INTRODUCTION
Rav Sha’ul (Apostle
Paul) was a very social, approachable and personable Rav and could relate to
all people no matter what socio-economic status they may be, from relating to
Gentile Greek Philosophers on Mars Hill, to concerned religious leaders, to
runaway slaves such as Onesimus here in the letter to Philemon. He practiced
and preached:
I Cor. 9:19-23 For though I be free
from all [men], yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the
more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them
that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under
the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law
to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without
law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all
things to all [men], that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the
gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with [you].
I Cor. 10:32-33 Give none offence,
neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: Even as I
please all [men] in all [things], not seeking mine own profit, but the [profit]
of many, that they may be saved.
This
personal letter, the shortest of all of Rav Sha’ul’s known writings was written
to a man named Philemon during the Rav’s first imprisonment at Rome (Acts
28:16-31) in 62 CE. Names in this letter are named in Rav Sha’ul’s letter to
the Colossians (Philemon vv. 1-2, 10, 23-24 / Colossians 4:9-10, 12, 14, 17), a
congregation which he had founded (Acts 20:31) which means Philemon most likely
lived in Colossae and that more than likely both letters (Philemon/Colossians)
were delivered at the same time by the hand of Tychicus.
Colossians
was a city in Asia Minor, Western Turkey, southeast of Laodicea and south of
Hierapolis. It was 100 miles was of Ephesus in the Lycus River Valley.
It seems
Philemon was a well to do Gentile convert under Rav Sha’ul (v.19) who some
believed through Rav Sha’ul’s ministry at Ephesus (Acts 19:10), who ran a
K’hilah (congregation) out of his home. Though we have no record of it, it is
likely Rav Sha’ul visited Colossae during his three year stay at Ephesus (Acts
19).
We see by
divine providence that Onesimus runs away from Philemon in Colossae and runs into
Rav Sha’ul in Rome where he is led to Messiah. Onesimus most likely knew Sha’ul
and sought him out rather than simply run into him in a city of approximately
1,500,000 people. It is not know for sure, but it is speculated that the reason
for Onesimus’ escape from Philemon was because he may have stolen something
from his masters or was accused of doing so and feared repercussions.
Through Rav
Sha’ul’s personable letter we see Grace in accordance with strict observance of
the Torah (Law) and see why Sha’ul was a Rav due to his masterful handling of
this situation regarding Philemon’s runaway slave Onesimus. The Torah addresses
this in Deut. 23:15-16:
“Thou shalt not deliver unto his
master the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee: He shall dwell
with thee, even among you, in that place which he shall choose in one of thy
gates, where it liketh him best: thou shalt not oppress him.”
The purpose
of this personal letter of Philemon was an attempt to bring a peaceful Torah
based solution and resolution to this matter. It is apparent that both Philemon
and Onesimus were Gentile converts; they were used to the Greek system and
understanding of slavery and a slave’s relationship to their owner as opposed
to the Hebraic understanding of slavery. Under Roman Law a runaway slave could
be punished by death, but seeing as both parties in this conundrum were now
believers who were to resolve problem by a Beyt Din (House of Judgment) within
their Messianic community and not by a secular authority; Rav Sha’ul, being a
master of Torah Law and as founder of the Colossae congregation, was the
accepted authority to resolve the situation.
The issue of
Scriptural Slavery has been taken out of contest because most people look at it
in light of the cruel African, Asian, and Native American slave trades. Slavery
in Torah terminology between two Hebrews is best understood in regards to an
indentured servant or a hired hand.
May times a
Hebrew would find themselves in debt with the threatening prospect of being
sold into slavery as a result. So the Torah says it’s best to be indebted to a
Jew as opposed to a foreigner because the Torah gives guidelines on the
treatment of slaves and it reads like an Employer / Employee hand book. It even
makes room for a type of severance pay. Hebrew slaves are treated so well that
it can turn into a full time position.
Deut. 15:12-18 And if thy brother, an
Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years;
then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee. And when thou
sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty: Thou
shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of
thy winepress: of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt
give unto him. And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of
Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing
to day. And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee;
because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with thee; Then thou
shalt take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be
thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise. It
shall not seem hard unto thee, when thou sendest him away free from thee; for
he hath been worth a double hired servant to thee, in serving thee six years:
and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest.
Rav Sha’ul
knew this concept real well and was proud to call himself a slave, servant, and
or bond servant to God, depending on what translation you use (Rom. 1:1, Titus
1:1).
Even
non-Hebrew slaves serving a Hebrew had it good. Eleazar, Abraham’s servant
would have gotten everything if Ishmael and Isaac didn’t come along. Abraham
trusted him to find a wife for his son Isaac (Gen. 15:2).
But the
Torah also says:
Deut. 23:15 (16)Thou shalt not deliver unto
his master the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee: 16 (17) He
shall dwell with thee, even among you, in that place which he shall choose in
one of thy gates, where it liketh him best: thou shalt not oppress him.
We are
always to remember where we came from as a people, that we to were once slaves
in Egypt.
Rav Sha’ul
found himself in a tough rabbinical position. In the letter to Philemon we see
that Rav Sha’ul is in prison with a runaway slave named Onesimus. Rav Sha’ul
knowing the Torah full well probably had these very verses in mind when dealing
with this dilemma. For the verses above tells us that a Jew must not return a
runaway slave to his former master. But on the other hand apparently at some
point during his stay with the Rav, Onesimus converted to Natsari Judaism
(1:14) and was thus no longer just a Gentile slave, but a Hebrew brother in the
Messiah. So Rav Sha’ul convinces Onesimus upon his release to return with this
letter to Philemon; the letter implores Philemon to receive Onesimus back as a
brother (1:16). Rav Sha’ul even vouches for Philemon that he himself would be
held responsible if Philemon stole anything or damaged him in any way (1:18).
I imagine
Rav Sha’ul was thinking of the good relationship that Abraham and Eleazar had
as a model for Philemon and his Master to follow, which was similar to a father
and son relationship rather than a slave / master or even employer / employee
relationship.
In our
dealings with each other, let us keep in mind that whatever situation we may
find ourselves in the body, that we are all mishpocha (family) and need to
treat one another as such.
I call this
commentary “The Pacifying of Philemon” because Rav Sha’ul’s attempt to pacify a
believing slave owner who understandably may have felt angry and betrayed. Rav
Sha’ul works to come to a Torah based solution to pacify Philemon.
I use the
King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise noted due to its universality
and status of public domain which is free to quote without restriction of any
copyright.
