Debts (Philemon 17-20)

¹⁷ So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. ¹⁸ If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. ¹⁹ I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self. ²⁰ I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. 

In verse 17, Paul finally reaches his central point: welcome Onesimus back without punishing him. Indeed, Paul goes much further, saying Philemon should welcome Onesimus as he would welcome Paul himself. Onesimus has progressed from being an escaped slave to identification with the apostle (and Roman citizen). But such an attitude goes completely against the culture of the time, for, as we saw earlier, slavery was pervasive in the Roman empire and accepted as normal. The fact that Paul spends so much time developing his argument and presents it so carefully shows that he is fully aware of this. Slaves could be freed but normally only after they purchased their freedom or if they were too old to be of further use to their master. Paul also knows that Philemon may refuse to accept what he says for the relationship he is asking for was unthinkable at the time.

In the next verse, Paul tells Philemon to charge any harm he perceives that Onesimus has done him to Paul. This probably refers to Onesimus’s departure and the economic harm that Philemon may have felt from losing a servant. It could mean that Paul is saying he will pay any monetary debt that Philemon feels he is owed, which could include the manumission price of freeing Onesimus. But, as Thurston and Ryan point out, in Roman culture, men were supposed to control their household, and a runaway slave would bring dishonor to his master. Of course, Paul turns this idea upside down. Clearly Paul doesn’t want to give Philemon any reasonable excuse to refuse Paul’s request. It also reinforces Paul’s identification with Onesimus.

Note, though,  that at no point does Paul ask Philemon to treat Onesimus with mercy or calls for him to forgive the escaped slave. Paul seems to think there is nothing to forgive and thus no reason to treat him with mercy. Onesimus’s condition has been transformed by his Christianity and freely offered service to Paul.

In verse 19, Paul strengthens the argument even more by saying that he himself wrote the letter with his own hand. This sounds a bit like a father offering to pay his child’s debts. But Paul also cancels any suggestion that he actually owes something to Philemon by saying that “you owe me your very self.” This, of course, refers to a spiritual debt not a monetary one – to the fact that Paul brought the good news to Philemon. Whatever Philemon may feel that Onesimus owes him, it is nothing next to what Philemon owes Paul. That debt is one of gratitude which can only be repaid with love. So, if Philemon demands monetary payment from Paul, he will have missed the whole point of the letter, and, indeed, of the Christian experience.

In verse 20, Paul addresses Philemon again as his brother. He continues the language of debt by saying that he, Paul, would like some benefit from Onesimus. Echoing his earlier statement about how Philemon has refreshed the hearts of God’s people (7), Paul now asks for Philemon to refresh his heart. N.T. Wright notes that Paul uses gentle irony, for the person who makes the appeal (Paul) is actually the one who has the rightful claim. He is Christ’s ambassador, his apostle, but he is also sharing in Christ’s suffering since he is in prison. Furthermore, he is the one who brought Philemon to Christ. But having the rightful claim is not what is important to Paul. All Christians owe an immense debt to Christ. Christ asks us to pay back the love he has shown us by loving each other.