Philemon 1:11

‘Who once was unprofitable to you, but is now profitable to you and to me,’

And he points out that although Onesimus was once unprofitable to Philemon, he is now, because he is a brother in Christ, profitable both to Philemon and to Paul, bringing them joy and satisfaction, and serving faithfully in everything he did. We are not told in what way he ‘was unprofitable’. It could have been as just a lazy worker and a belligerent slave. But it may well have been because, when he absconded, he took money or possessions with him which were not his own. In fact he would probably have had little alternative. He would have needed something to live on while he made his way to Rome.

It is quite clear in what way Onesimus was useful to Paul. But in what way was he useful to Philemon? Possibly Paul is thinking in terms of the fact that Onesimus is supplying to Paul the service that Philemon would gladly have offered had he been able. Philemon is to see him as acting as his substitute. But it also, of course, includes what Paul sees as a certainty, that Onesimus will now be found to be useful once he arrives ‘home’. For the glory of the Gospel is that it makes the useless useful.

‘Once he was useless (achrestos) but now he is useful (euchrestos).’ These two words are frequently contrasted in moral literature in the ancient world. They typically refer to a person's character rather than to the quality of his work. Indeed Onesimus’ own name carries the significance of ‘beneficial, useful’.