{"id":13725,"date":"2024-06-27T00:21:36","date_gmt":"2024-06-27T00:21:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/?p=13725"},"modified":"2024-07-26T23:31:44","modified_gmt":"2024-07-26T23:31:44","slug":"philemon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/philemon\/","title":{"rendered":"Philemon: Quick Summary of the Book of Philemon"},"content":{"rendered":"

Philemon: Quick Summary of the Book of Philemon<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Written by <\/a>Joshua Schachterle, Ph.D<\/a><\/p>\n

Author |  Professor | Scholar<\/p>\n

Author |  Professor | BE Contributor<\/p>\n

Verified!  See our editorial guidelines<\/a><\/p>\n

Verified!  See our guidelines<\/a><\/p>\n\nDate written: June 27th, 2024\n

\nDate written: June 27th, 2024<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily match my own. – Dr. Bart D. Ehrman<\/p>\n

Within the collection of Pauline epistles<\/a>, the Epistle to Philemon stands out<\/strong>. Its brevity, single addressee, and specific occasion make it unusual among Paul\u2019s authentic letters. Despite its conciseness, however, scholars have long debated the circumstances and intent of its composition.<\/p>\n

In this article, I\u2019ll address these uncertainties while explaining the context in terms of ancient Roman slavery and prisons. In addition, I\u2019ll investigate why this letter is so different from other Pauline letters, and share Paul\u2019s views on slavery.<\/p>\n

\"Philemon\"<\/span><\/p>\n

How Is Philemon Unique?<\/h2>\n

Although the book of Philemon is among the undisputed letters of Paul<\/a>, it is unusual compared to Paul\u2019s other epistles in a couple of ways. First, it is the shortest of all Paul\u2019s letters, with the Greek text coming in at only 335 words. This makes it the third shortest book in the entire Bible (the shortest is 3 John, at 219 words and the second is 2 John, at 245 words).<\/p>\n

Although according to Eric Huntsman<\/a>, the average length of letters in the ancient Mediterranean world was less than 100 words, 335 words is extremely short for a Pauline letter<\/a>. To illustrate this, 1 Corinthians and Romans<\/a> are each over 9,000 words.<\/p>\n

Second, while the rest of Paul\u2019s undisputed letters are addressed to communities (Galatians, Romans, etc.), Philemon is addressed to one person \u2013 sort of. In fact, Philemon is the principal addressee of the letter, but in his greeting, Paul includes a woman named Apphia \u2013 probably Philemon\u2019s wife \u2013 and a man named Archippus, as well as the church hosted in Philemon\u2019s house.<\/p>\n

Who is Philemon? We don\u2019t know much about him. He was clearly a Christian who Paul had converted. He must have been fairly wealthy since he had a house with enough space for church gatherings, and we know he owned at least one slave. That\u2019s about the extent of our knowledge of him.<\/p>\n

That said, the rest of the letter seems to be speaking to Philemon alone. We know this because any time Paul uses the pronoun \u201cyou\u201d after the greeting, it is in the singular rather than the plural form. He\u2019s talking to one guy.<\/p>\n

Finally, while all Paul\u2019s letters are written to address specific questions and\/or problems, most of them deal with these issues using highly theological language. Philemon, while it does assume Paul\u2019s commitment to Christ, never veers into theology at all.<\/p>\n

Having understood the unique features of Philemon, let\u2019s look at the letter\u2019s general content.<\/p>\n\n<\/thead>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

Author<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

The Apostle Paul<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Dating<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Either mid-50s CE or 63-64 CE (depending on where it was written).<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Audience<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Primarily Philemon, although Apphia, and Archippus are greeted as well.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Theme<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Paul writes to reconcile Philemon with his former slave Onesimus.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Key Verse<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Philemon 1:15-16: \u201cPerhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back for the long term, no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother\u2014especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Summary of Philemon<\/h2>\n

Since Paul doesn\u2019t say where he is imprisoned, there are a couple of possible dates for the letter\u2019s composition. If he is in Rome, the date is around 63-64 CE, not long before Paul\u2019s death<\/a>. If, instead, he\u2019s writing from a prison in Ephesus, as many scholars believe, it was written in the mid 50s CE.<\/p>\n

