Welcome to Day 2509 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Day 2509 – A God of Second Chances - A Study in Forgiveness - Philemon

Putnam Church Message – 11/17/2024

A God of Second Chances – A Study in Forgiveness

Philemon 1:1-25

Last week, we finished Paul’s letter to the Colossians and learned about the importance of co-laborers in building God’s Kingdom.

This week, we will learn the lessons from the letter to Philemon. Paul’s letter to Philemon has great practical value for us today. It illustrates for us the reality and importance of second chances,/ the equality believers have in Christ, /and the power of the gospel to transcend cultural and social boundaries./ In short, Paul’s postcard to Philemon reminds us about the profoundly Christ-centered concepts of freedom, forgiveness, mercy, and grace.

This brief letter is the shortest of Paul’s writings—just twenty-five verses in our Bibles. But don’t let its size fool you. Although brief compared to Paul’s other New Testament letters, it contains a magnificent study of forgiveness. It is a warm appeal to Philemon, a slave owner, that he accept back into his household the runaway slave Onesimus, who had become a Christ follower because of Paul’s preaching. Just as Jesus Christ acts as the Advocate for Christians before God, Paul acted as Onesimus’s advocate before Philemon. Philemon is found on page 1860 of your Pew Bibles, and I will read it from the NLT.

1 This letter is from Paul, a prisoner for preaching the Good News about Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy.

I am writing to Philemon, our beloved co-worker, 2 and to our sister Apphia, and to our fellow soldier Archippus, and to the church that meets in your[a] house.

3 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

4 I always thank my God when I pray for you, Philemon, 5 because I keep hearing about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people. 6 And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ. 7 Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people.

8 That is why I am boldly asking a favor of you. I could demand it in the name of Christ because it is the right thing for you to do. 9 But because of our love, I prefer simply to ask you. Consider this as a request from me—Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus.[b]

10 I appeal to you to show kindness to my child, Onesimus. I became his father in the faith while here in prison. 11 Onesimus[c] hasn’t been of much use to you in the past, but now he is very useful to both of us. 12 I am sending him back to you, and with him comes my own heart.

13 I wanted to keep him here with me while I am in these chains for preaching the Good News, and he would have helped me on your behalf. 14 But I didn’t want to do anything without your consent. I wanted you to help because you were willing, not because you were forced. 15 It seems you lost Onesimus for a little while so that you could have him back forever. 16 He is no longer like a slave to you. He is more than a slave, for he is a beloved brother, especially to me. Now he will mean much more to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord.

17 So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19 I, PAUL, WRITE THIS WITH MY OWN HAND: I WILL REPAY IT. AND I WON’T MENTION THAT YOU OWE ME YOUR VERY SOUL! 20 Yes, my brother, please do me this favor[d] for the Lord’s sake. Give me this encouragement in Christ.

21 I am confident as I write this letter that you will do what I ask and even more! 22 One more thing—please prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that God will answer your prayers and let me return to you soon.

23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. 24 So do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my co-workers.

25 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

The setting of Paul’s letter to Philemon is certainly different from our own. Most likely, none of us has ever been or will ever be enslaved. But literally, millions of people in that era would have never known freedom.

Historians believe that slaves in Roman society may have constituted between 25 and 40 percent of the population. A perusal of history books will reveal estimates of between forty-five and sixty million slaves in the Roman Empire during the middle of the first century. They were an indispensable fixture in Roman culture’s daily social and economic realities. As Aristotle once wrote, “The slave is a living tool.” The land crawled with these living, two-legged tools, generally considered a cut below humanity. Any master had the right to control the life and death of his slaves.

In this environment, the slave Onesimus ran away from his master,>Philemon,> and found his way to Paul. In this brief letter, we catch a glimpse of the early church working out how to live the gospel amid an unredeemed culture. As we learn how Paul appealed to Philemon to forgive and free Onesimus, we find an example of how we should treat others and how we have been shown forgiveness ourselves. This makes the story even sweeter and more relevant to us.

