In it Paul expresses his deep love for the people involved. The writing is filled with genuine pastoral concern. At question is a slave named Onesimus who has run away from his master (Philemon). Paul has so much concern for Onesimus’ situation that he refers to him as “more than a slave,” but “a beloved brother,” “my child,” “my own heart.” And he names Philemon (the owner) with similar terms of affection, “dear friend,” “co-worker,” and “partner.”
Clearly Paul is doing more than sending a personal letter affecting the relationship between two people. He is writing to the whole church family (to the church in your house) and he hopes to set some new precedents. Through the use of emotion (I appeal to you on the basis of love), humor (prepare a guest room for me), and shameless arm twisting (if he owes you anything, charge that to my account … I will repay it. I say nothing about your owing me even your own self), Paul urges Philemon to change his mind. Even though Philemon legally owns Onesimus and the law supports the fact that he can do anything he wants with his property once it is returned to him, Paul urges him to look at Onesimus as a fellow church member and a child of Christ rather than a mere investment. No doubt the situation was a common one in the church since so many members were freed men and women, manumitted slaves, or still trapped in bondage.
The interesting thing about the letter to Philemon is that even though Paul is committed to the individuals involved and works hard to get Philemon and other church members to develop a more open attitude toward the slaves in their midst, he never speaks against the injustice and horror of the institution of slavery. It apparently never crosses his mind and in the letters to Colossians and Ephesians it is clear that the church continued to endorse it even if attempts were made to mitigate its terrible effects. As far as we know, Paul never lifted a finger to stop the torture it imposed and in fact, his writings were used throughout the centuries by some Christians to support slavery in the United States and apartheid in South Africa.
The questions Philemon raises for our congregations today do not make us comfortable.
If Paul and his fellow church members could be so blind to the injustices around them, what theological blind spots do we have?
When believers look back at us in fifty or one hundred or two thousand years, will they wonder about us and ask, “How could they have believed such a thing? Did they not see how awful what they were doing was? Why didn’t they reject and fight against the great evil all around them?”
What might our spiritual blind spots be? When I asked some college students that question they made some suggestions. Perhaps, they responded, we are insensitive to the costly ramifications of the continuing struggle to give women full civil, political, or personal rights. Or maybe it is the prejudicial attitudes we still harbor toward some racial-ethnic groups, the violence we permit toward gays and lesbians, or the common assumption that international disputes often can only be resolved through the use of military force.
What theological blind spots exist in your congregation? What would your list include? How can you change your behavior if issues important to you are being ignored? What can you do to ask God to forgive you and give you the strength to change your mind?
How can we make sure that the churches we love so much are fulfilling Paul’s criteria for a good church in Philemon by doing their duty, sharing their faith effectively, and perceiving the good that could be accomplished in Christ’s name?
Earl S. Johnson Jr. is the pastor of First Church in Johnstown, N.Y. and adjunct professor of religious studies at Siena College.
