New Found Freedom in ChristPhilemon 1:1 – 1:24

The Apostolic GreetingPhilemon 1:1-3

Verses 1-3: 1 “Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,” The letter begins with the usual identification of the person writing the letter. This letter to Philemon is coming from the apostle Paul and his associate Timothy. Paul makes no reference to his apostolic office as he does in writing Colossians. Instead of identifying himself as an apostle of Christ, Paul identifies himself as a ‘prisoner for Christ Jesus’ to both identify with Onesimus the slave and with all humanity as being bound to sin. The Greek word used here (desmios de,smioj) means a prisoner or one who is in bonds or chains. Notice that Paul does not say that he is a prisoner of Rome or even that he is in a Roman prison but rather that he is a prisoner for Christ Jesus. Paul shows his faith by reminding Philemon that earthly governments are not really in control of our lives but rather God is. It is God alone who determines what happens to us and He does this for a reason. Therefore Paul glorifies God in his imprisonment by confessing that Christ Jesus is in control of his life and his situation, (Ephesians 3:1; 2 Timothy 1:8). Timothy assists and supports Paul in writing this letter.

“To Philemon our beloved fellow worker” Philemon, too, belongs to Jesus Christ but enjoys his liberty. When he reads these lines from one of Christ's prisoners, his heart will be moved and deeply touched. Since they likewise come from a brother, a close associate of this prisoner and one who is with all his soul devoted to this prisoner's great work, this letter will move Philemon to respond in a brotherly spirit. Paul addresses Philemon as ‘a fellow worker’. The Greek word used here (sunergos sunergo,j) literally means one who works together, a co-worker, supporter or helper. Paul is implying that Philemon is a leader or respected person in the local congregation in Colossae. The phrase does not mean that Philemon held any office within the congregation but that he also worked in spreading the gospel message, (Romans 16:3, 5, 9; 1 Corinthians 3:9; 2 Corinthians 1:24; Colossians 4:15). As he was able, Philemon worked in the same cause that was so dear to Paul and Timothy – the spread of the gospel. Love bound them together. This bond justifies the appeal made in this letter and will move Philemon to respond in a brotherly spirit.

Paul reminds Philemon that he is also a prisoner and therefore he has an understanding of Onesimus’ position as a slave. Paul makes no social commentary on the ethics of owning slaves, but he gently reminds Philemon that he also is a captive, (Philemon 1:1, 9). Paul makes it clear that Christianity does not sanction slavery. Christ came to set the captives free and make Christians equal. Paul couldn’t directly attack the institution of slavery as it was so much a part of the times. To do so would cause him even greater trouble and detract from his purpose of spreading the Gospel. However, he does strongly suggest that Philemon needs to forgive Onesimus (the useful one) and set him free even if it is only because Philemon (the loving one) owes Paul (the little one) for the preaching that brought him to Christ.

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2 “and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house.” Now we see the people to whom the letter was written. Philemon, the master of Onesimus, was the principal to whom the letter is inscribed, the head of the family, in whom was the authority and power of taking in or shutting out, and whose property Onesimus was. Philemon had the main responsibility of either showing grace or law. Philemon was a good man and a man of wealth. He was well respected and even hosted the local congregation’s weekly worship services in his home. With Philemon is listed Apphia. She is most likely his wife and hence managed the household affairs. She was also offended and injured by Onesimus, and therefore it was proper to be mentioned of in a letter asking for reconciliation and forgiveness. Justice and prudence would direct Paul to include her in this letter. She is mentioned before Archippus, as more concerned and having more interest in Onesimus. As a married couple, their interests are one, and their affections and actions must correspond. These are the principal parties written to. Nothing else is known about Apphia.

The secondary recipients of this letter are Archippus and the church in Philemon’s house. Archippus was most likely their son. If Apphia and Archippus did not belong to his family, they would not have been included with Philemon in the address of a letter on a domestic matter. While the father is called "our fellow worker," the son is called "our fellow soldier". While Philemon assisted in the spread of the gospel by providing money, a location to worship in, and accommodations for travelling evangelists, his son Archippus was more directly involved in the congregational worship services. The Greek word (sustratiotes sustratio.tej) translated as ‘fellow soldier’ implies that Archippus was more directly involved in spreading the gospel like Paul and Timothy, who had fought against Judaizers in Colossae during the absence of Epaphras (Epaphroditus), (Philippians 2:25). Archippus was probably in charge of this work during the current absence of Epaphras. If he was Philemon’s son, he would be comparatively young for such a position, yet for this very reason Paul may have addressed him to spur him on in his labors and to urge him not to be timid because of his youth, (Colossians 4:17).

