Now that Paul has sufficiently commended Philemon for his exemplary Christian life, he moves to the heart of his request regarding Onesimus. In one way, Paul gives the impression that he is “shadow boxing,” that is, skirting around the real issue and not confronting Philemon directly. But Paul’s strategy is determined by two factors: First, he needs to move very carefully and weigh every word. After all, a request to reinstate a runaway slave was quite unusual in the first century. According to Roman law, masters could demand the return of a slave and inflict punishment at their discretion.

Second, Paul wants to avoid any impression of legislating the decision that he wishes Philemon would make. Even if he has the authority to do so, he realizes that “a man convinced against his will is of …