—1:1–3—

Paul’s warm greeting in Philemon 1:1–3 reveals some important things about the recipient of Paul’s request on behalf of Onesimus. First, Philemon was a fellow member of the body of Christ, a “beloved co-worker” (1:1). The Greek term synergos, translated “co-worker,” was used to refer to those who were involved in official>ministry>leadership (Rom. 16:3, 9, 21; 2 Cor. 8:23; Phil. 2:25; 4:3). It seems likely, then, that Philemon was serving in a leadership role in the church at Colossae. Paul refers to “the church that meets in your house.” in Philemon 1:2. Philemon was more than a church member; he was a church leader.

Second, Paul’s language strongly suggests he had a prior personal relationship with Philemon—and possibly his family. Philemon was not simply a “co-worker” but was “beloved” to Paul (1:1). And Paul greets “our sister, Apphia,” who was likely the wife of Philemon, and “our fellow soldier Archippus,” who may have been Philemon’s son. We know that Archippus was a fellow minister in the church of Colossae (Col. 4:17). In any case, the warm tone of this greeting reveals that Paul knew Philemon well.

Third, though this letter is explicitly addressed to Philemon, Paul also extends the greeting (and the letter) to “the church that meets in your house.” (Phlm. 1:2). By broadening his audience to all the believers in Colossae, Paul subtly communicates that even though the matter of Onesimus’s fate is a personal one to be handled by Philemon, such decisions cannot be separated from the accountability of the family and the church, both of which would be impacted by Philemon’s actions.

—1:4–16—

Before getting to the delicate matter of what to do about Onesimus, Paul praises Philemon. He indicates that he regularly thanks God for Philemon in prayer (1:4). He commends him for his faith in Christ and love for the saints (1:5). He prays that Philemon’s faith would grow in its effectiveness (1:6). And he rejoices in the encouragement that has come from the fruitful ministry of Philemon among the saints at Colossae (1:7).

Paul isn’t flattering Philemon to soften him up for the big ask in the next paragraph. He’s serious about his high regard for his friend. He knows this man, and he considers his reputation praiseworthy. Paul is well acquainted with his ministry of love, faith, fellowship, knowledge, goodness, joy, comfort, and refreshment. Whatever hard feelings Philemon may understandably have toward the runaway slave Onesimus—and whatever legal right he might have to drop the hammer on him—Paul’s words of commendation remind Philemon of his authentic Christian character of grace and mercy. And, as James writes, “There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others.” (Jas. 2:13).

In Philemon 1:8, Paul pivots to his primary purpose by using the phrase “that is why,” which connects what precedes with what follows: But because of our love, I prefer simply to ask you. Though, as an apostle, Paul could pull rank on Philemon, he instead appeals to Philemon from a position of humility (1:8–9). He refers to himself as “Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus.” (1:9). He doesn’t order Philemon to obey, but instead, he appeals to him, twice using the word parakaleō, a word of gentle encouragement (1:9–10).

In 1:10, Paul first mentions the content of his heartfelt request. Paul arranged the Greek word order in a way that placed the name at the end. I appeal to you to show kindness to my child, Onesimus. The mention of that name may have caused Philemon to stiffen up. Maybe he did a double take, pulling the paper close to his nose to make sure he read that right. Onesimus? Philemon would have been rightly perplexed by this sentence. The Onesimus Philemon knew was “useless” (1:11)—an outlawed runaway slave who probably robbed Philemon of money or property before he fled (see 1:18)! What could motivate Paul to intercede on behalf of a thief and fugitive?

Paul acknowledges that Onesimus had been useless to Philemon, but something had changed—“but now he is very useful to both of us.” (1:11). It may not be evident, but there’s a play on words in 1:11: The name Onesimus literally means “useful.” Onesimus obviously hadn’t lived up to the meaning of his name. It would be like a woman named Grace who holds a grudge, or a man named Earnest who can’t tell the truth! The slave named “Useful” had been nothing but trouble until the Lord Jesus got ahold of his heart and transformed his life.

I can almost picture Philemon’s eyebrows rising as he read how Paul described the new and improved Onesimus. Not only was he now “useful” (1:11)—but he was a born-again child in the faith (1:10). He was Paul’s “very heart” (1:12), whom Paul had become so fond of he wished to keep him in Rome to continue ministering for the gospel (1:13). As such, Onesimus was no longer to be regarded as just a slave, but “He is more than a slave, for he is a beloved brother” to both Paul and Philemon (1:16). In fact, Paul floats the idea that maybe it had all been part of God’s sovereign plan that Onesimus ran away for a short time—now Philemon could “have him back forever” as a brother in Christ who would be a co-heir of eternal life (1:15).

