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<h2><a onclick="return mV('Phm',1,'all');">Phm</a> - Paul’s Plea to a Friend, on Behalf of a Slave</h2>
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<p><i>“This is a notable Epistle, and full of worth; each word having its weight, each syllable its substance. From an abject subject, the receiving of a runaway servant, St. Paul soars like a heavenly eagle, and flies a high pitch of heavenly discourse.”</i> (John Trapp)</p>
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<p>A. Greeting and introduction.</p>
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<p class="c1">1. (<a onclick="return mV('Phm',1,1);">1</a>) The writer and the recipient.</p>
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<p class="c2"><span>Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy <i>our </i>brother, To Philemon our beloved <i>friend </i>and fellow laborer,</span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Paul, a prisoner</span></b>: This brief letter was written by Paul during his Roman imprisonment described in <a onclick="return mV('Act',28,'30-31');">Act 28:30-31</a>. There are some that believe he wrote it from time of imprisonment in Ephesus, but this is an unlikely possibility.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">A prisoner of Christ Jesus</span></b>: As always, Paul did not consider himself a prisoner of Rome, of circumstances, or of the religious leaders who started his legal troubles (<a onclick="return mV('Act',23,'1-24');">Act 23-24</a>). Paul was <b><span class="c3">a prisoner of Jesus Christ</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. “They were not shackles which self had riveted, but a chain with which Christ had invested him; thus they were a badge of office.” (Lightfoot, cited by Oesterley)</p>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">To Philemon our beloved friend</span></b>: Paul wrote to <b><span class="c3">Philemon</span></b>, a Christian brother living in Colosse. This is the only place in the New Testament where <b><span class="c3">Philemon</span></b> is mentioned by name, but we do know that he was a <b><span class="c3">beloved friend</span></b> to Paul.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. Paul’s friendship with Philemon is shown by something significantly <i>missing</i> in his greeting. Of the 13 letters Paul wrote to churches or individuals, in 9 of them he called himself an <i>apostle</i> in the opening verse. In this letter (along with Philippians and 1 and 2 Thessalonians), Paul appeals to his reader more as a friend and less an apostle.</p>
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<p class="c1">2. (<a onclick="return mV('Phm',1,'2-3');">2-3</a>) Greetings to the household of Philemon.</p>
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<p class="c2"><span>To the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.</span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">To the beloved Apphia</span></b>: <b><span class="c3">Apphia</span></b> was probably the wife of Philemon, and <b><span class="c3">Archippus</span></b> was probably his son. This address to family members is unique among the letters of Paul, but it makes sense considering the content of the letter to Philemon. In this letter Paul will appeal to Philemon regarding a runaway slave who has met Jesus and found refuge with Paul. In the customs of that day, Philemon’s wife <b><span class="c3">Apphia</span></b> was the supervisor of the slaves in the household, so the letter concerned her also.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. Regarding the escaped slave, “She is as much a party to the decision as her husband, because according to the custom of the time, she had day-to-day responsibility for the slaves.” (Rupprecht)</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">To the church in your house</span></b>: This means that the church – or a portion of the church – in Colosse met in the <b><span class="c3">house</span></b> of Philemon. The earliest Christians had no property of their own for church buildings. The Jews had their synagogues, but Christians met in the homes of their members. The Christians of a city would be gathered into different “house churches” with a city “bishop” overseeing the different house churches. House churches are also mentioned in <a onclick="return mV('Rom',16,5);">Rom 16:5</a> and <a onclick="return mV('Col',4,15);">Col 4:15</a>.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. “Up to the third century we have no certain evidence of the existence of church buildings for the purpose of worship; all references point to private houses for this. In Rome several of the oldest churches appear to have been built on the sites of houses used for Christian worship.” (Oesterley)</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. Spurgeon points out that apparently, Philemon had a church that met in his house. This suggests to believers that <i>their</i> homes should also be a church, and that each home can have the characteristics of a healthy church:</p><ul class="c6"><li>Consisting of converted, saved people</li><li>Worshipping together</li><li>Together having a bond of unity</li><li>Supplied with oversight</li><li>Teaching always present</li><li>With a heart to minister to those on the outside</li></ul>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">Grace to you and peace</span></b>: Paul gave his customary greeting of <b><span class="c3">grace</span></b> and <b><span class="c3">peace</span></b>, found in each one of his letters. However, this greeting was not directed towards an entire congregation, but to Philemon as an individual. This makes the letter unique among Paul’s writings.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. The other Pastoral Epistles (1 and 2 Timothy and Titus) are also written first to individuals, but the character of their content suggests that they were intended to be shared with the entire congregation. Philemon really is a personal note written by Paul to one man.</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. “It is only one sample of numberless letters which must have been written to his many friends and disciples by one of St Paul’s eager temperament and warm affections, in the course of a long and chequered life.” (Lightfoot)</p>
