Invite your attention to a passage found in the book of
Philemon. And I want to begin reading
there with you. In verse 8, Philemon, and verse
8, Therefore though, I might be very bold in Christ to command
you. What is fitting yet?
For Love's sake? I rather appeal to you being
such a one as Paul the agent and now also a prisoner of Jesus
Christ. I appeal to you for my son
onesimus, whom I begotten wild in my chains who was once
unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you.
And to me, I am sending him back, you therefore receive him.
That is, My own heart for a little while from this one
chapter book here. This letter from the great
Apostle Paul to Philemon, we want to talk about two things
from this story. We want to talk about the
qualities of a forgiver. And number two, the actions of
forgiveness will simply call our remarks.
This afternoon for giving a runaway slave Philemon was a
Christian in colossi. Earlier we find that he was
converted by the great Apostle. Paul, his wife's name was Sophia
and his son's name was archivists.
And the Bible says that the church met in their house, you
know Philemon is family, evidently was well off, at least
enough to own slaves and one of those slaves was named onesimus.
I don't know how old this slave would have been at the time but
we find that one day in search of his freedom.
He decides to flee. Lee thinking he can go and get
lost in the underground of Rome and perhaps blend in as just
another faceless run away. But little did he know
providentially or not? Providentially or not he would
run into the it would run into one of the greatest preachers,
the world ever knew he runs into the great Apostle, Paul, who
teaches him, the gospel, he believes the gospel, he obeys
the gospel and he becomes a child of God and changes his
life forever. Onesimus.
Here, we find has changed his life, so the Apostle Paul
realizes his value and realizes also that he was of Great Value
to him in Chains and in Bonks, but he realizes, he can't keep
him. He realizes that onesimus has
unfinished business with Philemon and he knows he has to
send them back. He knows that switch.
Right, so he writes a letter and he sends him back to Philemon.
In this letter, it really. It's a petition to forgive his,
The Plea to forgive what is society.
Say what in society, say, back, in those days about runaway
slaves, I read three things happened to you.
When you were a runaway slave, none of them was very good at
all. They were all terrible.
One of which and here's the extreme.
They were taken to a Roman cross, and they were crucified.
Remember this morning, I said that crucifixion was so awful
that the Romans literally shuddered even think about it or
even speak about it. The terrible thing it was so bad
that a Roman citizen could never be crucified.
We know all that. What if we said for years we
have said crucifixion was for foreign slaves and criminals
that was his fate perhaps to be crucified.
Secondly, there was another thing that would happen to
someone that became a fugitive. A runaway slave.
He was taken, he was bound and he was Cast into prison.
But thirdly, there were something else.
Now, I got to tell you. I grew up around horses and
cattle my entire life. I have branded more cabs than I
could even count. I know what it's like to take a
hot Branding Iron and put it in the fire.
I know what it's like to string a calf on the ground and brand
him on his hip. I know what that's like.
I know the smell of the burning hide in flesh.
I know that too. But I can't fathom what was
happening to fugitives or runaway slaves back in those
times. You know, what they would do,
they would take a hot Branding Iron and it would be the letter
F and F represented. Fugitive, they would take that F
and bore it into the forehead of that slave.
So he would be scarred for the rest of his life.
So, no matter where he went, everybody knew he's a fugitive
and you can't trust him. Terrible.
Things happened to run away. Slaves.
But in contrast, to all this Paul saying I want you to
forgive him, I want you to forget about it.
I want you to forgive him. And really what Paul is saying
is and this is interesting to me.
He's expressing his confidence in Philemon.
Watch this. He's saying in essence, I know
you can forgive onesimus because you have forgiving qualities in
verse 4. He says I thank God.
Good for you. I know you're someone that can
forgive because you have these qualities little side note here.
I never understood. By the way, I never understood
when an older person would withhold praise to someone that
was younger. That was deserving.
I didn't, I've never gotten that.
I don't understand that. I've heard older folks say, to a
younger person. I don't want to give you too
much. Praise because I don't want you
to get the big head. What a dumb thing to say.
If somebody is worthy of praise you give them the praise.
What is Paul doing here? When he talks about the
forgiving qualities that Philemon has.
He's giving him legitimate praise.
