Bible Buk Namba 57​—Philemon

Man wea Raetem: Paul

Ples Hem Raetem: Rome

Taem Hem Finis Raetem: c. 60–61 C.E.

OLKETA Christian distaem interest tumas long disfala leta bilong Paul wea showimaot feeling and garem love. Hem wanfala barava smol leta from disfala “aposol for olketa nation” and only leta wea winim hem long Bible hem Mek-Tu and Mek-Thri John. And tu, hem nomoa leta wea Paul sendem long Philemon seleva, no for wanfala kongregeson or overseer, bikos hem deal witim wanfala spesol problem witim disfala Christian brata, wea luk olsem hem rich, wea stap long Phrygian bilong Colossae, midolwan long Asia Minor.—Rom. 11:13.

² Goal bilong disfala leta hem klia: Firstaem Paul insaed prison long Rome (59-61 C.E.), hem free for preach abaotem Kingdom bilong God. Insaed sekson wea lisin long preaching bilong Paul hem Onesimus, wanfala slave wea ranawe from haos bilong Philemon, fren bilong Paul. From diswan, Onesimus hem kamap wanfala Christian, and Paul disaed, taem Onesimus agree, for sendem hem go bak long Philemon. Semtaem tu Paul raetem leta long Ephesus and Colossae kongregeson. Long tufala leta hia, hem givim gudfala kaonsel for olketa Christian slave and man wea ownim olketa, for tingting gud long position bilong olketa. (Eph. 6:5-9; Col. 3:22–4:1) Bat, winim diswan, Paul raetem wanfala leta long Philemon wea Paul seleva talem sorre for samting Onesimus duim. Paul seleva raetem disfala leta—hem no duim diswan bifor. (Philem. 19) From hem duim diswan, hem strongim disfala wei for sei sorre.

³ Maet hem raetem leta long 60-61 C.E., bikos luk olsem Paul preach lelebet longtaem long Rome wea fitim samfala for kamap Christian. And tu, from hem showimaot hope bae hem kamaot from prison, olsem verse 22 talem, iumi savve sei hem raetem leta bihaen hem insaed prison for lelebet longtaem. Luk olsem thrifala leta hia, wanfala for Philemon and wanfala for Ephesus and Colossae kongregeson, hem sendem witim Tychicus and Onesimus.—Eph. 6:21, 22; Col. 4:7-9.

⁴ Pruv hem stap hao Paul raetem leta long Philemon from datfala firstfala verse, hem talemaot nem bilong hem. Origen and Tertullian agree witim diswan.a Moa pruv stap wea strongim diswan from hem stap insaed disfala Muratorian Fragment from mek-tu century C.E. witim olketa narafala leta bilong Paul.

WEI WEA HEM HELPEM IUMI

⁷ Leta hia showimaot hao Paul no preachim wanfala message wea trae for finisim datfala world and olketa wei bilong hem, olsem wei for slave. Hem no really mekem olketa Christian kamap free, bat, hem sendem Onesimus datfala slave wea ranawe go bak long masta bilong hem Philemon, nomata hem wakabaot winim 1,430 kilometer from Rome go kasem Colossae. So Paul hem followim hae mark wea fitim wanfala aposol, from hem barava “preachim kingdom bilong God . . . and teachim olketa samting abaotem Lord Jesus Christ.”—Acts 28:31; Philem. 8:9.

⁸ Disfala leta bilong Philemon hem showimaot love and wan mind wea stap midolwan long olketa first-century Christian. Iumi lane hao olketa kolem each other “brata” and “sista.” (Philem. 2, 20) And tu, hem showimaot for olketa Christian distaem hao hem gud for followim olketa Christian principle midolwan long olketa Christian brata. Long saed bilong Paul, iumi lukim wei wea hem talemaot love for olketa brata, respect for law and material samting bilong narafala man, gudfala tingting, and hambol fasin. Winim wei for Paul askem Philemon for forgivim Onesimus from hem garem paoa olsem wanfala main overseer long kongregeson, long hambol wei hem story and iusim Christian love and wei for fren olsem faondeson. Olketa overseer distaem savve kasem gud samting from wei wea Paul story witim Philemon long loving wei.

⁹ Paul savve Philemon bae followim samting wea hem askem, and taem Philemon duim diswan hem followim samting wea Jesus talem long Matthew 6:14 and tu samting wea Paul talem long Ephesians 4:32. Distaem tu olketa Christian mas kaen and forgivim brata wea duim rong samting. Sapos Philemon fit for forgivim wanfala slave wea hem ownim and law sei hem fit for spoelem slave sapos hem laekem, distaem tu olketa Christian mas forgivim wanfala brata wea rong—hem no hard samting.

¹⁰ Spirit bilong Jehovah hem showaot klia long disfala leta long Philemon. Hem showimaot long wei wea Paul deal witim wanfala hardfala problem wea kamap. Paul garem feeling for pipol, kaenfala love, and hem trustim narafala Christian. Disfala leta for Philemon, and narafala Scripture, teachim olketa Christian principle, encouragem Christian wan mind, mekem moa waed love and faith wea stap midolwan long “evri holy wan,” wea hope long Kingdom bilong God and wea showimaot olsem loving-kaeness bilong Jehovah.—Vs. 5.

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