Philemon is one of the shortest books in the Bible, yet it is also a very sweet book, and one that is rich in the experiences of the practical church life.

It is simply a letter from the aged, imprisoned apostle Paul to a dear brother in the Lord, Philemon. In it, Paul speaks to Philemon concerning Onesimus, a slave of Philemon’s who had run away from him. Onesimus had gone to Paul in Rome, and had been saved through him. Now Paul was sending him back to Philemon, “no longer as a slave but more than a slave—a beloved brother” (v. 6).

This book was the subject of the 2011 Vision Week. During this time we saw that we can learn much from this letter concerning both our Christian life and our church life. The saints Paul mentions in this brief letter, the manner in which he addresses Philemon, and the way in which he cares for Onesimus, help us not in the way of teaching, but by way of experience and example. (more…)