Introduction
This article considers the difficult questions about slavery that arise when studying Philemon, particularly in the current climate of identity politics and the Church's discussion on racism and reparation. The article is solemn and reflective but gives hope that Paul's beliefs and efforts can help us process challenging topics.
Context
The letter to Philemon and the topic of slavery is undeniably one of the more difficult topics to cover in a regular church service or meeting – daring to even cover it in the safety of a small group could create a difficult atmosphere for discussion and discernment.
In our society, conversations around identity are often grounded in the events that shaped us, our parents, and those who came before us. For many of Afro-Caribbean heritage in the UK, the enslavement of their ancestors is a deeply defining historical moment that demands to this day collective processing and remembrance, even as it offers strength and lessons to society for a better future.
As Christians we often look to scripture for guidance on difficult issues, finding parallels and examples of righteousness and wisdom to tackle the evil in the world – yet here we have a letter from Paul discussing the future of Onesimus a slave, not directly tackling the evil of slavery. It reminds us that throughout most of scripture slavery is a common and established institution in the world – one in which the Hebrews took part (Exodus 21, Leviticus 25, Deut 15).
Paul's approach
Whilst the result of God’s love for humanity is liberation from the slavery of sin (Romans 6:15-23,) and its resulting wage (Romans 6:23), when we read the scriptures, such as the letter to Philemon, we see that it is not a given that faith in God, and converting to Christianity, liberates those in physical slavery (Romans 13:1-7, Ephesians 6: 5-9). Physical emancipation, as modern history has shown us, comes from the petition of the saints - everyday Christians who act according to God’s original intention for his people. In summary, Paul has sent quite a coded request to Philemon regarding the status of Onesimus, the slave who left his master and has been serving Paul in Rome.
Whilst little can be known from the text about the legal ramifications for the runaway slave and his ‘host’ according to Roman law, we know that a slave in Italy had no legal rights until the 2nd century AD (see CTBI's We will repay bible study). We also have insight into the religious laws of the Hebrews and a personal experience of Christ that would have influenced Paul's conscience and motivation. According to the law of Moses, Paul could provide refuge to the runaway slave and not send him back to his master (Deut 23:15), but Paul has it on his conscience that Philemon is at a disadvantage without Onesimus and feels obligated to make reparation (Phil v19) by sending him back, repaying the cost of loss or damages.
Further to this, Paul has two requests:
- Onesimus be received as a brother, not a slave
- Onesimus be returned to Paul to aid him in his ministry (as he is in prison for the gospel).
These requests were delivered persuasively, not as commands but as gestures to consider in light of Philemon’s own debt to Paul, who led him to knowledge of the gospel and what that might mean for Christians owning Christian slaves.
In the Old Testament, we see that God spoke into an existing system of slavery and set boundaries and parameters regarding the treatment of slaves and the obligations of the masters – in particular, the system relevant to Hebrew slaves with Hebrew masters. The general outline of the system should lead to the restoration of the slaves' dignity and independence, having paid what they owed, served time for a crime or been covered financially and saved from destitution. And we can see these sentiments from Paul about Onesimus, who has now found salvation and become spiritual kin. Onesimus is now an asset to the kingdom of God and has become a son and brother in the Christian community. Paul is offering to pay what is owed and see this slave set free and received into a community whose ideals are heavenly (no slave, no free), albeit with the acknowledgement of the culture and society in which they live, where slavery is a foundational institution. Simply put, whilst Paul has high hopes, he makes no high commands, which can feel disappointing and cause such internal conflict for the Christian reader, particularly those whose very presence as a minority in Europe and the Americas is a result of the trading of their ancestors.
Onesimus' role
And what of Onesimus? What did he say in all of this? What were his hopes for his future? What had he run from? Here is a man who may never have known freedom, going from one form of servanthood to another and no mention of his input. This is a difficult letter to read and to contextualise. It doesn't readily afford the outcomes and ideals Africans may have sought for themselves during their own captivity:
- to be fully independent
- to go back home
- to have a powerful voice in the conversation of their destiny
- to be compensated as victims of atrocities.
What can we say about Onesimus’ agency and his capacity to act? Is he a useful archetype - the runaway Roman slave? If we rely on scripture, unfortunately, there is not enough to go on except that he resisted his situation and willingly converted to Christianity and continued in a serving (but not enslaved) capacity to Paul. Beyond that, his earthly destiny appears to lie in the hands of Paul and Philemon.
Relevance to today
On the other hand, Paul the Hebrew with Roman citizenship, the imprisoned missionary and apostle, does offer theological insight and principle as the European churches continue to process their complicity in systems of slavery, as well as for the descendants of African enslaved peoples, who wrestle with the biblical and political implications of reparation and/or flourishing as minorities in foreign lands. Paul has compassion toward Onesimus and does not overtly rebuke Onesimus’ choice to resist his circumstances. Whilst again not overtly challenging the system of slavery, he petitions for Onesimus’ freedom. He offers reparation to Philemon, inspired by the system of his Hebrew forebears as commanded by God, and seeks to cover the cost of holding Onesimus longer than he ought and also to cover any offences Onesimus may have caused.
The letter to Philemon set against the backdrop of God’s redemption plan is a window into a complex human issue. The ideal is for all people to be restored to communion with God as liberated image bearers – free people ‘both in flesh and in the Lord’ (Phil v16), yet the reality is that we are constrained by the broken systems of our societies until the return of Christ. The hope and lesson from all this is to be inspired and act according to the ideal i.e. God’s original intention for humanity, with humility, wisdom and sensitivity.
God chose an enslaved people and liberated them. The site of his incarnation was among those occupied by the Romans and he taught a greater liberation with the promise of ultimate liberation to be fulfilled upon his return. Let that be our guide.
See also:
Reference
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E.P. Louis is an emerging theologian, researcher and resource developer based in South London. Louis’ research focuses on ways of developing an anti-racist church by putting decolonisation into practice.
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