So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me.  I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self.

Philemon 17-19

As I mentioned last week, slaves like Onesimus were in a different situations from the kind of chattel slavery history tells us about over the last several hundred years. One of my study bibles indicates that “slaves (bondservants, servants) generally were permitted to work for pay and to save enough to buy their freedom. The New Testament assumes trafficking in human beings (still done today especially in sex trafficking) is a sin and Paul urges Christian bondservants who can gain…freedom to do so.”

While Onesimus may not have stolen anything material from Philemon, the fact that he ran away could have cost Philemon in some way and so Paul addresses this last elephant in the room.

It is easy to encourage Philemon to forgive and forget, but it is quite another thing to assume responsibility for any debt Onesimus incurred, yet that is what Paul does in the verses above. Paul emphasizes his commitment by writing this section of the letter in his own handwriting.

Paul’s commitment to both men is commendable. His willingness to assume the debt of Onesimus goes a step beyond. How can we provide assistance to someone else in our lives today?