“I appeal to you to show kindness to my child, Onesimus . . . I wanted you to help because you were willing, not because you were forced . . . He is no longer like a slave to you. He is more than a slave, for he is a beloved brother, especially to me. Now he will mean much more to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord.” Philemon vs. 10, 14, and 16. 

The book of Philemon is unlike any of Paul’s other letters. Or, perhaps I should say it this way, it is unlike any of Paul’s other full letters. We’ve seen Paul admonish or encourage specific people amidst some of his other letters, but here we have a standalone letter from Paul to Philemon asking him a favor regarding Philemon’s slave, Onesimus. This letter is important for many reasons as it teaches us from multiple different angles. What can we learn from what Paul is saying to Philemon? What can we learn from what Paul is saying about Onesimus? And what can we learn from how Paul says these things? It’s a little letter but there’s a lot to unpack, so to help us navigate the book of Philemon is Dr. Dennis Edwards, Vice President for Church Relations and Dean of the Seminary at North Park University in Chicago and author of the “Philemon” section of the The New Testament in Color multiethnic Bible commentary.

Doable Discipleship is a podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 450 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on YouTube. (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback).

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Resources Related to This Episode: https://www.amazon.com/New-Testament-Color-Multiethnic-Commentary/dp/0830814094

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