Dear Church Family,
Here are some quick facts about the Book of Philemon. It is tucked in between Titus and Hebrews. Paul and Timothy wrote it not only to their ‘dear friend’ Philemon, but also to Apphia ‘our sister,’ Archippus a ‘fellow soldier’ and the church that met in Philemon’s home. [The gist of the letter will be addressed to Philemon, so the book has his name as its title and not because his name is the easiest to pronounce.] Scholars believe Paul, as the main author, wrote it from prison at the same time he wrote Ephesians. It contains two themes that give focus to the Christian life.
Before getting to those two points, Paul gives warm words of thanks to them as he tells how he prays for them. He rejoices in their faith and how they love one another. He commends them for actively “sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.” Note the blessing that comes from sharing your faith with someone. It results in the sharer growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. Paul even repeats himself as he brings up their demonstrations of love a second time. That church serves as a model for us today.
Paul could almost be accused of buttering up Philemon with those kind words as he quickly gets to his main point. Paul appeals as “an old man and prisoner of Jesus Christ” that due to the transformative power of the Gospel, Philemon should grant him a big favor. At some time after escaping Onesimus came to faith in Christ. Somehow Onesimus, a slave who belonged to Philemon, had come to Paul and had become an essential part of Paul’s life. In v11 Paul states Onesimus had been ‘useless’ to Philemon, but was now helpful to both Paul and Philemon. Paul apparently had known him while he was Philemon’s slave and now saw daily the total change in his life. Paul rejoiced, as Philemon and all of God’s people should, in the power of the Gospel to bring new life that Onesimus demonstrates.
Paul then states he will send Onesimus back to Philemon. However, he appeals to Philemon to allow his slave to stay with Paul. While it serves as a model on how to lay out logical reasoning to bring about a change of action, more importantly it teaches us the importance of striving for reconciliation. One commentator lists 14 arguments in v8-21 that Paul uses. Paul’s first argument is that as an apostle he could order the release of the slave. Instead, his second point provides the most powerful contention – the basis of love. Paul loves Onesimus as a son (v8). He sees him not as a slave, but as a brother who is “dear to me, but even dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord (v16). True love cannot permit or condone treating another member of the body of Christ as a slave or a piece of property. Indeed, slavery (though apparently allowed in the Bible to pay back a debt for up to seven years) was to be normal practice for it fails to show the love that must be evident in the life of anyone who claims the name of Jesus.
It is believed that Philemon did free his slave Onesimus. Paul’s appeal worked, not just because of his wise words, but due to a life changed by the grace of God and the call to love another.
With great hope in His grace,
Pastor Gillikin