Onesimus

Onesimus

[1]

Saint Onesimus
Holy Disciple Onesimus
Bishop of Byzantium
Born unknown
Died ca. 68 AD[2]
Rome (then Roman province)
Honored in Roman Catholic Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
Lutheranism
Feast February 16 (Gregorian calendar), February 28, (Julian calendar)

Saint Onesimus (d. ca. 68 AD) (Greek: Ὀνήσιμος, meaning "useful," also called Onesimus of Byzantium and The Holy Apostle Onesimus in some Eastern Orthodox churches) was a slave to Philemon of Colossae, a man of Christian faith. Eventually, Onesimus transgressed against Philemon and fled to the site of Paul the Apostle's imprisonment (most probably Rome or Caesarea) to escape punishment for a theft he was said to have committed,[3] there, he heard the Gospel from Paul and converted to Christianity. Paul, having earlier converted Philemon to Christianity, reconciled the two and wrote a letter to Philemon (which today exists in the New Testament as the Epistle to Philemon [4]). The letter read (in part):

I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. For this is perhaps why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a slave, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

—Paul of Tarsus to Philemon, Epistle to Philemon 1:10-16 (ESV)

Due to this epistle from Paul, Philemon indeed accepted Onesimus as a brother and freed him of slavery[citation needed]. Although it is doubted by some authorities, it may well be that this Onesimus was the same one consecrated a bishop by the Apostles and accepted the episcopal throne in Ephesus following the Apostle Timothy. During the reign of Roman emperor Domitian and the persecution of Trajan, Onesimus was imprisoned in Rome and martyred by stoning (although some sources claim that he was beheaded[5]).

He is regarded as a saint by several Christian churches, including the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, which commemorates him and Philemon on February 15.

See also

References

  1. ^ Colossians chapter 4
  2. ^ "Onesimus". Official site of the Ecumenic Patriarchate of Constantinople. http://www.ec-patr.org/list/index.php?lang=en&id=3. Retrieved Apr, 2, 2011. 
  3. ^ [1]
  4. ^ [2]
  5. ^ [3]

External links

Preceded by
Stachys the Apostle
Bishop of Byzantium
54–68
Succeeded by
Polycarpus I of Byzantium

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Onesimus — (griech. latein. = „der Nützliche“) († zwischen 68 und 95) war nach neutestamentlicher Überlieferung Sklave bei einem gewissen Philemon. Er entlief seinem Herrn und wandte sich an den Apostel Paulus, als dieser in Rom im Gefängnis saß, wurde dort …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Onesĭmus — Onesĭmus, 1) von dem Apostel Paulus in Rom bekehrter Sklave, der seinem Herrn Philemon entlief und von dem Apostel mit einem Schreiben, dem in das Neue Testament aufgenommenen Brief an Philemon (s. d. 2), wieder zurückgesandt wurde. Die Kirche… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Onesimus —   [griechisch »der Nützliche«], Neues Testament: von Paulus für den christlichen Glauben gewonnener Sklave des Philemon (Philemonbrief 10 ff.) aus der kleinasiatischen Stadt Kolossai. Nach altkirchlicher Tradition später Bischof von Ephesos.… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Onesimus — (first century)    Saint and possibly Bishop.    Onesimus was a slave who was returned to his master philemon by St paul. In the Epistle, Paul urged Philemon to treat Onesimus as ‘no longer a slave, but more than a slave, as a beloved brother’.… …   Who’s Who in Christianity

  • Onesimus, S. (1) — 1S. Onesimus, Ep. M. (16. al. 15. Febr.) Dieser hl. Bischof von Ephesus und Martyrer, dem auch der Name »Apostel« beigelegt wird, ist der entlaufene, aber auf Mahnung des Apostels Paulus zu seinem Herrn zurückgekehrte Sklave des Philemon, zu… …   Vollständiges Heiligen-Lexikon

  • Onesimus, SS. (5) — 5SS. Onesimus et 17 soc. M. M. (31. Juli). Dieser hl. Onesimus litt in der Verfolgung des Decius nebst Alphius, Philadelphus, Cyrinus, Erasmus und 13 Andern. Nach der ersten Folter, welche sie zu Puteoli (jetzt Pozzuoli) um des Glaubins willen… …   Vollständiges Heiligen-Lexikon

  • ONESIMUS — I. ONESIMUS Cyprius, seu Spartiata, tempore Constantini M. scripsit de Rhetorica, de statuum differentiâ, Praeexercitationes, Declamationes, et alia, Suidas. Item Philemonis servus, vide Epist. Pauli ad Philemon. Episcopus dein Ephesi, et Martyr …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • Onesimus — A slave who had apparently absconded from his owner Philemon and sought sanctuary with Paul, who wrote to Philemon urging him to treat Onesimus gently. From the epistle to Philemon, verse 10, it would seem that Onesimus became a Christian… …   Dictionary of the Bible

  • Onesimus, S. (2) — 2S. Onesimus, Ep. Conf. (13. Mai). Dieser hl. Bischof von Soissons (Augusta Suessionum) nach (Gallia chr. der siebente in der Reihenfolge und der erste d. N.) um das J. 360 löschte die noch zahlreich vorhandenen Reste des Heidenthums vollends aus …   Vollständiges Heiligen-Lexikon

  • Onesimus, S. (3) — 3S. Onesimus (6. Juli), ein Martyrer. S. S. Archippus. (II. 280.) …   Vollständiges Heiligen-Lexikon

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