Overview
A brief personal letter from Paul to Philemon, a believer in Colossae. Paul earnestly asks him to receive Onesimus, a slave who had run away from him and had come to faith through Paul, as a brother.
Theme Reconciliation between those who have become brothers in the Messiah
Historical background
Philemon was a believer in Colossae in whose house the ekklesia (church) met. The letter is understood to have been delivered at the same time as Colossians, carried by Tychicus and Onesimus (Colossians 4:7–9). Set against the institution of slavery in the Roman Empire, it presents a brotherhood that transcends social status.