Epistle to Philemon facts for kids

The Epistle to Philemon is a short book in the Christian Bible. It's the eighteenth book in the New Testament. Most people agree that Saint Paul wrote this letter. He wrote it to a man named Philemon. It is the shortest letter Paul wrote, with only 335 words in the original Greek text.

Why Paul Wrote This Letter

Paul wrote this letter to help a man named Onesimus. Onesimus might have been a servant who had left his owner, Philemon. We don't know exactly what Onesimus did. Perhaps he left after taking something that wasn't his. Paul says in the letter that if Onesimus owes anything, Philemon should charge it to Paul's own account.

People believe Philemon lived in a city called Colossae. In another letter, the Epistle to the Colossians, Onesimus and Archippus are mentioned as members of the church there. Paul greets Archippus in the letter to Philemon.

Paul explains that Onesimus has been very helpful to him. This was while Paul was in prison in Rome. Paul wanted Philemon to free Onesimus. He also wanted Philemon to send Onesimus back to Rome. Paul asked Philemon to welcome Onesimus not as a servant, but as a brother. Paul did not think Onesimus should be punished. This was even though Roman law allowed owners to treat runaway servants very harshly.

Importance of the Letter

Some people see this letter as an important step. It helped people start thinking of servants as fully human. Before Paul, some believed servants were not much different from animals. Others think Paul and early Christians could have done more to fight against slavery.

In history, some Christians used this book to support slavery. However, Pope Benedict XVI mentioned this letter in his writing, Spe salvi. He used it to show how Christianity can improve society. He said that Christianity was very important in reducing slavery during the Middle Ages and later.

Images for kids

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  Papyrus 87 (Gregory-Aland), recto. This is the earliest known piece of the Epistle to Philemon. It is thought to be from the late 2nd or early 3rd century.

See also

In Spanish: Epístola a Filemón para niños