Did Onesimus later become an elder?

Question: I heard a preacher say one time that Onesimus ended up becoming an elder of the church.  Is that not speculation and conjecture? Answer: Ignatius, a Christian who wrote at the beginning of the second century, to the church in Ephesus said, “Seeing, then, that we have become acquainted with your multitude in the…

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Can we say for sure that Onesimus stole from his master?

Question: In regards to Philemon 18, can we say for sure that Onesimus stole from his master? Answer: Paul tells us in the book of Philemon that Onesimus was a slave (Philemon 16) who became a Christian after meeting Paul while Paul was in prison in Rome (Philemon 10). Paul makes it clear that Onesimus…

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What happened to the letter to Laodicea mentioned in Colossians 4:16?

Question: What happened to the letter to Laodicea mentioned in Colossians 4:16? Answer: Near the end of Paul’s third journey, Paul visited churches and gathered funds for the relief of brethren in Judea suffering from a famine (I Corinthians 16:1-9). Several of the churches sent representatives to travel with Paul, not because they did not trust…

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