Embassy Of Onesimus

Paul’s letter to Philemon is generally read as a plea to forgive and accept back a runaway slave named Onesimus. Starting with John Chrysostom in the fourth century AD, commentators have invariably maintained that the apostle was interceding on behalf of a thieving slave in flight from his rightfully angry master. But Chrysostom’s interpretation had more to do with his own situation in the 300’s, in a day when a serious anti-slavery movement had been challenging Roman hegemony. Chrysostom repsonded to this situation with a theological interpretation that was “humane while conservative”, enjoining masters to treat their slaves fairly, slaves to obey their masters and eschew rebellion. Paul’s letter to Philemon, for the first time, was interpreted as a moral commending “genteel despotism and servile obedience”.