CHAPTER XII THE NEW TESTAMENT 365 1147 theft, a very common sin of slaves), fell in with Paul at ful master, yet under a new character, no more a conRome, of whom he may have heard in the weekly meet- temptible thief and runaway, but a regenerate man and a ings at Colossae, or through Epaphras, his fellow-towns- “beloved brother,” with the touching request that Phileman, was converted by him to the Christian faith, and mon might receive him as kindly as he would the aposnow desired to return, as a penitent, in company with tle himself, yea as his own heart (Philem. 16, 17). Such Tychicus, the bearer of the Epistle to the Colossians (Col. advice took the sting out of slavery; the form remained, 4:9). the thing itself was gone. What a contrast! In the eyes Paul and Slavery. of the heathen philosophers (even Aristotle) Onesimus, The Epistle is purely personal, yet most significant. like every other slave, was but a live chattel; in the eyes Paul omits his official title, and substitutes the touching of Paul a redeemed child of God and heir of eternal life, designation, “a prisoner of Christ Jesus,” thereby going which is far better than freedom.1148 directly to the heart of his friend. The letter introduces The New Testament is silent about the effect of the us into a Christian household, consisting of father (Phi- letter. We cannot doubt that Philemon forgave Onesimus lemon), mother (Apphia), son (Archippus, who was at and treated him with Christian kindness. In all probathe same time a “fellow-soldier,” a Christian minister), bility he went beyond the letter of the request and comand a slave (Onesimus). It shows the effect of Christiani- plied with its spirit, which hints at emancipation. Traty upon society at a crucial point, where heathenism was dition relates that Onesimus received his freedom and utterly helpless. It touches on the institution of slavery, became bishop of Beraea in Macedonia; sometimes he is which lay like an incubus upon the whole heathen world confounded with his namesake, a bishop of Ephesus in and was interwoven with the whole structure of domes- the second century, or made a missionary in Spain and a tic and public life. martyr in Rome, or at Puteoli. 1149 The effect of Christianity upon this gigantic social Paul and Philemon. evil is that of a peaceful and gradual care from within, by The Epistle is at the same time an invaluable contriteaching the common origin and equality of men, their bution to our knowledge of Paul. It reveals him to us as common redemption and Christian brotherhood, by, a perfect Christian gentleman. It is a model of courtesy, emancipating them from slavery unto spiritual freedom, delicacy, and tenderness of feeling. Shut up in a prison, equality, and brotherhood in Christ, in whom there is the aged apostle had a heart full of love and sympathy neither Jew nor Greek, neither bond nor free, neither for a poor runaway slave, made him a freeman in Christ male nor female, but all are one moral person (Gal. 3:28). Jesus, and recommended him as if he were his own self. This principle and the corresponding practice wrought Paul and Pliny. first an amelioration, and ultimately the abolition of Grotius and other commentators1150 quote the faslavery. The process was very slow and retarded by the 1148 “The Gospel,” says Lightfoot (p. 389), “never directly counteracting influence of the love of gain and power, attacks slavery as an institution: the apostles never command and all the sinful passions of men; but it was sure and is the liberation of slaves as an absolute duty. It is a remarkable now almost complete throughout the Christian world; fact that St. Paul in this Epistle stops short of any positive inwhile paganism and Mohammedanism regard slavery as junction. The word ’emancipation’ seems to be trembling on a normal state of society, and hence do not even make his lips, and yet he does not once utter it. He charges Philean attempt to remove it. It was the only wise way for the mon to take the runaway slave Onesimus into his confidence apostles to follow in dealing with the subject. A procla- again; to receive him with all affection; to regard him no more mation of emancipation from them would have been a as a slave, but as a brother; to treat him with the same conmere brutum fulmen, or, if effectual, would have resulted sideration, the same love, which he entertains for the apostle in a bloody revolution of society in which Christianity himself to whom he owes everything. In fact he tells him to do very much more than emancipate his slave, but this one thing itself would have been buried. Paul accordingly sent back Onesimus to his right- he does not directly enjoin. St. Paul’s treatment of this indi1147 Philem. 18 seems to describe the actual offence, though the case is stated hypothetically, εἰ δέ τι ... ὀφείλει (a mild word forεκ́ λεψεν,stole).The apostle would not wound the feelings of the slave, nor irritate the master, and offers him self to discharge the debt.
vidual case is an apt illustration of the attitude of Christianity toward slavery in general.” 1149 For these conflicting legends, see the Acts Sanctorum Boll., XVI. Febr., II. 857 sqq. 1150 As Hackett (in Lange), Lightfoot, Lumby, and others.
