Paul's letter to Philemon is in general his considered his most
personal letter that he writes. It is a letter in which he does
some pretty unique things and it is a letter in which he does
some things that he never does before.
One of the first things that Paul does is in his introduction
in verse one of Philemon. He says he says Paul the
prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother to Philemon,
our beloved friend and fellow labour, to the beloved Apiphia
Archopus, our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house.
Paul very rarely does not start a letter by referring back to
his apostleship. It only happens one or two other
times, and then throughout that letter, he refers to it.
And yet here Paul, and never will.
He throughout this book, really refer to his apostleship.
He'll hint at it once and we'll talk about that.
But this isn't a book in which Paul is laying the groundwork
for Apostolic or his authority as an apostle.
This is a personal letter. This is a letter in which Paul
truly loves Philemon and he truly loves this third
character, Onessimus, and he wants them to find harmony as
now they are brothers in Christ and there is meant to be harmony
in Christ. He can do amazing works and he
can do amazing things within the lives of those who once were
enemies. In fact, the book of Isaiah and
Isaiah chapter 6, the famous chapter that talks about the
coming of the Messiah, talks about how he will make the lion
and the lamb lay down together. He is this Messiah and this king
who can bring enemies together. And Philemon draws our attention
to that power within Christ, but he does so not with authority,
but based on love and friendship.
And there's an impactful lesson there as we read through this
letter that more often than not, building relationships with
people is an Ave. in which we can in fact or enact true change
rather than just trying to get people to do what we tell them
to do because we have authority over them.
And that's the letter to Philemon.
He needs change to exist. But let's do this out of love
and not out of compulsion. And so Paul begins this letter
different and then he goes in to let us know about his own life.
Paul, as he writes this letter is not in the best situation of
his life. He's not in a moment in which he
is really at the top of his game to be helping other people out.
In verse 9 he says, yet for Love's sake, I'd rather appeal
to you being such as one as Paul the aged and now also a prisoner
of Jesus Christ. In verse 13, he says on speaking
on behalf of this other person whom I wish to keep with me,
that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for
the gospel. Paul's in prison, both as a bond
servant of Christ, but also literally within a Roman prison.
He is somebody in a difficult situation and yet he looks out
and is able to see the need within his brothers in Christ
and says that is more important than my situation.
And that's another lesson I want you to take home, if you can
from this book, that just because you're in a bad
situation does not negate the fact that you have a
responsibility and an ability to help others where you can.
Your situation does not give you the right to not act as a
Christian should. Paul understood that deeply.
His situation did not mean he didn't have the responsibility
when he had the opportunity to help these two brothers in
Christ reunite and reconcile their relationship.
And so Paul's in prison. And so he writes his friend, and
he says this in verse 3. Grace to you and peace from God
our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God making mention of you always in my prayers,
hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord
Jesus and toward all the Saints, that the sharing of your faith
may become affected by the acknowledgement of every good
thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.
For we have great joy and consolation in your love because
the hearts of the Saints have been refreshed by you.
So now Paul transitions from his greetings into the topic or the
person of whom he wants to write.
This man Philemon, a man who is a man known for his faith.
He is somebody who helps others. He is given a title that again
Paul doesn't give a lot of people.
When he says in verse one to Philemon, our beloved friend and
fellow labourer may seem like a small phrase, but Paul does not
refer to people as fellow labourers very often and unless
they are actively participating within the work of the gospel.
Philemon is a good man, someone who loves God, who loves people
around him, and he is in a difficult situation, but that
doesn't negate the fact that he is a good person doing his best.
Good people go through difficult situations and sometimes have to
still make changes and make difficult decisions within their
life. Just because he's doing his best
doesn't mean he can't improve, and Paul understands that.
But Paul does something that's also important for us as we
discuss the character of Philemon, and that is before he
goes into what needs to be corrected.
The apostle Paul really works to understand and show Philemon.
I see the good that you are doing.
I know you're doing your best. Just because there is something
that needs to be changed does not negate the fact that you've
done amazing things to help the church grow.
When people make mistakes, they've still done everything
else right. And we cannot forget the good
and the heartache and the work that they put into growing
themselves in the church and others around them just because
mistakes or difficult situations happen.
And Paul wants to make sure that he gives accommodation, that he
gives praise where praise is due to Philemon.
And notice what he says. He says, I thank God, I make
mention of you always in my prayers, hearing of your love
and faith, which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all
the Saints. And that's an important
distinction. Sometimes at we get into this
mindset of this chapter that says I have faith, I'm I'm
loving Jesus, and yet we have an incomplete faith.
Sometimes we also get in this mindset that says I'm a good
person, I take care of other people and Jesus comes second.
