Was just reading through Philemon and noticed Paul said something about having begotten a son while in prison. From what I can tell, it seems like this is referring to biological offspring. Maybe someone else knows for sure. Thanks!
Philemon 1:10
10I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds:
he’s speaking spiritually like with Timothy
“yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds:”
Philemon 1:9-10 KJV
Onesimus was an escaped slave who has met Paul and been converted to Christianity Paul’s referring to his birth in Christ
It’s sort of the same notion as this
“unto
Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.”
1 Timothy 1:2 KJV
Paul isn’t claiming to be the father or anything , but if you notice in Paul’s writings how deeply he felt and believed the gospel and the people he was preaching the church is meant to be a family having bonds as such
“For
whosoever shall do the will of God, the same
is my brother, and my sister, and mother.”
Mark 3:35 KJV
Paul had deep affections for his folks in Christ particularly this run away slave and even more so Timothy who Paul trained to continue his ministry after his impending death
He spent so much time on Timothy and Timothy’s doctrine because Paul eas about to be put to death and wanted his ministry left in capable and prepared hands
so for instance the two letters from Paul to Timothy this bekng on of the last sections we have from The apostle Paul
“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry. The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments.”
2 Timothy 4:1-9, 11, 13 KJV
you see how important stocking to the doctrine was to Paul handing his ministration to Timothy as he was facing his second appearance before Nero just before his execution in rome
it’s interesting but many don’t consider how many of Paul’s epistles were written from prison on Rome after his plea to Caesar which saved him from flogging and ended up being the vehicle by which he would end up in rome
He’s talking about his spiritual youngers that he had cultivated and converted to Christ he felt as a father to them he was responsible for converting
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