Did you know that legitimate? Praise is somebody's greatest
encouragement. I have people in my life that
gave me legitimate praise. Now I'm not talking about
flowery stuff. I'm not talking about fake
stuff. I mean legitimate praise.
That's well deserved and given greatest encouragement.
Withheld. Praise that somebody has coming
is somebody's greatest. Discouragement legitimate,
praise is very important. It becomes two things.
Number one, a nourishing food for virtue, and a strong
antidote against sin. You know why?
Because it Praises someone for the qualities that they possess
and it sets the standard that they need to live up to later on
give you an example. Thought about this just a little
bit ago, I'm a little sad. I was talking to shy about this.
My youngest is 18 and just graduated from high school.
I have been a part of my kids lives.
Both of them are there 1821. I've been a part of every single
thing they've ever done. I've enjoyed it.
I've loved it would have done it another way.
But now I'm going to have to in college very soon.
And all of those days of having the relationship with a your
young child is gone. All I can hope for next is
grandchildren and that's even better because you can just
spoil them rotten and send them back.
So that's coming up. Let me give you an example about
legitimate praise. What if one of your children
goes and there's something that happens and they're going to get
in trouble, but they have the courage to stand there on their
own two feet. Look you in the eye and tell you
the truth. They're going to get in trouble,
but they tell the truth when you praise them, legitimately for
telling the truth. Number one, they have it coming.
Number two, it sets the standard for later on.
They want that reputation. They want to continue with that
reputation. My dad thinks I'm a truthful
courageous person and it's an antidote for future sin.
The Apostle Paul is giving legitimate praise and not only
is well deserved, but it's also extremely brilliant because he's
going to ask him to forgive this runaway slave and just a little
bit number one for having quality that he says, he has.
He says, I know you can forgive because of your concern for the
Lord. Look at verse 5, I have on the
screen hearing of your love and faith, which you have toward the
lord Jesus, Again, well-deserved compliment, absolutely, but it's
extremely brilliant. Paul in essence is saying, I
know. You can forgive Philemon because
of your concern for the Lord. You're a faithful member of the
body of Christ. You are aware of all the things
that the Lord has done for you. You have a desire to honor the
Lord in your life because of your love for the Lord.
Now, if you look at the words up there, you have it in the
present tense. Meaning you You two have.
In other words, this is your reputation.
I thank God for you because you continue to have a concern for
the Lord in Ephesians chapter 4, and verse 32, it says, and be
kind to one another tender-hearted forgiving one
another, even as God in Christ, forgave you, in other words,
God, forgives us. Not because we're deserving, but
he does so for Christ's sake. So what does Paul say in
Ephesians? He says, forgive one another As
God, forgives you, and he did. So, for Christ's sake, having a
concern, for the Lord would cause somebody to forgive
Colossians chapter 3 and verse 13.
Bearing with one another and forgiving one, another, if
anyone has a complaint against another even as Christ forgave
you. So you also must do.
So, the first characteristic of a forgiver is to have a concern
for the Lord. Number two to have your concern.
For people in verse 5, it says hearing of your love and faith
which you have toward the lord Jesus and toward all the saints,
I got to say something about love.
First of all, I got to say, what love is not.
You know, love is a lot of things.
But let me talk about what love is not.
Love is not ecumenical. What's that mean ecumenical
ecumenical love is really a denominational or worldly term
and it actually means this, it actually means a, an acceptance
of someone, regardless of what they believe regardless of what
they practice and regardless of what they teach.
Sometimes people say that we should accept people that teach
false Doctrine, because after all, we love them and love being
a queue medical. We And that is not in the Bible,
it doesn't say that at all. In fact, the Bible love that we
read about is always a got Bail of and it's always commanded
love. It's the love.
That is always attributed to God, a love of service and
sacrifice for others. I heard a preacher say one time
about love and I know it's difficult to sometimes folks.
Sometimes people are just not going to give you the warm
fuzzies, it's the way it is. I heard a preacher say one time
there's some people that you love because you really feel
that way and then there's some people that you love because God
said you had to and that's a fact, the kind of love I'm
talking about, though deals with how you treat people.
In fact, that's the difference between love and hate, it's how
you treat. Eat them.
