Week 1: Philemon

Week 1: Philemon

Objective: 

• Overview of the Pauline Epistles

• The Story of Philemon and Onesimus
• Brotherhood in Christ

Resources:

• Fr Tadros Y Malaty Commentary
• Catena Bible Commentary
  
• HEM Youssef Bible Study (English)
• Fr Dawoud Lamie Bible Study (Arabic)
• SUS COPTS

Reading:

• Philemon 1-25

Key verse(s):

“Having confidence in your obedience I wrote unto you, knowing that you will also do more than I say.” Philemon 21

Comments:

• Philemon is one of the four epistles St. Paul sent during his first imprisonment.
• Philemon was a disciple of St. Paul and he was a wealthy man. Onesimus was a servant of Philemon.
• Onesimus wronged his master and was caught and put in jail.
• In jail, he met St. Paul and repented. When St. Paul learned he was Philemon's servant, St. Paul sent this letter to Philemon asking him to accept him back as a brother in Christ.
• The theme of this epistle is the brotherhood in Christ

Review/recap questions:
**Servant may add more questions

1. For what is St. Paul giving thanks?
2. What is St. Paul willing to do in behalf of Onesimus? 
3. What good things had St. Paul heard concerning Philemon?
4. In what does St. Paul have confidence as he writes to Philemon?
5. Why does St. Paul refer to himself as a prisoner of Christ Jesus? 

Homework:
**Servant may add more questions

1. St Paul wanted Philemon to receive Onesimus as a
   a) friend b) slave c) prisoner d) teacher
2. What does Paul call Onesimus? What does it mean?
3. How had becoming a Christian changed Onesimus? 
4. How could Philemon do more than what Paul had asked of him?