Who Was Onesimus In The Bible? A Character Study

Who was Onesimus that is mentioned in the Book of Philemon? Why is it important for us to know about him?

Onesimus’ Name

Onesimus’ name is derived from a root that means “beneficial,” “profitable,” “useful” or “helpful” but they all have the same idea but the question is this; were these statements about Philemon’s slave and how he was beneficial or helpful to Paul or was it his actual name? Could this have been this runaway slave’s Christian name? Mysteries abound about this but we want to know more about who Onesimus was and not get preoccupied about his name.

Paul’s Letter to Philemon

The letter which Paul wrote to Philemon became canonized. Paul possibly never imagined that it would later become part of the New Testament but it was accepted as such quite early in the church’s history and it was widely circulated among the churches. Paul wrote “I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me)” (Phil 1:10-11). The fact that Paul calls Onesimus “useful” might be a clue to his name because Paul says “Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.” Also Paul calls him “my child” perhaps revealing that Paul was his spiritual father, leading him to saving faith in Christ since he was no longer a bondservant but a brother in Christ (1:16). Whatever the case may be, Paul sent him back (1:12) because it was the right thing to do as Paul didn’t want to do anything without Philemon’s consent (1:14).

The Runaway Slave

Paul desired to keep Onesimus with him because he was serving him in prison (1:13) but didn’t want to keep him if Philemon didn’t give his permission as he writes “I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord” (1:14). Upon Onesimus’ return, Paul asked Philemon to “receive him as you would receive me” considering they were partners in Christ (1:17). If nothing else, Paul said he would repay him for Onesimus’ service (1:19) which could mean that Onesimus had apparently stolen some of his owners property so that he’d have the funds necessary to run away.

Onesimus and Paul

We are not sure how Onesimus came into contact with Paul. Was it because he had the customary hole in his ear that marked that of a slave and when the Roman authorities saw it, he was thrown into prison with Paul? This could have been the occasion for Paul telling him about Jesus Christ and how he came to be saved. Onesimus must have been freed at some point, or he would have never been “useful” to Paul. Paul was fortunate to have someone on the outside since many times prisoners of Rome had to find their resources outside of the prison walls.

Saint Onesimus?

There are historical accounts of Onesimus becoming very useful and not just to Paul and Philemon. Onesimus later came to be known as Onesimus of Byzantium and The Holy Apostle Onesimus in some of the Eastern Orthodox churches and was also referred to as Ignatius of Antioch as Bishop in Ephesus. Onesimus is thought to have died in 68 A.D.

Conclusion

One of the shortest books in the Bible, the Book of Philemon, is one of the most precious books there are in Scripture. It reveals that God desires forgiveness and that He is in the business of restoring lives and proves that “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28). God sees no difference between His children. God has placed the cross for all to come to for forgiveness and the cross is level ground where the rich and the poor, the free and the slave, and the male and the female are seen as equal before God.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Blind Chance or Intelligent Design available on Amazon.