We are considering the Epistle to Philemon is Sunday School next Sunday.
The overwhelming traditional interpretation of the letter is that Onisimus was a slave belonging to Philemon. He ran away and somehow met Paul who led him to Christ and then interceded with Philemon to accept Onisimus back on a somewhat higher relationship than master/slave. The key verses seem to be 15&16. Our teacher holds to the traditional view. I do not know if he is aware of any alternative view.
Following a suggestion in the notes of my New Interpreter's Study Bible, both in the Introduction to the Epistle and in the notes on verses 15-16, I see that there is another point of view. First is the point nowhere in the text of the Epistle, not even in 15-16 does Paul state unequivocally that Onisimus is a slave. Second, in 16 Paul states that Onisimus and Philemon are bothers of flesh. So where does this take me?
When I consulted the New Interpreter's Commentary on which the comments in the Study Bible are based, I am confused. The Commentary acknowledges that the text of the Epistle does not identify Onisimus is a slave and that what is described is that Philemon treats Onisimus like a slave (15) rather than the brother by flesh (16) that he is. The commentator's take on this minority view is like a football game replay--there is not enough evidence to overturn the ruling on the field, I. e. tradition.
I am intrigued by the minority view. If the traditional view is correct, than I see little value in Philemon for the 21st century Christian. We do not have legal system of slavery (for house slaves) like the Romans had. If Philemon and Onisimus were brothers in flesh than the Epistle hits me right in the gut. My brother stole a significant amount of money from me just a few years before my children went to college. We did not reconcile for some 10 years when my brother called and asked my to be his death coach during the end phase of his terminal fight with cancer. This is a little more than an academic question for me.
I am not fluent in koine greek and cannot speak to the accuracy of the RSV translation.
Any comments?
P.S. From another source, either Wikipedia or the Catholic encyclopedia I learned that in the Roman Legal Code on slavery there is a provision allowing a slave who feels mistreated to leave his master temporarily and seek shelter with one who could be an advocate with his master just as Onisimus appears to have done with Paul.