Galatians, Philippians, and Philemon Theme of Community

We're all one big happy family. At least that's how Paul sees it: his vision is for all Christians to live together in harmony. Helping. Loving. Sharing. Sitting around a fire singing "Kumbaya." That would be nice, wouldn't it? Of course, things don't always work out this way. But Paul's always there, ready to help everyone mend fences. Just call him the president of the Get Along Gang.

Questions About Community

  1. What's Paul's relationship to these communities like? Why does he need or want them in his life?
  2. How does Paul's use of family language (brother, sister, father) show us what he thinks the Christian community should be like?
  3. Why is Paul so reluctant to order Philemon to release Onesimus from slavery? How would a command to free Christian slaves affect the whole community?