Reg én geregtigheid – ’n Perspektief uit die brief aan Filemon

D Francois Tolmie

doi:10.4102/ids.v50i3.1940

Abstract

Justice and justification – A perspective from the letter to Philemon. In this article, the letter to Philemon is investigated from an angle that has not received much attention thus far, namely from a forensic perspective. In order to investigate this issue, the letter is interpreted against the legal background of its time. The investigation begins with a brief discussion of the status of Onesimus. It is argued that the best way to understand the situation within which the letter originated is to accept that Onesimus had left Philemon’s household in order to ask Paul to intervene on his behalf. This is followed by a brief overview of the most important legal aspects regardin slavery in Paul’s time. Against this background, Paul’s strategy in the letter is then scrutinised. It is argued that Paul complied with all the legal requirements in his letter. However, it is then also shown that Paul went beyond existing legal requirements, because he was aware of a better kind of justice, the justice of God, or in Paul’s own terminology, the justification of God.Keywords: Letter to Philemon; Justice; Justification

Highlights

Dit is ’n voorreg om hierdie bydrae tot die huldigingsbundel ter ere van professor Gert J.C
Enkele voorbeelde ter stawing hiervan: Sy studie oor die verhouding tussen indikatief en paraklese in die brief aan die Efesiërs fokus nie net op die akademiese sy van die saak nie, maar toon ook die praktiese implikasies van sy ondersoek vir ’n belangrike saak soos die prediking van hierdie brief aan (Jordaan 1990:46–69)
Hierdie bydrae ter ere van professor Jordaan is ’n poging om iets soortgelyks te doen. ’n Belangrike tema in die Filemonbrief word ondersoek, en aan die einde van die studie word enkele pennestrepe getrek om die relevansie van hierdie ondersoek vir die Suid-Afrikaanse situasie aan te toon

Summary

Original Research

Read online: Scan this QR code with your smart phone or mobile device to read online. It is argued that the best way to understand the situation within which the letter originated is to accept that Onesimus had left Philemon’s household in order to ask Paul to intervene on his behalf This is followed by a brief overview of the most important legal aspects regarding slavery in Paul’s time. Enkele voorbeelde ter stawing hiervan: Sy studie oor die verhouding tussen indikatief en paraklese in die brief aan die Efesiërs fokus nie net op die akademiese sy van die saak nie, maar toon ook die praktiese implikasies van sy ondersoek vir ’n belangrike saak soos die prediking van hierdie brief aan (Jordaan 1990:46–69). In sy navorsing op 2 Korintiërs 6:14 skenk hy uitvoerige aandag aan die sosiale en praktiese implikasies van hierdie sleutelvers vir Christene in Suid-Afrika (Jordaan 1999:469–490). Schenk bespreek die tydperk van 1945 tot 1987, terwyl ek die tydperk van 1980 tot 2007 dek

Open Access

Die status van Onesimus

Die wetlike situasie

Mededingende belange