People in Paul's Life
13 - Onesimus
In this final study of some of the people Paul encountered in his life we are going to look at Onesimus. He was a man who had a wonderful testimony to tell, but unfortunately the Bible only gives us an outline.
Onesimus was a slave owned by Philemon. It appears that he had had enough of being in such a lowly position and had ideas of greater things for himself. So he runs away. I suspect the fact that he had stolen from his master was the reason he had run away. He knew that if he had stayed and been found out he would be punished quite severely and would have to forfeit some of his privileges.
By running away he had severed his relationship between master and slave. He had put himself into a situation where he was no longer cared for by Philemon. In fact he had probably made himself into an enemy of Philemon, so he travelled as far away from him as he possibly could. He could have travelled to Ephesus and tried to get lost in the crowd, but he didn’t, possibly because he might have been seen by people who would recognize him as a slave of Philemon. Instead he travels approximately 1200 miles to Rome where he would not expect to be found - a place where he would be able to start a new life. After all he probably had plenty of money which he had stolen from his master.
We are not sure how it happened, but it appears he ended up in prison. If you were to go to a group of people in prison and ask them why they were there, they could probably give you a variety of reasons, that is, if they were prepared to tell you. However, regardless of what they have done wrong, the main reason they are there is because they were found out. The seriousness of the crime determines the length of the sentence. They can go for many years without being found out and perhaps they never will, but they will live in fear of being found out.
We read that Onesimus’ wrong doing came out into the open when Onesimus came into contact with Paul, and through the preaching of Paul, he came into a relationship with the Lord. I wonder how honest he was with Paul when they first met. Did he tell him that he was a slave who had run away from his master? I suspect he didn't to begin with. He probably came into contact with Paul because he had ended up in prison after committing further crimes.
I believe that the hearing of the good news of salvation made him feel guilty for what he had done and he came to know the Lord as his Saviour, and as a result his life changed. He became a new person and as a result he became useful to Paul in his ministry, or “profitable”, as we read in verse 11. In fact he had become so useful to Paul that he would like to have kept him with him to help him while being in prison.
But he was the property of someone else. He was the property of Philemon. So in order to put things right in his life he had to be reconciled to him. He could then become profitable to the one who he should be.
But he had wronged his master and therefore couldn’t progress in his Christian life until he had put right the wrong he had done. He needed to be forgiven and as a result could become a brother in Christ to Philemon, and not just a brother, but a “beloved brother” as we read in verse 16.
This is where his contact with Paul came in useful. Onesimus had an obligation to return to his master, and Paul was going to give him the opportunity of going back to Philemon as a different person and should be treated as such.
He would still be a slave (or servant) but hopefully Philemon would see him with different eyes and Onesimus would carry out his duties in a different way as there would be a new dimension in their relationship. He must also remember that although he will still be in the service of Philemon, he must make amends for his wrongdoing. Then the change that had happened in his life would make him useful in his master's service.
Paul had seen the change which had happened in Onesimus' life and knew that Philemon would see it also, so Paul wrote a short letter to his friend Philemon. The main purpose was to persuade him to accept Onesimus back into his home after he had run away.
Slavery had been around for many years. In Psalm 105 and verse 17 we read that Joseph “was sold as a slave”. Slavery was also very much a part of life in Judea, Galilee, and in the rest of the Roman Empire during New Testament times. Neither Jesus nor Paul, nor any other Biblical figure is recorded as saying anything in opposition to the institution of slavery.
Slaves were either bought or taken in payment of a debt. This meant they became the property of their master so they were legally bound to do everything their master asked them to do. Hebrew slaves were to be given their freedom after a set number of years but this rule didn’t apply to Gentiles. If the servant (or slave) was happy in the service of their master then they could remain a servant for life.
So, from this short book of just 25 verses let us see what we can learn about this man who Paul had come to love.
Onesimus was a victim of a system which, as we have seen, had been around for many years and which had become an unavoidable fact of life, rather than a victim of Philemon.
It wouldn't matter if Philemon was the kindest person around, Onesimus was at a disadvantage and resented being in the situation he was in (most people would).
We are told in verse 18 that Onesimus had probably done wrong by stealing from his master. At least we are told that he probably owed Philemon something. Paul said, "If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me." (v.18)
From this I would say that Onesimus showed very little respect for his master. In fact I would say that he is trying to serve two masters - Philemon and himself. He was presumably getting paid for the work he did. He would also be getting his food and accommodation, but it wasn't enough for Onesimus. He wanted more than he was entitled to so he took what belonged to someone else.
In the same way slavery has been around for many years, so has stealing, and God also gave rules concerning it.
The eighth commandment as found in Exodus chapter 20 and verse 15 reads, “You shall not steal.” Onesimus had broken this commandment and deserved to be punished by both God and Philemon. The only way to avoid this punishment from Philemon was to repay what had been stolen and beg for forgiveness. Until he did this the threat of punishment would be hanging over his head. He may have asked the Lord for forgiveness when he was born again, but that didn’t absolve him from any punishment from Philemon.
Although Paul promised in his letter to Philemon that he would repay anything that Onesimus owed him, he could never be accepted by Philemon as the “dear brother” and as “a brother in the Lord” that we read about in verse 16, without admitting the wrong he had done and then saying he was sorry to Philemon.
The apostle John in chapter 1 of his first letter and verse 9 writes, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” In the same way Paul’s letter would help him seek forgiveness from Philemon and enable him to be useful in his service for Philemon and in his new relationship.
From a spiritual point of view we are all slaves. Jesus said, "Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin." (John 8:34) and the writer of Proverbs in chapter 5 and verses 22 and 23 says, "The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his skin hold him fast. He will die for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly."
After the change in his life Onesimus became a new creature (or a new creation). Have you come face to face with the Lord and sought His forgiveness and entered into a new and living relationship with Him?