Year 9, Day 53: Philemon

Theological Commentary: Click Here

People often write and speak about Philemon in terms of slaves and masters.  I’ve done so in the past, it is part of what the book is about.  People also write and talk about Philemon in terms of how to write a letter that effects change in others.  I’ve also done that in the past.  It is a part of what this letter is about.  Today, though, I’m going to look at a different angle.

Philemon is also about relationships.  It is about how we lead.  There are many great sayings about leadership.  One such saying is that if a leader has nobody following, then the leader is simply a radical outlier and not a leader at all.  Another such saying is that all leaders must chose if they wish to lead through compulsion or through character.  I think both of these sayings are pertinent to Paul’s letter to Philemon about his slave Onesimus.

Paul tells Philemon that he has been working with Onesimus, a slave that belongs to Philemon but who has run away.  In working with Onesimus, Paul has convinced him to return to Philemon and return to the role in life that has been given to him.  Paul isn’t telling Onesimus to subject himself to utter slavery.  What Paul is doing is asking Philemon to examine his leadership style.  If he has been claiming to belong to Christ, yet his slaves won’t follow him, is he really being a leader in the church?  If his own slaves would rather run from him than submit to him, what kind of a leader is he?  Isn’t he simply an outlier, proclaiming belief in one thing but unable to get anyone to really follow?

Along with this question comes the question of character.  Anyone with enough power can lead through compulsion.  If you hold enough of the cards in people’s lives (their paycheck, their land, their livelihood, etc) you can compel them to act a certain way.  No person enjoys being led by compulsion, however.  It is better to lead by character.  It is better to invite people into relationship and show them why following you is better than the alternative.  True leaders lead because they have willing participants, not compulsive ones.

In the end, Paul raises an important question for Philemon to ponder as Onesimus is returned to him.  What kind of a leader is he?  What does his record indicate about those who follow him – or in this case, don’t?  Does he lead by willing example or through domination?

Most importantly, what is the example we see in Christ?

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