HEAR THE WORD Philemon “Slavery was deeply woven into the economic fabric of the Roman empire; without it the Romans could not have achieved political dominance of the Mediterranean region, nor would their celebrated architectural, civic, literary, and philosophical achievements have been possible. Slavery provided the wealthy classes with the leisure to develop strategies, plan buildings, debate legislation, write poetry and essays, and think about life. At the same time, slavery was unavoidably dehumanizing and oppressive—slaves, not merely their labor, were their masters’ property. Although “human souls,” they were bought and sold like so much bronze, iron, marble, and cinnamon. They had no legal rights and could be bred, raped, punished, and murdered at the whim of their masters. The institution was so brutal that it could only survive by the systematic use of fear and violence.” Frank Thielman APPLY THE WORD DUTY: What should I do? CHARRACTER: Who should I be? GOAL: Where should I head? DISCERNMENT: How can I distinguish truth from error? Something I learned: Something I want to know more about: What truth about the Gospel was/is highlighted by this passage: My prayer response (repentance/thanksgiving/praise): SHARE THE WORD In one sentence, write a key statement that the Spirit has prompted you to take from this message (e.g. “Love God with all your heart”) Who will you share this key statement with this week?