Paul and His Letter to Philemon communicates the importance of breaking down and confronting social norms. Watch along as Prof. N.T. Wright discusses this timeless message.
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About the Course
The Apostle Paul is known particularly for some of his longer letters such as his letter to the Romans. In Paul and His Letter to Philemon, we encounter his shortest letter. But don’t let that fool you into thinking there isn’t much there!
In this course Prof. N.T. Wright will present abundant material from this little epistle to comprehend and ponder about those who became followers of King Jesus and how they were to live. This way of life was in contrast to the normal Roman way of living in the first century A.D.
This course compares two letters which address a nearly identical issue: what to do about a runaway servant. Prof. N.T. Wright unpacks Paul’s letter to Philemon, which addresses concerns about the ‘runaway’ named Onesimus. Prof. Wright then explains the situation and setting surrounding the letter of Pliny the Younger to Sabinianus about an unnamed runaway. The social structures endemic to Rome become visible and understandable in such a way to see how Paul’s new way of life was meant to confront social norms.
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Courses developed for N.T. Wright Online are made possible by the generous donations of people who support the Wisconsin Center for Christian Study, Inc., a registered 501c3 non-profit organization. Tuition paid enables us to provide scholarships for those in need and allows us to fund new courses and translations of existing courses, and we are able to offer courses at significant discounts.
About N. T. Wright
Prof. N.T. Wright is the author of Simply Jesus, Surprised by Hope, The Day the Revolution Began, and other books, as well as the For Everyone Series of New Testament Commentaries. He has also contributed to newspapers in England such as the Times, the Independent, and the Guardian, and has been interviewed on numerous TV and radio networks, including ABC, NBC, CNN, PBS, FOX, and NPR.
He currently serves as Research Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Previously Wright served as Bishop of Durham, Canon Theologian of Westminster Abbey, and Dean of Lichfield Cathedral. Over the past twenty years he served as Professor of New Testament Studies at Cambridge, McGill, and Oxford Universities.
