Increasing in
Brotherly Love
Book of Philemon
We think of the
Apostle Paul as a great Christian, if not the greatest Christian who
has ever lived, but it is a fact that this man named Philemon was
counted as a great Christian by the Apostle Paul!
Philemon was a
Christian, probably led to the Lord by the Apostle Paul.
Philemon was
probably a native of Colossae and he had started a church in his own
house.
Philemon was a
respected member of society but he also held a prominent place in the
Christian community.
No doubt that
Philemon held some office in the church, some say he even became
bishop of Colossae and was murdered by Nero but there is not much
proof of this.
It is certain that
Philemon would provide for any of the saints as they passed through
this city!
It seems that
Onesimus was Philemon's runaway slave at one time and it is in his
behalf that the Apostle Paul wrote this epistle.
This epistle that
can teach us of how Christians should handle some of the things from
our past and uphold our integrity before other Christians and even
more so before those who are lost.
We must remember if
you call yourself Christian, you place a target upon your back for
this lost world to shoot their fiery darts!
It is probable that
the Apostle Paul was imprisoned in Rome when he wrote this epistle
and it maybe that Paul wrote this epistle with his own hands because
it was a personal plea from one Christian to another Christian.
*****Phm 1:1 Paul,
a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon
our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer,
Phm 1:2 And to our
beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in
thy house:
Phm 1:3 Grace to
you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul was a prisoner
at this time in Rome, where he wrote or at least dictated may of his
epistles.
Paul was a prisoner
to Nero on the outside but Paul was a prisoner of Jesus Christ on the
inside!
We can see that
Timothy had joined Paul while he was imprisoned in Rome.
To be a Christian is
to be a prisoner of Jesus Christ because He purchased us from the
slave market of Sin!
In our own way, we
should all resemble Philemon and be fellow-laborers with the Apostle
Paul in the cause of Jesus Christ!
Paul may have never
been to Colossae but Paul knew this family very well.
Apphia was the wife
of Philemon.
Archippus was the
son of Philemon and was saved and working in his own ministry.
Most all Christians
of that day gathered in the home of the Pastor and Philemon had begun
a church in his own home.
And of course, all
things still come by the "Grace", the unmerited favor of
God through the Lord Jesus Christ!
We can be sure that
the Apostle Paul had his own prayer list and he also tried to keep up
with the happenings of every church that was planted and was
surviving at this time.
Not one Christian is
of more importance than any other but we all have our prayer list
just as the Apostle Paul.
*****Phm 1:4 I
thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers,
Phm 1:5 Hearing of
thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward
all saints;
Phm 1:6 That the
communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging
of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.
If we have a
personal relationship with our Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus,
and are filled with His Holy Spirit, then we can also say, "I
thank my God".
If we have none of
these things then we are only thanking the devil who is laughing at
you all the time!
We must realize that
there is a God and we must get up close and personal with Him, and
that can only be accomplished by accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as
your "personal" Savior!
Joh 14:6 Jesus
saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh
unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7 If ye had
known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye
know him, and have seen him.
We should always
pray for those who are called into the ministry and for those who
have needs that only God can fill!
Jas 5:13 Is any
among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
Jas 5:14 Is any
sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let
them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
Jas 5:15 And the
prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up;
and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Jas 5:16
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye
may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man
availeth much.
There can be no
doubt that even when Paul was imprisoned, he did his very best to
keep up with all the churches that had been planted and he had heard
nothing but good news from the church in the home of Philemon.
It should be clear
to us that if you are a child of God, then you are also a saint of
God and this happened as soon as the Holy Spirit moved in!
Rom 1:7 To all that
be in Rome, beloved of God, "called to be saints": Grace to
you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The child of God,
"born again" of Jesus Christ, does not need some committee,
or the Pope, the laying on of hands, or any man to decide if they are
a saint of God!
Philemon had a
testimony so strong that even the Apostle Paul thanked God for
fulfilling the purpose God had for him!
Our greatest purpose
in the work of God is to communicate our faith to others! (we are all
in this together)
Col 1:10 That ye
might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in
every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Col 1:11
Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto
all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
Do you want to
humble yourself? Look in the mirror and ask yourself, "am I
walking worthy of the Lord?"
According to the
Apostle Paul, remember who is led by the Holy Spirit to say all these
words, Philemon was doing this thing!
Philemon walked
worthy of the Lord after his salvation!
In other words,
Philemon understood what the Lord Jesus Christ has commanded us all
to do!
