In his typical writing style, Paul extends greetings from various coworkers in Rome and sends blessings on “your spirit” (1:25), referring not just to Paul, but to the entire Christian community. In order to accurately understand the complexity of the situation, it's worth looking at the historical context in which the letter was written. The letter was written by Paul from his prison in Rome, circa 62 A.D. The letter was addressed to Philemon, a wealthy Christian who lived in the city of Colossae. Having heard the gospel and been saved, Philemon began serving for God's cause in the colossan community, generously lending his house for a group of Christians to meet there regularly …show more content…
Naturally, Onesimus fled to Rome, the biggest city in the Roman Empire, where he could remain safe from the government. Subsequently, however, Onesimus met Paul, who had converted his master to faith, and he changed “both in the flesh and in the Lord” (1:16). Punishment of runaway slaves was fully up to the discretion of the owners, since slaves were considered property; it was uncommon for slaves to be beaten or put to death. Paul was fully aware of the severity of the punishment, so it made sense for him to write a strong petition on behalf of his new friend Onesimus, to whom he became like a “father”