But Philemon has figured out the balance of loving Jesus and how
that in fact impacts how we love other people.
If we're going to love Jesus, we're going to serve others and
help others and care for others. It's a part of the Christian
life. Philemon again is a Christian
doing his very best and he has figured something out that many
people that I have struggled with in my own life, how do I
balance loving Jesus fiercely and helping other people?
And a Philemon has figured that balance out.
And Paul says, I pray for you always.
We are a group of people within the church who have been called
into a relationship. This isn't just an institution.
This is a relationship that Christ has called us into.
When he calls us into the body of Christ, we see that language
throughout Scripture. God is our Father, Jesus is our
brother. Jesus is the husband to us, the
bride of Christ. These are relationship terms.
Very rarely does the Bible talk about our relationship with God
in contractual or business terms.
There is a contract in the concept of a covenant, but very
rarely is our relationship with God or with one another
considered contractual. It is relationship based.
And so Paul tells them, I'm praying for you.
There are very few ways in which you can encourage somebody more
than by telling them I'm praying for you.
It is such a beautiful way to let others know they are a part
of an intimate moment of your life because that's what prayer
is. It is where we release to God
our problems, our worries, our fears.
And then to say, also bring in Philemon because he needs your
help too. And like I said earlier, that
some of the people here have some of the closest
relationships in my heart that I hold dear.
And one of the reasons is because when my family moved to
Australia to do work there with the church, Wade constantly
would tell me, I'm praying for you.
And those words meant more to me than somebody patting my eye on
the back and saying, you're going to do great.
Praying for people and praying for your brothers and sisters in
Christ is an intimate and relationship building aspect.
And Paul understood that. And so Paul reminds him, before
he goes any further, I want you to know I'm praying for you.
I care about you in the most intimate way.
I'm praying for you. And I am thanking God because I
hear about your love and your faith toward Jesus and toward
the Saints. Verse 6 that the sharing of your
faith may become affected by the acknowledgement of every good
thing which is in you, in Christ Jesus.
To me, this is my favorite line within this verse within this
chapter. Here's why we sometimes, and I
especially get caught up in how can I do the best that I can do
in order to promote the gospel, to promote the Kingdom or the
cause of Christ in my life. You know what Paul says makes
the effective work of Philemon's.
What makes Philemon's sharing of his faith effective?
Says every good thing you do says by being a good person,
you've made the sharing of your faith effective.
And to me, it takes the weight off.
We're not sitting here trying to earn accolades.
You're trying to do all these things.
The simple thing that we can do in order to make the sharing of
our faith effective is be a good person.
Because who wants to go to church with somebody who they
also think is evil or terrible or a liar or wicked?
Nobody who wants to talk about Jesus who transforms lives with
somebody who they can't even sit down and have a meal with.
Paul says that your faith is effectively shared because of
all the good things that you do. What does he do?
He takes care of the Saints. He welcomes them into his home
so that they can have church because that is a safe place for
these individuals. He has faith and love.
That means he sacrifices himself for others.
He puts others first. This is who Philemon is.
He is a good person doing his best in a bad situation.
But guess what? His faith is effectively shared
because of the good things he does.
Sharing our faith can be a daunting task.
Sharing our faith can be difficult at times, but the best
way that you can start that process is by simply being a
good person, being kind of the people around you, being loving
to those who need it, caring for your enemies.
Do not give someone a reason to discredit Christ because of your
character. And Paul says, Philemon, you are
outstanding at being a good person.
So my encouragement to you is be a good person.
And I know you're trying that and I hope and pray that you are
in everything that you do because it makes the effective
work of our sharing of our faith effective and impactful in the
life of others. He says then in verse 8.
Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command
you what is fitting, yet for Love's sake I'd rather appeal to
you being such as one is Paul the Aged and now also a prisoner
of Christ. This is the moment which Paul
does momentarily reference his apostleship.
He references that there is some authority that he has that he
could make a commandment of Philemon here, but he says I'm
Paul the Aged. Whether that means that he has
been aged by experience or has an eldership over Philemon, I'm
not fully sure. But whatever it means, his
wisdom has come through experience in years.
And he says because of that, I don't want to command you.
I want to make you do something, but out of love, I'm going to
appeal to you. Why?
Because he recognizes that he wants this to be done out of out
of free will and not out of compulsion.
So he says in verse 14, he says without your consent, I wanted
to do nothing, that your good deed may not be by compulsion as
it were, but voluntary. Paul also understands an amazing
thing about transformation, and that is true change.
True transformation happens when the person wants it to happen,
not when somebody is made to do something.
