Be Reconciled To One Another
Philemon 1:1-3
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. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul underpin a letter to Philemon, a beloved fellow prisoner of Christ -who labor to please the Lord rather than man – He reminded him of Christ’s expectation of him as a fellow laborer in the Lord. Be Reconciled To One Another, He acknowledged the gathering of the brethren, probably the church in Colossians in his house. With endearment, he blessed the beloved: Philemon Apphia, and Archippus, laborers in Lord and the church with grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philemon 1: 4-7
As I remember you in my prayers, because I heard about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people. “ The generous soul will be blessed and he who waters will also be watered himself.” Proverbs 11:25.
Be Reconciled To One Another, Paul, a man of fervent prayers, told Philemon he kept him in his prayers and prayed their partnership in faith would be effective in expanding the knowledge and understanding of Christ. “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” Proverbs 27:17. Paul commended Philemon for his love for God’s people and his faith in the Lord. Paul acknowledged Philemon services to the Lord’s people strengthen, stimulate, and sustain growth among them, and he expounded Philemon’s service also gave him great joy knowing Philemon was imitating Christ.
Jesus said: ”As the Father loved me, I have also loved you, abide in my love. If you keep my commandment, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you that my joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:9-12
Philemon 1: 8-11
Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus—that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.
Be Reconciled To One Another, Paul a humble faithful minister of Christ convey in a subtle way, a servant of God must not be controlling, but in humanity teach truth in love with patience. He encouraged Philemon to receive Onesimus, with brotherly love, without hypocrisy, abhorred what is evil and cling to what is good.
Paul encouraged Philemon to be kind to Onesimus, tenderhearted, forgiving him even as Christ forgives Philemon, knowing His master is in heaven and there is no partiality with Him. Paul appealed for Onesimus by implicitly telling Philemon, let age speak and the multitude of years with the Lord teach wisdom- he became Onesimus father while in chain. As fellow prisoner of Christ, he reminded his friend there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ. “ For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free and have been made to drink into one Spirit.1 Corinthians 12:13.
Paul appeal to Philemon to receive Onesimus, a son in the faith who is now useful to both of them, similar to how the Lord justified both Jews and gentiles by faith as prophesied in Hosea: “ I will call them my people, who were not my people, and her beloved, who was not beloved. And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, you are not my people, there they shall be called sons of the living God”
Philemon 1: 12 -16
I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary. Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.
Paul sent Onesimus to Philemon to convey his value and importance, as he affectingly called him his son. Despite the legal normalcy – “ You shall not give back to his master the slave who has escaped from his master to you.” Deuteronomy 23:15. Paul treated Onesimus; as he would have loved to be treated -to fulfill the law and the prophet. “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the law and the prophet. Matthew 7:12.
Paul, an ambassador of Christ, could have kept Onesimus as proxy for Philemon; instead he put the interest of Philemon above his and focused on reconciling the fracture relationship between the two brothers. He acknowledged Philemon was separated from Onesimus for a time. Similar to how one man disobedience made many sinners, and obedience to sin enslaves and separate many from God, yet God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself not imputing their trespasses to them and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:19.
Paul encouraged Philemon to receive and accept Onesimus as a dear brother – in essence, he was saying, the slave is no longer a slave, better than a slave, he is now your brother-who has been redeemed from the law. Onesimus a member of the household of God- the God whose name is profane, when one enslaves another. Onesimus, a faithful beloved brother should be accepted as one of the fellow workers of Christ. “ In the fullness of time, God send forth His son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts crying out “Abba Father. Therefore you are no longer slave but a son, and if the son, then an heir of God through Christ. “ Galatians 4:5 -7.
Paul admonished Philemon to adhere to Christian instructions for social order, where master (employers) are to give their servant (employee) what is just and fair, knowing that they also have a master in heaven. He reminded Philemon, the Lord, our master in heaven, reward each man according to His work, regardless of his social or financial statue, for there is no partiality with Him.
Pause & think
- Compare the Old and New Testament narrative on slavery
- Look at slavery in context of living under the law versus living under grace
- Can a Christian be a slave owner-When did Philemon become a slave owner and why did Onesimus run away?
- Do you think Onesimus and Philemon reconciled their relationship?
- What did Jesus say about slavery?
Philemon 1:17-21
If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me but, if he has wrong you or owes anything, put that on my account. I, Paul writing with my own hand. I will repay – not to mention to you that you owe me even your owe self besides. Yes, brother, let me have joy in the Lord, refresh my heart in the Lord.
As partner of the gospel of truth, Paul reminded Philemon their relationship was rooted in Christ and bound by His love. They – Paul, Philemon and now Onesimus- are sons of God, members of the same household, who share one purpose – to make disciples and teach them all Christ taught them.“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you and lo, I am with you always even to the end of the age.” Amen. Matthew 28:19.
“Go into the all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues, they will take serpents and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick and they will recover. So then after the Lord has spoken to them, He was received up into the heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompany signs.” Amen. Mark 15:18, 19
He urged Philemon; the strong should bear with the scruples of the weak, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, as Christ forgives us. Colossians 3:13,
Paul imitating Christ offered to compensate Philemon whatever Onesimus owed him – “The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life.” Romans 6:23. “Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtained mercy”Walking in the footsteps of Christ, Paul had confidence Philemon would receive the word of reconciliation -be reconciled to Onesimus- and obey it. “Then Peter came to him and said. Lord how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times? Jesus said: I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seven times seven. “
Pause & think
- Is Paul implying its OK to partner with a thief-how many times should you forgive a brother or sister, particularly for a repeated offense?
- Does forgiveness require action from the offender?
- Is forgiveness and act of the will or something you feel?
- Is forgiveness unconditional or conditional? (Matthew 5 :23, 43-48; 18:22, Luke 17:3, 23:34)
Beloved let us love one another “for love is of God” and every one who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for “God is love.” 1 John 3:7-8
May the Lord of the harvest send laborers into His harvest, for the harvest is plenty and the laborers are few and may He flood our hearts with the love of God to empower us to love not only in words or in tongue but in deed and truth to the praise of His glory and grace through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.