The Prison Epistles
Sermon Fifty-two
Philemon
(part 1)
Jim Bordwine, ThD
Introduction
How many opportunities to help others, and thereby honor God, do we miss because we are preoccupied with our own circumstances, wants, and worries? Have you ever considered how many times in your life you may have failed to recognize a situation in which you could be of genuine help to another in distress simply because you were focusing on your own life and your own troubles? You have to wonder how many times you might have been able to comfort someone or assist someone had you deliberately been looking for such opportunities.
Many years ago, I had an experience that changed my perspective in regard to what I’ve just said to you. It was in the summer of 1979 and I was driving home from Illinois to Virginia and late in the afternoon, as I was passing through Louisville, KY, I happened to tap my brakes and noticed the pedal went to the floor—I immediately realized that something was wrong. I had braking power, but it was significantly less than it should have been. I began looking for a place to get off the interstate to determine what had happened.
I pulled into a huge parking lot of what looked like a deserted shopping center. There were no stores open and no cars visible. I stopped my car and raised the hood to see if I could find some obvious explanation for my brake problem. As I was standing there looking at my engine, a small boy came up behind me. I turned and saw him—he was about twelve years old, in ragged clothes, with a smudged face. All he said was: “Mister, can you help us?” And he pointed across the parking lot where I saw an old, worn-out pick-up truck with its hood raised and a small family standing around it looking at me.
Without thinking, I said immediately: “I’m sorry, but I have a problem with my brakes. I cannot help you.” I turned back to my car and soon my conscience started bothering me and I knew that I had to offer help and worry about my car later. No more than two or three minutes had passed when I turned around to tell that boy I would come and see what I could do. But he and the truck and the family had disappeared. Now, I don’t claim this was anything more than what I just described to you, but I can tell you that this incident profoundly affected me. I felt tremendous regret for not responding rightly as soon as that little boy approached me.
That was about 27 years ago, but I remember the details. I’ve thought of that little boy and his request countless times over the years and I’ve never again turned away from someone asking me for help. On top of the already odd way in which that little boy and his family had seemed to disappear, when I got back into my car, the brakes were just fine. I drove the rest of the way home without incident. Whatever else God was doing that day, He impressed upon me the truth that serving and helping others must come before concerns for my own well-being and He taught me that I must always be ready to respond to the opportunities He arranges for me to assist someone in need.
I tell you this story because I want you to be thinking about how we allow our personal concerns to rob us of opportunities to bless others and thereby glorify God. And I tell you this story as an introduction to the last of Paul’s prison epistles—his letter to a man named Philemon. In this short epistle, we’re going to see Paul, a man in prison, take the time to express heart-felt regard for a runaway slave. We’re going to see Paul go out of his way to help this slave so that he is reconciled with his master who rightly would have been angry with him.
In preparing this sermon and as I considered Paul’s intercession for the slave, I was amazed by his obvious compassion for another while enduring such hardship himself and while having such a great weight of responsibility upon his shoulders for all the churches. While many lessons might be taken from this short letter of Philemon, one of the most beneficial has to be the example Paul gives us of selflessness for the sake of another—and in this case, not a man who was of high moral or social standing, but a man who was a slave, a man who had fled from his master. This was a man from whom Paul could expect nothing in return, yet, as we’re going to see, he does all within his power—including obligating himself financially—to ensure that this man would be received back warmly by his master.
Paul’s example of concern (vv. 1-11)
1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved brother and fellow worker, 2 and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints; 6 and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ’s sake. 7 For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother. 8 Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper, 9 yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you-- since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus-- 10 I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment, 11 who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me.
