Evil Beginnings, Good Ends

Fortisan enim ideo discessit ad horam a te, ut aeternum illum reciperes. Jam non sicut servum, sed plus servo, fratrem charissimum, maxime mihi: quanto magis autem tibi, et in carne, et in Domino.  Nonnumquam malum occasio fit bonorum, et hominum prava consilia Deus vertit ad rectum. Quod dico manifestius exemplo fiet. Joseph fratres, sui zeli stimulis incitati, Ismaelitis viginti auries vendiderunt. Hoc initium et patri, et fratribus, et omni Aegypto bonorum omnium fuit. Denique ipse postea ad fratres: Vos, inquit, cogitastis de me mala: et Deus cogitavit de me bona. Simile quid et in Onesimo possumus intelligere, quod mala principia occasiones fuerint rei bonae. Si enim dominum non fugisset, numquam venisset Romam ubi erat Paulus vinctus in carcere. Si Paulum in vinculis non vidisset, non recepisset fidem in Christum. Si Christi non habuisset fidem, numquam Pauli effectus filius, in opus Evangellii mitteretur. Ex quo paulatim, et per gradus suos, reciprocante sententia, ideo minister Evangelii est factus Onesimus, quia fugit a domino. Pulchre autem addens, fortisan, sententiam temperavit. Occulta sunt quippe judicia Dei, et temerarium est quasi de certo pronuntiare quod dubium est. 'Fortisan,' inquit, 'ideo discessit': cute, timide, trepidanter, et non toto fixo gradu: ut si non posuisset forsiten, omnibus servis fugiendum esset, ut apostolici fierent. Quod autem, 'ad horam', junxit, horam pro tempore debemus accipere. Ad comparationem enim aeternitatis, omne tempus breve est. Ut aeternum illum reciperes. Nullus aeternus dominus servi sui: potestas quippe ejus, et utriusque conditio, morte finitur. Onesimus vero qui ex fide Christi factus aeternus est, aeterno Philemoni, quia in Christum et ipse crediderat; spiritu libertatis accepto, jam non servus, sed frater coepit esse de servo, frater charissimus, frater aeternus: aeterno et ipsi Apostolo dominoque suo, cui Onesimum ut carnis ante conditio: ita postea spiritus copulat. Et tunc quidem quando erat ei subjectus in carne, non erat ei junctus in Domino; nunc autem ei et in carne junctus est, et in Domino. Ex quo intelligimus servum qui crediderit Christo, duplici domino suo lege constringi, ut ei et carnis necessitate jungatur ad tempus, et in aeternum spiritu copuletur. Sanctus Hieronymus, Commentariorum In Epistolam Beati Pauli Ad Philemonem

Perhaps therefore having him separated from you to this hour was that you could receive him forever. Now not as a servant but more than a servant, a beloved brother, greatly so to me, and more so may it be to you, even in the flesh, and in the Lord. 1 Not infrequently evil may be an occasion for good and the depraved plans of men God turn to the right. What I say may be made more clear be an example. The brothers of Joseph, incited by the goad of envy, sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty gold. 2 This beginning was a cause of great good to his father and his brothers and every Egyptian. In the end he said to his brothers, 'You plotted evil to me and God thought of good for me.' 3 In similar fashion we may understand the matter of Onesimus, that evil beginnings were a cause of good things. If indeed he had not fled his master, he would not have come to Rome where Paul was in chains in prison. If he had not seen Paul in chains, he would not have received faith in Christ. If he had not faith in Christ, he would not have become a son of Paul, sent about the work of Evangelisation. From which little by little, and in steps, receiving wisdom, Onesimus was made a servant of the Gospel, because he fled his master. Wisely adding, 'perhaps', he restrained the meaning. For the judgements of God are hidden and it is reckless to pronounce with certainty on what is doubtful. 'Perhaps,' he said 'having him separated from you'. Be cautious, then, take care, be fearful, not every step is visible, for perhaps it should not be that every servant should flee that they become Apostles. For indeed 'to this hour' it is joined, and to the hour of the time we should attend. In comparison with eternity, all time is brief. That eternity which you may receive. No master is eternal for a slave, since death ends his power, as it does his position. Onesimus who by faith in Christ was made eternal is with Philemon forever, for in Christ he also believed, receiving it in a spirit of liberty, now not a servant, but becoming a brother from a servant, a beloved brother, an eternal brother, eternal with the Apostle and his master, he who was that to Onesimus in the condition of the flesh, that after the spirit bind together. Formerly when he was subject to him in the flesh, he was not joined to him in the Lord, now in the flesh he is joined, and in the Lord. From which we understand that the servant who believes in Christ is bound to his master by a double law, that in time he is bound to him by the necessity of flesh, that in eternity he be joined by the spirit. Saint Jerome, Commentary on the Epistle to Philemon 1 Philemon 15.16 2 Gen 36 3 Gen 45.8