To an old "Peace and Justice" preacher like me, it is tempting to latch onto the gospel reading and cram the "renounce all your possessions" phrase down your throats. But I’m not going to do that (at least not today).

Instead, I’m going to concentrate on Paul’s letter to Philemon and, in a broader sense, what Paul’s attitude is toward slavery and submission.

Paul’s little letter to Philemon is a personal plea, very cleverly crafted, to get Philemon to free his slave Onesimus. The first few sentences are full of flattery and praise to soften up Philemon. Then Paul makes a well-reasoned case for Onesimus to be freed, but saying in effect "Of course the decision is up to you. You have every right to take Onesimus back as a slave." Then Paul makes it impossible for Philemon to refuse. Paul reminds Philemon that he owes his very self to Paul, and expresses confidence that Philemon will not only comply with his request, but do more as well.

Paul then sends the letter to Philemon in the hands of Onesimus himself.

We have no idea how this brief note got preserved and wound up in the Bible. Certainly Paul never intended it to be "scripture." Over the last few hundred years, these few words of Paul’s have been used by both the defenders and critics of slavery to defend their position.

The critics, of course, point to the letter as a whole, and Paul’s purpose in writing it.

The defenders of slavery, on the other hand, easily countered that argument. They pointed out that while Paul was asking for freedom for Onesimus (who had been of great service to Paul), he was not asking Philemon to free his other slaves. Nor was he condemning the institution of slavery itself. Indeed, he specifically recognized the right of Philemon to keep Onesimus as a slave, should he decide to do so.

It would seem that the argument in defense of slavery was the stronger.

This argument is strengthened even more by the context in which this letter was written. Paul was under house arrest in Rome, along with another Christian, Epaphras. Though denied his freedom, he was allowed to work closely with other disciples, including Timothy and Mark. From his imprisonment, Paul sent letters to the various churches, particularly those in what is now Turkey. Some of these letters were meant to address specific problems arising in the churches, whether heresies or immoral behavior or the development of factions. Other letters (like Ephesians) were more general in nature, and designed to be read in several churches as "circular letters." The letters to the Ephesians, the Colossians, and Philemon were all written in 60 a.d., with Philippians coming the following year.

The letter to the Colossians was sent by Paul by way of Tychicus and Onesimus. Philemon lived in Colossea and the church there met in his home. The personal letter to Philemon about Onesimus was carried at the same time, and the two letters were delivered together.

The reason this bit of history is important is that Colossians also mentions slavery. So interpreting Paul’s attitude about slavery as revealed in Philemon is much easier if we look at the related passage from Colossians.

Here’s what it says (Colossians 3: 22-24): "Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

Ephesians 6: 5-8, written the same year, says the same thing, and in almost the same words. In essence, Paul is telling slaves that their condition is God’s will for them, and that they are serving the Lord by serving their masters.

Paul goes on in Colossians 4:1 to give some words of instruction for the slaveowners: "Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven." Note the lack of symmetry here. Paul does not tell the masters to obey their slaves, just to provide them with what is right and fair. He concludes this pair of instructions by comparing the relationship of the slave to his master with the relationship between the master and God.

No wonder so many of the Christians in the South of 150 years ago loved to quote the Bible in defense of slavery. Indeed, it’s hard to see Paul’s words as anything but a ringing endorsement of the institution of slavery as a reflection of the will and divine plan of almighty God!

Am I arguing that slavery was a good thing? Of course not. You know me better than that! Today, we look at those passages and say that Paul’s words merely reflect the realities of an imperfect society. Slavery was never part of God’s plan, but was an evil invention of selfish men. Paul’s admonition to slaves to obey their masters as the Lord should be seen as nothing more than good advice to those caught up in a situation over which they had no control.

OK. Is everybody with me so far? Fine. Now we can go the next step.

Just this summer, a major Christian denomination in the South (which I shall not name) made it part of their official dogma that it is God’s will that wives submit to their husbands as to the Lord, for he is head of the household just as Christ is head of the church.

Where did they get this? Well, of course, it comes right out of the Bible. It comes, as a matter of fact, from Colossians and Ephesians, the same books that were used to justify slavery for eighteen hundred years. It comes from the same chapters of these books. It comes from the same paragraphs of the same chapters of these same books.

Here’s Ephesians 5:22-24: "Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything."

Colossians is less wordy. Here’s Colossians 3: 18: "Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord."

In both books, there follows an instruction to husbands to love their wives, to children to obey their parents, to fathers not to be harsh with their children, and then the previously quoted instructions to slaves and masters. The instructions to wives and husbands, children and fathers, and slaves and masters are all part of a continuous thought by Paul. In my NIV, it all comes under the heading, "Rules for Christian Households."

So what do we think of all this? We have already concluded that Paul’s admonition to slaves should be seen as merely practical advice for dealing with an imperfect social relationship over which they have no control.

Should not the admonition to wives be seen in the same way? Remember that in Paul’s day, wives were mere property, much as slaves were. They had no more legal rights than slaves. They had no more control of the relationship than did slaves.

In the context of this social reality, Paul’s admonition for wives to submit to their husbands makes just as much sense as his instruction to slaves to obey their masters. But today, things are different.

Today, we recognize that people of other races and social classes are human beings made in the image and likeness of God, with souls, intellect, and rights. They are not to be slaves. They are not property.

Similarly, do we not today recognize that women are human beings made in the image and likeness of God, with souls, intellect, and rights? They are not to be slaves. They are not property.

Why is it then that a Christian denomination is today making the very same mistake toward women that it made 150 years ago with respect to black people? (A mistake for which they have only recently apologized.) And they are making this new mistake on the basis of the very same paragraphs in the very same letters of Paul that got them in trouble 150 years ago!

Some people never learn.

Mind you, I do not question the sincerity of the Christians who refuse to acknowledge the new equality between husbands and wives. And I also think that they were sincere 150 years ago in their belief that God blessed and ordained their enslavement of Africans. And I certainly see where they find Biblical support for their beliefs. The Biblical basis for male domination is almost as strong as that for slavery.

But I happen to believe they are wrong, on both counts.

We believe that the Bible is a record of God’s interaction with humanity through the Jews and through Jesus of Nazareth. We believe in the truth of the Bible, including the miracles recorded therein. We believe in the reality of the resurrection. But our church does not require belief in the inerrancy of the Bible. Too often in the past, inerrancy has turned the Bible into a weapon to be used by one group of people against another (usually less powerful) group. Inerrancy makes the Bible an instrument of control.

Well, if an inerrant Bible requires that wives submit to their husbands in all things, then we should never have done away with slavery, for the same Bible requires that slaves obey their masters.

As for me, I choose to believe that the error is not in the Bible, but in our understanding and interpretation of it. I choose to believe that we should read the Bible in the context of God’s law of love, and be wary of anything not in accordance with it.

And I choose to believe that the submission of my wife to my wishes is something to be earned by respect and trust and love, not something to be demanded as a right.

Let us pray,

Lord, we thank you for revealing yourself through the Bible. We thank you for the labors of all those through the ages who have preserved, transcribed, and translated it for us. We ask that you send your Holy Spirit to guide us in our reading of your Word, that it may draw us ever closer to you and to the knowledge of your will for our lives.

Help us to submit to each other in love, but never to require submission of another. Thank you for coming to free the enslaved. Sorry it is taking us so long to understand and do your will.

Amen.

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