This letter begins like so many others—with Paul’s identification of himself as the Lord’s servant and a gracious salutation. In this case, Paul, as I noted before, is in prison and identifies himself specifically as “a prisoner of Christ Jesus” (v. 1). He’s speaking literally, of course. This letter is written to a man who was probably of some means and who appears to have resided in Colossae. I say that because at the end of his epistle to the Colossians, Paul mentions that he is sending Onesimus, Philemon’s runaway slave, to Colossae and the subject of this letter is that same slave, Onesimus, who is being sent back to his master with Paul’s plea for a gracious acceptance.
It also appears from v. 19 that Philemon had come to know Christ through the ministry of Paul. The tone of this letter is, therefore, more personal than others. By that I mean that Paul speaks with less reference to his apostolic authority and more in the context of one Christian speaking to another.
Note that Paul considers Philemon a “beloved brother and fellow worker.” Paul doesn’t use such language loosely; and he never uses it simply to placate or charm his reader. Clearly, Philemon was a prominent figure in the Colossian church. He seems to have been a man who was not only converted, but was now doing what he could to promote the faith. In fact, after mentioning Philemon’s sister, Apphia, and Archippus, another prominent figure in that congregation, Paul gives greetings “to the church in [Philemon’s] house.” (v. 2) It could be that the Colossian congregation met in the home of Philemon who, assuming he was a man of some wealth, could have provided the room necessary for such a gathering.
After these initial words, Paul pronounces his typical greeting: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (v. 3) The grace of God was never far away from the heart of the apostle Paul. When a man repeats this truth as often as Paul does in his letters, you know it meant something to him. He was the man on his way to persecute Christians when he was stopped in his tracks, literally speaking, by the risen Savior who then turned his life around and assigned to him a mission of preaching the gospel. Even now, as he wrote these words, Paul was imprisoned for following the command of his Savior. And as his prison letters indicate, Paul was a man who had grown in grace and who enjoyed a peace granted only by the Spirit of God. Grace and peace, therefore, were the clothing Paul wore and the words he spoke were saturated with grace and peace; he repeatedly sets before his readers the reality of what God had done for them in Christ Jesus.
Here, Paul speaks to one man, not a congregation, but his perspective remains the same. Paul was writing to one of those many thousands who had come to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ when the gospel was made known to them. Whether speaking to a whole congregation or one individual, the apostle reminded them of the same thing—we have grace and peace with God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This language sets the stage for what Paul wishes to address in this letter. It is a matter that will require a measure of grace and mercy from Philemon, so Paul’s reminder that Philemon had the grace and peace of God upon him could only help in preparing that man to act rightly in response to Paul’s request.
Before he gets to that request, however, Paul commends Philemon for his faithfulness. “I thank my God always,” Paul writes, “making mention of you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints…” (vv. 3, 4) What a wonderful thing to have said about you! This is the essence of a God-honoring reputation—to have others say they’ve heard of how you live your faith. Philemon was a man obviously affected by the gospel and a man obviously known for the character of his life. So, Paul prays for the continued effectiveness of Philemon’s faith as he grows in the Lord (cf. v. 6). And finally, Paul’s description of this Christian man concludes with recognition of his service to the brethren (cf. v. 7). “The hearts of the saints,” Paul writes, “have been refreshed through you, brother.”
The word translated “refreshed” (anapauo) means “to cause or permit one to cease from labor in order to recover and regain strength.” This tells me that Philemon had a particular ministry in that church; it was a ministry of revitalizing those worn down by their labors for Christ’s kingdom. Philemon was, no doubt, an encourager of others. He was a man who could relieve the sense of burden felt by others by coming along side them. He was a man who used the resources God had given him to serve the saints.
We’ve covered only a few verses so far, but already we have a good idea about the character of Philemon. He was a leader in this congregation, but also—and this is the most obvious aspect of his character revealed to us—a servant of God’s people. He was a man who used his time and resources to minister to and build up the body of Christ there in that city. All that Paul says of Philemon would lead us to expect a gracious and forgiving attitude; and I think that is exactly what Paul was counting on when he wrote this letter.