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<p class="c1">3. (<a onclick="return mV('Phm',1,'4-7');">4-7</a>) Paul’s thanks God for Philemon.</p>
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<p class="c2"><span>I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, 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. For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.</span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers</span></b>: Paul prayed often for Philemon, and he prayed with thanksgiving to God. Philemon had been such a blessing to Paul that prayed often and gratefully for him.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. In Paul’s letters, four times he says he <i>makes mention</i> for people: To the Romans (<a onclick="return mV('Rom',1,9);">Rom 1:9</a>), to the Ephesians (<a onclick="return mV('Eph',1,16);">Eph 1:16</a>), to the Thessalonians (<a onclick="return mV('1Th',1,2);">1Th 1:2</a>), and here at <a onclick="return mV('Phm',1,4);">Phm 1:4</a>.</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. <b><span class="c3">Making mention</span></b> means that Paul did not always pray long, intricate prayers for Philemon, but he did often make <b><span class="c3">mention</span></b> of Philemon in his prayers.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Hearing of your love and faith</span></b>: Paul thanked God for Philemon because of his <b><span class="c3">love and faith</span></b> – first towards Jesus and then towards <b><span class="c3">all the saints</span></b>. The word “<b><span class="c3">saints</span></b>” in the New Testament describes <i>every</i> true Christian, not just <i>a few exceptional</i> Christians.</p>
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<p class="c4"><span>c. </span><b><span class="c3">That the sharing of your faith</span></b>: Paul prayed <i>for</i> Philemon, desiring <b><span class="c3">that the sharing of</span></b> his <b><span class="c3">faith</span></b> would <b><span class="c3">become effective</span></b> as Philemon understood the work God did in him (<b><span class="c3">every good thing which is in you</span></b>).</p>
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<p class="c5">i. This is the foundation for all effective evangelism: the overflow of a life touched and changed by God. God had done <b><span class="c3">every good thing</span></b> in the life of Philemon. Now, it was a matter of it being <i>acknowledged</i> by both Philemon and those he shared the faith with. When these good things were understood, others would come to Jesus. The reason why some <b><span class="c3">sharing of the faith</span></b> in not <b><span class="c3">effective</span></b> is because we don’t <i>know</i> or can’t <i>communicate</i> <b><span class="c3">every good thing</span></b> God has done for us.</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. <b><span class="c3">The sharing of your faith</span></b>: It is possible that Paul means the <b><span class="c3">sharing</span></b> of material things, prompted by <b><span class="c3">faith</span></b>. The ancient Greek word for <b><span class="c3">sharing</span></b> is <i>koinonia</i>, and sometimes Paul used <i>koinonia</i>, which means “fellowship, sharing,” to describe giving (<a onclick="return mV('2Cr',8,4);">2Cr 8:4</a>; <a onclick="return mV('2Cr',9,13);">9:13</a>; <a onclick="return mV('Rom',15,6);">Rom 15:6</a>).</p>
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<p class="c5">iii. “The apostle speaks here of the works of charity in which Philemon abounded toward poor Christians.” (Clarke)</p>
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<p class="c4">d. <b><span class="c3">Because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother</span></b><span>: Paul remembered how wonderfully Philemon had met the needs of other Christians. He effectively <b><span class="c3">refreshed</span></b></span> the <b><span class="c3">hearts</span></b> of others.</p>
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<p>B. Paul’s plea on behalf of Onesimus.</p>
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<p class="c1">1. (<a onclick="return mV('Phm',1,'8-11');">8-11</a>) Paul speaks to Philemon regarding Onesimus</p>
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<p class="c2"><span>Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, <i>yet </i>for love’s sake I rather appeal <i>to you; </i>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 <i>while </i>in my chains, who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me.</span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, yet for love’s sake I rather appeal</span></b>: It is clear that Paul will ask a favor of Philemon. Before he asked, he appealed <b><span class="c3">for love’s sake</span></b> instead of making a <b><span class="c3">command</span></b>. Of course, under the surface Paul made it clear that he had the <i>right</i> to <b><span class="c3">command you what is fitting</span></b> - yet he appealed in <b><span class="c3">love</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. A loving appeal is often better than an authoritative command. Paul wasn’t hesitant to command when the situation demanded it (<a onclick="return mV('1Cr',5,'4-5');">1Cr 5:4-5</a>), but in wisdom he knew when to use the loving appeal.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ</span></b>: It was clear Paul would ask a favor of Philemon. Before he asked, he appealed to Philemon’s sympathies by the way he described himself (<b><span class="c3">Paul, the aged</span></b>) and his circumstances (<b><span class="c3">a prisoner</span></b>).</p>
