Letter To Onesimus From The Crucible '

Philemon, a faithful follower of the way of Christ Jesus,

To Paul and his brother in Christ, Timothy. Peace be with you who are forging The Way in this world and may our Lord Jesus bless you and your disciples.

When Onesimus returned to me with a letter from you at first I was angered with him, for I relied on him heavily and when he ran away he left my house short staffed and could have brought ruin to me and those I support. But upon reading your letter I see I am the one at fault, for it was I that caused Onesimus to flee his life of slavery. Though I tried to treat him fairly I still only saw him as a slave to do my biding and in such I have taken your advice to embrace him as a beloved brother (Philemon 1.16).

This does not mean that I will lie down and let your threats go unnoticed. You tell me that it is my choice to free my slave but your letter would suggest otherwise when you say that you are confident of my obedience (Philemon 1.21), but you did not command me to do anything only suggested that Onesimus might have been separated from me so that I might have him back forever as a brother (Philemon 1.15-16).

You even go so far as to request I always have a room ready for you incase you happen to come to my house (Philemon 1.22), but I gave no invitation to you and then you give a list of

fellows that could come with you (Philemon 1.23-24). How else should I take this other then a threat that if I do not comply with your wishes that you and yours will come to my house and do harm to my family and I.
Rest assured that I have freed Onesimus and all my slaves and they have chosen to stay on as hired hands for I have also read your letter to the Galatians which you say that we are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3.28). So there is no need for these threats on me and mine but I will keep a room ready for you because my household and I would be blessed to hear you preach The Way in the flesh and not because you command it.
So may the Lord Jesus Christ be with you and Epaphras but also with Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, and all your followers.

Philemon, a follower of The Way of Christ Jesus in Colossae,
To Paul who is doubtless in prison somewhere in this world passing on The Way to all people he comes across my peace be with you and bless your travels.
Sometime after you sent your letter to Ephesus it was passed along to me here in Colossae and the versus of your letter contradicted what you had sent to me many moons ago how I should embrace my then slave Onesimus as a beloved brother (Philemon 1.16).

In this letter to the Ephesians you say that slaves should obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling (Ephesians 6.5). Not only does this oppose your letter to me but also your letters to the Galatians and the Corinthians that I came across in my travels to Corinth. In those letters you say that we are all one body, one spirit in Jesus Christ so if we are all equal why should there be slavery in this world of

men.
Now you go on to say that masters should treat their slaves with respect for in haven we all have the same master and he judges everyone equally with no favoritism (Ephesians 6.9). So at least this gives the slave some protection to ensure that there master does not take advantage of them but here we come to the heart of my purpose of writing to you. For not some three days ago I caught word of a letter that you had written to Titus.
Upon reading this letter I could not fathom that you had written this, for though your letter to Ephesus had contradictory points to your letter to me this letter sounds as if it was not even written by your own hand. “Telling slaves to be submissive to their masters and to give satisfaction in every respect; they are not to talk back, not to pilfer, but to show complete and perfect fidelity, so that in everything they may be an ornament to the doctrine of God our Savior” (Titus 2.9-10). Should not every man uphold the doctrine of our Lord, slave masters included. You say nothing of repercussions for slave masters that treat their slaves in an unsavory manor. Do they have no responsibility to treat their slaves with respect, or to not take what little a slave might have? So I write this letter to you to ask what has happened that you would go from saying that we are all equal and should embrace our slaves as beloved brother, to saying that slaves must obey a master that has no repercussions for his actions.
Since your first letter Onesimus and all my slaves were freed and my household has never been more prosperous. Many chose to stay on in the same positions, but are now paid a fair wage to support their families with.
May this letter find you in a position to respond to my questions with some haste. My household sends greetings to you including Onesimus. Grace be with you and yours and my the Lord bless you.