Verses 1-3 start us off, as most ancient letters did, with a formal greeting. The letter begins by saying that it is from Paul, specified as \u201ca prisoner of Christ,\u201d but also on behalf of Timothy, whom Paul calls \u201cour brother.\u201d When Paul says he is a prisoner of Christ, he simply means that he is in prison due to his activities for Christ.<\/p>\n

Timothy was a missionary partner of Paul\u2019s who traveled with him to several places (as noted in the openings of other Pauline epistles, such as Philippians and 2 Corinthians). He was probably imprisoned with Paul as well.<\/p>\n

As I said above, Paul addresses his letter to Philemon, Apphia, and Archippus, but when he addresses \u201cthe church in your house,\u201d the \u201cyour\u201d is singular, indicating that the letter\u2019s message is meant solely for Philemon.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Next, in verses 4-7 Paul says that he is thankful for Philemon\u2019s love and faith. He says that he mentions Philemon in his prayers and that Philemon\u2019s faithfulness has given him joy.<\/p>\n

The body of the letter consists of verses 8-22. Here, Paul finally addresses the real occasion for writing to Philemon. He starts out by saying that, although he is bold (or outspoken) enough to command Philemon to do what is right, he prefers to gently ask this of Philemon in love.<\/p>\n

Paul then speaks on behalf of a man named Onesimus, whom he says has become a kind of spiritual son to him. This may mean that Onesimus simply sought out Paul in prison or even that Onesimus himself is imprisoned. It\u2019s already clear, however, that Philemon knows Onesimus, because in the next sentence, Paul says \u201cFormerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.\u201d This is actually a bit of wordplay in Greek: \u201cOnesimus\u201d means \u201cuseful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Who was Onesimus in the Bible? He may have been a runaway slave belonging to Philemon. Paul says that, although he\u2019d like to keep Onesimus with him, he\u2019s instead sending him back to Philemon. He asks that Philemon receive Onesimus \u201cno longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother.\u201d This is an unusual demand in the ancient world, which I\u2019ll discuss further later.<\/p>\n

Paul then says that if Onesimus has wronged Philemon in any way or owes him anything, that Paul himself will repay it. Just to ensure Philemon\u2019s compliance, Paul says he knows Philemon will obey his request since he owes Paul (presumably for teaching him about Christ).<\/p>\n

Finally, Paul says Philemon should prepare a guest room since he hopes to visit him soon. The letter then ends with additional greetings from other missionaries who are either imprisoned with Paul (Epaphras) or helping him while he is in prison (Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke).<\/p>\n

Now let\u2019s look at some detailed interpretation of this book, short as it is.<\/p>\n

[tqb_quiz id=’11973′]<\/p>\n

Interpretation of the Book of Philemon<\/h2>\n

Although this authentic letter of Paul is short and to the point, scholars point out that readers throughout Christian history have assumed many things about it which are not as certain as they might seem<\/strong>. For example, it\u2019s often assumed that Onesimus is a runaway slave, but as Barbara Geller notes in the Jewish Annotated New Testament<\/a>, this is not entirely clear.<\/p>\n

Perhaps, Geller suggests, Onesimus had simply sought out Paul, as Philemon\u2019s friend, to act as a mediator between him and his master. Or, perhaps Philemon had sent Onesimus to Paul in prison to help him by bringing supplies. Given the actual words of the text, either of these is equally possible. To appreciate why Philemon might have sent Onesimus to Paul, it\u2019s important to understand the Roman penal system.<\/p>\n

In Penal Practice and Penal Policy in Ancient Rome<\/a>, O.F. Robinson writes that Roman prisons were filthy, badly ventilated, and subterranean. Furthermore, the authorities provided no food or other necessities to prisoners, leaving that up to friends and families of the accused. It would make sense, then, that Philemon, hearing of Paul\u2019s imprisonment, might have sent his slave to take care of Paul. On the other hand, it makes equal sense that Onesimus could have appealed to Paul for help, since Paul seems to have already had friends helping him, whom he names at the end of the letter.<\/p>\n

