All people bear God’s image

Paul wants Philemon to look on the situation both in the flesh and in the Lord (Philemon 1:16b). He urges that there should be a correspondence between the two: between the way that Christ looks on a person and how we look upon the person. We can apply that principle today to the problem of racism and every other ism—all the divisions by which we look down on each other when we deny other people's humanity. Both as creatures in the image of God and in the church as redeemed brothers and sisters we are to look upon them not just in the flesh, but in the Lord. One thing we will find is level ground with everyone we meet: level ground as creatures all bearing the image of God; level ground as to the condemnation of God's holy law; and in the church level ground, where we stand together on one level at the foot of the cross.

When William Wilberforce and other Christians began advocating for the abolition of slavery in the early 19th century in Britain, they based their appeal on Paul's logic. England claimed to be a Christian nation but they were profiting quite a lot from the sale of slaves. and one of WIlberforce’s most effective tools was a medallion that he had made for him by Joshua Wedgwood. Wedgwood china (porcelain), today is still a profitable business. They made a mass-produced medallion that depicted the chained African slave kneeling and looking up and pleading with these words embossed on it: Am I not a man and a brother? That was the argument, and the moral weight of that argument made Britain abolish the slave trade. We see with the same logic Paul appealing to Philemon to respond to this Christian slave that the apostle has returned to his care. He is a brother, Philemon, not only in shared humanity, but even more so in union with Christ you are part of a spiritual family. You surely cannot, you surely are not going to keep him in chains to kneel as a slave?¹

Richard D. Phillips