Note what the apostle says next: “8 Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper, 9 yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you-- since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus…” Instead of simply telling Philemon what should be done, Paul makes a request. It would be far better for all concerned to have Philemon see and agree with Paul’s perspective, rather than have the apostle command Philemon to do what was right. Others are watching and Paul knows that this is an opportunity for Philemon to show once again the reality of the gospel in his life. Paul wants the matter handled in the context of brotherly love, not the context of an order given and an order followed.
His request concerns the runaway slave, Onesimus (cf. v. 10). Paul refers to this slave as “my child,” so obviously a bond of affection had developed between Paul and Onesimus. Though he is in prison and has tremendous responsibilities pressing on him, as I noted before, Paul sees an opportunity to help Onesimus and an opportunity to lead Philemon one more step along the way in his maturity; and he sees, I think, a golden opportunity to edify the congregation of which Philemon is a part. Here is a case where Paul’s previous exhortations to slaves and masters, found at the end of his letter to the Colossian church, are going to be put to the test.
Onesimus, it appears, had come to know the Savior after coming into contact with Paul in Rome. The details aren’t given, but the scenario seems plain enough. Paul now knew the whole story of Onesimus—he knew this man was a runaway slave, but he also knew that Onesimus had to make things right by returning to Philemon. Paul’s hope is that Philemon would view this event as a blessing from God. Onesimus was formerly useless to Philemon, Paul notes, but with his conversion, he is now useful to both Paul and Philemon. Here we find Paul using a play on words to make a point. The name “Onesimus” means “to profit” or “to help.” Paul recognizes that when Onesimus fled, he became useless or of no help to his master Philemon—his act of running away contradicted his name. Now, Paul declares, Onesimus the redeemed slave is useful once again as he returns to his master.
At this point, I want to emphasize Paul’s concern for Onesimus and for Philemon. He wants to see both men do what is right. And in both cases, doing the right thing will be difficult. For Onesimus, it means returning to the life of a slave and facing whatever consequences awaited him; for Philemon, it means forgiving the transgression of his slave and rejoicing in the man’s salvation. What stands out to me, as I stated before, is Paul’s amazing willingness to get as involved as he does in this situation. With all else the apostle had to consider, he demonstrates an inspiring regard for Onesimus, a man who could give Paul nothing in return for kindness and the intercession with Philemon that might very well have saved the slave’s life.
Paul’s perspective (vv. 12-17)
12 I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart, 13 whom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel; 14 but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will. 15 For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, 16 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. 17 If then you regard me a partner, accept him as you would me.
The reason Paul wrote this letter is tied directly to his perspective on the event of Onesimus running away from Philemon and, subsequently, being converted in Rome. Paul viewed this circumstance in a way that led him to urge upon Onesimus and Philemon a specific course of action. Paul viewed this situation as a man of God; he looked at what happened, reached a conclusion regarding what God, who controls all things, intended to accomplish, and then presses that conclusion upon Philemon as he appeals to that brother to receive Onesimus back.
The apostle does not hide his affection for Onesimus: “I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart…” (v. 12) Whatever the circumstances of the man’s conversion, he and Paul had come to share a bond of love and Paul indicates it was no small thing for him to send Onesimus back—but Paul knows, as he soon reveals, that God had a greater purpose in this circumstance.
Paul might have retained Onesimus as a helper while in prison, he says (v. 13). The apostle could have appealed to Philemon to allow his slave to remain in Rome and aid Paul on Philemon’s behalf. But again, Paul recognized a greater good that needed to be acknowledged. Paul would not impose upon Philemon’s goodness and would not simply assume Philemon would agree to such an arrangement (cf. v. 14). Paul knew he could pressure Philemon into agreement, but this was a matter with spiritual dimensions and spiritual lessons and spiritual fruit. He wanted to maximize the grace God had shown in bringing Onesimus to an understanding of the gospel.
