23/12/2024
A brief biography -
Who was Onesimus?
Onesimus (meaning "Useful) was a common slave name. This Onesimus was a slave from Colosse who robbed his master, Philemon, and fled. He escaped to Rome, where he met and was converted by Paul. Worried over Onesimus' situation, Paul sent him back to Colosse with Tychicus (Colossians 4:7-9) to deliver "The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to Philemon." Paul's epistle (letter) reads like an abolitionist manifesto. In his letter, Paul asked Philemon to accept Onesimus back, not as a slave, but as a "brother" (Philemon 1:10-19). Since runaway slaves faced stiff punishment, torture, and sometimes death, Paul's plea on behalf of Onesimus is a touching example of love. Some scholars tell us that Onesimus later became a bishop in Berea.
Just as Paul stepped in to save a slave from punishment, Jesus stepped in to save us. Just as Paul sought to pay Onesimus' debt to Philemon (1:18-19), Christ paid our debt to God.
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