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Philemon 17–21
Paul offers Philemon a radical invitation to cross a deep social divide. As theologian Scot McKnight said, “The letter to Philemon is an important example of how Pauline circles sought to embody a new vision for humanity—the church.” This reveals the way in which membership in the body of Jesus redefines our relationship with one another as members of a reconciled community in Jesus.
Series Date: 7/9/2023 - 7/23/2023
Series Summary: If we had only the Book of Philemon, we would learn a lot about how the reconciling gospel operates in tangible ways in our lives. What Paul writes about in 2 Corinthians 5, he demonstrates in his letter to Philemon: that in Jesus, a new way of being human, of being in community, is possible and that the Church is to live in this radical way in/through our relationships. Forgiveness crosses boundaries, and social power dynamics are replaced with equal status as siblings in the family of God. We will look at this through the lenses of reconciliation and society, the church as a reconciled community, and our role as ambassadors of reconciliation.
