Onesimus
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Saint Onesimus ( ancient Greek Ὀνήσιμος Onḗsimos , German 'the useful' ; † between 68 and 95) is venerated as a bishop and martyr .
The slave named Onesimus mentioned in Paul's letter to Philemon , as well as a Christian Onesimus in Kolossai mentioned in Col 4,9 EU , possibly identical with him, was identified with other bearers of this common name: a Bishop Onesimus of Ephesus mentioned by Ignatius , who In the Apostolic Constitutions , Bishop Onesimus of Borea mentioned the Christian teacher Onesimus Leontinis of Sicily, who was martyred during the Valerian persecution in the 3rd century.
According to legend, Onesimus is said to have become bishop of Ephesus or Byzantium and suffered the martyr's death by stoning .
The Boston pastor and scholar Cotton Mather (1663-1728) also called his black slave from West Africa (a Coromantee from the “Gold Coast”, today's Ghana ) “Onesimus”. Through him, Mather became aware of the common practice there of inoculation or variolation against smallpox.
Memorial days
- Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod : February 15
- Roman Catholic Church : February 15th
- Orthodox Church : February 15 , July 6 , November 22 , December 1 , Jan. 4 ( patron of male domestic workers and servants )
- Armenian Apostolic Church : February 15 , August 28 , November 27
- Coptic Church : February 15th
Web links
- Onesĭmos . In: Heinrich August Pierer , Julius Löbe (Hrsg.): Universal Lexicon of the Present and the Past . 4th edition. tape 12 . Altenburg 1861, p. 296 ( zeno.org ).
- Onesimus in the Ecumenical Lexicon of Saints
- Saint Onesimus on catholicsaints.info (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Allen Dwight Callaghan: Embassy of Onesimus: The Letter of Paul to Philemon . Trinity Press, Valley Forge 1997. ISBN 1-56338-147-8 , p. 35
- ^ Robert J. Allison: A Short History of Boston. Commonwealth Editions, Carlisle, Mass. 2004, p. 21
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Stachys |
Bishop of Byzantium 54–68 |
Polycarp I. |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Onesimus |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Holy and legendary bishop of Ephesus or Byzantium, according to New Testament tradition, slave to a certain Philemon |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1st century BC BC or 1st century |
| DATE OF DEATH | between 68 and 95 |