The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-09-26
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON

bat enirests him as q brother
Chrtsuan % iar0ve the Ofiense
ThiS plea e Paals reveals the
greSt heart Of tAe Apostle a. few
others Of his letters 90. Thls a mo-
Saul. the arrogant Pharisee. the
fsnaiical perxeeutnr q Christians.
BAT Paul the Christian. oneximus
perhaps aSks whal he i 10 90 and
Paul giyes wise counsel when he
urged him b return % his Master
Paul hated slavery bui ne would
DOT break the laW 0neslmus trust.
ed the advise q Paul 90 such an
extent that he DID Feturn even
though Il could have meant certain
death. With this letter. il would
hardly be that drastic
The receipt q this letter mus,
have been . challenge 90 Phlemon
One can understand the attitude
Of . Master when be- learns that
hls trusted household slave has
run away with everything loose
around the house But here comes
letter urging him % receive back
this SeOundrel a. a brother. win
his Christian love triumph what
wOuld We do n has been said that
Christianity sent 0neSimus back %
fultill the obligations a the Law
bat Christianity al the same time
pat an obligation on Philemon b.
receive the slave back in an en-.
tirely new relationship, tina, Of
hruther
Here Is another proposition which
tended 20 ease the BOLT on Phlle.
mon. Paul agreed % make good
any loss the master may have sus.
tanned No doubt Philemon had
helped himself To some money-he
bad perhaps C0niided In Pau.
sort Of . confessional. and so Paul
agreed 10 pay the debt. There must
always be a cash settlement when
someone asked what the Civil War
cost they were told that Il ran into
the millions. Il was then suggested
that had that money been used %
remunerate the slave holders In the
south. there would have never been
Civil War. In addition. there
would never have been the thou.
sands of veterans mounds both
north and south. The practice Of
the brotherhood Of man guarantees
a saving In lives and cash.
Paul further eased the mind Of
Philemon by saying that Oneslmus
had been Of service 20 him while
In prison. That service % Paul
was = gift from Philemon and white
he might have kept oneslmus.
Philemon would have resented or
rrudged him further use of the
slave. In returning him however
he hopes that Philemon win do
more than say and perhaps &c.
lease 0nesimus from slavery en-.
tirely.
n this Is q practical lesson In
Christianity. then We should note
the action Of the leader. Jesus him.
self. Tie praeticed the brotherhood
Of man. Women and children were
the same as men 10 him. tie took
no eogniEanee Of slaves other than
that they were men subject 30 all
the feelings. hopes. JOYS and sor-
rows a. ether men. lie ate with
the rich and poor. with publieans
and sinners without calling atten.
attention 30 II. To Jesus there we're
Just two classes Of men. those serv-
Inc God and those living 10 the
flesh.
Paul also Is an example Of Chris
tan brotherhood. Ills father was q
Roman citizen and Of considerable
means and distinction. lie gave up
his inheritance 20 earn his living
as 9 tent maker and became a
wanderer on the earth. We was .
learned man and a scholar from
Gamaliel's school and yet was 80
humble that the slave Oneslmus
was perfectly st home with him.
lie planted the Christian church In
the Roman Empire mos, success.
fully yet he was no, pulled up with
pride. In his own estimation he
was chief Of sinners saved BY
grace Christianity makes eli man.