mP: Jesus never went to prison.
Really? And when they arrested him, where do you suppose they took him? Where do you think they beat him and tortured him? One great thing about you, mP, is that you’re not afraid to say the first thing that pops into your mind, apparently without giving it much thought.
mP: Jesus spoke at his trial. One famous example being when he was asked is he the king of the Jews and he replied you said it etc. Another fail.
He answered Herod, who was appointed king over the land. But when he was dragged before Pilate, Jesus “opened not his mouth.” Pilate was the one who ordered his death at the insistence of the Jewish people. Not only did Isaiah predict the Messiah’s rejection by the Jews, but Zechariah also referenced it, when he wrote of Christ’s return. “And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced,” Yahweh says. And when the Jews shall see him, one shall say, “What are these wounds in thy hands?” And the Messiah will reply, “These are the wounds I received in the house of my friends.” (Zech. 13:6)
Even though the Romans technically killed him, Jesus pleaded for their forgiveness, for “they know not what they do.” The Jews, however, knew exactly what they were doing and did not partake in that forgiveness. At the end of the battle of Armageddon, Jesus appears to the Jews, who will instantly recognize him as the one their fathers killed.
Zechariah 12:10: And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
So again, you are wrong.
mP: You are actually wrong, because Paul in Philemon tells the run away slave (sorry cant recall his name, its starts with O) to return to his master. P never condemns the master etc. You have just made that statement up.
It becomes a waste of time to try to educate you here, but Onesimus (the slave) not only ran away from Philemon, he took a substantial part of his master’s money with him. Also, under the Mosaic Law, servitude was quite different than it was with slavery under Rome, and though Onesimus was most likely legally a slave under Roman law, he also enjoyed the restrictions the law of God imposed.
So what do we know of Onesimus? In what way did he come to serve Philemon? Was he indentured? Jesus never railed against slavery, again, because it was not his mission. The Atonement freed both freed and slave from the wages of sin, and though the Christian philosophy was opposed in principle to forced servitude (unless it was part of a restorative judgment, or agreement), it would have been dangerous to both the church and its leaders to come out vocally against the practice, since it was one of the pillars of Roman culture.
In short, we know nothing at all except that Onesimus took advantage of his master’s absence to rob him and make his escape. Then, under Paul’s tutelage, Onesimus was converted to Christianity. Paul, wanting to mend the relationship between Philemon and Onesimus, explained that what Onesimus did was wrong, but that he had been converted to Christianity. Paul said he had grown to love the young man and that their common love of Christ would, he hoped, increase their love for each other and urged forgiveness and reconciliation.
This is hardly a fellow who was working in the salt mines of Thessaly. And we know nothing of the situation other than the brief reference in scripture. Under Jewish law, people didn’t own each other. Interestingly, Paul wrote to Philemon: “For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him forever; not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord? If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself. If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account....”
Does this sound like slavery or a son who has run away from his father? And is Paul condoning the principle of slavery or is he speaking of reconciliation?