Philem.

4:18); and wealthy Philemon's salvation (a symbolic good because it is only an assurance of a promise yet to be realized) indebts him deeply to Paul, the poor prisoner who expects to receive the services of Philemon's Onesimus as partial repayment (Philem. 17-20).

5:1-2; Philem. 2a) and the permissibility of women's ordination to a diaconate distinct from the order of widows (1 Tim.

He dictated them to a secretary--in Romans 16:22 the scribe actually gives himself a plug: "I, Tertius, the writer of this letter." Only on occasion would Paul himself take up a pen, or stylus: "I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand" (Philem. 19).

4:22; Philem. 1:10-11), and several were engaged in work as artisans and day labourers (Eph.

Friendship patronage also accounts for Paul's financial dealings with Philemon (promising to pay for losses Onesimus has caused; expecting Philemon to host Paul as a guest: Philem. 17, 22) and Lydia (to whose insistence that Paul's team lodge in her home he submits after she has become a believer: Acts 16:2), on behalf of Phoebe (who has been his benefactor: Rom.