Redemption And Restoration

INTRO

So, this is our 537th lesson, and our 40th book of the Bible. Our goal in this two-year study is to encourage learners to identify where they see the Messiah in every book of the Bible. The book of Philemon is the shortest of Paul’s letters; 25 verses, and it is only about three people. In this letter Paul was pleading with a friend on behalf of a third person. Our word for Philemon is Master, and it comes from Philemon 1, in which Paul referred to himself as a prisoner or “bondservant,” and his Master was Christ. In Matthew 23:10, Jesus said; “And do not be called masters either, because you have one Master, the Messiah.”

The book of Philemon is a story of redemption and forgiveness. Paul wrote the letter between AD 60–62, about the same time he wrote Colossians. Paul and Philemon met probably in Ephesus, and Paul led Philemon to Christ there (v. 19). Philemon was a wealthy man (the church met at his house) (v. 2) and a slave owner with at least one slave, Onesimus, whose name means “useful.” Onesimus ran away from his master, Philemon, and made it all the way to Rome where he met Paul and was converted. Possibly Onesimus stole something from Philemon to help him pay for his expenses to Rome. Paul grew to love Onesimus and wanted Onesimus to stay with him in Rome, but Onesimus had broken Roman law by running away. Paul sent Onesimus back to Colossae with a letter for Philemon. Paul sent Tychicus as protection for Onesimus as well as to deliver Paul’s letter to the church there.¹

Wiersbe explains, “If a slave ran away, the master would register the name and description with the officials, and the slave would be on the ‘wanted’ list. Any free citizen who found a runaway slave could assume custody and even intercede with the owner. The slave was not automatically returned to the owner, nor was he automatically sentenced to death.”² It is estimated that 60 million slaves were in the Roman Empire, and one could be bought for 500 denarii to 50,000 denarii, depending on the slave’s qualifications and skills. Onesimus found freedom in the Lord—he became redeemed and forgiven. Paul knew Onesimus’s past, and that Onesimus had been changed by Christ.³ Wiersbe describes Paul’s relationship with Onesimus as “the beloved friend . . . the beseeching intercessor . . . the burdened partner.”⁴ I think Paul sent Tychicus with Onesimus so he could vouch for the changes in Onesimus’s life, just as people had to vouch for Paul after he met Christ on the road to Damascus.

TEACHING

Philemon 1-7: Paul began with greetings to Philemon, Apphia, Archippus, and the congregation meeting in Philemon’s home (vv. 1–3). Nelson’s Commentary points out that in verses 4–7, Paul established “the basis for the plea in a commendation of Philemon.”⁵ Paul explained that he always thanked God for Philemon because of his love for the Lord and “for all the saints” (vv. 4–5). Paul then said he prayed Philemon’s “faith may become effective” through good works that are the acknowledgement of what Christ has done in the believer’s life (v. 6). Paul’s statement meant he understood that Philemon’s faith was strong and that he walked out that faith in his life.

Philemon 7–8: Remarkably, Paul acknowledges his own great joy and the encouragement he received through Philemon’s love, even while still imprisoned (v. 7). In verses 7–8, Paul made his first appeal to Philemon: because of who Philemon was in Christ and the love he had shown to Paul, Paul could boldly appeal to him. Paul was building Philemon up by letting him know that he was of value to Paul and to the church in Colossae. Paul stressed he had the authority to command Philemon to do what he wanted him to do but that he would not do that. His appeal was for Philemon to do the right thing.

Philemon 9–11: Paul’s second appeal was made on the basis of love (v. 9a). To strengthen his appeal, Paul played the sympathy card and pointed out that he was an elderly man (which meant he was 55 years old or older) and was in prison because of his faith (v. 9b).⁶ Paul next appealed to Philemon for “my son, Onesimus” whom he fathered (led to Christ) even while he was in chains (v. 10) (1 Corinthians 4:15). Paul’s fourth appeal was that Onesimus had been useful to him, just as he would now be useful to Philemon (v. 11).

Philemon 12–16: Paul explains how Onesimus was valuable to him: he was a part of Paul now; and he was help to Paul while imprisoned (vv. 12–13). Paul then said he respected Philemon so much that he wouldn’t have kept Onesimus with him without Philemon’s permission (v. 14). Paul didn’t want to force Philemon to do something but instead wanted Philemon to make the right decision as a believer of the Lord Jesus Christ. In verse 15, Paul suggests the separation of Philemon and Onesimus might have been the divine providence of God so that Onesimus would have the opportunity to become a believer and return to Philemon for eternity,⁷ not as a slave but as a brother in Christ (v. 16).

Philemon 17–19: Therefore, Paul asks Philemon to accept Onesimus as he would accept Paul (v. 17). He then offered to repay anything Onesimus owed Philemon (v. 18). The word for this is “imputation,” or “charge that to my account.” Robert Gromacki says, “Paul’s offer is a beautiful illustration of biblical forgiveness based on imputation (Romans 5:13; 2 Corinthians 5:21).”⁸ Paul points out he wrote the letter himself with his own hand, making the letter a legal contract between them (v. 19a). Paul promised to pay Onesimus’s debt, but also reminded Philemon that he owed a debt to Paul for his salvation (v. 19b).

Philemon 20–25: Paul asks Philemon to “refresh my heart in Christ” (v. 20). Paul then told Philemon that he was so confident Philemon would do the right thing, that he knew Philemon would do even more than he had asked him to do (v. 21). Meanwhile Paul asked Philemon to prepare the guest room for him because he hoped he would be able to visit (v. 22). Paul closes with more greetings: from Epaphras, a fellow prisoner who was well known in Colossae, and from Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke (vv. 23–24). He concludes with blessing Philemon with the grace of the Lord (v. 25).

CLOSING

Nelson’s Commentary provides six “big lessons for a little letter” in Philemon:

1. In Christ is always the opportunity for reconciliation and second chances.
2. God works to bring people to saving faith and restored relationships with others.
3. The gospel can work at any distance—from one city to another and one continent to another.
4. There is true value in older believers mentoring younger believers in Christ.
5. The fact Onesimus had to go so far away to hear about Jesus shows “the irony behind God’s patience and providence.”
6. “In Christ, people can change.”⁹

The point is, will you submit your life to the Master?