had a dream the other night. I was peering into secret file concerning Matthew H. very odd.

Philemon

1. Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,

To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker, to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier and to the church that meets in your home:

3. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4. I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and hyour love for all the saints. 6 I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will havea full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. 7. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.

8. Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9 yet I appeal to you on the basis of love. I then, as Paul - an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus - 10. I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. 11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.

12 I am sending him - who is my very heart - back to you. 13. I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. 14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do will be spontaneous and not forced. 15Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back for good -16no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord.

17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 If he has done you anty wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back - not to mention that you owe me your very self. 20I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the lord; refresh my heart in Christ. 21Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.

22 And one more thing: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers.

23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. And do so Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

25The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Source: NIV Translation ( oringial is in Greek)

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Circumstances ca 56 AD, FROM EPHESUS (TO PHILEMON AND OTHERS IN THE HOME CHURCH (IN COLLOSSAE?)

Runaway slave Onesimus("useful"), recently converted to Christianity; letter is a request to 'forgive him and receive [him] back into the household...; refuse financial reparation when it is offered, mindful of what one owes to Christ;..free the servant; ..and recognize in Onesimus a beloved brother and acknowledge his Christian transformation."

Paul in prison, supported by friends ( especially Epathras)

Philemon head of a house-church.

75% of people in Rome Empire were slaves.

Highly rhetorical Captatio benevolentiae Offer to repayment Promise to visit

Persuasion, as opposed to invoking authority

Paul's approach to slavery: Galatians 3:28: In Christ Jesus 'There is neither slave nor free"; 1 Corinthians 7:21-22: "In whatever state each was called, there let person remain with God."

"Truth not freedom is the foundation of human dignity."

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December 07, 2009, 10:45PM

A bill to allow gay marriage in New Jersey cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee, 7-6, tonight. Below is a breakdown of how the committee members voted:

Yes:
Sen. Bill Baroni (R-Mercer)
Sen. Nia H. Gill (D-Essex)
Sen. Raymond J. Lesniak (D-Union)
Sen. Nicholas P. Scutari (D-Union)
Sen. Bob Smith (D-Middlesex)
Sen. Brian P. Stack (D-Hudson)
Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen)
No:
Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen), chairman
Sen. John A. Girgenti (D-Passaic) vice chair
Sen. Christopher Bateman (R-Somerset)
Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth)
Sen. Gerald Cardinale (R-Bergen)
Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R-Monmouth) 
 

pedro, send you an email to pedro@tastytronic.net, i have a favor to ask in regards of advogato.org's pending offline. will you please get back to me? thanks

y'all. many good happenings all around here A? allow me adding one of my own.

i've been under attack at work. called in by three of my bosses _again_. The first time, they protected me from outsider concerns. This time, i have only myself to defend an interest higher than what it seems...

This is a formal complaint against a management philosophy. After much deliberation, i've realized the root cause of my unhappiness in professional and personal development under such management style for the last year or so.

In a small working group, there are many personalities at play. There is one kind of personality, 'detail oriented' as one person puts it but i call it by its real name 'only do what he was told' kind of subservient person. In indian government, in Chinese governement, in Italian government, this may be considered a virtue of highest caliber, but I hope not in American government at all level. 'Only do what he was told' is a subhuman trait. No matter where, virtue or vice, it will be replaced by machine programmming sooner or later.

If i wish it to be sooner, i shall excuse myself from environment that promotes 'only do what he was told' personality and discourage in everyway those who only wish to 'do what is necessary and do it in different ways for different good reasons'. If i wish it to be later, i will stay and call vice by its real name so that virtue will shine through without even the need of naming it.