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Building a Reconciled Community
Author(s) -
Audu Victor
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
the ecumenical review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.104
H-Index - 7
eISSN - 1758-6623
pISSN - 0013-0796
DOI - 10.1111/erev.12625
Subject(s) - forgiveness , witness , apostle , obedience , power (physics) , humanity , wrongdoing , sociology , economic justice , law , environmental ethics , political science , philosophy , physics , quantum mechanics
The church lives as the reconciled community, which means that the life of the church should display the proper response of humanity to the work of God. To be reconciled to God means to enter into reconciliation with all peoples, nations, and tribes. Paul, in his letter to Philemon, is active in witnessing to the reality of reconciliation. This was a drifting away from slavery. He remained resolute in the establishment of justice. In this manner, the apostle also seeks to establish unity and pave the way for peace within the household church. In the difficult and complex situation posed by the text, Paul’s witness includes bringing to light Onesimus’ wrongdoing while at the same time testifying to the power of forgiveness and the call to Philemon and those of the household church to live reconciled lives before God. Paul advocates this through the acts of love to remove the breaches of communion. Entering into actions of reconciliation witnesses to a common commitment to live in obedience to the reconciling God and therefore opens the actors to the possibility of entering into the reality of healing.