Therefore, notwithstanding what he could have done and regardless of what might have made life easier for him, Paul handled this situation in a way that set before all the work God had done so that God would receive the glory and honor. And here is where Paul reveals his unique perspective on what had transpired: “15 For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, 16 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. ”
Paul was always looking at his life as an existence orchestrated by a sovereign God. When Onesimus showed up and was converted to Christ, Paul knew that he could not view that event simply as providing him with a servant to come to his aid while he was imprisoned. God’s goodness had to be acknowledge; it was an occasion for God to be magnified. And that is the perspective Paul shares with Philemon. It wasn’t just Paul who had to yield his personal wants and needs to the more important matter of what God had done for this slave. Philemon would also have to yield that which might have been foremost on his mind, which would have been the slave’s quick return and, perhaps, discipline.
What really mattered was that God had delivered a soul from condemnation. Maybe that is why God allowed Onesimus to run away, Paul suggests; maybe that is why God had Onesimus encounter Paul in Rome; maybe that is why Philemon had been deprived of his slave for a season. Maybe God appointed this event so that the soul of Onesimus might be delivered from the true bondage of everlasting death. With that perspective, all involved would have a different reaction to what happened to Onesimus.
I’ll have more to say about Paul’s perspective on the adventure of Onesimus next time. For now, I want to consider what practical application can be made of Paul’s words up to this point in the letter.
Application
What I find most beneficial about this story is the way the principle parties behave and what, consequently, drives their decisions and actions. This is a short letter, but it has three key figures—Paul, Onesimus, and Philemon—whose examples are edifying when considered. We’ve covered the first portion of Paul’s letter to Philemon; I want us to take note of something that is revealed about Paul.
I will put before you a simple question: How do we become like Paul? That is, how do we develop the attitudes he demonstrates and how do we live a life that is as much about helping others as it is about our own personal needs and wants? I think being like Paul is a goal worth pursuing; he is an example of a man worth imitating. But the question, again, is: How do we become like Paul?
I want to offer a few observations in answer to what I’ve asked and in so doing, I would point to something I said earlier. I stated that the notion of God’s grace was never far away from Paul’s heart. Isn’t that the beginning point for analyzing this man? Paul could talk so much about grace and be such a gracious man because he understood that he had received much grace from God. Paul could set aside his personal comfort for the sake of helping another because he was aware of the grace of God in which he lived his life; and he was aware that only by the grace of God did he have a life. Thinking and living with that concept of the grace God bestowed upon him made Paul the man he was. He kept the thought of God’s amazing grace in the forefront of his thinking at all times and that influenced the way this man behaved. It is not a complicated equation.
By thinking often on the grace he had been shown, Paul trained himself to be a gracious man. When Onesimus showed up in Rome and was converted and Paul learned that he was a runaway slave, the apostle knew he had a role to play in that man’s future. Therefore, he didn’t let the fact of his imprisonment occupy all his attention but turned his focus upon Onesimus, now a brother in the Lord, and Philemon, the man in this story who would make the difference between an unpleasant ending and a joyful ending.
Paul, then, had a mindset of grace. A mindset is a way of thinking and analyzing; your mindset determines how you behave. As we look at Paul, we learn that a mindset of grace leads to certain things. I would like to list those things for you.
First, a mindset of grace, or a mind that is always dwelling on the wonderful grace of God, produces the ability to recognize opportunities for service. If you are mindful of the grace God has shown you and if you are think often on the fact that you know Him only by grace and you have a home in his presence only by grace and your sins are forgiven only by grace, what kind of person are you going to be? Are you going to be a self-centered and selfish person? Are you going to be a person who thinks first of your desires and your needs? Consider Paul—the grace of God was a topic that never left his mind. Therefore, he was a man, as this letter demonstrates, who was always ready to serve another for the glory of God.
Any person who thinks often of grace is going to be a gracious person; and that means you are going to see the needs of others quickly and have a genuine desire to come to their aid. You will want to mimic the grace you have received by serving others. That’s what a mindset of grace produces in us.