Mat_5:16 Let your
light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and
glorify your Father which is in heaven.
We use that phrase
"servants of the Lord" but we must clearly understand our
servitude to the Lord is being a servant to one another!
We are to be good
"stewards" of the "Grace" of God!
When we face the
Lord at the "judgment seat of Christ" we will see that the
Lord has considered how we have accomplished these things!
All the "gifts"
of God are to be shared with our brothers and sisters and our share
of God's "grace" shown to whosoever will listen!
We are always to be
"refreshing" when we come together with fellow our brothers
and sisters in Christ!
*****Phm 1:7 For we
have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the
saints are refreshed by thee, brother.
The truth is we can
never know how far an act of love may travel!
Many of those in
Colossae had witnessed the ministry of Philemon and these acts of
kindness had traveled across the Sea to Rome and refreshed the spirit
of the Apostle Paul who was bound in prison.
We as Christians can
also be refreshed when we hear the good works of other Christians
from far off places.
I love to hear the
good news of our missionaries when they report the good things Christ
has accomplished!
Another man once
wrote:
We learn about
Christ, by giving to others.
We receive from
Christ, by sharing with others.
By emptying
ourselves, we can be filled with Christ.
The poorer we make
ourselves in giving, the richer we are in the gifts of Christ.
To be charitable, is
to know more of the wealth of Christ.
Those that know the
most of Christ, are not the Bible scholars, but those who move in
generosity among mankind especially amongst the saints of God!
We are servants to
the Lord by serving others especially to the Church, the Body of
Christ!
Gal 6:9 And let us
not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we
faint not.
Gal 6:10 As we have
therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto
them who are of the household of faith.
We should be able to
rejoice when we see blessings given to other children of God!
We should rejoice
when we hear the good news of that missionary we support.
We must especially
rejoice for each lost soul that comes to know the Lord Jesus Christ
as their personal Savior!
If Heaven rejoices
for every saved soul, then why would we not join in?
Rejoicing is a sign
that our "faith" was real.
Rejoicing is a sign
that our prayers are answered.
Rejoicing is a sign
that God is fulfilling the promises He has made!
The Apostle Paul
could rejoice knowing that even while he was bound, the Word of God
could not be bound!
We must rejoice
because we are all brothers and sister in Christ, who are all doing
"one work" in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ!
So now Onesimus.
*****Phm 1:8
Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that
which is convenient,
Phm 1:9 Yet for
love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the
aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.
Phm 1:10 I beseech
thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds:
Onesimus, whose name
means "useful", had at one time been a slave in the house
of Philemon, maybe before Philemon had come to know the Lord himself.
He had escaped and
without a doubt had also robbed Philemon and had ended up in Rome.
We know that God
works in mysterious ways and God had directed Onesimus to cross the
path of the Apostle Paul.
Paul is saying that
as a man, he had no business getting involved in the workings of a
slave and his master but as one Christian to another Christian by
Jesus Christ , who is all our Master and as an Apostle called of the
Lord, he did have the authority of the Lord in such matters.
Paul is saying even
with this authority, it was best to honor Christian friendship as
brothers with the same Lord!
We should never make
demands of our brothers and sisters in Christ!
Paul laid all these
things out before he made his request to Philemon.
We cannot demand
that other Christians do the same as we would do. We can try to keep
each other on the right path of Jesus Christ!
Notice how gently
and humbly Paul approaches his brother in Christ.
The greatest truth
of each Christian is that once the Lord Jesus Christ has forgiven us
of our sins, how can we as Christians continue to condemn one
another? Christ never condemned anyone that loved Him. Those that
reject the love of God condemn themselves!
Who are we to
question the work of the Lord Jesus Christ?
It is for love's
sake that we deal with one another!
1Jn 4:7 Beloved,
let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that
loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
1Jn 4:8 He that
loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
1Jn 4:9 In this was
manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only
begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
1Jn 4:10 Herein is
love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son
to be the propitiation for our sins.
1Jn 4:11 Beloved,
if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
It seems that we
forget that as Christians we are never to tear down one another but
rather to build up!
Onesimus was a slave
not only to Philemon but in the eyes of the law and in the eyes of
the law, he had no rights at all!
The slave once
escaped did not even have the right of asylum.
Until his death,
Onesimus would always be a slave!
An escaped slave, in
his despair would normally flee to a friend of his master, not to
hide, but to seek intercession on his behalf.
Every slave needed
an intercessor! (Sounds familiar)
We were all slaves
to sin and separated from our God with no means within ourselves to
make things right so we needed an Intercessor and that Intercessor is
the Lord Jesus Christ!
