Patrick Comerford
The celebrations of Epiphany-tide continue today (16 January 2023), and this week began with the Second Sunday of Epiphany (14 January 2024). Christmas is a season that lasts for 40 days that continues from Christmas Day (25 December) to Candlemas or the Feast of the Presentation (2 February).
Before today begins, I am taking some time for reflection, reading and prayer. My reflections each morning during the seven days of this week include:
My reflections each morning during the seven days of this week include:
1, A reflection on one of the seven people who give their names to epistles in the New Testament;
2, the Gospel reading of the day;
3, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary.
3, Philemon:
Although Saint Paul does not give his own name to any of his letters, seven people give their names to a total of eleven of the letters or epistles in the New Testament: Timothy (I and II Timohty), Titus, Philemon, James, Peter (I and II Peter), John (I, II and III John), and Jude.
Three of the Pauline letters are known as the Pastoral Letters: I Timothy, II Timothy and Titus. They are generally discussed as a group – sometimes along with the Letter to Philemon – and have been known as the pastoral letters since the 18th or 19th century because they address two individuals, Timothy and Titus, who have pastoral oversight of local churches and discuss in pastoral ways issues of Christian living, doctrine and leadership.
These letters are arranged in the New Testament in order of size, although this does not represent their chronological order.
The Letter to Philemon was written from prison by the Apostle Paul and Saint Timothy to Philemon, a leader in the Colossian church, and deals with the themes of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Saint Paul identifies himself not as an apostle with authority but as ‘a prisoner of Christ Jesus,’ and calls Timothy ‘our brother,’ and they address Philemon as a ‘dear friend’ and ‘co-worker.’ The letter is also addressed to two other recipients, Apphia ‘our sister’ and Archippus ‘our fellow-soldier,’ as well as ‘the church in your house.’
Onesimus, a slave who had left his master Philemon, is returning with this letter in which Paul asks Philemon to receive him as a ‘beloved brother.’ Philemon was a wealthy Christian, possibly a bishop of the church that met in his home in Colossae.
This letter is the shortest of the Pauline letters, with only 335 words in the Greek text. It was written ca 57-62 CE by Paul while in prison at Caesarea Maritima or in Rome, perhaps at the same time as he wrote the Letter to the Colossians.
The letter is addressed to Philemon, Apphia and Archippus, and the church in Philemon’s house. Philemon (Φιλήμων) is generally assumed to have lived in Colossae. He may have converted to Christianity through Paul’s ministry, possibly in Ephesus. Apphia in the salutation is probably Philemon’s wife. Some commentators suggest that Archippus is their son.
Saint Paul writes this letter on behalf of Onesimus, a runaway slave who had wronged his owner Philemon. It is often assumed that Onesimus had fled after stealing money, and Paul says that if Onesimus owes anything, Philemon should charge this to Paul.
After leaving Philemon, Onesimus met Paul and became a Christian. Paul sends Onesimus back to Philemon with the letter, hoping the two are reconciled. The survival of the letter suggests Paul’s request was granted.
Onesimus’ status as a runaway slave has been challenged by Allen Dwight Callahan, who argues that, beyond verse 16, ‘nothing in the text conclusively indicates that Onesimus was ever the chattel of the letter’s chief addressee.’
Callahan argues that Origen and other early commentators are silent on the possible status of Onesimus as a slave and traces the origins of this interpretation to John Chrysostom ca 386-398. Callahan suggests that Onesimus and Philemon are brothers both by blood and religion, but who have become estranged. But other early writers who assume that Onesimus was a runaway slave include Athanasius and Basil of Caesarea.
In this letter, Paul does not label slavery as negative or positive. Rather than deal with the morality of slavery directly, he undermines the foundation of slavery which is dehumanisation of other human beings. Paul feels that Onesimus should return to Philemon but not as a slave; rather, under a bond of familial love.
Tradition speaks of Philemon as a saint who is commemorated on 22 November and who was martyred with Apphia, Archippus and Onesimus at Colossae during the first persecution in the reign of Nero. In the list of the Seventy Apostles (see Luke 10) attributed to Dorotheus of Tyre, Philemon is described as bishop of Gaza.
As for Onesimus, the only other Biblical reference to him is in Colossians, where Onesimus is called a ‘faithful and beloved brother’ (Colossians 4: 9). He is known in Eastern Orthodox tradition as Onesimus of Byzantium and the Holy Apostle Onesimus. Onesimus is named by Ignatius of Antioch as bishop in Ephesus, which would put his death close to 95 CE. He is commemorated on 15 February.
Philemon, Ovid, Faust and Jung:
Philemon is also the name of a figure in Ovid’s Metamorphoses and in Goethe’s Faust. In the Metamorphoses, Ovid tells how Jupiter and Mercury went wandering disguised as mortals in of Phrygia. Philemon and Baucis, an old poor couple, welcomed the strangers into their humble cottage. To repay them for their hospitality and kindness, Jupiter and Mercury granted the old couple any wish. Philemon and Baucis wished to become priests in a new shrine and to die at the same time as a testimony to their enduring love. When they died, they were transformed into trees that continued to live side by side.
In Faust 2, Act V, Goethe has Faust build a city on land reclaimed from the sea. In order to accomplish this task, Faust tells Mephistopheles that he wants Philemon and Baucis moved. Instead, to Faust’s horror, Mephistopheles burns down their cottage with Philemon and Baucis inside.
Philemon in Goethe’s Faust made a tremendous impression on CJ Jung and held a life-long significance for him. Jung felt it was his responsibility to atone for this crime and to prevent its repetition. Healing this Faustian split was a central theme in Jung’s life work, and Philemon played an important role in Jung’s fantasies1 To Jung, Philemon represented superior insight. Jung commemorated Philemon at his tower in Bollingen. Over the gate, he carved the inscription, Philemonis Sacrum – Fausti Poenitentia (‘Philemon’s Shrine – Faust’s Repentance’), and in a room he painted a huge mural of the winged Philemon.
Mark 2: 23-28 (NRSVA):
23 One sabbath he was going through the cornfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees said to him, ‘Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?’ 25 And he said to them, ‘Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food? 26 He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions.’ 27 Then he said to them, ‘The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; 28 so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.’
Today’s Prayers (Tuesday 16 January 2024):
The theme this week in ‘Pray With the World Church,’ the Prayer Diary of the Anglican mission agency USPG (United Society Partners in the Gospel), is: ‘Climate Justice from Bangladesh perspective.’ This theme was introduced on Sunday by the Right Revd Shourabh Pholia, Bishop of Barishal Diocese, Church of Bangladesh.
The USPG Prayer Diary today (16 January 2024) invites us to pray in these words:
We pray for the vulnerable communities around the world who are affected by climate change, especially for those who are in need of protection, provision and support.
The Collect:
Almighty God,
in Christ you make all things new:
transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace,
and in the renewal of our lives
make known your heavenly glory;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
The Post-Communion Prayer:
God of glory,
you nourish us with your Word
who is the bread of life:
fill us with your Holy Spirit
that through us the light of your glory
may shine in all the world.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Additional Collect:
Eternal Lord,
our beginning and our end:
bring us with the whole creation
to your glory, hidden through past ages
and made known
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Yesterday’s reflection (Titus)
Continued tomorrow (James)
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition copyright © 1989, 1995, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org
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