Of course, the opposite it true. If you are a person characterized by selfishness or a person easily upset when you aren’t receiving the attention you think you deserve or a person who has a sour response when you are inconvenienced, then your problem might be that you are not dwelling on the grace of God. You cannot think often of the grace you have received and still be a grace-less person toward others. Dwelling on the grace of God bestowed on us in Christ gives us patience with others and, as Paul illustrates, a desire to see others have a blessed life.
Second, a mindset of grace also gives you the ability to discern the ways of God. Because he thought so much of God’s grace and knew that God was doing so much for sinners because of and by His grace, Paul quickly discerned what was going on with Onesimus. In the providence of God, this runaway slave encountered Paul who taught him the gospel and the slave was converted. Paul, a man keenly aware of the gracious ways of God, concluded that there was more going on here than a runaway slave who had to return to his master. Paul saw that God had a greater purpose, which centered on the eternal salvation of Onesimus. Everyone involved had to recognize that truth in order to respond rightly to what had happened.
If you remind yourself often of the grace of God, of His incredible kindness to you, and of His kind disposition toward our race, then you are going to recognize His hand at work all around you. If you know that God is a God of much grace and if you know you have experienced that grace yourself, then you are going to expect to witness His grace being bestowed on others in your life. That happened to Paul. As I said, he recognized the grace of God at work in the life of Onesimus because he had come to understand that God is a God of abundant grace and His grace is all around us.
How aware are you of the grace all around you—in your home, in your marriage, in your relationship with others? A person who thinks often of God’s grace becomes a person with discernment. You develop the ability to recognize God’s ways because He is a God of much grace. And as you begin discerning God’s grace all around you, you become excited to be part of what He is doing and you realize that God is active everywhere you turn. And that means that your life—the way you think and speak and act—soon becomes a source for glorifying God. That happens because your discernment increases and as it increases, what you see is God’s goodness in your life and in your home and in every relationship you have.
Third, a mindset of grace makes the glory and honor of God top priorities in life. Paul interpreted everything according to his desire to magnify the name of God and that is what he did in this circumstance. This is, I would suggest, the “bottom line” when it comes to this issue of focusing on grace. What it leads to ultimately is the establishment of God’s glory and honor as the most important aims in your life. By dwelling on the grace of God, you start seeing His grace all around you; and when you start seeing His gracious work all around you, you realize how much of life is about what God is doing for us. And that has to lead you to give Him thanks as you become a vessel through which His grace is made known to others.
I’ll leave you with this example from Paul, an example of a mindset of grace. And I’ll ask you to give thought to yourself. Is the grace of God a prominent concept in your daily life? Do you think often of God’s grace as you go about your routine? Has the grace of God so affected you that it is the dominant element in the disposition you exhibit to others? Grace transforms; it transforms you from a sinner to a saint and thereafter it transforms the way you live. It determines how you respond to God and how you respond to the challenges of this life. So, where do you stand this morning? Are you a person focused on the grace of God that has come to us in Christ or is some other concept determining the kind of person you are?
Let’s pray…
Conclusion
We cannot speak of the grace of God without speaking of the Savior. In Christ, the grace of God is seen. Because of God’s grace—His willingness to show us kindness when we deserved only judgment—we were given a Substitute, One to take our sins upon His own back and bear them on the cross. There, because of God’s grace, the Innocent died for the guilty. There is nothing “fair” about that exchange. Grace is not about “fairness,” it is about the astounding character of God.
By grace we are saved and by grace we walk on this earth and by grace we are kept secure forever. Here, in this sacrament, you have testimony to the grace of God. Here we have a reminder that God’s grace has rescued us from damnation. Here, we are reminded that the grace of God took the form of a Servant, even Jesus, who gave Himself in our place, not because we deserved it, but only because God allowed it.
Matthew 26: 26 While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.”