““Whatever precise reconstruction we offer of the situation Paul envisages in Rome, the point is clear: at the heart of his work is the yearning and striving for messianic unity across traditional boundaries, whether it be the unity of Jew and Gentile in the Messiah (the main point of Galatians), the unity of the church under the lordship of the Messiah in a pagan and imperial context (part of the main point of Philippians, coming to memorable expression in 2.1–4), or, as here in Philemon, the unity of master and slave, expressing again what it means to be en Christō.””
![“I find it fascinating that Paul [the apostol], writing to…” quote by John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/48e/john-shelby-spong-1488_christ_i-find-it-fascinating-that-paul-the-apos_119928.jpg)