To those names it is added, “and to the church in your house.” In large cities there would be several meeting places. Before the third century there is no evidence of special church buildings for worship, (Acts 12:12 – church in Mary’s house in Jerusalem; 1 Corinthians 16:19 – church in the house of Aquila and Priscilla in Ephesus; Romans 16:5 – church in the house of Priscilla and Aquila in Rome; Colossians 4:15 – church in the house of Nympha in Laodicea). Whether the church in Philemon’s house was the local congregation or just his immediate family, they are an assembly of Christian believers and will be impacted by the return of Onesimus.

3 “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” This was the customary apostolic greeting uniting both Gentile and Jewish believers, (Ephesians 1:2). Gentiles would normally greet each other with “Grace” and Jewish people would greet each other by saying “Peace” in their ordinary greetings. Both are united in Christ and both are included in this greeting.

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The Character of PhilemonPhilemon 1:4-7

Verses 4-7: 4 “I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers” Paul begins the main body of his letter by praising Philemon. It was not Paul's intent to flatter him. Rather, the apostle knew that legitimate praise feeds virtue and provides an antidote for sin. The virtuous character of Philemon becomes the foundation upon which Paul bases his appeal for him to forgive Onesimus. Paul finds delight in writing this about Philemon. But he also hopes that Philemon will afford him an additional reason for thanksgiving to God by the fact that he forgives Onesimus and receives him back in the way in which Paul desires him to do so.

“I thank my God always” Paul says that he always thanks (eucharisteo euvchariste,w)God for Philemon. Paul is not saying that in every prayer that he prays he gives thanks to God for Philemon. Rather that whenever he thinks of Philemon or hears about his good works in Colossae, he gives thanks to God for Philemon’s faith visible in his works. This thanksgiving is especially meaningful because of its personal character. Epaphras, Philemon's pastor at Colossae, was with Paul in Rome as he wrote this epistle, (Philemon 1:23). He, along with Onesimus, could testify about Philemon’s love for Christ and for others. Their combined testimony enabled Paul to say to Philemon, “I thank my God always, making mention of or remembering you in my prayers”. Paul was always able to give thanks to God when he prayed for Philemon. He knew nothing negative about him. The book of Philemon supports that. Everything Paul heard about Philemon was good. Paul did not believe that forgiving Onesimus would be difficult for Philemon.

“my God.” God is the author of all the good that is in any of us, or that is done by anyone, (Hosea 14:8). To Him therefore is all the praise due, (1 Chronicles 29:13-14). The possessive pronoun ‘my’ draws attention to Paul's special awareness of his own relationship with God. In Greek, this pronoun (ego e;gw) is always used to emphasize a relationship. The word ‘always’ is characteristic of Paul when referring to his prayer for his readers, (1 Corinthians 1:4; Philemon 1:4; Colossians 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 1:2). Paul has a personal relationship with God and he knows that Philemon does as well. The common bond of brothers in the Lord is an important aspect of the relationship between Paul, Philemon and Onesimus. They are all equally forgiven, redeemed, and sanctified children of the same Heavenly Father and as such they have a bond, a relationship, a fellowship beyond what the world can understand or appreciate. This allows Paul to send such a personal letter.

Christians forgive because they are reconciled to Jesus Christ. Unbelievers do not have that capacity. Paul points that out in Romans 3:10-16: As it is written, "There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one. Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving, the poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is

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full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery is in their paths." Those controlled by bitterness will find it difficult to forgive.“when I remember you in my prayers” The Greek text would literally read “when I make mention or remembrance of you in my prayers”. It is apparent from this that Paul, in his private devotions, was in the habit of remembering or mentioning churches and individuals by name. He not only prayed for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven but he also prayed for specific and individual needs. Although Paul was a prisoner, he found opportunity for private devotion. Though burdened with many cares and sorrows, and about to be put on trial for his life, Paul did not forget to remember a Christian brother a great distance from him, and to bear him on his heart before the throne of grace. To remember with affectionate concern these churches and individuals, as he did, Paul must have been a man of much prayer.

Our prayers and praises should be offered up to God, not only for ourselves, but also for others. We should pray corporately (as part of the Body of Believers, The Lord’s Prayer) as well as privately. Private prayers should not only be about our own personal needs or wants. This is not to say that we should not pray for ourselves and for our needs, but our prayers should also be for others, especially our fellow Christians. We should rejoice and be thankful for any good that God sends their way as well as any good that they do. We should also pray for their needs. We should pray for ourselves and for all other people. We are even told to pray for our enemies, (Matthew 5:44).

