Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer, to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:
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 effective by the acknowledgment 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, brother. (Philemon 1:1-7, NKJV)
Paul is greeting, not just Philemon, but also the church that met in Philemon’s home. This was so typical of the churches at that time – they were house groups. Today the house group movement has grown and expanded, but there were also bigger churches, for example in Ephesus where, to accommodate the growing numbers, Paul took the lecture hall of Tyrannus, Acts 19:9.
So, to Philemon and the church that meets in his home, Paul sends ‘Grace and Peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ’. He says, v4, “I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers.” Speaking myself as an evangelist just like Paul, you tend to have a very emotional relationship with people you win for Christ, and with the churches that are born out of your ministry.
It's our faith and our love that should be such a hallmark of who we are in Christ. This is key – our trust in Jesus. Our faith is in HIM. As Christians the most important thing in our lives is trust. And it’s not just faith, it’s love for Christ – and our love for all the saints.
Paul prays that Philemon’s house church – that we – should be active in sharing our faith (v6).
And now to Philemon, Paul says in v7, “Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.”
Here we come to the point which so intrigues me, v8, “Though in Christ I could order you to do what you ought to do, I appeal to you, Philemon, on the basis of love… I, Paul, as an old man, and a prisoner of Jesus Christ, appeal to you for my son Onesimus…”
I want to stop here. Paul is in prison as he writes, but he often refers to himself as a ‘prisoner of Christ’. The relationship he has with Christ is more than being a follower, it’s such a strong relationship, it’s as if he is captive to the love, to all that Jesus is. If we could only see ourselves in this relationship – captives, almost slaves, to the drawing power and the influence of the love that is in Jesus! And so Paul continues, “I appeal to you for my son Onesimus...”
…This Onesimus is a very unusual character and is mentioned in only two places I can see, here and briefly in Colossians 4:9, if this is the same Onesimus... His story is intriguing, as we find he was an escaped slave; and more, it appears from v18-19, he stands accused of theft, “If he has done you, Philemon, any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand – I will pay it back! I will take responsibility!”
Let’s recap. Paul is saying to Philemon, v10, “I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains.” It’s obvious that the runaway slave has somehow met Paul, and Paul has led him to Christ whilst he was in prison, in chains. Onesimus appears to have been a great help and comfort to Paul. “Formerly,” Paul says, “Onesimus was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.” Paul is making a pun: Onesimus in Greek means ‘useful’ or ‘profitable’. A slave who is a thief is neither useful nor profitable!
Can you see the absolute transformation from slave to fellow-Christian, to someone who is ministering to Paul, and has become as dear to him as a son?!! And Paul is saying, I’m sending him back – he who is my very heart – I’m sending him back to you. Pauls says, I would have liked to have kept him so that he could take your place, Philemon, in helping me while I am here in chains…
Isn’t this an intriguing story?!! Here’s a slave, running away, accused of wrongdoing, meets Paul, who introduces him to Jesus; he accepts Christ, becomes a believer – and even becomes an active minister, helping Paul who is in chains for the Gospel!
Paul continues to Philemon, v14, “I do not want to do anything without your consent…” I like what is happening here. Paul is saying, I don’t want to compel you to do what I ask, I want that any favour that you do should be entirely voluntary and not forced.
This brings out such a wonderful character in Paul! He wants Philemon to be spontaneous from his heart, and not forced by him to recognise and receive this slave back!
Here, we see Onesimus, a runaway slave, a thief, who has found Christ. In v15, Paul is saying to Philemon, perhaps the reason you were separated from Onesimus for a while, is that you might receive him back for good – no longer a slave, but better than a slave – as a dear brother! He’s very dear to me, but even dearer to you, both as a man and a brother in the Lord!
Doesn’t this show how we should receive people?!! I’m so touched that Paul is so moved that he writes this wonderful letter to Philemon; this runaway slave and thief is now a believer – take him back, as a man, but also as a brother in Christ! And, if it is the same Onesimus who went on to be Bishop of the Churches in Ephesus, what a glorious story!!!
Paul says to Philemon in v19, I will pay whatever Onesimus owes you, but I do wish, brother, that you would receive him, because I led you to Christ!
There is a debt here in the sense that when someone leads us to Christ, we owe them something. Let us love one another, not just in words, but in action, in what we do! In Jesus’ Name! God bless you.