Isa 59:16 And he
saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no
intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his
righteousness, it sustained him.
There was no one
upon this earth who could intercede on behalf of us so the Lord God
came Himself, "his arm brought salvation to him"!
The Lord Jesus
Christ had been the Intercessor for Onesimus to return him to the
good "Grace" of God and the Apostle Paul would intercede
for Onesimus between him and Philemon.
The slave of
Philemon was now a profitable servant for the Lord and for the
Apostle Paul.
Onesimus had not
only delivered this epistle named Philemon but he had also assisted
Tychicus in delivering the epistle to the Colossians.
Col 4:7 All my
state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and
a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord:
Col 4:8 Whom I have
sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate,
and comfort your hearts;
Col 4:9 With
Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They
shall make known unto you all things which are done here.
We know that all the
epistles were read in every church but Paul first sent this epistle
to Philemon.
It was the Apostle
Paul who had led Onesimus to the Lord even while Paul was imprisoned
in Rome!
Another name for
Onesimus was "profitable"!
*****Phm 1:11 Which
in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and
to me:
I think it is
important to mention that slavery was never introduced by the Jews.
Slavery already existed in the world of that day and God, through
Moses had laws regulating its existence and its evils and restricting
its duration.
It should also be
important to know that slavery in America was never introduced by
Americans.
It was the Afro
people who introduce slavery to America, capturing and selling them
own selves!
Slavery still runs
rampant throughout this world. The most valuable source in this evil
world is not drugs but human trafficking!
Nowhere in the
Scriptures does God endorse slavery. In fact, stealing a human being
to make them a slave was a capital crime for any Jew!
Deu 24:7 If a man
be found stealing any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and
maketh merchandise of him, or selleth him; then that thief shall die;
and thou shalt put evil away from among you.
This law was not
only for the Jew but for the Gentile:
Exo 21:16 And he
that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand,
he shall surely be put to death.
Anyone that was
treated as a servant had to be paid and treated humanely!
Lev 25:39 And if
thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto
thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant:
Lev 25:40 But as an
hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall
serve thee unto the year of jubile:
Lev 25:41 And then
shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and
shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his
fathers shall he return.
In fact, any person
who had sold themselves into servanthood for a price could redeem
themselves or they could be redeemed by family or friends which was
encouraged by the Word of God,
When we study these
things out in God's Word, we find that the Lord Jesus is in "type"
our "Redeemer" who purchased us all from the slave market
of sin!
Obviously, the
Gentile laws about slaves, differed from the Word of God, but God
still expects everyone who places their faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ to be obedient to all laws but first placing the Word of God
as the supreme law of their life even if it conflicts with man's law!
Now back to
Onesimus.
In the Gentile
nations (God said heathens) there may have been value in a slave
because they were purchased but there was no profit in them.
They served till
they died or became useless. A slave in bondage did not ever increase
in value! The only value was the work that they performed and that
decreased as they aged.
Onesimus had escaped
and fled from his bondage and had even robbed Philemon of something
of some small value.
As Onesimus had fled
to Rome, God placed the Apostle Paul in his path and Onesimus called
on the Lord Jesus Christ, was washed in the blood of Jesus and was
saved and restored to God.
Now could he be
restored to Philemon?
There is no
Christian who is hopeless and every Christian has great value in the
eyes of God and that value increases as we get busy in the work of
God!
Mat_6:19 Lay not up
for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Mat_6:20 But lay up
for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
A Christian who
begins to be good to himself will then good for others!
Mat 22:37 Jesus
said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is
the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39 And the
second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Onesimus was "born
again" and a changed man!
Jesus Christ changes
lives. Jesus takes a good for nothing sinner and makes them useful.
Jesus Christ takes a
nothing and makes a something, just as in the act of creating our
world when He made our world out of nothingness!
Onesimus had wronged
Philemon and it was important to make things right with Him!
*****Phm 1:12 Whom
I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own
bowels:
Phm 1:13 Whom I
would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have
ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel:
Phm 1:14 But
without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be
as it were of necessity, but willingly.
Onesimus had
traveled with Tychicus who carried the epistle to the Colossians but
also the epistle to Philemon, not because Onesimus would not have
delivered this epistle but because Tychicus could be another witness
to the conversion of Onesimus.
It is said that
Tychicus also carried the epistle to Ephesians at this same time.
Tychicus was not a Colossian himself.
