What is the book of Philemon in the Bible?

Forgiveness shines like a bright light throughout the Bible and one of its brightest spots is the tiny book of Philemon. In this short personal letter, the apostle Paul asks his friend Philemon to extend forgiveness to a runaway slave named Onesimus.

Neither Paul nor Jesus Christ sought to abolish slavery as it was too deeply rooted a part of the Roman Empire. Rather, their mission was to preach the gospel. Philemon was one of those people influenced by that gospel in the church of Colossae. Paul reminded Phileon as he exhorted him to accept the new converted Onesy, not as a transgressor or his slave, but as a brother in Christ.

Author of the book of Philemon: Philemon is one of the four epistles of Paul's prison.

Written date: about 60-62 AD

Written to: Philemon, a wealthy Christian from Colossae, and all future readers of the Bible.

Key characters of Philemon: Paul, Onesimus, Philemon.

Panorama of Philemon: Paul was imprisoned in Rome when he wrote this personal letter. It was addressed to Philemon and other members of the Colossus church who met in Philemon's house.

Themes in the book of Philemon
• Forgiveness: forgiveness is a key issue. Just as God forgives us, he expects us to forgive others, as we find in the Lord's Prayer. Paul even offered to pay Philemon for everything Onesimus had stolen if the man had granted forgiveness.

• Equality: equality exists among believers. Although Onesimus was a slave, Paul asked Philemon to consider him as an equal brother in Christ. Paul was an apostle, an exalted position, but he appealed to Philemon as a Christian companion instead of a church authority figure.

• Grace: grace is a gift from God and, out of gratitude, we can show grace to others. Jesus constantly commanded his disciples to love one another and taught that the difference between them and the pagans would be their display of love. Paul asked Philemon the same kind of love even though it went against Philemon's lower instincts.

Key verses
“Maybe the reason he was separated from you for a while is that you could get him back forever, no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, like a dear brother. He is very dear to me but also dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord. " (NIV) - Philemon 1: 15-16

“So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you wish. If he did something wrong to you or owes you something, I'll charge him. I, Paul, write it with my hand. I'll pay it back, not to mention the fact that you owe me a lot. "(NIV) - Philemon 1: 17-19