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<p class="c5">i. Since Paul will make his appeal based on love, he does what he can to stir up the loving sympathy of Philemon. “Philemon, before I tell you what I need from you, remember that I’m an old man, and a prisoner at that.”</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. Some translations have <i>ambassador</i> instead of <b><span class="c3">aged</span></b>. There is a difference of one letter between the two ancient Greek words.</p>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">I appeal to you for my son Onesimus</span></b>: <b><span class="c3">Onesimus</span></b> was an escaped slave, who escaped from his master Philemon. It seems that when <b><span class="c3">Onesimus</span></b> escaped, he fled to Rome and – intentionally or not – met with Paul. Paul, though under house arrest by the Romans, led <b><span class="c3">Onesimus</span></b> to faith in Jesus Christ (<b><span class="c3">whom I have begotten while in my chains</span></b><span>).</span></p>
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<p class="c5">i. It was logical that <b><span class="c3">Onesimus</span></b> escaped to Rome, the biggest city of the Roman Empire. Lightfoot says, “Rome was the natural cesspool for these offscourings of humanity.” But at his providential meeting of Paul in Rome, <b><span class="c3">Onesimus</span></b> met the man who had led his master Philemon to Jesus (<a onclick="return mV('Phm',1,19);">Phm 1:19</a>).</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. When Paul makes this appeal on behalf of <b><span class="c3">Onesimus</span></b>, he followed deep traditions in Roman culture. There was an ancient Greek law, inherited by the Romans, allowing any escaped slave sanctuary at an altar. The altar could be the hearth of a private family home; then the head of the family was obligated to give the slave protection while he tried to persuade him to return to his master. If the slave refused, the head of the family would put the slave up for auction and give the price for the slave to the former master. Paul gave <b><span class="c3">Onesimus</span></b> protection, and now was working the issue out with Philemon.</p>
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<p class="c4">d. <b><span class="c3">My son Onesimus</span></b>: Paul often spoke of his converts as his “children.” Timothy (<a onclick="return mV('1Cr',4,17);">1Cr 4:17</a>), Titus (<a onclick="return mV('Tts',1,4);">Tts 1:4</a>), the Corinthian Christians (<a onclick="return mV('1Cr',4,14);">1Cr 4:14</a>) and the Galatian Christians (<a onclick="return mV('Gal',4,19);">Gal 4:19</a>) are each called Paul’s “children.”</p>
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<p class="c4">e. <b><span class="c3">Who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me</span></b>: In some way, Onesimus became <b><span class="c3">profitable</span></b> to Paul. Perhaps he served as an assistant to Paul during his house arrest. So Philemon’s runaway slave Onesimus was now <b><span class="c3">unprofitable</span></b> to Philemon, since he had escaped. But he had become <b><span class="c3">profitable</span></b> to Paul – and by extension, also to Philemon (<b><span class="c3">profitable to you and me</span></b>). Since Philemon loved Paul, if Onesimus helped Paul he was helping Philemon also.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. When Paul spoke of Onesimus being <b><span class="c3">unprofitable</span></b> and <b><span class="c3">profitable</span></b>, he made a play on a word. The name <b><span class="c3">Onesimus</span></b> means <i>profitable</i>. Now that he was a Christian, Onesimus could live up to his name</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. “It is significant to note that Paul claims that in Christ the useless person has been made useful.” (Barclay)</p>
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<p class="c5">iii. By making this clear to Philemon, Paul gently hinted that he would like to retain the services of this escaped slave - though he would not <i>command</i> Philemon to do this.</p>
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<p class="c1">2. (<a onclick="return mV('Phm',1,'12-14');">12-14</a>) Paul sends Onesimus back with the hope that Philemon will allow him to return again to Paul.</p>