You can say that you feel a certain way, but your Dem, the
demonstration of your actions will prove really what you are.
It is the outward manifestation of what you are on the inside.
So we love her hate someone based upon how we treat them.
Agape love. Concern for people, your love
for people. Paul says Galatians, five and
six for in Christ. Jesus, neither is there
circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything but Faith
working through love. And first, John 3:14, we know
that we have passed from Death to life because we love the
Brethren, he who does not love his brother abides in death.
Again, you have the capacity to forgive because of your concern
for the Lord and your concern. For people, but there's more.
Thirdly, your concern for Fellowship.
In verse 6, it says that the sharing of your faith may become
effective by the acknowledgement of every good thing which is in
Christ Jesus. Now the sharing of your faith
means the joint sharing of one's Faith with another Paul saying
this. I want that joint sharing to
become effective and we Vine says that word means powerful
active in action. It's a matter of having an
active faith that has the power to produce.
In other words, Philemon will be able to share his faith more
effectively if he exhibits. The proper spirit in the matter
of hand. Now, Barn says this, he explains
that Paul felt that this case was an opportunity for Philemon
to show the world how much he was governed by the faith of the
Gospel. But number four, he also had the
capacity to forgive because of his Concern for honoring Christ.
First six, again that the sharing of your faith may become
effective by the acknowledgement of every good thing which is in
Christ, Jesus some translations, say for Christ's sake and
literally in the Greek it says unto Christ or for him.
In other words the chit the Christian Life with all of its
Deeds with all of its Joy's with all of its works with all of its
responsibilities is for the glory of Christ or for Christ's
Now, I want to notice this. Now I want to notice the actions
of forgiveness. Here's the thing.
Notice this thing. First of all, beginning in verse
8, let's read that passage First beginning in verse 8, therefore
though, I might be very bold in Christ to command you.
What is fitting yet for Love's sake?
I rather appeal to you as being such a one as Paul the agent and
now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.
Now, Now. Instead of commanding Philemon
to forgive onesimus, he says I appeal to you out of love and
then he says some other stuff. We're going to get to in a
minute. Now, picture the scene picture
the scene Philemon is reading the letter.
Standing right in front of him is onesimus.
The runaway slave that had wronged him.
Perhaps ticha kisses standing there?
Who brought the letter to the Colossians Church?
Perhaps he's there as well. But that's the thing now, Paul
says, I come to you as Paul the agent.
What does that mean? Now if somebody said I am so and
so the agent I'm thinking chronologically you're talking
about an old man, you know, Scholars.
Tell us that about the time of this writing, the Apostle Paul
would have been about 60 years old, they say they're about to
give or take and he's writing to a man Philemon that was also
about 60 years. Years old and yet Paul says, I'm
coming to you out of love, as Paul the agent.
What does that mean? Now also in addition to that,
Philemon had her son, our campus, and he is described in
Colossians chapter 4, a son in the ministry, he's a preacher.
So you have a man that's old enough to have a son, that's a
preacher, 60 and 60, the two men, Paul and Philemon, but Paul
says, I'm coming to you as Paul the agent, what does that mean?
The word agent? Here carries the idea of age
that has been accelerated By experience.
Give you an example. I rodeoed most of my life until
my I think the lat I like I said at lunch today, the last year I
roped. The Team Roping Tanner was 18
months old. Now he's 18 years old Rodeo,
most of my life. It was a story about to bronc
riders, one of them was a rookie just getting started and the
other was an older bronc Rider, but he was only really like 30,
but he looked old and he looked weathered.
He looked beaten had wrinkles on his face and he's talking to
this young bronc Rider and the young bronc Rider thinks he has
to be at least 60 and he says to him, you're how old are you
said, well son, I'm 30. He said man, you look way older
than that. He said, it's not the years,
son, it's the miles, it's about aging, by way of experience,
that's what Paul was saying. I know for a fact a little bit
about that, I know, I don't look like an older person, but I know
I look a lot older now than I did seven years ago.
And cancer did that I think cancer aged me.
I think some of the experiences that we have, in life age us,
they turn our hair gray, they make our face wrinkled.
Sometimes we are aged by experience.
That's what Paul was talking about.
