Philemon According to the Three

Philemon According to the Three Worlds of the Bible

The New Testament is composed of narrative, doctrine, vignette and correspondence. The diverse array of documents which are culled together to constitute the Christian Bible provide us with a work of unparalleled depth, beauty and philosophical import. It is thus that in so many of the bible's aspects, we can read on so many different levels. The course discussion concerning the so-called Three Worlds of the bible is directly illustrative of this versatility, identifying these distinct ways of reading, understanding and appreciating the Bible. Its capacity for such illumination can be observed in one of the Bible's most concise and apparently simple constructions. In the Book of Philemon, a work constructed of a single correspondence, we find that even in brevity the Bible is capable of being deconstructed with precision. We consider the text therefore in light of the Three Worlds.

The Literary World of the Bible helps us to appreciate it on its most immediate and apparent level. The compositional flourish, the rhetorical grace and the often startling narrative revelation all can stand apart in the bible, such that its appeal is to the literary tradition as much as any other. Both in the content orientation of classical writing for many centuries and in the modern construction of the epic tale, the New Testament looms as a heavy and determinant fashion. The work has been tremendously influential, owing to the way that its various stories and morals "create fascinating worlds as they portray one of the grandest of all mysteries." (3) the importance of theme and the primacy of linguistic appeal are both central to how we read the bible.

In such books as Philemon, this literary approach is displayed in the care and subtlety with which the author chooses his phraseology. Philemon is a correspondence from Paul of Tarsis to his disciple Philemon regarding the release of runaway slave Onesimus. Paul's platitudes in the correspond gracefully implore Philemon to behave of the goodness found through his love for Christ and to take Onesimus in as a brother in forgiveness. Paul writes, "although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I appeal to you on the basis of love. . .. I appeal to you for my son Onesimus,[a] who became my son while I was in chains." (Philemon, 8-10) Here, Paul couches his imposition upon Philemon in the simultaneous reminder of his duty in Christ and his responsibility to Paul's authority. The clever emphasis on the former with an ironically explicit disregard for the latter shows the bible to have been a distinctly worded work demonstrating the nuances of human relations and verbal expression.

This helps also to make more relatable a time and place which appear to be long passed. Indeed, another way of reading the bible is according to the Historical World. Here, our primary text discusses the hints and allusions littering the whole of the bible with regard to the world in which its events are said to have taken place. As our course material tells, we have the opportunity to "probe the text itself for evidence that links it to the historical times, places, situations, and persons." (4) This is sometimes a simple proposition as in cases where cities are noted or even when specific dates are cited. Other elements which are less immediate such as the mention of animals, fruits, military conflicts and other such clues can also help the educated individual to draw conclusions on geography or chronology.

In the case of Philemon, we are required to use such subtle clues in order to resolve the presence of some historical information. In this case, while it may not be possible to pinpoint an exact date, the biography of its author, Paul of Tarsis, may be the best secondary source. Paul provides us some modest clues. In his address of Philemon, he refers to himself as "your friend Paul, an old man, now in prison for the sake of Christ Jesus." (Philemon, 1) Here, we are able to deduce that Paul is of an advanced age and incarcerated. If we are able to collect information on where Paul experienced such incarceration along with Onesimus, than we might be able to deduce both when and from where the letter originated. This is made possible by the Bible's connection, either consciously or unconsciously, to its time and place.