The Epistle to Philemon is a letter written by Paul from prison, probably in A.D. 63 when Paul was in jail in Rome. It is Paul's shortest letter in the Bible, in which he asks a Christian slaveowner (Philemon) to be merciful toward a runaway slave (Onesimus) who also accepted Christ. Onesimus carried this letter to Philemon, who then complied with Paul's request.