- Paul plants church in Colossae
- Philemon, a wealthy man, comes to faith and becomes a part of the Colossian church
- Paul leaves to plant more churches, eventually is imprisoned in Rome.
- Onesimus is one of Philemon's slaves.
- Onesimus runs away (after apparently stealing from Philemon, his master) and seeks asylum in Rome.
- Onesimus meets Paul and comes to faith in Jesus.
- Paul sends Onesimus back to Philemon, along with a letter, declaring Philemon free to do whatever he will with Onesimus but imploring him to send the slave back to Rome to be Paul's aid.
Also, I love this quote from John Darby on the book of Philemon:
It is a fine picture of the way in which the tenderness and the strength of the love of God, working in the heart, occupies itself with every detail wherein that love might be wounded, or that might be an occasion for its growth and manifestation. In this point of view the epistle is as important as beautiful; for this development of tender and delicate consideration in the midst of the apostle¹s gigantic labours, and of the immense truths that formed the basis of relationship between all creatures and God in Christ, gives a very peculiar character to Christianity and shews its divine nature; since He who reveals the most profound truths, and puts them in their right place in the circle of divine thought, does so as speaking of a known thing, as communicating His own thoughts; and can (being the Spirit of the God of love) fill the heart with considerations which love only can suggest, with a dignity which manifests their source, and with a delicacy of application which shews that, whatever be the grandeur of His thoughts, He is at liberty to consider everything.
