as the one who wears a suit and tie every Sunday and goes by the name, “Brother Bill.”

The blood of Christ unites us all. Don’t let your mind seperate us.