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Onesimus

Man living at the time of the New Testament

Onesimus was a runaway slave who became a Christian through Paul's ministry and was the subject of Paul's letter to Philemon.

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Onesimus was a slave who belonged to Philemon, a Christian from Colossae (Col.4.9). He ran away from his master and, in some way, came into contact with the apostle Paul while Paul was in prison (Phm.1.10). Through Paul's ministry, Onesimus became a Christian and proved to be a valuable companion and helper to Paul (Phm.1.11-13). Paul sent Onesimus back to Philemon with a personal letter, urging Philemon to receive Onesimus back, not as a slave, but as a beloved brother in Christ (Phm.1.16-17). Paul also offered to pay any debt that Onesimus might owe to Philemon (Phm.1.18-19). The letter to Philemon is a powerful example of Christian love, forgiveness, and the transforming power of the gospel in human relationships. Onesimus is also mentioned as a faithful and beloved brother in Paul's letter to the Colossians (Col.4.9).

Connections

Part of: Paul's Circle

Philemon and his runaway slave Onesimus

RoleStated in the text

Paul sends back Onesimus, once useless but now useful, asking Philemon to receive him no longer as a slave but as a beloved brother. Colossians 4:9 calls Onesimus one of you, placing him in Colossae.

PhilemonRecipient of Paul's letter, Colossian slave ownerOnesimusRunaway slave, convert of PaulPaulAn apostle
Where the text shows it: Philemon 1:10-16 — Begotten in prison; no longer a slave but a brotherColossians 4:9 — Onesimus, one of you

Sources: Scripture

Epaphras, founder of the Colossian church

HometownStated in the text

Paul says the Colossians learned the gospel from Epaphras, their beloved fellow servant, who is also one of them. He now shares Paul's imprisonment and prays hard for them.

EpaphrasA faithful minister and fellow servant of Paul.PaulAn apostleOnesimusRunaway slave, convert of Paul
Where the text shows it: Colossians 1:7 — Learned from EpaphrasColossians 4:12-13 — One of you, always struggling in prayerPhilemon 1:23 — Epaphras, fellow prisoner

Sources: Scripture

More background: search Wikipedia ↗

Bible dictionary

Onesimus Easton Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897)

Useful, a slave who, after robbing his master Philemon (q.v.) at Colosse, fled to Rome, where he was converted by the apostle Paul, who sent him back to his master with the epistle which bears his name. In it he beseeches Philemon to receive his slave as a “faithful and beloved brother.” Paul offers to pay to Philemon anything his slave had taken, and to bear the wrong he had done him. He was accompanied on his return by Tychicus, the bearer of the Epistle to the Colossians (Philemon 1:16, 18). The story of this fugitive Colossian slave is a remarkable evidence of the freedom of access to the prisoner which was granted to all, and “a beautiful illustration both of the character of St. Paul and the transfiguring power and righteous principles of the gospel.”

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Onesimus Smith Smith’s Bible Dictionary (1863)

(profitable, useful), the name of the servant or slave in whose behalf Paul wrote the Epistle to Philemon. He was a native, or certainly an inhabitant, of Colosse. (Colossians 4:9) (A.D. 58.) He fled from his master end escaped to Rome, where he was led to embrace the gospel through Paul’s instrumentality. After his conversion the most happy and friendly relations sprung up between the teacher and disciple. Whether Paul desired his presence as a personal attendant or as a minister of the gospel is not certain from verse 13 of the epistle.

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Onesimus Hitchcock Hitchcock’s Bible Names Dictionary (1869)

profitable; useful

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Onesimus Hastings Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible (1898)

ONES'IMUS (useful), a slave of Philemon in whose behalf Paul wrote the Epistle to Philemon. Col 4:9. He seems to have fled from his master, Phile 15, but returned to him a Christian. His conversion was brought about through Paul at Rome. Phile 10. Tradition says he was afterward made bishop of Beraea, in Macedonia.

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Onesimus Schaff Schaff’s Dictionary of the Bible

ONES'IMUS (useful), a slave of Philemon in whose behalf Paul wrote the Epistle to Philemon. Col 4:9. He seems to have fled from his master, Phile 15, but returned to him a Christian. His conversion was brought about through Paul at Rome. Phile 10. Tradition says he was afterward made bishop of Beraea, in Macedonia.

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Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.

Where Onesimus appears

4 verses in 2 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s G3682

Colossians2
Philemon2

Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.