And so he makes Philemon accept this brother back and we'll talk
about him in a moment. So we understand the full
narrative when he makes him. What's going to happen when Paul
dies when Paul's not around and the letter doesn't get there
quick enough? What happens when this other
character wrongs him again? He's just going to slip back
into the old mindset and revert back to treating him with
disdain or treating him with distance.
But if there is voluntary willingness to change, Paul
doesn't need to be a watchdog. Paul doesn't need to sit there
and babysit the relationship. The relationship can grow and
flourish on its own. And so true change happens when
a person wants it to happen. And we have to cultivate that
within our heart too, because God wants us to change.
He's not going to make us change.
But when we want to change and when we let the Word of God
transform our lives and the Holy Spirit work within our lives,
however those two things amazingly work.
True change then can really be seen within our lives.
But Paul recognises that true chains doesn't come from making
people do something or commanding people to do
something. But out of Love's sake, he
appeals. He says in verse 10, I appeal to
you for my son Onessimus, who I've begotten while in my
chains, who once was unprofitable to you but now is
profitable to you and to me. Within the book of Philemon, the
short letter of Philemon, there's three main characters,
the apostle Paul who's in prison doing his best, Philemon, who is
a faithful servant of God in a difficult situation, and now our
third person, Onessimus. Onessimus is somebody who
generally is understood to be what we would call a bond
servant, somebody who has taken out a large sum from a large
debt from Philemon he borrowed and couldn't pay back.
And so the deal is within this structure of framework that this
individual would work as a labourer and whatever funds he
earned within that time would go back to paying off his debt.
But what has seemingly happened along this time is that
Onessimus having too great of a debt possibly that he thinks I'm
never going to pay this back. So what I'm going to do is I'm
going to run away to a far away country.
I'm never coming back. I'm leaving this place and I'm
going to be free from the consequences in the debt.
Although I can't go back, I'm going to be free.
Now I'm going to point out who does that sound like?
It sounds like so many people throughout Scripture.
You might think of Jonah. I'm going to make a point at the
end of this lesson that it probably sounds a lot like us in
our lives. And so he runs away.
So we have a slave on the run who comes across a man in prison
and begins to listen to the message that he's preaching and
decides to change and give his life over to Jesus.
Now on a backup to the Apostle Paul, when we talk about
character under pressure and in difficult situations, what's
your character like when life is not going your way?
Are you able to convert somebody who is also in a bad state
because of your positive and God centered focus?
Because what we have is this image of a runaway slave finding
a man in prison and saying I'm OK with that.
I'm fleeing change, but those change don't look that bad.
And I think that tells me a whole lot about the character of
Paul in chains. To be so positive and uplifted
and God centred that a runaway slave would say I'll take those
chains any day tells us about the character of Paul.
But you know what also tells us about Paul's character?
That in chains he didn't become bitter, that in chains in
difficult moments and in difficult times, he was still
somebody that you could open up to and talk to about your life.
And I'm say that because at some point within this narrative, we
don't see it within Scripture. And so this is in my mind.
You can think about however you want to at some point.
Filene Onessimus, excuse me, is sitting with Paul and he seems
to be converted. And Paul says, well, tell me
where you're from. And he says, oh, I'm from this
country. I, you know, I had a hard life.
I took out a loan that I couldn't pay back from this man
named Philemon. And Paulo Philemon, I know him,
you know, Philemon. And Onessimus then has to come
face to face with the consequences of his actions.
But Onessimus didn't have to share the difficult parts of his
life. How often do we hide the
difficult and unseemly and ugly parts of our life because we
don't want others to think worse of us?
Often. And yet in chains, in moments of
distress, Paul is still somebody that Philemon can just onessimus
can just dump his burdens on. What a character to emulate when
it comes to trying to be like Paul, to be somebody who could
be so burdened down by difficult things and yet such a place of
rest for somebody else in a difficult time.
That is the calling that we are called to as Christians to be
like Christ, who despite whatever difficult situations
we're going through, we are still called to be a safe place
for those who need refuge. We are called to be someone that
the Sinner can come to and say, I've messed up and instead of
being, you know what, I've got my own stuff to worry about.
You deal with yourself. Paul says, all right, I'm going
to write you a letter. You have to do the hard thing.
And one of the things that we haven't talked about yet is
Onessimus gets to deliver the letter to Philemon.
So there's an act there of taking accountability for our
for our actions. The Bible is filled with a call
to take responsibility. Onessimus has to go back.
I don't know how awkward that exchange is when he knocks on
the door and he says, hey, Philemon, it's me.
I got a letter from Paul, our mutual friend.