Col 4:7 All my
state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and
a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord:
Col 4:8 Whom I have
sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate,
and comfort your hearts;
Col 4:9 With
Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They
shall make known unto you all things which are done here.
Paul sent Onesimus
to be at the mercy of his offended master.
Philemon, without
consent of the law could treat his slave as he pleased and he held
the power of life and death in his own hands.
That's what we all
do when we bow our knees and repent before the Lord, who also has the
power of life and death of us all but He also holds the power of
eternal life and eternal death.
A slave who robbed
his master and then fled from his master was sentenced to death and
we already know the wages of sin is death!
Rom 6:23 For the
wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
These are some of
the things that make the epistle of Philemon such a great book of the
Bible.
Onesimus had become
very dear to the Apostle Paul, just as we have to our Father in
Heaven toward His spiritual children!
Mat 6:14 For if ye
forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive
you:
Mat 6:15 But if ye
forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive
your trespasses.
Onesimus would have
been a great help to Paul while he was imprisoned but Paul deemed it
more important for him to return to Philemon who he had wronged.
Paul said of himself
"Paul the aged" and with his bad health it was certain that
he needed some help and Paul knew that if Philemon had been in Rome,
he would have gladly stayed with Paul and been his help and so
stated.
We can just imagine
the Holy Ghost working on Paul as even in prison, he was more in
bonds to the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ and in his own way,
was spreading the Word of God to the far reaches of the world in the
only way that was available to him at that time.
The words of Paul by
the Holy Spirit added to all the other Scriptures inspired by the
Holy Spirit were the hope of Israel but more important the hope of
the entire world!
2Ti 3:16 All
scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the
man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Just as Paul's
purpose was to bring the "Gospel" to the Gentiles, before
Onesimus could go further in his own ministry it was his duty to
return to Philemon.
In a sense Onesimus
needed the permission of Philemon before he could be of service to
the Apostle Paul and at the same time Paul was not asking for his
return.
This was not a test
for Philemon! This was a chance to show his willingness to show his
goodness as a Christian.
For Philemon to get
a blessing from the Lord, he could not show the appearance of
restraining Onesimus as a slave but as a willing brother in Christ to
share the work of the Lord.
It is important for
us to restrain from all appearance of any evil doings!
1Th_5:22 Abstain
from all appearance of evil.
Paul, it should
appear that Onesimus was a brother who had departed for a period and
had come back home.
We all know the
importance of the parable of the "Prodigal Son"!
We were all
prodigals before we met Jesus Christ! Onesimus was no different!
These are the
thoughts that Paul was teaching to Philemon and more important to all
Christians everywhere!
*****Phm 1:15 For
perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest
receive him for ever;
Phm 1:16 Not now as
a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me,
but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?
One of the greatest
problems of Christianity is "forgiveness". We seem to have
very little problem accepting the stranger who we know nothing about
their past but we struggle sometimes to forgive those, who God has
forgiven but we know a lot about their sinful past.
In this sense, we
are just hypocrites.
Mat 7:1 Judge not,
that ye be not judged.
Mat 7:2 For with
what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye
mete, it shall be measured to you again.
Mat 7:3 And why
beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest
not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Mat 7:4 Or how wilt
thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye;
and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
Mat 7:5 Thou
hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then
shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
When God has
forgiven someone, then who are we to say we will not forgive them!
We also know we
should be able to see the truth of them by their works!
We cannot work our
way into Heaven but we are to be obedient to the Lord after we are
saved and promote the "Gospel" in every way we can.
It is these works
after salvation that works toward our perfection!
Jas 2:17 Even so
faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Jas 2:22 Seest thou
how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made
perfect?
We may think we can
have a good relationship with just about anyone but in truth there
should no relationship that can be as close as that one between
brothers and sisters in Christ!
Amo 3:3 Can two
walk together, except they be agreed?
Two people that know
and have accepted the Word of God as the inerrant truth, can
certainly agree on most everything and develop a good relationship
and it should be or "it must" be the same for the entire
Christian community.
This is where God's
people have failed the most today!
Everyone wants to
interpret the Word of God in their own fashion and ignore what God
has really said! It is what God has said that is the truth not those
who twist the Word of God into something false!
Onesimus was
prepared to accept whatever relationship Philemon offered and Paul
was pleading on behalf of Onesimus that his relationship with the
Lord would bring about a renewed personal relationship.
Two people with a
personal relationship with the Lord should have no problem having a
personal relationship with each other!
After all, it is the
Lord Jesus Christ who is pleading with God and who intercedes on our
behalf so that we can have that personal relationship with our God,
our Father in Heaven.