Because we don\u2019t fully know the circumstances which brought Onesimus to Paul, we can\u2019t entirely know Paul\u2019s intent in writing the letter, as Geller points out. Does he want to keep Onesimus to serve him, as he seems to imply in verses 13-14? Alternatively, is he appealing to Philemon to welcome his returned slave with forgiveness, as verses 17-18 suggest? Is he actually suggesting that Philemon free Onesimus from slavery altogether since he is now a Christian (verses 16 and 21)?<\/p>\n

Despite centuries of assumptions and interpretation, all of these alternatives are possible but none are certain. In fact, Geller notes that another possibility is that Paul is simply applying pressure, not only to Philemon but also to his house church, to always love and forgive each other. But how did Paul feel about slavery?<\/p>\n

In Galatians 3:28, Paul wrote that \u201cthere is neither slave nor free\u201d in Christ. And yet, he never called for the abolition of slavery in any of his letters. For free citizens of Rome, slavery was such a common institution that they barely noticed it (of course slaves didn\u2019t feel this way, and there are extensive records of slave rebellions). However, the treatment of slaves was left almost entirely to the master\u2019s discretion.<\/p>\n

On the one hand, masters could free their slaves and those freedmen, as they were called, could become Roman citizens. On the other hand, slaves, as the legal property of their owners, could be mistreated at will.<\/p>\n

According to M.I. Finley in his book Ancient Slavery and Modern Ideology<\/a>, recaptured runaway slaves were punished harshly, sometimes even put to death. If Onesimus had indeed run away from Philemon, Philemon had every legal right to punish him. Perhaps this explains Paul\u2019s advocacy for Onesimus \u2014 a plea for mercy.<\/p>\n

In addition, Geller notes that since Paul seems to think Onesimus owes something which Paul offers to pay, Onesimus may have either stolen money from Philemon or merely deprived him of the value of his service in economic terms. Either way, Paul seems to be trying to placate Philemon so that Onesimus will be forgiven rather than punished.<\/p>\n

\"Onesimus<\/span><\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

While undoubtedly written by Paul, the Epistle to Philemon is unusual in several ways. It\u2019s not nearly as concerned, for instance, with theology. While all Paul\u2019s letters are occasional, most use theological language to address the concerns of particular groups. Not so with Philemon.<\/p>\n

Perhaps because of this, the letter is also incredibly short (for Paul, at least). At a mere 335 letters in its original Greek, the letter is Paul\u2019s shortest. It\u2019s still far longer than the average letter in Paul\u2019s time, but for the notoriously wordy Paul, it\u2019s remarkably succinct.<\/p>\n

In addition, while the letter greets Philemon, Apphia, Archippus, and the whole community that meets in Philemon\u2019s house, the rest of the letter addresses just Philemon, as evidenced by the use of the singular \u201cyou\u201d. All the other undisputed letters of Paul, on the other hand, are written to whole communities. Letters such as Titus and 1 and 2 Timothy are addressed to individuals in Paul\u2019s name, but the vast majority of scholars, such as Bart Ehrman<\/a>, believe that these were not written by Paul, but simply forged in his name.<\/p>\n

While the letter to Philemon is often assumed to be about a runaway slave named Onesimus, scholars are not entirely sure that\u2019s the case. Yes, Onesimus was somehow with Paul, either imprisoned with him or simply visiting him in prison. And yes, Onesimus was Philemon\u2019s slave. But the actual circumstances that brought Paul and Onesimus together are unclear.<\/p>\n

Why did Paul write the letter? One possibility is that Paul wanted Philemon\u2019s permission to keep Onesimus for his own service. On the other hand, perhaps Onesimus had run away and, in doing so, had wronged Philemon by stealing from him. This is suggested by Paul who says that if Onesimus owes Philemon anything, he \u2013 Paul \u2013 will pay Philemon back.<\/p>\n

While Paul says in several letters that in Christ slaves and free people are equal, he never calls for the abolition of slavery. However, his request for Philemon to take Onesimus back as \u201cmore than a slave, a beloved brother\u201d hints at the possibility that he thinks Onesimus should be freed.<\/p>\n