What else did Paul say? He said, I bear in my body, the
marks of the Lord Jesus, in other words, the experiences
that he had, that's what he's talking about.
And he's getting to the tender heart of Philemon and he says,
I'm coming to you not by command.
And by the way, Paul could have commanded by Apostolic authority
to say, you take him back, that's the way that it is.
And that's what you're going to do, and he doesn't do that.
He said I could have done it that way. but I come to you out
of love as Paul the agent, you know it kind of rattled the
change a little bit but then he goes on a little further if
that's not enough he says oh and by the way I come to you as a
prisoner of Jesus Christ. Have you ever noticed that Paul
never said prisoner of Rome? He always referred to it as a
prisoner of Jesus Christ. He's appealing to him out of
these things. Paul the agent and a prisoner of
Jesus Christ. Out of love in verse 10, here's
the request. All that being said.
Now here's the request I appeal to you for my son onesimus, who
might be gotten while in my chains?
Now, there are three actions of forgiveness, three actions of
forgiveness. Number one is reception is
reception read with me, verses 11 through 14, who was once
unprofitable to you, But now is profitable to you and to me I'm
sending him back. You, therefore receive him.
That's 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 might not be by compulsion as it were but
voluntarily. So why take him back?
Why take him back? Because of three things.
Watch this. He is repentant, he is
transformed and Is proven faithful three things.
He is repentant, he's transformed and he is proven
faithful. Now, you might say, wait a
minute, where is it's a repentance?
Where does it say that there's repentance there in the life of
onesimus? I think it's implied, it's
implied twofold. Number one, it's obviously
implied in the very fact that he's now a Christian repentance
is a changing of the mind that leads to a change of life.
It's a matter of changing In your heart and that's the mind.
The very fact that he was a Christian.
Now demonstrates, that he is different, that he is changed,
that he is repentant. I think by his actions, he's
done that. Remember John the Baptist said
to the scribes and Pharisees to show the fruits of repentance
and not just say the words, you know, my father shot his
grandfather. I never really paid attention.
I never really realized how much I was listening to my father,
over the years when he was guiding me and raising me.
And some of the things I have to freely admit to you.
Some of the things that my father said to me over the
years, I didn't like here. Like I go and make a mistake or
I would do something and perhaps I would do it over and over and
over again. And then I would come to my dad
and I'd say a sorry, dad and my dad would say things like why
don't you be sorry before you do it or or time will tell if you
really are sorry because it will manifest itself in better
Behavior. Listen, I believe in the
philosophy. I believe in the concept that we
are what? We are.
Absolutely I tell my kids that I told them that their whole life.
You are what you are. Why, because you do what you do.
Man, my kids hated hearing that but you know what did I tell
him? You know what?
If you don't like the reality change, the reality and you can
do that. But you are what you are because
you do what you do. That's what my father was saying
in time, it'll show if you really are, sorry, because you
keep doing the same thing over and over in time, it'll show if
you really are repentant and you've really made the change
nothing. I used to hate hearing, my dad
says this, are you sorry really or are you?
Sorry, you just got caught. My father was pretty brilliant
at the time. I didn't think he was but he was
pretty brilliant. This man is changed in his
behavior. And that brings us to the second
part right there and that is. He's transformed he's
transformed Paul says receive him back.
Take him back because he's repented and secondly he's
transformed in verse 11. Who was once unprofitable to
you? But now is profitable to you.
And to me, in other words, he's not the same guy.
You know what's interesting about the words in English
useless and useful, they kind of sound similar, but they're
different. Okay, you know, they had a name
for slaves to, you know, it's interesting in the Bible is
usually Bible names meant something.
We can go back to various When Rachel gave birth and to a son
she died in childbirth and son was called benoni or son of my
sorrow later. Changed to Benjamin son of my
right hand. What about mephibosheth?
Mephibosheth. His name actually means
dispeller of Shame which I don't understand.
Because he was really the object of Shame.
But names in the Bible usually meant something.
Did you know that the word onesimus also means something,
it actually means useful. I understand too that we slaves
were slaves back then if they would have a useful slave they
would be given the nickname onesimus in other words, he is
useful. And if over a period of time,
they continued to be such. They actually bore that name in
a Permanent way. What he's saying is he's
transformed. He was not useful to you before,
but he is useful to you again onesimus.
