Verse 21
E. Paul’s confidence v. 21
"Obedience" is a strong word to use to describe acquiescence to a request from a friend. Perhaps by using it Paul indirectly reminded Philemon of his apostolic authority. Doing more than Paul requested probably implied Philemon’s wholehearted, enthusiastic acceptance of Onesimus rather than just compliance with the letter of Paul’s request.
"Freedom of slaves, like all freedom, must come from the heart of Christ-inspired men. Under this compulsion, slavery must ultimately wilt and die. That it took so long for it to do so, that slavery was practiced by many Christians in America until the Civil War ended it, that it is still, in one form or another, in the world today—these humbling facts show the tenacity of socially entrenched sin and the failure of Christendom to deal with it. While all ethical behavior for Christians should arise out of love, rather than regulation or constraint, yet it takes fully committed disciples to put it into practice." [Note: Rupprecht, p. 457.]
"Paul has been criticized for not denouncing slavery in plain terms. But, when one considers the actual conditions in the Roman empire, he is a wise man who can suggest a better plan than the one pursued here for the ultimate overthrow of slavery." [Note: A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, 4:469.]
"As we read between the lines it seems best to interpret the ’more’ as a desire of the apostle for Onesimus to be returned to him for the service of the gospel . . ." [Note: O’Brien, p. 306. Cf. Bruce, p. 406.]
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