"Your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing." - 2 Thessalonians 1:3b

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Philemon

Midway through his letter Paul tells Philemon "in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I appeal to you on the basis of love" (Philemon 1: 8-9). I'm struck by Paul's decision not to compel Philemon to act in a certain way but rather to make a loving request. It's reminiscent of Jesus' statement in the Garden of Gethsemane that he could have called up an army of angels to defend him from the soldiers seeking his arrest but instead he would obey and accept his fate (Matthew 26: 53-54).

As Jesus says elsewhere, power is not to be used for lording over others. Rather, the path to greatness is through service (Mark 10: 42-45). Paul, writing from prison, understands and embraces this teaching to the fullest. 

Was he successful? Did Philemon take Onesimus back in accordance with Paul's wishes? To my knowledge, no conclusive evidence exists one way or the other. But this is one case in which the ends themselves are much less edifying than the means.

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