Wasted Evangelism
  • Wasted Blog
  • Wasted Engaged
    • Wasted Evangelism in Action
    • Wasted Evangelism Training
    • Wasted Evangelism Speaking
  • Wasted Evangelism, the Book & more
    • Wasted Evangelism, the Book
    • Lay Commentary on Philippians >
      • Destroying Private Cities Sample Chapter
    • Wasted Evangelism Resources & Links
    • Samples from Wasted Evangelism
  • Learning Wasted Local
    • Wasted Hill Blog
    • CPC in The Hill NewsLetter Updates >
      • Past Newsletter Links
    • Hill Sermons & Teaching >
      • BULLETINS & Sermons: For In-Person Gathering after COVID-19
      • 2018 Summer: In the Father's House
      • At the Table Series
      • Church and Liturgy
      • Book of Judges
      • Gospel of Matthew Series
      • 1 Peter Series
  • Home
  • About
    • About
    • Contact

Scot McKnight's "Letter to Philemon" and Paul's vision to address slavery

12/2/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Over the past few months I have worked on a paper for presentation at this year’s annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society regarding the New Testament teaching of the “gathered-church” as God’s platform (the space and place) for challenging and offering an alternative to the tiers of human hierarchies. This is how God in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit addressed the issues of slavery, oppression, inequality, and tyranny.

My conclusions were affirmed (at least to me) when—after the paper was done and presented—I picked up Scot McKnight’s new commentary on Paul’s Letter to Philemon. His own thesis and conclusion offered a similar framework as I regarding what Paul was seeking to accomplish in his Letter to Philemon.
 


From McKnight’s commentary regarding Onesimus, Philemon, and Paul . . .


“Was this purely a spiritual equality . . . That is, [Paul’s] vision was not for the mansumission of slaves in the Roman Empire. Rather his view was about something other than legal manumission, that is, a new creation sibling-based fellowship on the basis of adoption as children of God. For Paul this was a nobler vision and one (for him) more penetrating. For Paul the social revolution was to occur in the church, in the body of Christ, at the local level, and in the Christian house church and household.
 
“. . . Paul sets a tone for leadership that counters typical Roman ways. That is, to use the language of Victor Turning, Paul formed some anti-structures to the structures of the world, new anti-structures shaped by personhood and community or fellowship, with the ekklēsia being the location. In the anti-structure, Onesimus [the runaway slave turned Christian] is no longer a slave but a brother, and Paul (not Philemon) is the father, and Philemon is a brother to Onesimus . . . Paul’s concentration was the faith-community and fellowship not the Roman Empire and its structures . . . Revolution occurs in the new relations shaped by love in the oikonomia of [household] of Philemon in Colossae not with swords and shouts in the Roman forum. Paul did not so much turn a blind eye to the morality of slavery as he did not realize slavery was an issue of morality. He was blind to the immorality of slavery as an institution” (pp. 10-11).
0 Comments

Seditious Households: How Holy Kisses, Tables, and House(hold) Church Habitus Subverted Oppression and Slavery (Part 4b)

11/19/2017

1 Comment

 
Picture
Trajectory Application: Two NT Case Studies that Address Tyranny and Oppression (B)
​
​
The curious case-study of Philemon and Onesimus. The story of Paul, Philemon, and his run-away slave, Onesimus, is as close a NT case study there is regarding how the gospel applies to slavery. The primary objection of some, however, is that Paul wasn’t at all clear nor direct (enough) about it. Our comfort level needs unambiguous NT advocacy against slavery and the freeing of “household” slaves. Yet, this would not have helped slaves in the NT world. Some other social, cultural, and anthropological paradigm shifts needed (and in many ways, still need) to change first—a revolution striking at the heart of tiers of human hierarchy. As was the Greco-Roman world of Paul’s day, advocating for emancipation of slaves can be more about our “enlightenment” than about a slave’s (i.e., a person’s) inherent value, dignity, and equality.[1] Nevertheless, based on the household gathered-church and its habitus outlined thus far, Paul seems to have had something much more ambitious in mind than instructing Philemon to simply free Onesimus.

