Philemon

This is the shortest and arguably the most explosive letter Paul wrote. It is a personal note to a wealthy Christian named Philemon. The context is a social minefield: Philemon's slave, Onesimus, had run away, met Paul in prison, and become a Christian. Now, Paul is sending the slave back to his master. Under Roman law, Philemon had the right to execute Onesimus.

But Paul writes a masterpiece of diplomatic pressure. He asks Philemon to welcome Onesimus back "no longer as a slave, but as a dear brother." Paul does not explicitly ban slavery here, but he destroys the foundation of it by insisting on spiritual equality. This concludes Paul's letters. The next section of the New Testament moves to the "General Epistles," written by other apostles, starting with the mysterious and majestic book of Hebrews.