In our prayers we should ask for everything that tends to the glory of God and to our own and our neighbor's welfare, both spiritual and bodily blessings. We should also praise and thank God for who He is and what He has done. A commonly used pattern for prayer is to pray ACTS: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication.

AdorationThis sets the stage for prayer. As we praise God for His greatness and goodness, we remind ourselves that the Ruler of creation is our loving heavenly Father. He is with us, willing to listen and answer.

ConfessionGod sees our hearts. He knows we have failed to love Him, ourselves and others. We need to confess specific sins, not just vaguely "all our sins and iniquities." If we repent, God is faithful and forgives. He is merciful, not because we are deserving, but because He is love. That love was costly! Jesus died a horrible death to pay for our sins.

ThanksgivingWe express gratitude for the Lord's amazing grace—for our spiritual and temporal gifts. Counting our blessings trains us to praise and thank God before we ask Him for more.

SupplicationHonestly and simply we can tell God all the needs, wants, problems, dreams and hopes we have as well as others have. Nothing is too big or too small for God's attention. He will do what we have asked Him to do—according to His wise and loving will. He is our beautiful Savior who wants us to stay in personal touch with Him.

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5 “because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and all the saints,” In many of his letters, Paul thanks God for the Christians whose faith is visible on the basis of their works, (Romans 1:7-8; Colossians 1:3-4; 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3), for such works give evidence that people have truly been born of God. The most common characteristic of those born of God is their love for other Christians. Here Paul commends Philemon for all his good Christian conduct and acknowledges that Philemon has love and faith toward all saints. Paul is certain that when Philemon hears that Onesimus had been saved and all the help that he had been to Paul, Philemon will demonstrate compassion and forgiveness for Onesimus. Paul models Christian love for Philemon which he asks Philemon to also have for Onesimus. He extends his prayers to Philemon and acknowledges Philemon’s reputation as a godly man. He is not pandering to Philemon’s vanity. He is sincere in mentioning Philemon’s virtues. Philemon was his friend and Paul knew first hand that he was sincere in his faith.

The apostle joins prayer with his praises that the fruits of Philemon’s faith and love might be more and more conspicuous, so that the communication of them might constrain others to acknowledge all the good things that were in him and in his house towards Christ Jesus. Good works must be done, not of vain-glory to be seen, yet such as may be seen to God’s glory and the good of men.

“because I hear of your love and of the faith” The Greek here literally says, “hearing of your love and faith”. The word ‘hearing’ is a present participle. Paul is presently hearing what Onesimus, who himself is now a Christian, and Epaphras, the Elder in the Colossian church, are telling him about Philemon. This is the grounds for Paul’s thankfulness and rejoicing. He is hearing that the faith Philemon has is bearing the expected fruit.

What is it that causes Paul to rejoice and give thanks? It is Philemon’s faith in and love for Jesus and his love for his fellow believers. The theological order is first faith then love, the fruit of faith. But he purposely puts Philemon’s love in the first place, as it is to an act of love that he is exhorting him. Reversing the order of the words love and faith does not change the meaning. Paul is saying that love is always the fruit of faith. The Greek word translated as love (agape avga,ph) is the love of will and choice, of self-sacrifice and humility. It is the same word used to describe God’s love for humanity, (John 3:16). This is the love of intelligence, decision and purpose. Love is a fruit of the Spirit, (Galatians 5:22) and a manifestation of genuine saving faith, (Galatians 5:6; 1 John 3:14). God teaches Christians how to love one another, (1 Thessalonians 4:9). The source of love is always the indwelling Holy Spirit, (Romans 5:5). In this letter, Paul asks Philemon to use both love and faith in regard to Onesimus. Onesimus is to be received as a brother in the faith and thus in Christian love.

