Letter to Philemon is a book of the Pauline epistles centered on Paul's appeal that Onesimus be received no longer merely as a slave but as a beloved brother in Christ.[1]
Place in the Catholic canon
Letter to Philemon is received by the Catholic Church as inspired and canonical Sacred Scripture.
Within the canon, the book belongs to the Pauline epistles. Its proper meaning is read within the unity of the whole Bible, the Church's living Tradition, and the coherence of revealed truth.
Content and theology
The book principally treats Paul's appeal that Onesimus be received no longer merely as a slave but as a beloved brother in Christ. Its historical setting, literary forms, and compositional history are proper subjects of disciplined scholarship; no disputed modern authorship theory is itself an article of Catholic faith.
Catholic reading
The Church receives the book as the word of God in human words. Its literal sense grounds authentic spiritual and typological readings, and its fullest Christian interpretation is governed by the revelation of the Father in Jesus Christ without erasing Israel, the human author's meaning, or salvation history.[2]
References
- 1.USCCB Bible: Letter to Philemon — Approved biblical text, introduction, and study notes
- 2.Dei Verbum — Dogmatic constitution on revelation, inspiration, and interpretation