Read John Pace

Onesimus, a focal point in Paul’s letter to Philemon, is a poster-child for the Apostle’s words to the Corinthians:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV).

In his letter, Paul appeals to Philemon to embrace the return of his runaway slave who is now a new creature in Christ. Yet, this embracing by Philemon would contradict the culture of the day.

I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. —Philemon 1:10-18

Read all of Philemon 1:10-18

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Vincent gives us an overview of slave/master world:

“Onesimus was a runaway Phrygian slave, who had committed some crime and therefore had fled from his master and hidden himself in Rome. Under Roman law the slave was a chattel…. The old Roman legislation imposed death for killing a plough-ox; but the murderer of a slave was not called to account. Tracking fugitive slaves was a trade. Recovered slaves were branded on the forehead, condemned to double labor, and sometimes thrown to the beasts in the amphitheater.”

Without doubt, Onesimus’ future looked grim. But he was a new man, converted while in Rome, maybe even in Paul’s presence. And he, contrary to culture, was going to return home…because it was the right thing to do.

While it is so very true that salvation saves us from sin, there can still be consequences to our sin. And this was Onesimus: he had become a new creature, old things (his sin and practice) had passed away and he had become new, but he was still a runaway slave. He needed to rightly return home and face the consequences.

Philemon, who was a brother in Christ as well, now also had an opportunity to do the “right” thing in Christ rather than what may have been permissible under the Roman law. Would he treat Onesimus cruelly or forgive him?

There will be times in our lives that we will be either:

• An Onesimus—having to face uncertain consequences which may or may not be self-inflected

• Or Philemon—having to offer forgiveness contrary to our culture.

Each carries with it the banner of being a “new creature” in doing “right” because of His righteousness.

Prepare to carry that banner too in your next “doing right” situation.