[tqb_quiz id=’11973′]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Philemon: Quick Summary of the Book of Philemon Written by Joshua Schachterle, Ph.D Author |  Professor | Scholar Author |  Professor | BE Contributor Verified!  See our editorial guidelines Verified!  See our guidelines Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily match my own. – Dr. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":13728,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","tve_updated_post":"

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Philemon: Quick Summary of the Book of Philemon<\/h2><\/div>
__CONFIG_post_symbol__{\"id\":\"9261\"}__CONFIG_post_symbol__<\/div><\/div>

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily match my own. - Dr. Bart D. Ehrman<\/p><\/div>

Within the collection of Pauline epistles<\/a>, the Epistle to Philemon stands out<\/strong>. Its brevity, single addressee, and specific occasion make it unusual among Paul\u2019s authentic letters. Despite its conciseness, however, scholars have long debated the circumstances and intent of its composition.<\/p>

In this article, I\u2019ll address these uncertainties while explaining the context in terms of ancient Roman slavery and prisons. In addition, I\u2019ll investigate why this letter is so different from other Pauline letters, and share Paul\u2019s views on slavery.<\/p><\/div>

\"Philemon\"<\/span><\/div>

How Is Philemon Unique?<\/h2><\/div>
\t

Although the book of Philemon is among the undisputed letters of Paul<\/a>, it is unusual compared to Paul\u2019s other epistles in a couple of ways. First, it is the shortest of all Paul\u2019s letters, with the Greek text coming in at only 335 words. This makes it the third shortest book in the entire Bible (the shortest is 3 John, at 219 words and the second is 2 John, at 245 words).<\/p>

Although according to Eric Huntsman<\/a>, the average length of letters in the ancient Mediterranean world was less than 100 words, 335 words is extremely short for a Pauline letter<\/a>. To illustrate this, 1 Corinthians and Romans<\/a> are each over 9,000 words.<\/p>

Second, while the rest of Paul\u2019s undisputed letters are addressed to communities (Galatians, Romans, etc.), Philemon is addressed to one person \u2013 sort of. In fact, Philemon is the principal addressee of the letter, but in his greeting, Paul includes a woman named Apphia \u2013 probably Philemon\u2019s wife \u2013 and a man named Archippus, as well as the church hosted in Philemon\u2019s house.<\/p>

Who is Philemon? We don\u2019t know much about him. He was clearly a Christian who Paul had converted. He must have been fairly wealthy since he had a house with enough space for church gatherings, and we know he owned at least one slave. That\u2019s about the extent of our knowledge of him.<\/p>

That said, the rest of the letter seems to be speaking to Philemon alone. We know this because any time Paul uses the pronoun \u201cyou\u201d after the greeting, it is in the singular rather than the plural form. He\u2019s talking to one guy.<\/p>

Finally, while all Paul\u2019s letters are written to address specific questions and\/or problems, most of them deal with these issues using highly theological language. Philemon, while it does assume Paul\u2019s commitment to Christ, never veers into theology at all.<\/p>

Having understood the unique features of Philemon, let\u2019s look at the letter\u2019s general content.<\/p><\/div>

<\/thead>

Author<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/div><\/td>

The Apostle Paul<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

Dating<\/strong><\/p><\/div><\/td>

Either mid-50s CE or 63-64 CE (depending on where it was written).<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

Audience<\/strong><\/p><\/div><\/td>

Primarily Philemon, although Apphia, and Archippus are greeted as well.<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

Theme<\/strong><\/p><\/div><\/td>

Paul writes to reconcile Philemon with his former slave Onesimus.<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

Key Verse<\/strong><\/p><\/div><\/td>

Philemon 1:15-16: \u201cPerhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back for the long term, no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother\u2014especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.\u201d<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div>

Summary of Philemon<\/h2><\/div>

Since Paul doesn\u2019t say where he is imprisoned, there are a couple of possible dates for the letter\u2019s composition. If he is in Rome, the date is around 63-64 CE, not long before Paul\u2019s death<\/a>. If, instead, he\u2019s writing from a prison in Ephesus, as many scholars believe, it was written in the mid 50s CE.<\/p>