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<p class="c2"><span>I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart, 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.</span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart</span></b>: Onesimus had done something wrong in that he escaped from his master. It was time to set that right, so Paul was willing to send <b><span class="c3">him back</span></b>. Yet Paul obviously wanted Philemon to deal gently with Onesimus. Under Roman law the slave owner had complete and total control over his slave. It wasn’t unusual for slaves to be crucified for lesser offenses than escaping.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. One ancient writer described how a slave was carrying a tray of crystal goblets, and he dropped and broke one. The master instantly demanded the slave be thrown into a fishpond full of lampreys that tore the slave to pieces. “Roman law...practically imposed no limits to the power of the master over his slave. The alternative of life or death rested solely with Philemon, and slaves were constantly crucified for far lighter offenses than this.” (Lightfoot)</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. Considering the huge number of slaves in the Roman Empire, they thought the harsh punishment against escaped or rebellious slaves was necessary. In an Empire with as many as 60 million slaves, there were constant fears of a slave revolt. Therefore, laws against runaways were strict. When captured, a runaway slave might be crucified, or branded with a red-hot iron on the forehead with the letter “F” for <i>fugitive</i>.</p>
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<p class="c5">iii. Considering this, we understand Paul’s phrase <b><span class="c3">that is, my own heart</span></b>. “Philemon, I know this man has done you wrong and deserves to be punished. But consider him as <b><span class="c3">my own heart</span></b> and be merciful to him.”</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel</span></b>: Clearly, Paul wanted Onesimus to stay, because he had become a big help. Paul sweetened his appeal in three ways.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. First, if Onesimus stayed he could serve Paul <b><span class="c3">on your behalf</span></b>. “Philemon, if you leave Onesimus with me, it’s like <i>you</i> serving me, because Onesimus is your rightful servant.”</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. Secondly, if Onesimus stayed he helped a man in <b><span class="c3">chains</span></b>. “Philemon, I know Onesimus might be of some use to you. Yet I am in <b><span class="c3">chains</span></b>, and need all the help I can get.”</p>
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<p class="c5">iii. Thirdly, if Onesimus stayed he helped man in <b><span class="c3">chains for the gospel</span></b>. “Philemon, please don’t forget why I am here in <b><span class="c3">chains</span></b>. Remember that it is for the sake of the <b><span class="c3">gospel</span></b>.”</p>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">But without your consent I wanted to do nothing</span></b><span>: Paul made his appeal and made it strong and skillfully. At the same time, he really did leave the decision to Philemon. He would appeal in love, but he would not trample over the rights of Philemon.</span></p>
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<p class="c4"><span>d. <b><span class="c3">That your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary</span></b>: This explained why Paul would not force a decision on Philemon. If Paul <i>demanded</i> it, then Philemon’s <b><span class="c3">good deed</span></b></span> would come by <b><span class="c3">compulsion</span></b>, and not be <b><span class="c3">voluntary</span></b>. This would make the whole affair unpleasant and rob Philemon of any reward he otherwise might have had.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. Essentially, Paul gives Philemon the freedom to do what is right in love before the Lord, and he gives the freedom to do it on his own choice, not out of Paul’s compulsion.</p>
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<p class="c1">3. (<a onclick="return mV('Phm',1,'15-16');">15-16</a>) Paul explains the providential hand of God at work in Onesimus’ escape.</p>
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<p class="c2"><span>For perhaps he departed for a while for this <i>purpose, </i>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.</span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Departed for a while</span></b>: It was true that Philemon <b><span class="c3">departed</span></b>, but Paul would send him back. Somehow, <b><span class="c3">departed for a while</span></b> doesn’t sound nearly as bad as <i>escaped slave</i>.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. In writing <b><span class="c3">departed for a while</span></b>, Paul spoke softly of a slave’s escape. Clarke says of this phrase, “This is another most delicate stroke.”</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose</span></b>: In some ways, the escape of Onesimus was nothing but trouble. It deprived Philemon of a worker and an asset. It made Onesimus a criminal, possibly subject to the death penalty. Yet in it all, Paul could see a <b><span class="c3">purpose</span></b> of God and he wanted Philemon to see the <b><span class="c3">purpose</span></b> also.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. The phrase, “<b><span class="c3">for perhaps</span></b>” is important. It showed that Paul did not come to Philemon in this manner: “Philemon, God has shown me His hidden hand at work, and you must accept what I see also.” Instead, <b><span class="c3">for perhaps</span></b> means Paul’s heart is like this: “Philemon, it seems to me that God is working in unusual ways here. Let me tell you what I see, and <b><span class="c3">perhaps</span></b> it will make sense to you.”</p>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">That you may receive him forever</span></b>: This was one aspect of the <b><span class="c3">purpose</span></b> Paul saw God working in the escape of Onesimus. Philemon the master lost a slave; but Philemon the Christian gained a brother, and he gained that brother <b><span class="c3">forever</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. “Here the apostle makes the best of an ill-matter. Converts are to be gently handled, and their former evil practices not to be aggravated.” (Trapp)</p>
