New Testament · Personal Letter
Philemon
1 chapters · 25 verses · Paul · ~60 AD
A runaway slave meets Paul in prison and becomes a believer. Now Paul sends him back — with a letter that quietly demolishes the entire institution of slavery.
Overview
The shortest of Paul's letters and perhaps the most subversive. Onesimus, Philemon's escaped slave, has become Paul's spiritual son. Paul doesn't command Philemon to free him — he does something more powerful: "Receive him no longer as a slave, but as a beloved brother." In 25 verses, Paul plants a seed that would eventually end slavery.
Key chapters of Philemon
Famous verses from Philemon
Themes:reconciliationforgivenessbrotherhoodgracetransformation
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