By: Obed Pineda
The annals of history reveal to modern society that life in ancient Rome was complex. When we think about Rome, it is common for our mind’s eye to bring forth images of the decorated and feared soldiers of the empire’s military. The reason for this is unquestionably because of the multiplicity of films, stories, and other elements of entertainment that have been heavily concentrated on this aspect of that archaic world. Another cruel aspect of Roman civilization was that most of its residents were composed of men and woman who had lived their entire lives without freedom. Scholars have estimated that during the first century (i.e. New Testament times) one out of every five people belonged to the large community of slaves living in the Roman empire. The reason for this vast majority was in great part thanks to Rome’s conquering ways. The bulk of enslaved people were foreigners who had been taken captive by Roman soldiers as spoils of their triumphant battles. The remaining number of slaves was made up of men and women who sold themselves or their children into bondage due to large debts they were unable to pay. Even though it is true that people were not enslaved because of the color of their skin in that old world, the cruel and merciless nature of enslavement was by no means nullified. Men and women were still dehumanized, reduced to the status of property and not fellow human beings. What resulted from this travesty was that those who now belonged to the slave class had been stripped of all their human rights and liberties legally under Roman law. This meant that their masters could abuse them in any way they so desired, without any penalty from the law. A slave was not allowed to sue or report any abusive “employer” to the authorities since they had no voice in that society. In the eyes of Rome, a slave was no different than an ox or a mule used for labor. Upon consideration of the barbarity and atrocity that a slave would endure under a biased system, it makes sense why he or she would be motivated to run away from their master. The outrage of the injustices they suffered daily from malicious masters, would undeniably spark a rebellious spirit in any person desperate to be freed from such harsh conditions. Yet, it is curious that the inspired Paul would instruct quite the opposite to a runaway slave by the name of Onesimus (cf. Philemon). The epistle written by Paul to his “beloved friend and fellow laborer” Philemon is irrefutably the most personal letter included in Holy Writ (Philemon 1:1b). The caring and imploring tone of the apostle is indeed palpable as Paul intercedes on behalf of Onesimus to his master, Philemon (cf. Philemon 1:8-10). The apostle to the Gentiles acknowledges that Onesimus had wronged Philemon by running away and perhaps by stealing money from him as well (as many Biblical scholars infer from Philemon 1:18). Paul was well aware of the position he was placing Philemon in, taking into account the world they lived in. Remember that Philemon, as a slave owner and master, was expected to dispense “appropriate” punishment to Onesimus for his crimes against him by his fellow peers and Roman law. This could be executed in an innumerable amount of torturous ways that were expected to deter other slaves from attempting to runaway or worse; incite an uprising against their masters. For this reason, Paul’s appeal to Philemon was undoubtedly a hefty one, but the same was true for what Paul instructed Onesimus what he must do if he was to obtain his master’s forgiveness and grace. The apostle declares to Philemon, “I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains, who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me. I am sending him back.You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart” (Philemon 1:10-12). For Onesimus to hear that he needed to return to the master whom he wronged by running away was grim when it is realized the consequences that he could suffer. Yet, the apostle Paul helped Onesimus understand that it was necessary that he “should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance” (Acts 26:20b). It is worth noting that true repentance is always revealed by the restorative actions that succeed it. Jehovah God commanded His prophet to explain to the wicked that their path to redemption would take place when “he turns from his sins and does what is lawful and right,if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has stolen,and walks in the statues of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of his sins which he has committed shall be remembered against him; he has done what is lawful and right;he shall surely live” (Ezekiel 33:14-16). For Onesimus, the path restoring him back to good standing with God required him to return to his master and take responsibility for his wrongful actions. Unequivocally, what was necessary for him to do was terrifying considering what gruesome punishments could be doled out by a cruel and merciless master. Hence the beauty of Paul’s appeal to Philemon, a fellow brother in the faith to both him and Onesimus. There can be no doubt that Paul was against Philemon (or any slave owner) exacting inhumane abuse on other human beings. After all, he had felt the wicked, bitter sting of that type of torture several times himself (cf. 2ndCorinthians 11:22-28). Further proof of Paul’s opposition to the mistreatment of others is evinced with his inspired instructions to those Christians who owned slaves encouraging them of “giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him” thus motivating them to “give your bondservants what is just and faith, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven” (Ephesians 6:9, Colossians 4:1). Paul was asking nothing different from Philemon regarding his reception of Onesimus. The apostle was teaching his beloved friend and brother to forgive his fellow brother, Onesimus, as Christ had forgiven him for his trespasses (cf. Colossians 3:13). He was teaching his beloved son the precious value of displaying godly sorrow through repentance by sending him back to his master, encouraging him to trust that his fellow brother in Christ would receive him with mercy, because he was now more than just a slave to Philemon. Paul was teaching Onesimus that Philemon a faithful bondservant of Christ would lovingly receive him as an equal. Had Onesimus refused to go back, he would have denied Philemon the chance to manifest his Christlike character to him, his fellow slaves, and to the other slave owners that surrounded them. God used the reunion of Philemon and Onesimus to illuminate to the world that through His Son’s Gospel, truly “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). How amazingly astounding it is to learn that God used love to effectively abolish slavery, reminding humanity that all men were certainly made equal in His image and likeness (cf. 1stJohn 4:20-21).