Why cannot we do the
same for each other!
When we are in the
Lord, we are to give our flesh to the Lord as His servant. Not a
servant to Him, but a servant to the Church and to one another!
If Philemon counted
the Apostle Paul as his partner in the "Gospel" then he
should count Onesimus as a partner in the "Gospel" also!
*****Phm 1:17 If
thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself.
Phm 1:18 If he hath
wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account;
Paul was an Apostle
of the Lord with all the powers of an Apostle yet he never tried to
abuse this power.
God has this simple
rule for us all to follow in those who are called to be the Christian
leaders.
Heb_13:7 Remember
them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word
of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their
conversation.
We are to follow
them in "faith" while considering their conversation to see
if it lines up with the Word of God!
If it truly lines up
with the Word of God then we are to be obedient to those who have
rule over us!
Caution: We are
never to take the Word of God out of context! We must never allow
this power to be abused in any way!
We must also
remember once we have been forgiven we are wrong if we are not just
as forgiving!
Mat 6:14 For if ye
forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive
you:
Mat 6:15 But if ye
forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive
your trespasses.
Philemon certainly
did not have to submit to the wishes of the Apostle Paul but in this
case Paul was right and again God has given us a great example of the
Christian life!
Then Paul said, "If
he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account;"
There is no doubt
that Onesimus had robbed his master and then run away and therefore
he certainly had an unpaid debt.
Even we as
Christians deserve the debt of our brothers and sisters or of anyone
else to us, to be repaid!
God says thou shall
not steal and these laws still hold true! We are never to take
something that belongs to others!
Paul said he would
assume any debt that Onesimus owed to Philemon.
The truth is we all
had a debt we could not pay and the Lord Jesus Christ told our Father
in Heaven, "just put that on My account"!
1Jn_4:10 Herein is
love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son
to be the propitiation for our sins.
1Jn_2:2 And he is
the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for
the sins of the whole world.
We all faced the
wrath of God and by the death of Jesus Christ, "in our place",
we that believe have been reconciled to God!
Rom_5:10 For if,
when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his
Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Paul was saying to
Philemon, we as Christians all have this same ministry toward one
another.
2Co_5:18 And all
things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ,
and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
If Paul could not
live what He preached, then none of His epistles could be accepted as
the truth.
If is the same with
Christ Jesus, if He did not fulfill all the prophecies of the Old
Testament and walk in innocence upon this earth, then the Bible would
be only an old history book.
If it was the same
for Paul and the same for our Lord we can be sure it is the same for
us all!
Mat_5:16 Let your
light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and
glorify your Father which is in heaven.
These are simple
things that cost us blessings with the Lord but they ruin our
testimony as Christians.
To be Christian is
to be like Christ and making Him our Lord!
Joh_13:13 Ye call
me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
If Christ is our
Lord then we need to obey the things He has told us to do! (Simple as
that)
Luk_6:46 And why
call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Again, we should
understand the outcome of Onesimus was in the hands of Philemon
according to the laws of the land at that time regarding slaves.
Paul dearly wanted
to Philemon to make the Christian decision, as the Lord has already
justified both Onesimus and Philemon and their sins blotted out in
Heaven!
*****Phm 1:19 I
Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it: albeit I do
not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides.
Phm 1:20 Yea,
brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in
the Lord.
Phm 1:21 Having
confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt
also do more than I say.
As far as Paul was
concerned this epistle to Philemon was also an "IOU"!
Paul made sure his
signature appeared on this document as proof of his intent to repay
Philemon for his losses.
Paul wrote to
Philemon with ink.
The Lord Jesus
Christ wrote to His Father in Heaven with His Own Blood!
Act_20:28 Take heed
therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the
Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which
he hath purchased with his own blood.
The truth is, in the
Colossae of that day, no one in that day would want to be caught with
a lawless slave and yet Paul said this is my partner.
The greatest truth
in this epistle besides our debt to Christ is, just how much do we
owe that person that led us to the Lord!
Another thing Paul
was saying that the "born again" man who had returned to
Philemon would now not only be profitable to Philemon but also
profitable to the Lord!
In truth Onesimus
was so much better a slave when he returned to Philemon and he was of
so much greater value, that , a debt could be said to be owed to the
Apostle Paul.
Again, a true
born-again Christian who is now in harmony with our Father in Heaven
is of such a great value that the Father may owe a debt to the His
Son, Jesus.
Joh 17:4 I have
glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou
gavest me to do.