Paul’s point was clear: The Onesimus standing before Philemon, his family, and the church in Colossae was not the same young man who had run away. The grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ had saved him. He had proven himself a faithful, devoted minister of the gospel with Paul in Rome. Surely, Philemon, who had also experienced the forgiveness and freedom that comes from Christ, could understand the great principle of 2 Corinthians 5:17: This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

—1:17–21—

Having explained to Philemon the transformation Onesimus had experienced, Paul appeals to Philemon to grant Onesimus not only forgiveness but also freedom. It would be proper for Philemon to extend forgiveness to Onesimus. After all, it is a fundamental principle of brotherly love is: “Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” (Eph. 4:32). It doesn’t appear that Paul expected anything less from Philemon than to extend full and complete forgiveness to his runaway slave. He expected Philemon to accept Onesimus as he would accept Paul—as a “beloved brother” (Phlm. 1:16–17).

But freedom? That would go above and beyond Philemon’s obligation, which may be why Paul doesn’t outright ask Philemon to free Onesimus. However, as we look closely, we can infer that Paul hoped Philemon would read between the lines: (Bulletin Insert)

Onesimus had been useful to Paul for ministry (1:11, 13).

Paul regarded Onesimus as his “very heart” and “a beloved brother” (1:12, 16).

Paul wished he could keep Onesimus with him (1:13).

Paul would need Philemon’s consent to keep Onesimus (1:14).

Paul desired that Philemon would do this out of his free will (1:14).

Paul was willing to pay back what Onesimus may have cost Philemon (1:18–19).

Paul reminded Philemon that he owed Paul his “own self” (1:19).

Paul asked that he would benefit from Philemon “in the Lord” (1:20).

Paul expected that Philemon would do “even more” than what he said (1:21).

Paul employs another clever play on words in 1:20, when he says, literally, “May I benefit (o/nin/ēmi) from you in the Lord.” He uses a word that shares the same root as the name Onesimus. The message behind this pun may be, “Let me have Onesimus—the ‘beneficial one’ in the Lord.”

Even if Philemon wasn’t paying attention to what Paul was hinting at, I’m sure Apphia or his fellow worker Archippus would have helped him realize it. And if neither of them got the picture, perhaps at least one of the church members in Colossae would have said something like, “You know, Phil, I wonder if Paul would like you to send Onesimus back to minister with him. That’d be a pretty nice thing to do, don’t you think?”

Two things assure me that Philemon forgave Onesimus, accepted him as a brother in Christ, freed him from slavery, canceled his debt, and perhaps even paid for his return trip to the apostle Paul. First, we have the letter to Philemon in the canon of Scripture. I suspect that had Philemon balked at Paul’s request and decided to double down on his rejection of Onesimus as “useless,” this letter probably wouldn’t have been preserved and copied far and wide. Second, I also suspect that the aged Onesimus serving as bishop of Ephesus around AD 110 was the same Onesimus as in the letter to Philemon. In that case, he was likely granted his freedom from bond service to Philemon to become a lifelong bond-servant of Jesus Christ.

Philemon wasn’t obligated to cancel Onesimus’s debt or to free him from service. But was he obligated to forgive him as a brother in Christ? Yes. Conversion to Christ doesn’t mean all our financial debts or contractual obligations are suspended. Paul himself acknowledged this /when he promised to pay whatever financial loss Philemon had incurred because of Onesimus./ He wrote, “If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me…I will repay it.” (1:18–19). I doubt that Philemon wrote an itemized statement and mailed it to Paul. Moved by Paul’s passionate plea on behalf of the useless-turned-useful Onesimus, Philemon probably wrote across his former slave’s tally of wrongs, “PAID IN FULL”—just as Christ had done for Philemon years earlier. (Post)

 

—1:22–25—

In his closing remarks, Paul expresses his hope that he will be released in answer to their prayers. If released, he intends to visit Philemon and the church in Colossae. In fact, so confident is he in his deliverance from bondage in Rome that he says, “Please prepare a guest room for me” (1:22). What optimism!

