RED DAVE

I've often cosidered this tiny "book" to be one of the more disgusting in the Bible, as it is a full justification for slavery and condemns a slave for running away from his master.

The bastards were lucky he didn't cut their throats!

Anyone know anything about the background of this piece of crap? The fundies, etc., tend to stay away from it, as they should.

RED DAVE

Greg2003

I think when xtians do address Philemon, which is once in a blue moon, they try to point out that Paul (or whoever it is that's writing this) is telling Philemon to treat his slave like a brother, and, therefore, it's really an anti-slavery epistle. Sort of like how the absence of an explicit order from Hitler to kill the jews is proof that the Holocaust didn't happen.

RED DAVE

Some background and analysis of Philimon, pointing to a forgery.

If you care.

More on Philimon

RED DAVE

Geoff Hudson

INTRODUCTION (NO FORGERY HERE)

Paul (Josephus) wrote this epistle while in Nero’s palace in Rome to Philemon, an ex-slave for whom Paul had secured freedom. Onesimus was once Philemon’s slave, but became Paul’s slave. Far from being a prisoner, Paul was being given state support for his mission of the Spirit from the likes of Epaphroditus, Nero’s secretary and Luke (Lucius Seneca), Nero’s tutor. Verse 25 gives the main clue that Paul’s mission was about the Spirit – “may the grace of {the Spirit} be with YOUR SPIRIT.

[] = proposed editor’s changes
{} = proposed original text

(1)Paul, a [prisoner] {servant} of [Christ Jesus] {the Spirit}, and [Timothy] {Titus} our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and fellow-worker, (2)to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow-soldier and to the church that meets in your home:

(3)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and [the Lord Jesus Christ] {Spirit}.

(4)I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, (5)because I hear about your [faith] {obedience} in the [Lord Jesus] {Spirit}, and your love for all the saints. (6)I pray that you may be active in [sharing your faith] {the Spirit}, so that you will have [a full understanding] every good thing we have in the Spirit. (7)Your [love] {obedience} has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the [hearts] {spirits} of the saints.

(8)Therefore, although in [Christ] {the Spirit} I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, (9)yet I appeal to you on the basis of [love] {the Spirit}. I then, as [Paul – an old] {a young} man and [now also] a [prisoner] {servant} of [Christ Jesus] {the Spirit} – (10)I appeal to you for my [son] {slave} Onesimus, who became my [son] {slave} while I was {here} in [chains] {the palace}. (11)Formerly he was [useless] {a slave} to you, but now he has become [useful] {a slave} both to you and to me. (12)I am sending him who is my [very heart] {slave} back to you.

(13)I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in [chains] {the palace} for the [gospel] {Spirit}. (14)But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favour you do will be spontaneous and not forced. (15)Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back for good – (16)no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a [man] {slave} and as a brother in the [Lord] {Spirit}.

(17)So if you consider me a [partner] {brother}, welcome him as you would welcome me. (18)If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. (19)I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back – not to mention that you owe me your [very self] {freedom}. (20)I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the [Lord] {Spirit}; refresh my [heart] {spirit} in [Christ] {the Spirit}. (21)Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.

(22)And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers. (23)[Epaphras] {Epaphroditus}, my fellow [-prisoner] {-worker} in [Christ Jesus] {the palace}, sends you greetings. (24)And so do Mark {John}, Aristarchus, Demas and [Luke] {Lucius}, my fellow – workers.

(25)The grace of the [Lord Jesus Christ] {Spirit} be with your spirit.

Geoff

Geoff Hudson

The young Timothy was of course Titus, Vespasian's son, who was also being tutored by Seneca.

Geoff

Greg2003

And we know this, how?

vtran31

where do you come up with this silly idea Paul is Josephus? would an orthodox Jew write such obvious Christian material?

Egoinos

The trouble with the study of Philemon - and of the related epistle, Colossians, is that there are comparatively few scholars specialising in it. Most of the research that has been done on it is now quite old, and tends to begin from a biased viewpoint - either that Paul definitely did not write it and any suggestion to the contrary is stupid, or vice versa.

It desperately needs more research.

CX

We ought to be careful in referring to ancient documents as "forgeries". The Deuteropauline epistles, for example, are generally considered to be epigraphal, but that does not carry with it the same perjorative connotations as the word "forgery" today. It was entirely common for schools of thought to attribute writing to their founder. We see this all over the Hellenistic world.

That being said there is very little controversy surrounding Philemon. In fact, Udo Schnelle offers only one sentence on the authorship of Philemon in HTNTW (cf. p 144), "...there is no longer any doubt that [Philemon] is an authentic letter of Paul". I refer readers to Schnelle's book for a complete discussion.

Even radical maverick scholar Burton Mack seems not to question the authenticity of Philemon, though he does offer an interesting discussion of Philemon's endorsement of slavery. (cf. "Who Wrote The New Testament", Burton Mack, p. 143")

CX

I wonder if you could point me to legitimate modern scholars who consider Philemon epigraphal. Thanks.

Also, in what do you regard Colossians as related to Philemon?