Joh 17:5 And now, O
Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I
had with thee before the world was.
Joh 17:22 And the
glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one,
even as we are one:
Heb_1:4 Being made
so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a
more excellent name than they.
And the Father will
allow the Church to share in that inheritance and in the glory of
Christ!
Heb_9:15 And for
this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of
death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the
first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of
eternal inheritance.
If there is one
thing we lack today besides "faith" then it would be
"confidence" in our brothers and sisters to do the right
thing every time!
If there is one
thing that each new child of God needs, it is to be received by his
brothers and sisters in Christ!
We must also
understand that Paul was not accusing Philemon of anything. Paul was
trying his best to show his confidence in Philemon and that he would
do the right thing.
We must all hope for
the best outcome as each child of God goes through the burdens of the
world but a brother or sister in Christ should never be one of those
burdens.
We are not to think
bad about our Church family without true biblical evidence!
A godly love will
always cause the right actions!
1Co 13:4 Charity
suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth
not itself, is not puffed up,
1Co 13:5 Doth not
behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked,
thinketh no evil;
1Co 13:6 Rejoiceth
not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
1Co 13:7 Beareth
all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all
things.
As we can see the
Apostle Paul had much more love for each child of God than we can
imagine.
It was important to
Paul that each child of God do their best to show the love of God in
everything they did!
It is important for
us to know that no one is excluded from the "Grace" of God,
except those who exclude themselves!
No one is excluded
from the glory world except those who exclude themselves!
The Lord God
Almighty is standing with arms open to receive all those who call
upon His name and only those who reject the Word of God will miss His
embrace as of a loving Father!
And Paul begins to
close:
*****Phm 1:22 But
withal prepare me also a lodging: for I trust that through your
prayers I shall be given unto you.
We know that without
"faith" we cannot please God.
Heb 11:6 But
without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to
God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek him.
We already know that
the Apostle Paul accepted the will of God and moved to wherever the
Holy Ghost moved him. Paul had his own plans changed many times, the
Macedonian call being the most well-known.
Here the Apostle
Paul was showing Philemon his "faith" in answered prayer.
If by prayer Paul
was released from prison, he would have loved to come to Colossae
just to see the good works of Onesimus!
God had other plans!
In fact, Paul had a
great desire to visit all his friends one more time before his death.
Some say after this
imprisonment Paul spent some time in Greece, Spain, and Asia Minor
before returning to Rome and to his death.
Some say Paul was
never liberated and was just put to death in Rome.
Paul realized his
time was short before his Roman trip even began!
Act 20:25 And now,
behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the
kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.
It was in Rome where
we hear the last words from Luke.
It is the Book of 2
Timothy that we hear the last of Luke, who kept us informed of the
travels of the Apostle Paul. We can just imagine the health of the
Apostle Paul by the fact the Luke, also a physician, traveled with
him.
2Ti 4:9 Do thy
diligence to come shortly unto me:
2Ti 4:10 For Demas
hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed
unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
2Ti 4:11 Only Luke
is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable
to me for the ministry.
2Ti 4:12 And
Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus.
And Paul closes this
epistle to his dear friend.
*****Phm 1:23 There
salute thee Epaphras, my fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus;
Phm 1:24 Marcus,
Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers.
Phm 1:25 The grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
Epaphras not
imprisoned in Rome but still a fellowprisoner in Christ.
It is Epaphras who
is believed to be the missionary who had planted the church in
Colossae.
This Marcus is the
probably the same Mark that was sent home by Paul and the means of
the dispute between Paul and Barnabas.
We know this because
it was Peter who had led this Marcus to the Lord at a young age,
probably a teenage.
1Pe 5:13 The church
that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so
doth Marcus my son.
Aristarchus had been
traveling with Paul since his time in Thessalonica.
Demas with Paul now,
at this time is the same Demas who had forsaken Paul.
2Ti 4:10 For Demas
hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed
unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
If the Book of
Philemon was written after 2 Timothy then it appears that Demas has
been restored, there is no way of actually knowing.
This Lucas is the
same as Luke the physician, who wrote the Books of Acts and the Book
of Luke and possibly was the writer who wrote down the words of Paul
for the Book of Hebrews,
Without the "Grace"
of God, supplied through the Lord Jesus Christ, and powered by the
Holy Spirit, then there could be no Church!
The true Church
consists of those who assemble to worship Jehovah God, who have
accepted His Dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and are
now in the power of the Holy Spirit.
All others are just
fakes!
Amen.
Let's Pray!