Besides instilling hope that Philemon would likely be seeing his old friend Paul soon, this statement would also put some gentle pressure on Philemon to make a favorable decision regarding Onesimus. Had he expected Paul to languish in prison for many more years, it might have been easier for Philemon to drag his feet, getting a few more years of service out of the runaway slave to help settle his account. However, the prospect of Paul’s arrival in Colossae within months, even if it were just a prospect, would have encouraged a timely decision to “do the right thing” (1:8).

Before a formal blessing of grace (1:25), this brief letter to Philemon ends with greetings from Epaphras, Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke (1:23–24)—fellow workers of Paul also mentioned at the end of Colossians (Col. 4:10–14). Not only were there faithful witnesses to the handling of Onesimus in Colossae, but there was also a sizable circle of saints with Paul in Rome who knew Onesimus and would be eager to learn of Philemon’s decision on the matter. There’s nothing like loving accountability to urge a believer to “do what I ask and even more!” than what’s required (Phlm. 1:21).

 

 

 

Application: PHILEMON 1:1–25

Finding Forgiveness and Freedom

The tiny letter to Philemon contains a powerful example of Paul’s selfless, Christlike intercession on behalf of another. It also provides a grand testimony of the transforming power of God’s grace in the life of a redeemed sinner. Beyond these applicable elements, I see five beautiful analogies between the themes of Philemon and our own salvation.

First, every Christian was once a fugitive. Like Onesimus, we were cowering from God’s law and trying to outrun the consequences of our actions. Scripture says that For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. (Rom. 3:23). And like Onesimus, we can’t escape the fact of our own enslavement to sin and death.

Second, our guilt was great,/ and our penalty was severe. Paul wrote, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 6:23). Had Onesimus been left without grace and mercy, he would have been subject to possible punishment by death. That sentence loomed over him. It was exactly what he deserved under the law. The same was true for all of us. The penalty of our own sin against God was severe, and our guilt weighed heavily.

Third, grace grants us a stay of judgment and the intercession of an Advocate. Had Philemon chosen to give Onesimus what he deserved, it would have been death. But instead, he chose grace. He chose forgiveness. He chose freedom. The grace of God for each of us accomplishes the same. Our judgment has been set aside: “There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Tim. 2:5).

Fourth, our debt has been paid by Christ. Just as Paul offered to step up to the bar of judgment to pay for Onesimus’s crime and purchase his freedom, the Lord Jesus Christ took all of our sin,>shame,>and guilt upon Himself and paid for it on the cross. Isaiah 53:5–6 sums it up nicely:

But he was pierced for our rebellion,

crushed for our sins.

He was beaten so we could be whole.

He was whipped so we could be healed.

6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.

We have left God’s paths to follow our own.

Yet the Lord laid on him

the sins of us all.

Fifth, as a result, our rightful Owner accepts us back and adopts us into His family. We have a new relationship with our God and Creator. Though we were once in a relationship of enmity with God and subject to His just wrath, we have now been forgiven and cleansed by the blood of Christ. In Romans 6:23, Paul says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” As Romans 5:10 declares, For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.

As a result of the letter to Philemon, I have a whole new appreciation for my forgiveness, freedom, and fellowship in the family of God. It reminds me that we were all untrustworthy fugitives, every one of us. But like Onesimus,/ I was rescued by the good news of Jesus Christ,/ and it resulted in an end to my running,/the complete forgiveness of my debt,/ and my adoption into the family of God.

Two kinds of slaves may have received this message. The first are those who have stopped running and have found rest, refreshment, and a new life in Christ. The second are those who are still running—running from God, running from the horrible consequences of sin, and running from the forgiveness and freedom available right now. I hope that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ will emancipate all the runaway slaves who may listen to this message. And to those who have been freed: My prayer is that you will be useful to the Master who paid the price for your redemption and that you will be willing to submit yourself to Him as a bond-servant.

Next week is our Thanksgiving Message; “Living With a Heart of Gratitude.”  The first thing we can be thankful for is our freedom in Christ. We are no longer slaves. Read Psalm 100 in preparation for the message.