NOTES for Pmn 1:17-25
Continuing the theme he has begun, Paul asks Philemon to welcome Onesimus and treat him just as he would treat the apostle himself, promising at the same time to compensate Philemon for all the loss Onesimus has caused him (vv. 17–20). Here again Paul remains true to himself, regarding the relationships of the Kingdom, relationships of mutual love, as the only possible ones between Christians. Love presupposes, above all, trust in the person one loves. In our world, which is being transformed but has not yet been transformed, which still lives largely by the laws of nature and society and whose life is, in essence, not very different from that of a wolf pack, financial obligations often determine every aspect of the relationships between those they bind. A willingness to change this situation, not by disregarding these obligations but by giving them second place, is possible only if both creditor and debtor live by the laws of the Kingdom rather than those of the old world. Paul urges Philemon to view financial obligations in precisely this way, fully trusting his brothers in Christ.
On the other hand, trust does not imply irresponsibility in financial affairs or disregard for them: the apostle does not call on Philemon to forget the harm Onesimus has done him, but promises to reimburse him for all his losses. Of course, Philemon may forgive all Onesimus's debts if he sees fit, but Paul does not consider himself entitled to demand this of him. He merely urges Philemon to act as, in his view, a person living by the laws of the Kingdom ought to act. Yet life in the Kingdom, as we can see, does not in itself entail renouncing every social obligation. This is certainly not because society or the state has some intrinsic value and would simply cease to exist if such a renunciation became universal. It is because relationships of love bind people together as they are, not as they could or ought to be. Everyone living in the age of the coming Kingdom is bound to some degree by the laws of a world not yet transformed, some more and some less. One person is ready to forgive a neighbour's debt; another is not ready and cannot do so. Relationships of love presuppose a willingness to accept both as they are. Not for the sake of the world whose laws bind them, but for the sake of Christ and the Kingdom, which set them free.