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<p class="c4">d. <b><span class="c3">That you might receive him forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave; a beloved brother</span></b><span>:</span> Paul “re-introduced” Onesimus to Philemon; not as a slave, but as a brother. In this relationship as brothers and not slaves, Paul effectively abolished the sting of the “master-slave” relationship and laid the foundation for the eventual legal abolition of slavery. If a man is a stranger, I might make him my slave. But how can my brother be my slave?</p>
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<p class="c5">i. This breaking of the distinction between master and slave was an absolutely revolutionary development. It did far more to change society than the passing of a law prohibiting slavery.</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. “What the letter to Philemon does is to bring the institution into an atmosphere where it could only wilt and die. Where master and slave were united in affection as brothers in Christ, formal emancipation would be but a matter of expediency, the legal confirmation of their new relationship.” (Bruce)</p>
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<p class="c5">iii. The transformation of the <i>individual</i> is the key to the transformation of society and the moral environment. “<span>But mark this word, - the true reforming of the drunkard lies in giving him a new heart; the true reclaiming of the harlot is to be found in a renewed nature....I see certain of my brethren fiddling away at the branches of the tree of vice with their wooden saws, but, as for the gospel, it lays the axe at the roots of the whole forest of evil, and if it be fairly received into the heart it fells all the bad trees at once, and instead of them there spring up the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box tree together, to beautify the house of our Master’s glory.” (Spurgeon)</span></p>
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<p class="c1">4. (<a onclick="return mV('Phm',1,'17-19');">17-19</a>) Paul’s personal promise of restitution towards Philemon.</p>
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<p class="c2"><span>If then you count me as a partner, receive him as <i>you would </i>me. 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.</span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me</span></b>: Again, Paul stood beside Onesimus, requesting mercy. “If I am your partner in the gospel, then treat Onesimus like you would treat me.”</p>
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<p class="c5">i. Paul’s appeal is powerful because he stood beside a guilty man and said to the owner of the slave, “I know this man is a criminal and deserves punishment. Yet this slave is my friend, so if you punish him punish me also. I stand beside him to take his punishment.” This is what Jesus does for us before our master, God the Father.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account</span></b><span>:</span> Apparently when Onesimus escaped he also stole from Philemon. This in itself was a capital crime. Paul asked that the value of what had been stolen be “charged” to Paul’s <b><span class="c3">account</span></b>. “Put it on my tab, Philemon.”</p>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">I, Paul, am writing with my own hand. I will repay</span></b><span>: Paul was so serious about that he gave Philemon a personal</span> IOU, written by his own hand. When Paul said to Philemon, “charge the wrong of Onesimus to my account,” he essentially did for Onesimus what Jesus did for us in taking our sins to <i>His</i> account.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. “Here we see how Paul lays himself out for poor Onesimus, and with all his means pleads his cause with his master, and so sets himself as if he were Onesimus, and had himself done wrong to Philemon. Even as Christ did for us with God the Father, thus also does Paul for Onesimus with Philemon. We are all his Onesimi, to my thinking.” (Luther)</p>
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<p class="c4">d. <b><span class="c3">Not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self besides</span></b>: While “accounts” are being studied, Paul mentioned one more thing. “Philemon, remember that I have a lot of credit on your account, because you <b><span class="c3">owe me even your own self besides</span></b>.” Paul could afford to pay Onesimus’ expenses because there was a sense in which Philemon owed Paul his salvation!</p>
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<p class="c1">5. (<a onclick="return mV('Phm',1,'20-22');">20-22</a>) Paul’s confidence in Philemon’s response.</p>
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<p class="c2"><span>Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in the Lord. Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. But, meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted to you.</span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Let me have joy from you in the Lord</span></b>: <b><span class="c3">Joy</span></b> is more literally <i>profit</i>. It translates the ancient Greek word <i><span>oninemi</span></i>, the root word for the name “Onesimus.” Paul used another play on words and the name Onesimus to communicate a not so subtle request: “Let me have Onesimus back from you in the Lord.”<b><span class="c3"></span></b></p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Refresh my heart in the Lord</span></b>: Earlier in the letter, Paul said that Philemon was a man who refreshed the heart of the saints (<a onclick="return mV('Phm',1,7);">Phm 1:7</a>). Now, he specifically told Philemon how he could refresh Paul’s heart: by allowing Onesimus to stay with Paul.</p>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">Knowing that you will do even more than I say</span></b>: Paul’s letter, full of appeal, was also full of hope. Philemon was not a bad or a harsh man. Paul had every reason to expect that he would fulfill his Christian duty and <b><span class="c3">do even more that</span></b> Paul asked.</p>
