In the letter of Philemon, Paul appears to be addressing the situation of Onesimus who had been guilty of theft as Onesimus had stolen from his master. Apart from stealing from his master, Onesimus was also guilty of running away after stealing from his master. For these two grave and serious offences, Onesimus had to face the death penalty as the death penalty was the deserving punishment for a thief during the time of Onesimus and Paul. Paul knows about the follies and the sins of Onesimus but still insists and pleads Philemon to forgive the sins of Onesimus so that Onesimus can be made to reconcile and confess his sins when given a chance by Philemon to do so.