Verses 1-3 start us off, as most ancient letters did, with a formal greeting. The letter begins by saying that it is from Paul, specified as \u201ca prisoner of Christ,\u201d but also on behalf of Timothy, whom Paul calls \u201cour brother.\u201d When Paul says he is a prisoner of Christ, he simply means that he is in prison due to his activities for Christ.<\/p>

Timothy was a missionary partner of Paul\u2019s who traveled with him to several places (as noted in the openings of other Pauline epistles, such as Philippians and 2 Corinthians). He was probably imprisoned with Paul as well.<\/p>

As I said above, Paul addresses his letter to Philemon, Apphia, and Archippus, but when he addresses \u201cthe church in your house,\u201d the \u201cyour\u201d is singular, indicating that the letter\u2019s message is meant solely for Philemon.<\/strong><\/p>

Next, in verses 4-7 Paul says that he is thankful for Philemon\u2019s love and faith. He says that he mentions Philemon in his prayers and that Philemon\u2019s faithfulness has given him joy.<\/p>

The body of the letter consists of verses 8-22. Here, Paul finally addresses the real occasion for writing to Philemon. He starts out by saying that, although he is bold (or outspoken) enough to command Philemon to do what is right, he prefers to gently ask this of Philemon in love.<\/p>

Paul then speaks on behalf of a man named Onesimus, whom he says has become a kind of spiritual son to him. This may mean that Onesimus simply sought out Paul in prison or even that Onesimus himself is imprisoned. It\u2019s already clear, however, that Philemon knows Onesimus, because in the next sentence, Paul says \u201cFormerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.\u201d This is actually a bit of wordplay in Greek: \u201cOnesimus\u201d means \u201cuseful.\u201d<\/p>

Who was Onesimus in the Bible? He may have been a runaway slave belonging to Philemon. Paul says that, although he\u2019d like to keep Onesimus with him, he\u2019s instead sending him back to Philemon. He asks that Philemon receive Onesimus \u201cno longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother.\u201d This is an unusual demand in the ancient world, which I\u2019ll discuss further later.<\/p>

Paul then says that if Onesimus has wronged Philemon in any way or owes him anything, that Paul himself will repay it. Just to ensure Philemon\u2019s compliance, Paul says he knows Philemon will obey his request since he owes Paul (presumably for teaching him about Christ).<\/p>

Finally, Paul says Philemon should prepare a guest room since he hopes to visit him soon. The letter then ends with additional greetings from other missionaries who are either imprisoned with Paul (Epaphras) or helping him while he is in prison (Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke).<\/p>

Now let\u2019s look at some detailed interpretation of this book, short as it is.<\/p><\/div>

__CONFIG_post_symbol__{\"id\":\"4835\"}__CONFIG_post_symbol__<\/div><\/div>

Interpretation of the Book of Philemon<\/h2><\/div>

Although this authentic letter of Paul is short and to the point, scholars point out that readers throughout Christian history have assumed many things about it which are not as certain as they might seem<\/strong>. For example, it\u2019s often assumed that Onesimus is a runaway slave, but as Barbara Geller notes in the Jewish Annotated New Testament<\/a>, this is not entirely clear.<\/p>

Perhaps, Geller suggests, Onesimus had simply sought out Paul, as Philemon\u2019s friend, to act as a mediator between him and his master. Or, perhaps Philemon had sent Onesimus to Paul in prison to help him by bringing supplies. Given the actual words of the text, either of these is equally possible. To appreciate why Philemon might have sent Onesimus to Paul, it\u2019s important to understand the Roman penal system.<\/p>

In Penal Practice and Penal Policy in Ancient Rome<\/a>, O.F. Robinson writes that Roman prisons were filthy, badly ventilated, and subterranean. Furthermore, the authorities provided no food or other necessities to prisoners, leaving that up to friends and families of the accused. It would make sense, then, that Philemon, hearing of Paul\u2019s imprisonment, might have sent his slave to take care of Paul. On the other hand, it makes equal sense that Onesimus could have appealed to Paul for help, since Paul seems to have already had friends helping him, whom he names at the end of the letter.<\/p>

