<p>1:15 <i>For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever-</i> The &quot;forever&quot; sounds like a reference to the life eternal together in the Kingdom. The whole situation, of Onesimus apparently committing fraud, running away, probably from abuse by Philemon; his meeting with Paul in Rome and conversion, or at least, deeper conversion; Paul's desire to send him back to Philemon... all this was so that they might live eternally together forever. <i>Aionos</i>, &quot;forever&quot;, is usually used of the life eternal and not for the remainder of this life. Perhaps Philemon's eternity depended upon his forgiveness of and reconciliation with Onesimus. Paul speaks of how Philemon would &ldquo;receive&rdquo; Onesimus &ldquo;for ever&rdquo;- and yet he is implying Onesimus should be sent back to minister to him in Rome. Surely what Paul has in mind is that if someone is truly our brother, then we will eternally &ldquo;receive&rdquo; them as such in the Kingdom ages- and therefore we ought to be doing that right now. The baptism of Onesimus was a hard call for Philemon. He had to believe that that difficult man who had defrauded him was now his brother, even though he hadn&rsquo;t baptized him. Many an ecclesial upset has been caused by this kind of thing.</p>