Can you read it? And I don't know if he peeked on
the way and said, what did Paul say or if it's new to him, too.
But there is this third character, Onessimus, a runaway
slave who decides that the bondage of Christ is a bondage
that he is willing to take on. And so the challenge that
Philemon, the book of Philemon, gives to us is how can we make
the burdens of our life still seem so positive that others
going through difficult moments are willing to say, I want to
carry it like he's carrying it or like she's carrying it.
Let me give you an example of this.
My grandfather died in in December.
And they were people I admired all my life.
They had neighbors who knew about church.
They had neighbors who would come to church at times.
And it wasn't until after he passed away and their neighbors
came to the memorial that a couple of them started to talk
to my grandma about Bible study. Why?
Because they mentioned about her.
They said you were so at peace in the most difficult time of
your life. Because I tell you, I do have
this faith too. My grandma has it greater than
I, that my grandfather is with God, and that peace that she had
during that difficult time has drawn others into this fact of I
want what she has. It is a difficult time, it is a
hard time, but I want that. And our faith in Christ is meant
to then create that balance and that peace in others when they
see it in US. And Paul has that.
Oneessimus wants it, but now there is conflict between two
brothers in Christ. And so Paul says I'm sending him
back. Verse 12 You therefore receive
him. That is my own heart, whom I
wish to keep with me, that on your behalf He might minister to
me in my change for the gospel, but without your consent.
I wanted to do nothing. That your good deed may not be
by compulsion as it were, but voluntary.
For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you
might receive him forever, no longer as a slave, but more than
a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me.
How much more to you both in the flesh and in the Lord.
Paul's point is that if we can reconcile, this relationship is
going to produce greater fruit, be more impactful and more
influential within your life and the lives of others.
If we can reconcile, the reason Paul spent so much time
throughout the letters of Corinthians and his other
letters of warning against division and falling away is
because he knows that when we are together and unified, the
greatest of accomplishments and miracles can be felt and
achieved within the life of a Christian and within the life of
those who are influenced by them.
Be united as beloved brothers. If then verse 17, if then you
count me as a partner, receive him as you would me wronged you
or owes you anything, put that on my account.
I Paul am writing with my own hand.
I will repay not to mention to you that you owe me even your
own self. Besides, yes brother, let me
have joy from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in the Lord.
We talked about the personal nature of this letter.
Paul drives home it's personal nature when he says, I'm writing
this with my own hand. To someone who skims this, you
might think, well obviously that's how you write a letter
with your own hand. Paul generally at this time is
understood to be going blind. His eyesight is going.
When he writes his. Letter to the Romans In chapter
16 we are told that he has a penman for himself.
He has somebody who is writing it for him because it's
difficult for him to write. In Second Corinthians they mock
him because he writes with such large letters.
He's not talking about big words, but large letters because
that's how he's got to work. And so when Paul says I write
this with my own hands, read that through the lens and with
the understanding that he's going blind, it is difficult for
him to write. And yet.
In prison, blind, difficult to write, Paul still takes the time
to make sure this letter says what it needs to say and that
this letter gets to where it's going.
Difficult situations do not remove the responsibility that
we have as Christians to do what is right.
And so Paul reminds Onessimus and Philemon says whenever he is
wronged you or owes you, put it on my account, I will pay it
back, remembering that you owe me your own life.
And generally I'll say that that's understood that Paul
probably converted Philemon. And so in a sense, his spiritual
life started because of Paul's work, similar to Onessimus.
So you owe me your own life. But whatever that debt is, put
it on my account. Something that I didn't ever
think about. I gave this lesson one time in
Africa with a translator, and the translator inputted
something into the sermon. And he said even if it's
$1,000,000, because he wanted to highlight something that I
didn't highlight. And that is Paul does not put a
limit on the price of the debt. He doesn't say, hey, if it gets
to this point, that's on him. I'll pay 90, he pays 10, Paul
says. Whatever the debt, put it on my
account. Because Paul is doing.
Something within this book that is transformative in our
understanding or my understanding of Scripture
because. What is?
The purpose of this book, it's kind of where we started, right?
And as we begin to wrap up, what is the purpose of the letter to
Philemon? Within Philemon, Paul does one
thing that he never does again or had ever done before and that
is Paul never mentions the cross of Christ.
Paul never once draws our attention to the death, burial,
and resurrection of Christ, which is something he does in
every letter moving forward and in the past depending where you
timeline Philemon. Why does Paul never?
Address the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ,
the centrefold of his life, the most transformative moment of
his life, the seed or the heart of the Gospel message that Jesus
is King. Why?
I think the Philemon is placed within the narrative of
Scripture to teach us what the death, burial and resurrection
of Christ looks like in human terms.
