Philemon was a man who had a slave named Onesimus, that ran away, stealing from him in the process. Onesimus later became a Christian through Paul, and Paul sent Onesimus back to Philemon, not as a slave, but a brother, to reconcile a broken relationship. Paul also offered to pay back whatever debt Onesimus might owe Philemon, which shows how important it was to Paul to bring reconciliation through the Gospel. Though Paul would have loved Onesimus to stay with him, he desired even more to have the broken relationship healed, and the Gospel to work deeply to heal old wounds.