Day Thirty Seven

Philemon

          I want to do this differently from all the other Days of Prayer. This book is only one chapter long and it is near and dear to me. A bit of background; there are events in the Bible that are explained more fully through historical references. For instance, Pharaoh lifted Joseph, son of Jacob, to a high position. Then, Joseph brought his family over from the land of Canaan to escape famine. The next thing we know, some time has passed and there is a different Pharaoh and the Hebrews are enslaved. How this came to be is not really important to the story, so it is not in the Bible. However, historically we know that the Egyptians were defeated in war and a new people came in and took over. They adopted the Egyptian culture in order to better rule the people. It was the Pharaoh from this group that hated the Hebrews. They hated all of the original Egyptians, but they really hated the Hebrews. As I say, this is not really necessary in the telling of the events in the Bible, but it is a documented historical fact and it explains the background.  We know how the disciples died from historical record. We know how Paul died. From historical record we even know that a man named Jesus died on a cross and then rose again three days later and was seen by hundreds. Which brings me to my old friends, Philemon and Onesimus.

          Onesimus went on to become a great leader in the early church. He wrote down his story.

          As a young man, he was a slave. His master was a man named Philemon, a man of wealth and prestige. Philemon was a good master and a Christian. Before you get upset and say that slavery and Christianity do not mix, the fact is that slavery is not condemned in the Word. However, for Christians there is instruction for both the slave and the master. If carried out to its logical end, the slave would eventually not be a slave. Onesimus was more of a servant and treated very well, but he despised his master. He had met Paul when Paul had stayed at the home on his travels, but he wasn’t very interested in what Paul had to say.

          Philemon had come to trust his servant and Onesimus had started to steal from him a little bit at a time. Finally, Onesimus had stolen a large sum of money and had fled. In the Empire, a slave who stole from the master would be put to death with or without the master’s agreement. Onesimus was smart and figured that the one place he could go and be safe was the seat of power itself; Rome. He would blend into the crowd. Paul was in Rome in prison, but as a Roman citizen he was allowed to live in a house. He couldn’t leave the house, but people could come to him. For whatever reason, Onesimus went to see him one day. He confessed to Paul what he had done and Paul showed him to Christ, whom Onesimus accepted. Then Paul sent him back. Imagine, the knock on the door and Philemon answers, only to see an escaped slave and a thief standing there, clutching a letter.

          This is where we pick up. What we have here is an individual letter to just one man. In it we see humor and we see Paul’s logical thinking. We will have the whole book. The Scripture will be in Italics and my thoughts will be in regular print.

 

¹ Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, At this point, Timothy was with Paul in Rome. To Philemon our beloved fellow worker ² and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house: Apphia and Archippus were wife and husband who had started a church in their home. This was where Philemon attended.

³ Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴ I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, ⁵ because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, ⁶ and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ^{] 7} For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you. Apparently, Philemon was a pretty good guy. Paul goes through all this to remind Philemon just how good of a Christian he has become. Of course, he will be angry with Onesimus.

⁸ Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, ⁹ yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus— ¹⁰ I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. Paul is referring to being a Spiritual father to Onesimus as he was to Timothy. This puts Onesimus in powerful company. Philemon would know this. ¹¹ (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) ¹² I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. ¹³ I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, ¹⁴ but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. Paul is spreading it on, but he is not saying anything wrong. Back in verse eight he says he could command Philemon to do right. Paul had that kind of authority, but he rarely, rarely used it. ¹⁵ For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, ¹⁶ no longer as a bond servant but more than a bond servant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. Paul is suggesting full forgiveness, just as Christ forgives. In fact, in the Book of Romans Paul says that we are joint heirs with Christ, which means we are brothers with the Lord.

¹⁷ So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. ¹⁸ If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. I see Paul writing this with a little smile. He had brought salvation to Philemon. Philemon could never repay that. Both men knew that, as well. ¹⁹ I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. Paul usually used an amanuensis, or a secretary, to write his letters. In a few places he will say something profound and then emphasize it by saying he is writing this with his own hand. It is believed he had severe vision problems and as he grew older, arthritis. His writing the letter with his own hand told Philemon how important this was and how surely he would pay him back for the thievery of Onesimus. ²⁰ Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.

²¹ Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. ²² At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you. Paul would never make that visit.

²³ Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, This man Epaphras, sometimes served as Paul’s amanuensis, who traveled more with Paul than anyone. ²⁴ and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. If you look these men up, their stories are amazing. They are not prisoners, but they are staying with Paul for a bit.

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

          The prayer for today is to have a forgiving spirit. Holding grudges is not of Christ. The Lord can do great things with us, but first He needs us to be holy.