Because we don\u2019t fully know the circumstances which brought Onesimus to Paul, we can\u2019t entirely know Paul\u2019s intent in writing the letter, as Geller points out. Does he want to keep Onesimus to serve him, as he seems to imply in verses 13-14? Alternatively, is he appealing to Philemon to welcome his returned slave with forgiveness, as verses 17-18 suggest? Is he actually suggesting that Philemon free Onesimus from slavery altogether since he is now a Christian (verses 16 and 21)?<\/p>

Despite centuries of assumptions and interpretation, all of these alternatives are possible but none are certain. In fact, Geller notes that another possibility is that Paul is simply applying pressure, not only to Philemon but also to his house church, to always love and forgive each other. But how did Paul feel about slavery?<\/p>

In Galatians 3:28, Paul wrote that \u201cthere is neither slave nor free\u201d in Christ. And yet, he never called for the abolition of slavery in any of his letters. For free citizens of Rome, slavery was such a common institution that they barely noticed it (of course slaves didn\u2019t feel this way, and there are extensive records of slave rebellions). However, the treatment of slaves was left almost entirely to the master\u2019s discretion.<\/p>

On the one hand, masters could free their slaves and those freedmen, as they were called, could become Roman citizens. On the other hand, slaves, as the legal property of their owners, could be mistreated at will.<\/p>

According to M.I. Finley in his book Ancient Slavery and Modern Ideology<\/a>, recaptured runaway slaves were punished harshly, sometimes even put to death. If Onesimus had indeed run away from Philemon, Philemon had every legal right to punish him. Perhaps this explains Paul\u2019s advocacy for Onesimus \u2014 a plea for mercy.<\/p>

In addition, Geller notes that since Paul seems to think Onesimus owes something which Paul offers to pay, Onesimus may have either stolen money from Philemon or merely deprived him of the value of his service in economic terms. Either way, Paul seems to be trying to placate Philemon so that Onesimus will be forgiven rather than punished.<\/p><\/div>

\"Onesimus<\/span><\/div>

Conclusion<\/h2><\/div>

While undoubtedly written by Paul, the Epistle to Philemon is unusual in several ways. It\u2019s not nearly as concerned, for instance, with theology. While all Paul\u2019s letters are occasional, most use theological language to address the concerns of particular groups. Not so with Philemon.<\/p>

Perhaps because of this, the letter is also incredibly short (for Paul, at least). At a mere 335 letters in its original Greek, the letter is Paul\u2019s shortest. It\u2019s still far longer than the average letter in Paul\u2019s time, but for the notoriously wordy Paul, it\u2019s remarkably succinct.<\/p>

In addition, while the letter greets Philemon, Apphia, Archippus, and the whole community that meets in Philemon\u2019s house, the rest of the letter addresses just Philemon, as evidenced by the use of the singular \u201cyou\u201d. All the other undisputed letters of Paul, on the other hand, are written to whole communities. Letters such as Titus and 1 and 2 Timothy are addressed to individuals in Paul\u2019s name, but the vast majority of scholars, such as Bart Ehrman<\/a>, believe that these were not written by Paul, but simply forged in his name.<\/p>

While the letter to Philemon is often assumed to be about a runaway slave named Onesimus, scholars are not entirely sure that\u2019s the case. Yes, Onesimus was somehow with Paul, either imprisoned with him or simply visiting him in prison. And yes, Onesimus was Philemon\u2019s slave. But the actual circumstances that brought Paul and Onesimus together are unclear.<\/p>

Why did Paul write the letter? One possibility is that Paul wanted Philemon\u2019s permission to keep Onesimus for his own service. On the other hand, perhaps Onesimus had run away and, in doing so, had wronged Philemon by stealing from him. This is suggested by Paul who says that if Onesimus owes Philemon anything, he \u2013 Paul \u2013 will pay Philemon back.<\/p>

While Paul says in several letters that in Christ slaves and free people are equal, he never calls for the abolition of slavery. However, his request for Philemon to take Onesimus back as \u201cmore than a slave, a beloved brother\u201d hints at the possibility that he thinks Onesimus should be freed.<\/p><\/div>

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