A runaway slave was the most vulnerable of all, a de-housed situation revealing all the aspects of the subhuman caste: any protection in society is absent, confirming Roman citizenship is impossible, all ties to a “household” are lost, and, thus, any rights or security the slave would have had are forfeited. Certainly, a female runaway slave faced certain destitution and probably death. If the runaway slave was a male child of the head of the household (i.e., paterfamalia), he would not have been able to “compete” with legitimate children. A slave was most certainly a filius neminis (a son of no one)[2] and this would have been a perilous state to be on the run. A runaway or even a freed slave would go into permanent social subordination or into exile—not truly free. A slave in the Roman world was denied any legal standing--non habens personam (not having a face) before the law. Onesimus’ options in the real world would not have been at all positive—nor free of the tiered hierarchy of human beings. As Sarah Ruden points out, “This is what makes the debate over the letter to Philemon, concentrating on the question of legal freedom, so silly.” Freeing Onesimus directly into Roman society would have put his life at risk. Had Paul instructed Philemon to free Onesimus apart from the slave’s return to the household gathered-church, it would not have worked out well for Onesimus. Paul desires Onesimus’ return to the safest and most secure place, the one space in the Roman empire where the slave would find equal footing—the household gathered-church.

First, Paul’s letter to Philemon aligns well within the venue of the household gathered-church, for it was, after all, addressed as well to the church in Philemon’s house (1:2c). Second, Paul’s appeal to Philemon established them both—Onesimus and Philemon—on the same platform (counter to every cultural thought and social boundary): For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, Philemon, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you (v. 7); and, Onesimus was to return no longer as a bondservant but . . . as a beloved brother (v. 16). This level position is further established by gospelizing Philemon’s own relationship to Onesimus--but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord (v. 16c)—that he would receive his former slave back as Philemon would receive Paul (v. 17b). Fourth, Paul establishes Onesimus’ status in the community of believers drawing upon his state of “usefulness.” Runaway slaves were nobodies and nothing apart from the “household” because they were useless. The value of a slave was pragmatic, utilitarian, and showed the shame of a tiered human hierarchy. As a runaway, Onesimus was not useful to Philemon, however now he was useful to both Paul and Philemon: Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me (v. 11). The scandal was that Onesimus was “useful” because he was a brother in Christ and was to be received as full member of the household gathered-church in Philemon’s home. Finally, Paul further establishes the relationship status, which reflects the gospel, the nature of the household gathered-church, and the equality of those welcome to recline at table: I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment (v. 10). Heirship—sonship and adoption—was established for Onesimus in terms of the faith. Paul was not merely asking Philemon to forgive his runaway-slave, but to embrace him, now, as a brother in the Lord, a full participant at table: that you might have him back forever . . . as a beloved brother and receive him as you would receive me (vv. 15–16).
​
Paul’s appeal to Philemon is in line with NT teaching regarding the household gathered-church and its habitus. The apostle’s approach, a trajectory application of the gospel, was far more ambitious than making Onesimus legally free—a condition in which Onesimus would have been far more vulnerable—choosing rather to affirm his humanity, that is a full human being within the household gathered-church. Paul’s foresight and application of the gospel in welcoming the former slave into the full ranks of membership in Christ’s church, a “son” equal to his former “master” changed everything—and addresses oppression in the company of unequals. Paul is offering a rather subversive paradigm within the seditious gathered-church that is reflective of the Ephesians household-table. The apostolic and early church, without public protests or any actual campaign against slavery, over time weakened the institution and in some places causing it to disappear. [3] The gathered-church is the space God applies the gospel among unequals that eradicates tiered human hierarchies.


Personhood. Although it is somewhat anachronistic to speak of personhood with respect to the Bible, it would not be possible to speak of “persons” today, for our capacity to call someone a person is a “consequence of the revolution in moral sensibility that Christianity brought about.”[4] The concept of person had a far more limited function before the appearance of the gathered-church. The Greek prosōpon (as the Latin persona) was not used to indicate “a person” in a modern sense. The etymological meaning is related to a mask (a false face) worn by actors in a Roman theater. The Roman court system picked up the nuance of persōna, a face recognized before the law. In NT times, it was more accurate to refer to one’s standing before the law than to refer to someone as a person.[5] The “role” an individual played amid social institutions helped prescribe Greco-Roman social mapping as it was diffused through the Roman household. Non habens personam (not having a face) was the lot of most women, almost all children, and, certainly, all slaves. However, the presence of Christianity through household gathered-church habitus penetrated the warp and woof of social mapping. Eventually slaves, children, and women became known as persons. Our ability to acknowledge another as person with intrinsic value and worth originates, not only from the gospel as message, but also from the actual habitus that reformed social mapping. The habitus of the household gathered-church, which met for a meal, a kiss, fellowship, celebration, and apostolic instruction, set in motion the redeeming and, thus, reforming of social mapping, ending tiered hierarchies of humanity.

