Join Onesimus on his journey through the first-century Roman Empire — from Thyatira to Ephesus, from Ephesus to Colossae, from Colossae to Rome and from Rome back to Colossae. More importantly, join him on his spiritual journey from slavery to freedom.
The Fugitive Who Found Grace
COMING MARCH 2, 2027
It was roughly 61 A.D. when the Apostle Paul, under house arrest in Rome, wrote a personal letter challenging a leader of the church in Colossae to forgive a runaway slave and embrace him as a brother in Christ.
Almost everything we know about Onesimus, the slave, and Philemon, the church leader, is found in the unique epistle from Paul to Philemon.
Theologians for centuries have held up Philemon, the book, as a call for grace and forgiveness. Those theologians typically highlight the astute manner in which Paul went about imploring Philemon to forgive the slave and, at times, the responsibility of Philemon to offer that forgiveness. Very little, however, has been written from the perspective of Onesimus, who, under Roman law, could have been executed for the crime of running away from his owner.
This book uses historical records, including the biblical account found in Philemon, to create a plausible story for Onesimus’s childhood, his experiences as a slave, why and how he fled to Rome, how he interacted with Paul and other believers, how he came to faith in Christ, and how he felt when returning from Rome to Colossae, where he knew he might be killed or put in chains. It also weaves in the historical realities of the times and other related accounts from the scripture that help provide readers with a feel for the humanity of those involved during this particular time in history.
The story establishes the emotional and spiritual baggage carried by Onesimus, who as a boy was sold into slavery by his father and felt betrayed by the gods his family had long worshiped.
Onesimus develops a hard heart toward the world. His determination to live up to the meaning of his name (“useful”) is focused less on helping others and almost exclusively on getting all that he can from others, no matter what he has to do or who he hurts.
Readers are invited to draw parallels to their wounds, their rebellion, and their need to receive and offer forgiveness. And like Onesimus, they can see how true freedom comes only through surrender to the lordship of Jesus Christ.