Onesimus, The Prince And The Slave

Onesimus, born a prince of the Getae, a tribe south of the Carpathian Mountains, spent his childhood running through the forest until one day his village was raided by Roman slavers. He was captured and carried away, watching children from his tribe die by the hands of his captors. He was sold in a port on the Black Sea and then again in Byzantium. There he discovered he could memorize anything he read, but he was not there long enough to develop his skills. He was sold again, this time to a slave dealer in Ephesus. There he was bought by one of the wealthiest families in the Roman province of Asia as a companion for Philemon, the family's only son. His talents for memorization are discovered and encouraged, but also the state of his bondage becomes a firm reality. His young master, Philemon, becomes a Christian, a disciple of Paul, yet neglects to include his slave in this new life-changing religion. Onesimus has become a tool, a library, since he has memorized every book in every library in Ephesus. His neglect causes Onesimus to long for freedom, and one day, he escapes, carrying a bag of gold and precious manuscripts from his master's library. He hopes to live off the stolen money until he can as a scribe or teacher, but lacking the knowledge to live as a free man in the Roman Empire, he is robbed, beaten, and abused. After many months, ragged and starving, he arrives in Rome. By accident, or maybe the hand of God, he encounters Paul, awaiting trial before the Emperor Nero. Paul takes him under his wing and teaches him the true meaning of freedom as a follower of Christ. Paul's Letter to Philemon is one of the shortest books of the Bible, but it is deep in its teachings of redemption and restoration, as Paul asks Philemon to restore his slave who has become his brother in Christ. In this short novel about Onesimus, you will learn what Paul meant when he said, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free."