One of your own. Philemon.

Here are a couple of verses from yesterday's reading, chapter 4 of Colossians, to get us started in today's reading.

"Masters, treat your slaves with justice and fairness, because you know that you also have a master in heaven." (Colossians 4:1)

"Tychicus, a dear brother, faithful minister, and fellow slave in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. I sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are doing and that he may encourage your hearts. I sent him with Onesimus, the faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you about everything here." (Colossians 4:7-9)

Making that journey from Rome (likely) back to Phrygia (modern-day Turkey), are those two men so named, Tychicus and Onesimus, perhaps with some traveling companions. One of those men is carrying with him a second letter, to an individual in the church at Colossae. The recipient of that letter will be asked to obey the admonition in Colossians 4:1, in very practical terms. The letter carrier is Onesimus, whom Paul had described as "one of you." If we didn't have a copy of this letter today, how would we ever know that this Onesimus was anyone other than a member in good standing of the church and community at Colossae? And how would we ever know of the repentance and courage it took for Onesimus to deliver that letter, and the hope he had that the contents of the letter would result in a favorable outcome for him, as he went to face the consequences of his past sin?

If these two letters weren't so real, one could almost imagine this second letter -- to Philemon -- to be an allegory, to teach what Paul meant by "in Christ there is no slave or free." The master is Philemon, which means "kindly one". The runaway slave is Oenismus, which means "the useful or profitable or advantageous one". The play on words -- the useless one has now become more than useful -- is almost heavy-handed. The pressure brought to bear on Philemon by Paul, while trying to allow Philemon the wiggle room to make the decision his own, makes us wonder if Philemon really could have refused Paul's request. And there is the hint of our own rescue from the consequences of disobedience, through Christ's actions, and the changed nature we receive, and its usefulness to God's family. And the guarantee that all debts would be paid.

But these were real people. And Oenismus carried the letter to an uncertain fate. We deduce from the letter's presence in the New Testament that it turned out well -- just as Paul requested.

How interesting are those words in the public letter to the church -- "Oensimus, who is one of you"?