[1] Sarah Ruden, Paul Among the People: The Apostle Paul Reinterpreted and Reimagined in His Own Time (New York: Image Books, 2010), 154.

[2] Ruden, Paul Among the People, 165.

[3] Ruden, Paul Among the People, 168.
​
[4] Hart, Atheist Delusions, 167.

[5] E.g., Jesus did not have “person” before Pilate (Atheist Delusions, 167); e.g., how blacks were not recognized before the law as a person prior to emancipation and the ratification of the 13th Amendment of the US Constitution (December 6, 1865)

This is a thread consisting of parts of a a recent paper presented at the 2017 Evangelical Theological Society's annual meeting in Providence, RI. The goal is to develop an anthology of essays (by various authors) on the subject, Christian Responses to Tyranny.

Part 1 | Part 2a | Part 2b | Part 2c | Part 3 | Part 3a | Part 3b | Part 4a | Part 4b | Part 5 
For the entire thread (remember to 
scroll backwards for previous posts) << Gathered-church >>

If these blogs and teachings benefit you in some way, please consider supporting the ministry of Christ Presbyterian Church in The Hill. Our church plant and ministry in the Hill is dependent on the kind and generous financial support from outside the Hill. The Hill is one of Connecticut's poorest and under-resourced, self-sustaining neighborhoods; we will be dependent on outside support for some time. Please consider supporting us with a one time donation or join us as a financial partner in ministry. 

​You may donate 
online through our website or send a donation to our anchor church marked for CPC in The Hill @ 135 Whitney Ave, New Haven, CT 06510 (checks are to be made out to Christ Presbyterian Church or simply CPC; and in the memo please indicate Hill/CA). For more information or to receive our Hill News Updates, please contact me, Pastor Chip, through this email address: ChipCPCtheHill@gmail.com.
1 Comment

    Author

    Chip M. Anderson, advocate for biblical social action; pastor of an urban church plant in the Hill neighborhood of New Haven, CT; husband, father, author, former Greek & NT professor; and, 19 years involved with social action.

    Archives

    December 2020
    November 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015