Now. Why?
Because he's transformed and he's profitable for you, he can
serve you in the right manner. For the right reasons, listen to
Colossians chapter 3. And by the way, this would have
been brought at the same time this letter, 22 and 23.
Listen to this Bond servants obey in all things your Masters
according to the flesh. Not with eyeservice as men
Pleasers. But in sincerity of heart
fearing God and whatever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord
and not to men. So Paul is telling Philemon that
onesimus is now useful because he's now living up to his name.
Why he's transformed? He's repentant he's not the same
guy but number three. He's proven faithful, proven
faithful verse 12. I'm sending him back.
You therefore receive him and then it says that is my own
heart. All right, got to make a point
about heart. That's from the new King James.
Now, sometimes people say this things like this, they say, I
know what the Bible says, but I just feel it in my heart.
Okay, that's not the heart of the Bible, the heart of the
Bible. All deals with the person's
intellect. In fact, the heart of the Bible
thinks reasons believes and will base among other things, as with
the heart of the Bible is so a person that changes their heart
is a person that changes their mind.
It is not a better felt than told process.
Okay, that's the heart of the Bible, that's not what this word
is. When Paul said in the new King
James that is my I want you to receive him back because of all
those things. That is my own.
That's not the same word. In fact, the King James.
I think it's a better translation of that word.
It says that is mine own bowels. In other words it refers to the
deepest feeling in your heart. It'd be the same thing.
If I went up to Shahi and I said Shaw, hey, I'm asking you to do
this. I know it's difficult but I'm
asking you from the bottom of my heart.
That's exactly what Paul is saying.
That's what he says when he says that is mine.
Own heart. That word in the Bible, when
it's used is always referring to the deepest part of a man's
emotion. Not the heart of the Bible,
different word, verse 13, watch this whom I wish to keep with me
that on your behalf he might minister to me in my change.
Paul said, even though I keep him here for myself, I would
love to keep him here for myself.
I can't do that. You know, I think what he's
saying is to, he is so valuable this ex-slave of yours.
He is so valuable and useful that he helped me in my chains.
Just as if it was you, that was there.
Doing the very same thing. I count it as if it was you He's
transformed. He's proven faithful.
But in verse 14, But without your consent, I wanted to do
nothing. That your good deed.
Must be by compulsion as it were but voluntarily.
So the reason you should receive him, he's repentant transformed
and proven faithful. But the second part, the second
action of forgiveness is restoration restoration.
Beginning in verse 6, 15 for perhaps, he was departed for a
while for this purpose that you might receive him forever.
No longer as a slave but more than a slave of beloved brother.
Especially to me. But how much more do you both in
My Flesh? And in the Lord, now,
commentators will say that. The entire thing that happened
was providential and why not? Why could it not be?
Surely, it could be providential.
I heard Joe. Hisle say one time recently, he
said everything's providential, he said the difference between
coincidence and Providence is coincidence, is Providence
incognito. Okay.
I'll accept that. Why could it not be
providential? But even still, if it wasn't it,
at least the saying he departed for a while and it was a good
thing that he departed for a while.
Because now he's a faithful member of the body of Christ.
He's a Christian and I'm sending him back to you to be restored.
A brother in Christ. In fact, where it says restore
forever to receive forever. Always means eternally.
In other words, you now Have this relationship with him in
this life and also for eternity. It's at least that.
Now here's the third one and this one's hard.
Here's the third one, the third and final one.
Restitution. Verses 17 and 18.
If you count me as a partner, Receive him as you would me.
But if he has wronged you were owes you, anything put that on
my account now. There's a wrong done, obviously
needs to be made right whatever file in the Philemon is out
financially. He's got it coming back to him
and what would he have been out financially?
Well, number one, there would be the price that he paid for
onesimus. The first time, the price of the
slave, number two, it would have been the price of his
replacement. Now, we can read back when
Joseph was sold into slavery. He was sold by his brothers for
20 pieces of silver, the price of a slave, when Jesus was
betrayed, he was betrayed and sold for 30 pieces of silver.
