374. The Epistle to Philemon

“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.”

Philemon was well regarded among the apostles and the elders. And that was not all; he had a church in his house! And among them were several co-workers. Philemon had an open home for the saints and the elect. Paul also stayed in Philemon’s home.

Now, Philemon had a servant, Onesimus, a slave. Onesimus ran away from Philemon, and went to Paul and visited him during his imprisonment. Since he sought Paul out, he must have known him before and felt a desire to show him goodness. Onesimus was converted when he was with Paul, and now the good, aged apostle was to send him back to Philemon. This presented a problem. But with love and wisdom, it would succeed.

Verse 4. “I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers.”

By this verse we understand that Philemon was a chosen instrument who Paul thanked God for.

Verses 5 and 6. “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.”

And now the apostle is thinking about Onesimus who he was about to send back to Philemon. Now the fellowship in Christ must be effective in Philemon and in the church in his house so that they embrace this poor runaway, Onesimus the slave.

In those days it was a disgrace to receive an escaped slave, because it was considered a great dishonor when a slave ran away from his or her lord. We remember this from King Solomon’s days when Shimei went over the Kidron Valley stream to go after his slaves who had run away from him. He completely forgot himself and went after the slaves even though he faced penalty of death upon leaving Jerusalem, because he had cursed David.

Verse 7. “For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.”

This entire time Paul was thinking about Onesimus in order to put a word in for him at the right moment, and here it is:

Verses 8-12. “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 aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ—I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains, who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me. I am sending him back.”

Verse 12. “You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart.”

This is where the apostle’s great love and wisdom becomes apparent; Onesimus is “my own heart.” Who could resist that? To be sure, Philemon was a very God-fearing man, but here the apostle was leading him into new areas, unknown territories.

Verses 13 and 14. “Whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains 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 voluntary.”

Paul had the opportunity to serve the gospel even in his chains, and he wished to have Onesimus with him as his minister and helper. In reality, Paul is implying that Philemon should have been there ministering to him, but since Philemon was not there, he desired to have Onesimus in Philemon’s stead. “But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary.”

In Christ’s love for both Onesimus and Philemon, the apostle now humbles himself under Philemon so that Philemon’s goodness might be voluntary and not of compulsion. Here comes the perfect law of liberty at work. Paul proves himself to be a ruler in the fear of God. He had boldness to command Philemon to receive Onesimus, but then Philemon’s goodness would not have been seen. The apostle’s task, in his ministry before God, was to make the others great in God’s kingdom.

Verses 15 and 16. “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 but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.”

Now Philemon is going to receive Onesimus as a beloved brother, Paul’s own heart, “especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.”

Verse 17. “If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me.”

Paul sets Onesimus on an equal footing with himself, even higher, because he would never have begged someone this way on his own behalf. Here it was true that in love he esteemed the others greater than himself. The apostle practiced what he taught.

Verses 18 and 19. “But if he has wronged you or owes 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.”

Here the apostle is mindful of the fact that Philemon, like all of us, had sin in the flesh, and he could be tempted to harden himself toward Onesimus. Therefore, Paul exerted his full apostolic authority in order to save his son Onesimus. And Paul says, “If he owes you anything, put that on my account. I will repay—not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self besides.”

Paul was a rich man; he owned both Philemon and Onesimus, because he had begotten both of them in Christ Jesus. “But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account.” And here you have proof, “I, Paul, am writing with my own hand.”

Here faith, love, unselfishness, and the power of God are revealed in one and the same person.

Verse 20. “Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in the Lord.”

Paul once again bows under Philemon in the love of Christ and says, “You are greater than me; refresh my heart according to the laws of liberty.”

Verse 21. “Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.”

Adeptly the apostle submits himself under Philemon, and then just as quickly, he is above him. I have confidence that you will do more than I say. This is an indication that Paul was an apostle, and that he placed great confidence in Philemon.

Verse 22. “But, meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted to you.”

By this Paul is saying I am coming to you soon in order to share my joy with you, Philemon, and my son Onesimus. That will be a feast and a splendor, greater than the joy the prodigal son received with his homecoming. Because the entire church in Philemon’s house will rejoice together with them, and the slave will not find an envious older brother.

The fact that Paul himself wanted to come to Philemon’s house, and that he hoped that he would soon be given to them through their prayers, was a guarantee that everything would go well for Onesimus. This is evidence of the great confidence Paul had in Philemon and the church in his house. Think! They prayed that the apostle might be sent to them, despite the “Onesimus affair.”

Here we receive a little insight into all the goodness that was in the apostle Paul, in Philemon, and the church in his house, and how they were knit together in love.

Verse 25. “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit!”