Radical Social Change: Discoverying Paul's Letter To Philemon

The revelation of YHWH's name to Moses is a momentous event according to the Old Testament. The name 'Yahweh' is of central importance in Judaism, and 'Yahwism' became tantamount to Jewish monotheism. As such, this designation of God also attracted the attention of pagan writers in the Graeco-Roman period.

This book examines the way the life of a believer changes after he or she is "born again" into eternal life and how that new life changed social norms. Paul focused on how new life in Christ fundamentally transforms personal relationships with others and God. Paul passed on – to us – universal principles from God that must ultimately topple the foundations of injustice in any form when they are taken seriously. Onesimus had escaped from his owner, Philemon, and run away from Colossae to Rome, probably in the hope that he could disappear into that populous, urban environment.