Knowra Epistle to Philemon Epistle to Philemon A short New Testament letter traditionally attributed to Paul, urging Philemon to welcome Onesimus as a fellow Christian. It is the only surviving Pauline letter addressed to an individual household head about a specific enslaved person.
Onesimus : A man enslaved by Philemon who became associated with Paul and is the central person in the letter. Paul asks Philemon to receive him not merely as an enslaved person but as a beloved brother.
Pauline epistles : Letters attributed to Paul that address early Christian communities and individuals. Philemon belongs to the Pauline letter collection and shares its theological vocabulary and correspondence conventions.
Pauline authorship : The attribution of a New Testament letter to Paul, evaluated through its language, style, and historical testimony. Philemon is widely regarded as genuinely Pauline, though its date and circumstances remain debated.
Abolitionism : Movements seeking to end slavery and the legal ownership of human beings. Abolitionists later cited Paul’s language of kinship, while critics noted that he does not explicitly demand emancipation.
Christian abolitionism : Efforts by Christians to oppose and end slavery, grounded in religious and moral arguments. Abolitionists drew on the letter’s language of shared Christian kinship to challenge slaveholding.
Philemon : A Christian addressed by Paul in a short letter concerning Onesimus. The letter appeals to his choice rather than simply commanding him.
Colossae : An ancient city in Phrygia, in present-day southwestern Turkey, with an early Christian community. The letter names Archippus and a house church, often associated with the nearby Colossian community.
Imprisonment of Paul : The periods when Paul was held in custody under Roman authority, described in his letters and Acts. Paul writes of being a prisoner, but the location of this imprisonment is uncertain.
New Testament household codes : Passages in the New Testament that address relationships among household members, including enslaved people and masters. Unlike instructions that address enslaved people and masters as social roles, Philemon makes a personal appeal about one man.
Reconciliation : The restoration of a relationship damaged by conflict, estrangement, or wrongdoing. Paul’s request imagines a changed relationship between Philemon and Onesimus within the Christian community.
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