Epistles, Part 1
Summary
In this God in Many Voices sermon, Dominic Jackson explores the epistolary genre through the New Testament letter to Philemon. He examines how Paul’s appeal on behalf of Onesimus—a formerly enslaved man now considered a brother in Christ—disrupts prevailing social norms and offers a vision of community shaped by grace rather than hierarchy. By contrasting modern assumptions about authorship and authority with the ancient practice of letter-writing, Dominic invites us to read the epistles as human documents through which God speaks. This sermon sets the stage for a deeper engagement with the moral imagination of the early church and the subversive logic of the kingdom of God.
Questions for reflection
What does Paul’s appeal on behalf of Onesimus reveal about the moral and relational aims of early Christian communities?
How do the epistles differ from other genres of Scripture in how they convey truth?
In what ways do modern Christian communities still mirror the divisions Paul addresses in Philemon?
Why do you think Paul chose persuasion over command in his letter to Philemon?
How can your relationships reflect the kind of grace-filled reordering of status and identity that Paul models?