A runaway slave from Asia Minor — whose name means "useful" or "profitable" — makes his way hundreds of kilometers to the capital, Rome, meets Paul there, and finds his way to Jesus Christ. After some time, Paul sends him back with a special letter to his master, because his master was also a Christian and a wealthy citizen of Colossae.

What's interesting: Paul himself was not free at the time. He was sitting in Rome as a prisoner.

The short letter to Philemon has remarkable aspects. It speaks of the new identity that every person who has accepted Jesus Christ possesses. We are no longer slaves, but as children of God we have a new reality, a new identity, and a new authority.

No longer as a slave, but … as a beloved brother
Philemon 16