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<p class="c4">d. <b><span class="c3">But, meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me</span></b><span>: This showed the close relationship between Paul and Philemon. Paul knew that hospitality always waited for him at Philemon’s home.</span></p>
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<p class="c4"><span>e. <b><span class="c3">I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted to you</span></b></span>: Paul wanted Philemon to pray, and he didn’t think the prayers were a mere formality. Paul believed that it would be <b><span class="c3">through</span></b> the <b><span class="c3">prayers</span></b> of Philemon that they would once again be together.</p>
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<p>C. Conclusion.</p>
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<p class="c1">1. (<a onclick="return mV('Phm',1,'23-24');">23-24</a>) Paul sends greetings to Philemon from common friends in Rome.</p>
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<p class="c2"><span>Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, <i>as do </i>Mar, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers. </span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Ephaphras...Mark...Aristachus...my fellow laborers</span></b>: Each of these names is also mentioned in the conclusion of the letter to the Colossians (<a onclick="return mV('Col',4,'10-17');">Col 4:10-17</a>). This confirms that the two letters went to the same place. Philemon lived in Colosse.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. <b><span class="c3">Fellow prisoner</span></b>: “Literally ‘a prisoner of war,’ used metaphorically.” (Oesterley)</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Demas</span></b>: “<i>Demas</i> is supposed to be the same who continued in his attachment to Paul till his last imprisonment at Rome: after which he left him for what is supposed to have been the <i>love of the world</i>, <a onclick="return mV('2Ti',4,10);">2Ti 4:10</a>.” (Clarke)</p>
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<p class="c1">2. (<a onclick="return mV('Phm',1,25);">25</a>) Conclusion to the letter.</p>
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<p class="c2"><span>The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ <i>be </i>with your spirit. Amen.</span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit</span></b>: We see some enduring principles from Paul’s letter to Philemon.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. <i>Paul never called for an overthrow of the system of slavery, yet the principles in the letter to Philemon destroy slavery.</i> The greatest social changes come when people are changed, one heart at a time. In our society, racism and our low regard for the unborn cannot be eliminated by laws; a change of heart must occur.</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. <i>Onesimus was obligated to return to his master. </i>When we do something wrong, we must do our best to set it right. Being made a <i>new creation</i> in Christ (<a onclick="return mV('2Cr',5,17);">2Cr 5:17</a>) does not end our responsibility to make restitution; it increases our obligation, even when restitution is difficult.</p>
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<p class="c5">iii. <i>Onesimus was morally responsible for his wrongs.</i> Philemon demonstrates that we are <i>not</i> primarily directed by economics, despite the ideas of Marxists and modern liberals. Whether rich or poor, we are to be directed by the Spirit of God, not our economic status.</p>
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<p class="c5">iv. “No part of the New Testament more clearly demonstrates integrated Christian thinking and living. It offers a blend, utterly characteristic of Paul, of love, wisdom, humour, gentleness, tact, and above all Christian and human maturity.” (Wright)</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Amen</span></b>: The conclusion of the letter can lead us to ask, “Why is the letter to Philemon in our Bibles?” In <span class="c6">a.d.</span> 110, the bishop of Ephesus was named Onesimus, and it could have been this same man. If Onesimus was in his late teens or early twenties when Paul wrote this letter, he would then be about 70 years old in <span class="c6">a.d. </span>110 and that was not an unreasonable age for a bishop in those days.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. “Ignatius, in his Epistle to the Ephesians, maketh mention of Onesimus, as pastor of Ephesus, next after Timothy. The Roman Martyrologue saith, that he was stoned to death at Rome, under Trajan the emperor.” (Trapp)</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. There is also some historical evidence that the letters of Paul were first gathered as a group in the city of Ephesus. Perhaps Onesimus first compiled the letters, and wanted to make sure <i>his</i> letter - his charter of freedom - was included.</p>
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