Spiritual uselessness of Onesimus as a problem for Philemon? Revision of the principles of B. Adamczewski’s thesis on the Letter to Philemon

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12775/BPTh.2022.003

Keywords

Onesimus, Philemon, Adamczewski, Letter to Philemon, Ignatius of Antioch, Clement of Rome, Epictetus

Abstract

The article Spiritual uselessness of Onesimus as a problem for Philemon? examines the basis of the assumption, made by B. Adamczewski in Commentary Series NKB.NT on the Letter to Philemon. Adamczewski assumes that the key to the understanding of the letter is the spiritual uselessness of slave Onesimus in the household of Christian Philemon. It appears that this thesis is borrowed directly from J.M. Ryan and Adamczewski broadened its argumentation. In the article, the analysis of the ancient literature, which Adamczewski refers to , has been conducted. He cited Epictetus’ Discourses, the First Letter of Clement, and the Letter of Ignatius of Antioch to Polycarp. The result of the analysis has shown that none of the cited texts has strengthened the basis of Adamczewski’s thesis. They describe different cases and some contradict the idealistic vision of relation between Philemon and Onesimus and overall between Christian lords and Christian slaves, which can be found in Adamczewski’s thesis.

Author Biography

Grzegorz Olek, Chrześcijańska Akademia Teologiczna w Warszawie

ks. Grzegorz Olek – duchowny Kościoła Ewangelicko-Augsburskiego (Luterańskiego), dr teologii ewangelickiej w zakresie biblistyki Nowego Testamentu, członek redakcji portalu BibleNote+. Zainteresowania badawcze to Corpus Paulinum, narratologia i analiza retoryczna, pierwotne chrześcijaństwo w realiach Cesarstwa Rzymskiego I w. n.e.

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Biblica et Patristica Thoruniensia

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2022-05-09

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1.
OLEK, Grzegorz. Spiritual uselessness of Onesimus as a problem for Philemon? Revision of the principles of B. Adamczewski’s thesis on the Letter to Philemon. Biblica et Patristica Thoruniensia. Online. 9 May 2022. Vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 71-80. [Accessed 11 February 2026]. DOI 10.12775/BPTh.2022.003.

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Vol. 15 No. 1 (2022)

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