    Categories

    All
    13th Amendment
    1 Corinthians 11
    1 Corinthians 12
    1 Corinthians 13
    1 Peter
    1 Peter 1
    1 Peter 2
    1 Peter 3
    1 Peter 4
    2 Chronicles
    Abundance
    Acts 10
    Acts 2
    Acts 6
    Acts 7
    Acts 8
    Affluence
    Affluent People
    Alan Hirsch
    Alan Kreider
    Alan Roxburgh
    Alien
    All Lives Matter
    Alongsiders
    Amos 4
    And Economics
    Andrew Davey
    Apologetics
    Baptism
    Beatitudes
    Beggars
    Bible Interpretation
    Biblical Apologetics
    Biblical Social Action
    Black Lives Matter
    Black Missionary
    Blasphemy Of The Holy Spirit
    Bob Ekblad
    Book Of Judges
    Book Review
    Bottom-Demographics
    Brad Brisco
    Brenda Salter McNeil
    Brueggemann
    Building Centered Church
    Building-centered Church
    Call To Ministry
    CCDA
    Celebrity
    Charity
    Child Poverty
    Chinese Church
    Chip M Anderson
    Christendom
    Christian And Missionary Alliance
    Christian Community Development Association
    Christian Faith
    Christianity
    Christian Leadership
    Christians And Politics
    Christine Pohl
    Christmas
    Church
    Church And Culture
    Church And State
    Church Crisis
    Church Growth
    Church Habits
    Church Human Capital
    Church In Uncool Places
    Church Leadership
    Church Life
    Church (local)
    #churchmatters
    Church Matters
    Church Planting
    Church's Public Voice
    City On A Hill
    Col 3
    Colossians 3
    Come Unto Me
    Communion
    Conditions Of Poverty
    Confession
    Connecting To Poverty Fridays
    Connect To Poverty Fridays
    Constantine
    Cosmic Restoration
    Cost Of Doing Church Business
    COVID-19
    Craig Greenfield
    Craig Luekens
    Crown College
    Dangerous Devotions
    Daniel 7
    Danny Meyer
    David Fitch
    Deacon
    Death
    Declaration Of Independence
    Destroying Our Private Cities
    Dietrich Bonhoeffer
    Discipleship
    Domesticating Church Growth
    Dorothy Sayers
    Dualistic Faith
    Early Church
    Easter
    Ecclesiology
    Effects Of Poverty
    Ekklesia
    Elements Of Worship
    E. M. Bounds
    Empire
    Ephesians 2
    Ephesians 3
    Ephesians 4
    Ephesians 5
    Ephesians 6
    Epiphany
    Evangelism
    Evangelistic Social Action
    Exegetical Process
    Exile
    Exodus
    Exurban
    Ezekiel 34
    Ezekiel 47
    Ezekiel Temple
    Fasting
    Faulty Interpretation
    Fighting Poverty
    Filling Of The Spirit
    First American Missionary
    Fishers Of Men
    Flesh And Spirit
    Following Jesus
    Food
    Food Scarcity
    Foot Washing
    For The Least Of These
    Friday's Connecting To Issues Of Poverty
    Fundraising
    Gal 2
    Gal 3
    Galatians 2:20
    Galatians 3
    Game Of Thrones
    Gary Haugen
    Gathered Church
    Gathered-church
    Gender Equality
    Generation Z
    George Liele
    G. K. Chesterton
    Global Poor
    God And The Poor
    God's Call
    God's Purpose
    God's Rest
    Good News
    Gordon-Connell Theological Seminary
    Gospel
    Gospel Of Mark
    Gospel Of The Kingdom
    Gospels
    Greatest Command
    Habits Of The Heart
    Hauerwas
    Haustafel
    Haystack Prayer Meeting
    Health Of The Church
    Heavenly Places
    Hinterlands
    Holy Kiss
    Homelessness
    Honor
    Horizontalization
    Hospitality
    House Church
    Household
    Household Baptisms
    Household Conversions
    Household-table
    Huffpost Religion
    Hunger
    Ibram X. Kendi
    Idolatry
    Idolatry And Poverty
    Idolatry Of Power
    Incarnational
    Institute For Faith
    International Justice Mission
    Isaiah 56
    Isaiah 58
    Isaiah 61
    ISIS
    Issues Of Poverty
    Jacques Ellul
    James 5
    James K. A. Smith
    Jeremiah 7
    Jesus
    Jesus And Pilate
    Jesus' Table
    John 13
    John 18
    John 19
    John 3:16
    John Chrysostom
    John Wesley
    Jonathan Brooks
    Jonathan Edwards
    Joseph's Storehouse
    Journey Of The Magi
    Jr.
    Judas
    Judge
    Justice
    Justo Gonzalez
    Just Spirituality
    Kelly Johnson
    King
    Kingdom Ethics
    Kingdom Of God
    Lament
    Last Supper
    Leadership
    Lepers
    Lesslie Newbigin
    Letters From Birmingham Jail
    Leveling
    Life Together
    Light Of The World
    Liminal Space
    Lisa Sharon Harper
    Living Bread Ministries
    Lord's Supper
    Lost Sheep
    Lucy Shaw
    Luke 1
    Luke 14
    Luke 15
    Luke 16
    Luke 2
    Luke 5
    Luke 6
    Luke 7
    Luke-Acts
    Machiavelli
    Mae Elise Cannon
    Making Room
    Manna
    Man On The Street
