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Book Introduction

Philemon

Written by Paul

The Author

PaulFormer Christian hunter turned Christianity's greatest missionary — writing from prison about a runaway slave

Universally accepted as written by the Paul. One of his undisputed — and the shortest.

Written

~60-62 AD

Audience

— a wealthy Christian in whose slave ran away

Purpose

To convince to welcome back his runaway slave as a brother in Christ

Colossae & the Runaway Slave

3 locations

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What's It About?

Philemon is a personal letter — just 25 verses — about a runaway slave named who met Paul in prison and became a Christian. Now Paul is sending him back to his master with this letter, asking Philemon to receive him not as property but as a brother. It's a masterclass in persuasion and a quiet bomb under the institution of slavery. Still wildly relevant to any conversation about justice, reconciliation, and what the actually changes about how we treat people.

Key Themes

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