Philemon 1:14

‘But without your mind I would do nothing, that your goodness should not be as of necessity, but of free will.’

Thus he would not enforce a choice on Philemon. He wanted rather for Philemon to be able to make up his own mind without pressure. Until Philemon had considered it without any duress, he would not keep Onesimus as his servant and companion. He wanted Philemon’s goodness to be a free act arising from his own goodwill, and not a necessity forced on him by Paul retaining Onesimus and asking for his services without really giving him the opportunity to say ‘no’.