    Marginal People
    Mark 1
    Mark 11
    Mark 1:1-3
    Mark 12
    Mark 13
    Mark 3
    Mark 4
    Mark Strom
    Mark T. Mulder
    Marriage
    Martin Luther King
    Martin-luther-king-jr
    Martin-luther-king-jr
    Mary's Song
    Matthew 10
    Matthew 11
    Matthew 12
    Matthew 14
    Matthew 2
    Matthew 21
    Matthew 24
    Matthew 25
    Matthew 3
    Matthew 4
    Matthew 4-11
    Matthew 5
    Matthew 6
    Matthew 8
    Matthew 9
    Means Of Grace
    Merciful
    Messy Crowds
    Micah 6:8
    Michael Card
    Michael W. Goheen
    Millennial
    Missiology
    Missional
    Missional Church
    Missional Ecclesiology
    Missions
    MLK
    Modern Missionary Movement
    Mother Teresa
    Movement Day
    Neighbohoods
    Noel Castellanos
    Not By The Numbers
    Old Testament Prophet
    Onesimus
    Oppression
    Orphan
    Outcasts
    Outcomes
    Outreach
    Outsiders
    Over-abundance
    Parable Of The Sower
    Passion Week Wasted Thoughts
    Patience
    Patient Ferment Of The Early Church
    Paul Johnson
    Paul Sparks
    PCA
    Pentecost
    People On The Margins
    Persecution
    Personal
    Personhood
    Peter Greer
    Peter Leithard
    Peter Maurin
    Philemon
    Philippians
    Philippians 2
    Philippians 3
    Philippians 4
    Picture Worth Words Enough
    Politics And Christianity
    Poor
    Poor In Spirit
    Poor Rich Readers
    Poor Widow
    Poverty
    Poverty Industry
    Poverty Statistics
    Power
    Power (the Powers)
    Prayer
    Presbyterian Church In America
    Privilege
    Prodigal Son
    Prophetic Lament
    Proverbs 31:8-9
    Proverbs 31:8–9
    Public Square
    Public Voice
    Racism
    Randy Nabors
    Reading The Bible
    Reconciliation
    Refugee
    Refugee Services
    Reimaging Church Growth
    Religion And Politics
    Religious Bureaucracies
    Repentance
    Resisting And Rethinking Church
    Rethinking Church
    Richard Beck
    Richard John Neuhaus
    Richard Rohr
    Richard Rothstein
    Robert Jaffrey
    Robert Lupton
    Role Of The Local Congregation
    Romans 12
    Romans 15
    R T France
    Sabbath
    Sacred Space
    Salt Of The World
    Sanctification
    Satan
    Scarcity
    Scattered Church
    Scot McKnight
    Scott Boren
    Sean Benesh
    Second Coming
    Secular
    Seditious Households
    Self-righteousness
    Sermon: No King But Jesus
    Sermon On The Mount
    Sexual Sins
    Shake Shack
    Shame
    Shepherds
    Slavery
    Slaves
    Social Action
    Social Action Outcomes
    Social And Cultural Change
    Social Construction Of Reality
    Social Gospel
    Social Justice
    Social Justice Handbook
    Socio-rhetorical (interpretation)
    Solomon Temple Prayer
    Soon-Chan Rah
    Soong Chan Rah
    Soong-Chan Rah
    Søren Kierkegaard
    South Florida
    Spirituality
    Spiritual Journey
    Stangers
    Status Quo
    Strangers
    Suburban
    Suburbanization
    Suburbs
    Subversive-jesus
    Symposium
    Synoptic Gospels
    Syria
    Table Etiquette
    Table Fellowship
    Taking Up One's Cross
    Tax Collectors And Sinners
    Teaching Ministry
    TED Talk
    Temple
    Temple Church
    Temple-church
    Thanksgiving
    The Color Of Law
    The Cross
    The Forgotten Ways
    The Gospel
    The Inner Man
    The Margins
    The New Parish
    The Poor And Their Neighborhood
    The Public Good
    Think Deep About Christmas
    Thomas Merton
    Toxic Charity
    Tyranny
    Tyrion Lannister
    Unclean
    Uncool Places
    Upward Mobility
    Urban
    Urban Christianity
    Urban Reload
    Urban Youth
    US Constitution
    Views On Marriage
    Violence
    Voting
    Walter Brueggemann
    Wasted Book Reviews
    Wasted Books
    Wasted Evangelism
    Wasted Evangelism In Action
    Wasted Evangelism Mind
    Wasted Evangelism Organization
    Wasted Evangelism Quote
    Wasted Exegesis
    Wasted Narrative Exegesis
    Wasted Poem
    Wasted Quote
    Wasted Rough Cuts
    Wasted Sermon
    Wasted Sermon Prep
    Wasted Sermon Thoughts
    Wasted Thought
    Ways Of Doing Church
    Weak And Strong
    Wealthy
    Wealthy Christian
    Welcoming Church
    Welcoming The Stranger
    Widow
    Widows
    Widows In Our Courts
    William Booth
    Woke
    Women
    Work
    Worship
    Young People
    Youth
    Z-Gens

    RSS Feed

Pages

Wasted Blog
Engagement
Books & Resources

More Pages

About
The Book
CZ

Even More Pages

Contact
Learning Local in The Hill
Terms of Use
© COPYRIGHT 2015. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Photo used under Creative Commons from Christopher Combe Photography