Philemon Homiletics for Titles of Prestige
እምጳውሎስ ፡ ሙቁሑ ፡ ለኢየሱስ ፡ ክርስቶስ ፡ ወጢሞቴዎስ ፡ እኁነ ፡ ለፊልሞና ፡ ዘናፈቅር ፡ ዘየኀብር ፡ ግብረ ፡ ምስሌነ ፡ ወለአብፍምያ ፡ እኅትነ ።
Paul a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our beloved fellow worker and Ap'phia our sister (Philemon 1:1,2 RSV)
This may be the most overlooked, discounted, underrated, underestimated, and unappreciated opening to a Scriptural epistle. Nay. This may be the most damning verse across the 25,000 denominations of Christianity in the 21st Century. The irony is that Paul was just saying hello. The awesome power encapsulated in his greeting shows us that though author's intent is of some import, it cannot be the sum total of meaning in art - of which literature, and thus biblical literature, is a sub-category.
Paul calls all believers, within his religious communities, saints or the easier to contextualize holy ones. This includes him. Calling Paul St. Paul or Paul the Holy One is perfectly okay, as long as we understand that as a classic Ge'ez hymn states
አማን ፡ በአማን ፡ ዘቀድሶ ፡ መንፈስቅዱስ ።
truly (verily/most assuredly/amen) the Holy Spirit made him holy (sanctified him/ consecrated him)
But, the honor of Holy One should not something we strive to be called. I am not alone in this witness. Our divine liturgy reminds us that
holy things are for the holy ones
and
only the Father is holy, only the Son is holy, as only the Holy Spirit is holy.
What then is our lesson from this one verse that bursts at its seams with wisdom from the Jerusalem that is above? Is our glory from men and from flesh? Is our glory by human commission and from human authorities? Or, is our glory from the heaven of heavens? Is our glory from the Lord of Hosts, the Most High, the Omnipotent One, the Alpha & Omega, He who was is and is to come, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit? I hope we seek glory from the latter.
If we seek glory from the lowly, we will want monikers amongst men that exalt our names. Whose name should be exalted? If we seek glory from the earthly, we will demand, and delight therein, all men on Earth to call us "father, teacher, preacher, apostle, pastor, minister, feeder of the NT, feeder of the OT, feeder of religion, feeder of wisdom, chief of the congregation, chief of the elect, chief of the watchers, master of masters" et cetera.
If we seek glory from the New Jerusalem (the wall-less city of life not crafted by the hands of men), then we will EARNESTLY STRIVE to be called እኁነ (our brother) and እኅትነ (our sister). Bishop Timothy the Holy One was the first overseer of Ephesus - the center of Christianity. Here, he has the truly glorious title of "Our Brother". Are we better than Bishop Timothy? If you are verily displaying righteousness from west to east, then it may be appropriate to call you a ሙቁሑ ለኢየሱስ ክርስቶስ (prisoner for Christ Jesus). None of us are more righteous than Paul, and this is the sobriquet that he selected.
Furthermore, we must love each other.