The price of a slave I read at the time of this writing that
the price of a slave would have been about 500 denarii.
I or 500 day's wages so he would have been out at least the price
that he paid for onesimus the price that he paid to replace
him. But there's more, you know,
during this time there It was a, it was very common that people
that had slaves, people that had slaves, sometimes those slaves
would prove themselves to be worthwhile and worthy over time
and they would free them. In fact, in a 30-year period,
five hundred thousand slaves were released to Rome So you
don't roam said, Rome said, so it doesn't become an
overwhelming problem. Does you got all these homeless
slaves coming into Rome? This is what you're going to do
and it was under the idea of manumission it was the idea of
the freeing of the slaves. This is what you're going to do,
you can free the slave, but you o five percent tax on his value
had to pay taxes. So can't you see, watch this,
the price of onesimus, the price of his replacement and the
taxation. He would have paid as a result.
He is at least out all of that. Now some commentators would say
that onesimus stole money from Philemon, on the way out the
door and that's what he meant when he says what he owes you.
There's there's no evidence of that to me.
There's no evidence. But Philemon is out some stuff,
right? And here is this slave.
And he's got nothing. But he's a Christian now and
Paul sends him back and says accept him back.
You know, restitution is what has always been important.
Remember when Zacchaeus and Luke chapter 19, you know he was a
tax collector, he was a publican.
And Zacchaeus as it climbs that sycamore, tree to see the king
to see Jesus. You remember what Zacchaeus said
it's has been Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord Lord look
I'll give half of my goods to the poor.
And if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation,
I restore fourfold. Jesus said today, salvation has
come to this house. Paul is saying if you consider
me a partner which means a fellow Christian, then receive
him as you would me. And if he has wronged you or
owes you anything, I love this. He says put that on my account,
don't you see a little picture here?
Can't we see a little picture? In this little scenario,
Philemon represents the one that's wronged.
In this little scenario from a spiritual perspective, it
represents God who has been wronged onesimus run.
Represents the sinner that ran away from God.
God has been wrong, God is wrong.
When we sin there, had to be somebody to pay the price Paul
represents. Jesus Christ in this when he
says, put it on my account and incidentally, I like what
somebody said, one time he said you never become more like God.
Than when you forgive. And you never become more like
Jesus than when you pay the price for somebody else.
Paul said he's got nothing. I want you to take him back
because he's repentant, he's transformed, he's proven
faithful, he's a faithful friend.
He had to leave for a time. Providentially probably, he had
to leave for a time that you can receive him forever.
Not only in this life as a fellow Christian but also in the
life that is to come eternally. Receive and forgive this runaway
slave in closing this afternoon, you know, we don't hear any more
about Philemon. We only hear about his son our
campus, but I believe that he forgave onesimus.
I believe that He restored him. I believe he forgave his debt
and by the way, you know, when the Bible says to owe, no, man,
anything I'm going to close with this, but when the Bible says
owe, no man, anything but to love one another you know,
there's a, there's something in there that we have to look at
When it says owe. No man, anything, it's talking
about depths now. It doesn't mean that you can't
pay on credit. It doesn't mean you cannot pay
overtime. I've heard people interpret it,
that way, you can't do anything, you have to pay cash for
everything, that that's not what that means.
What it means is we have to honor all of our debts.
We have to honor all of our obligations.
So when it says owe no man, anything it means.
I'm gonna honor my obligations to a person that I owe it to and
I'm going to A on it for the rest of my life until it's paid
off. But then it says, but to love
one another that is the debt that we pay that we will never
pay off forever. Forever.
Now, if somebody says, I'll just use shy, if Shahi, I owed Shahi
money and I said, I can't pay And he said, pay me a dollar a
month and I do, I've satisfied that debt but what if shot he
says that's okay. You don't owe it.
I forgive you the debt. Okay, I'm not liable and I'm off
the hook in that regard. He forgave me, the debt that I
could not pay. From a spiritual perspective.
Folks. This is really the entire Point.
Jesus paid a price. He didn't know because we had a
debt, we couldn't pay. In this scenario, in this
scenario he was a runaway slave that couldn't pay his dad.
Either. Paul said, put it on my account.
Forgiving a runaway slave.