And this is what I mean by that. When you read the story, there's
three main characters. You have Philemon.
Who's Philemon? Philemon is a master, he is in
charge of his house, and yet he is wrong to such an extent that
the debt will probably never be paid back no matter how much
work is put into it within the narrative.
Finally, even he takes on the picture of God.
You have a runaway slave who cannot and will not pay back his
debt for whatever reason, and so he runs away from the
relationship. John says that those who love
darkness flee from the light, and that is what Osmus is doing.
He is fleeing from the right relationship in which he is in
because he cannot bear the burden of his actions.
He cannot pay the. Price.
And then you have. Paul, who stands in the middle.
And what does Paul? Do if Philemon takes on the
picture of God in the narrative story, Odessinus takes on us the
runaway slave who has sinned, who cannot pay the price.
Romans 323. The wages of sin is death.
Romans 623. Death is our consequence.
We cannot pay that. Back.
And yet Paul stands. Between them and what does he
tell Philemon? He says Philemon, whatever is on
his account, I'll pay for it. I'll cover it.
Did he put an? Extent to how great of sin or
how great of debt? Nope.
Did he make Philemon? Or Onessimus.
Excuse me? Earn it and work it back, no?
It was grace it. Was a gift given without our
merit. Onessimus had to go back.
He had to go back and receive the blessings and receive the
reconciliation. Onessimus says I'll pay.
The debt or Paul says I'll pay the debt.
Paul is playing the role of Christ on the cross within the
narrative story of Philemon. When we run away from God
because of sin. When we break that relationship
or build a wall of separation between US and God because of
sin there. Is a debt that.
Has to be paid. And yet Christ is saying I'll
pay it, just come back. I will take care.
Of the cost. If you just come.
Back. God loves us tremendously.
He cares about us without qualification.
And the. Book of Philemon shows us what
that looks like in human terms. Sometimes it's hard to visualize
how that relationship and how that connection with God works.
And if Philemon so perfectly and naturally fits within the
narrative of Scripture and shows us we've run away from God, we
have incurred that That is too great for us to bear.
And yet Christ sits. There and stands between US and
God and offers us a way to have a relationship with God in which
we are called back into a relationship with Him that is
perfect and good once again. And so as we close, I'm going to
leave you with four quick thoughts just to remind you #1
bad situations are not an excuse to not act as a Christian should
throughout this letter. Paul's in a bad situation, and
yet he acts faithfully #2 your good deeds make the sharing of
your faith effective #3 the way to deal with difficult
situations is with love and not force or authority.
And #4 forgiveness from God does not remove earthly consequences
of our mistakes. An estimate still has to go
back, but there is a middleman standing between us who is our
advocate, who loves us deeply, who does not care what we did,
but just cares that we come back.
And so this morning as we conclude and as we close, my
encouragement is to you is to reflect on and consider your
relationship with God. Where are you at within the
story of Philemon? Are you near the end in which
reconciliation has happened and you're back in a great
relationship with God? Hallelujah.
Because that's. Where you're supposed to be.
Have you run away to a? Far off country.
And need to come. Back at times that coming back
can be scary. I mention I don't know how nerve
wracked Onessimus was on the walk to Philemon's house.
He's got the letter. If it's me, I'm peeking.
I'm seeing what his polls say. But he goes back.
Why? Because being back in a
relationship with God and with our brothers and sisters in
Christ is a far greater experience than living a life of
regret and sin. And.
We don't see the end of the story, but I like to think that
Philemon welcomes him home and welcomes him back with open arms
because what does God do? John says in first John one
verse 9 that if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. God says if we confess, if we
come back, He. Is faithful and he.
Is just and He will forgive us and cleanse us and we are back
within the right relationship again in which we get to walk in
the light. Now that relationship begins by
hearing his word. Romans 10/17 says that by faith.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God by
believing. John 316 for God to love the
world that he gave his only begotten Son, but whosoever
believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life by repenting in Acts 3 Peter says repent and be
converted. That is, change your mind and
change your life. By confessing that Jesus.
Is the Christ the Son of the living God?
And by being baptized. For the remission of our sins in
Acts 9, the Ethiopian says, what doth hinder me here in water?
And he and Philip there go into the water, and he returns out
rejoicing in his relationship with God, which is now
established. And maybe you've taken those
steps, but falling short again, like Eileen.
If we come back to Him, if we ask for forgiveness, it is
offered without consideration of the sin and the consequence it
is offered. There may be consequences we
have to deal with in this earth, but it forgiveness and right
relationship with God is offered.
If you're either case, please come as we stand and sing the
song that's been selected.