Forgiveness and Grace

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. -Philemon 17-18

Though some admittedly read this letter of Paul differently, I see it as a wonderful expression of forgiveness and grace. Onesimus is a runaway slave who likely stole from his master, Philemon. Onesimus makes his way to Rome where he meets Paul. It is obvious that Onesimus quickly becomes invaluable to Paul while Paul is in prison for sharing the gospel.

Even though Paul wants Onesimus to remain with him, he realizes that Onesimus has broken the law by running away (and possibly even stealing from his master) so he sends him back to Philemon. Fully realizing that this is a huge risk, that slave owners are often not very sympathetic to runways slaves, Paul writes a letter to Philemon requesting that Philemon receive Philemon with forgiveness and grace as a fellow brother in the Lord.

Though we are never told how Philemon responds, some scholars suggest that Philemon did extend forgiveness and grace to Onesimus and did receive him as a brother in the Lord. They suggest that the main reason this personal letter of Paul is now included in the canon of the New Testament is because a bishop in the early church at Ephesus later argued for its inclusion. That bishop's name? Onesimus... the same name (and many say the same person) that was once a slave on the run.

No one knows for sure if the slave and the bishop were one in the same. But if it is, it's a wonderful story of what forgiveness and grace can do. If the way Philemon forgave and received a runaway slave helps result in that slave becoming an early leader in the church, what kind of positive impact might the way you forgive and receive others make in the world today?

May you be an agent of God's forgiveness and grace today.

If you're interested in reading through the Bible in a year, tomorrow's suggested readings are 2 Kings 15-16, Hosea 1, and Hebrews 1.