For the next three Sundays, starting April 19, 2026, we will be studying the Apostle Paul’s shortest letter to a brother in Christ from Colosse named Philemon.

The letter is concerning Philemon’s runaway slave, Onesimus, who Paul, no doubt, divinely comes in contact with while he is under housearrest in Rome waiting for trial.  Paul was able to bring Onesimus to Christ, and now he wants to reunite the master and slave now as brothers in Christ.

Paul’s personal letter to Philemon is about “forgiveness”, although the apostle doesn’t use the word even once in the entire letter.  Paul is urging Philemon to accept Onesimus back as a brother in Christ, forgiving his slave for not only running away (which was punishable by death under Roman law) but also for stealing from his master when he left.

In this series we will learn the importance of forgiving others for the offences committed against us.  This letter reveals that forgiving others who hurt us is not an easy thing to do, but the spiritual benefits of the one doing the forgiving and the one being forgiven outweighs the wounds of both.