(Verse 1)
In the shadow of the Roman wall
The chains are heavy, the night is tall
A runaway in the velvet gloom
Seeking mercy in a crowded room
I once was lost, a thief in the night
But I found a spark in the holy light
Now I return to the house of old
To the master’s hand, to the shepherd’s fold.
(Verse 2)
Philemon, brother, hear the plea
Let the grace of the spirit set him free
If he owes a debt, put it all on mine
In the sacred cup of the holy wine
The ink is black but the soul is white
Washed in the fire of the candle-light
A brotherhood born in the catacombs
Finding our way to our heavenly homes.
(Pre-Chorus)
The parchment bleeds with the apostle’s ink
We’re standing on the eternal brink
No longer a servant, no longer a slave
But a soul redeemed from the silent grave.
(Chorus)
Oh, receive him as you would receive me
In the blood of the Lamb, we are finally free
The debt is paid on the wooden tree
Love is the lock and the golden key
Beyond the darkness, beyond the pain
In the heart of Christ, we are one again.
(Bridge)
The ledger is burned, the slate is wiped clean
In the hollows of grace, we are heard and seen
Not a bondman’s cry, but a brother’s call
The walls of the temple begin to fall
Forgiveness is the weight that breaks the night
We walk as one in the pale moonlight.
(Verse 3)
The midnight bell begins to toll
For the transformation of a lonely soul
Onesimus, rising from the dust
In the iron shield of a martyr’s trust
The world is cold and the stone is grey
But the dawn of the cross will lead the way
From the shackles of earth to the sky above
Bound by the chains of eternal love.
(Chorus)
Oh, receive him as you would receive me
In the blood of the Lamb, we are finally free
The debt is paid on the wooden tree
Love is the lock and the golden key
Beyond the darkness, beyond the pain
In the heart of Christ, we are one again.
(Chorus)
Oh, receive him as you would receive me
In the blood of the Lamb, we are finally free
The debt is paid on the wooden tree
Love is the lock and the golden key
Beyond the darkness, beyond the pain
In the heart of Christ, we are one again.