Good Friday

Good Friday 2009 – Runaway to Freedom (Flying Through Paul's Letter to Philemon)

2 pm, Channel 9
Synopsis

Runaway to Freedom is a one hour documentary that looks at the story of a runaway slave called, Onesimus. Onesimus was a 1st century slave, owned by a man named, Philemon. Onesimus despised being a slave and wasn’t happy with his situation in life.

Philemon was a local farmer who lived in Colossae. On occasions he travelled to the trading city of Ephesus to do business with the sea traders. On one occasion he was asked to the great hall of Tyrannus to listen to a Jewish speaker talk about a foreign god. Philemon listened and quickly grasped the concept and teaching concerning this new God. He returned to Colossae converted. He shared his new faith with his household and baptised them all into this new faith. Not everyone was happy about this.

As tension increased between Onesimus and Philemon, Onesimus took matters into his own hands. He stole some of Philemon’s possessions at the local markets and then took off to Ephesus; there he found refuge at the temple of Artemis.

Like the rest of the Mediterranean, Colossae and Ephesus, were under the jurisdiction of the Roman Government. Since the slave uprising of Spartacus in 50BC the Romans enforced strict punishment for runaway slaves such as crucifixion, public flogging and being branded with an ‘F’ on the forehead for fugitive.

Onesimus had taken a huge risk running away from his owner. However as long as he was within 150 yards of the temple of Ephesus he couldn’t be arrested. For over 1000 years criminals had fled to the temple and found refuge. Since this ancient rite had existed for so long there was nothing the governing Romans could do – despite the complaints of several Roman Caesars.

Sadly for those who sought refuge at the temple they had to leave the security zone to get food and work from the city of Ephesus which was outside the security zone. Onesimus was never arrested but he was converted by the local Christians and for a short time became the Apostle Paul’s secretary, as Paul was under house arrest in Ephesus.

When the Apostle Paul realised that Onesimus was the property of another man he had to send him home. Onesimus faced the prospect of public humiliation, flogging and even crucifixion.

So Paul writes the letter of Philemon and sends Onesimus back. Philemon was faced with the difficult decision: Does he act as the ‘world’ would demand he should and punish his runaway slave, thereby setting an example to his and other local’s slaves; or does he ‘forgive’ his slave and have to face isolation from the other land owners?

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