“that you have toward the Lord Jesus” Love for Christ, and faith in Him, are prime Christian graces, for which there is great reason to thank and praise God, (Romans 1:8; Colossians 1:3-4). This is a saving grace and the very principle of Christian life

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and all good works. The Greek word translated as ‘toward’ (pros pro,j) means for, toward, to, in, into. Paul is saying that Philemon has great love for or in Jesus.The first characteristic of one who forgives is a concern for the Lord. Paul had heard about the deeds of love that Philemon was doing. His actions proved that his faith in the Lord was strong and active. As a true believer, Philemon loved the Lord and desired to please Him. Because he had received God’s love and forgiveness, Philemon could forgive others. Conviction from the indwelling Holy Spirit and from the Word of God would also provide the impetus for Philemon to do what was right. The present tense of the Greek verb ‘you have’ (echo e;cw) demonstrates the continuous nature of Philemon's love for the Lord. It was his normal life to show love that was in him to others. He had even opened up his home as a place to worship the Lord. His unwavering faith gave Paul confidence in his willingness to forgive.

Christians can forgive because they are reconciled to Jesus Christ. Unbelievers do not have that capacity. Paul points that out in Romans 3:10-16: “As it is written, "There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one. Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving, the poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery is in their paths."

“and all the saints” Paul praises God as he remembers Philemon’s love for all the saints. Because Philemon's faith was real, it manifested itself in true biblical love. That agape love expressed itself in a concern for people and especially for fellow Christians. Philemon's concern for people gave him the ability to forgive.

Love for God and subsequently love for others must go together. As we read in 1 John 4:7-13: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.” Paul combines these same two virtues in many of his letters. Faith and love are the pure gifts of God’s grace. They are the evidence of a regenerated heart. They cannot be ascribed to human power or will. A person who is forgiven because of God’s great love for us will be an instrument of that same love. The love of God shown to us, flows through us to those around us. This love can be shown in many different ways. Here Paul is reminding Philemon of his great love for the members of his congregation – the saints that reside in Colossae. He is about to ask Philemon to continue to demonstrate the love of God that was within him by showing forgiveness and love to Onesimus. We no more deserved God’s love and forgiveness than anyone else, yet God chose to be gracious and forgiving to us. Paul is saying that just as Philemon has shown his faith by expressions of love to the saints in Colossae, so he should also show his faith in

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Jesus by expressing his love and forgiveness to his runaway slave Onesimus who is also now a brother in Christ.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.” A literal translation of this phrase would be: “that the fellowship of your faith may become working in the full knowledge of every good thing that is in you unto Christ Jesus”. This verse echoes other verses where Paul thanks God for His grace and love poured out upon us, (Ephesians 1:3). Paul has heard good reports about Philemon from Onesimus and Epaphras and he is thankful that Philemon’s faith has grown and blossomed. Paul even thanks God in his prayers that Philemon’s faith has taken root and produced fruit. Now he prays that the evidences of Philemon’s faith will continue to be evidenced and that more fruit will be produced. Paul is in essence saying that Philemon is doing what the apostle James says about a living faith: “But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works”, (James 2:18). For this Paul also thanks God and asks God to continue to bless both Philemon and the good works of love towards the saints that are a result of his faith. Paul expects Philemon to continue to demonstrate an active love for the Lord and for others when he asks him to forgive and restore his runaway slave Onesimus who is now a brother in Christ.

“and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective” Philemon is a respected member of the church that meets in his home. Paul is about to ask him to not only forgive Onesimus but restore him to his previous position because Onesimus is now a fellow Christian. How Philemon reacts to Paul’s request will impact not only his immediate family but also the entire local congregation. Real faith and love will result in forgiveness and restoration. Philemon will even welcome Onesimus into the fellowship of believers. Paul shows his concern for maintaining the fellowship within the household of Philemon and within the church there when Onesimus returns. The Greek word translated as ‘sharing’ (koinonia koinwni,a) means fellowship, communion, or have in common. In an active sense, it can also mean communication, distribution, contribution, and to communicate. Philemon's faith puts him into fellowship with all the saints. Paul is praying that Philemon’s faith will continue to be visible and communicated to those around him in what he says as well as in what he does, and that he will maintain fellowship of faith with the congregation there by forgiving Onesimus. The faith of some lets this fellowship remain passive. They take whatever good the fellowship of believers produce but contribute nothing in return. They can be referred to as ‘Sunday Christians’. Their faith does not permeate the rest of their lives. Instead they follow the ways of the world the other days of the week. Paul prays that Philemon's faith and fellowship may be energetic.

The Greek word translated as effective (energes evnergh.j) means powerful, active, working, energetic, and effective. This word is used in the New Testament only of superhuman power, namely the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul is saying that the love and other acts of kindness Philemon has shown are a direct result of his faith and are only possible by the power of the Holy Spirit working within him, (James 5:16). Now Paul prays that this will continue even after Onesimus returns. Philemon’s act of forgiveness would send a powerful message to the church about the importance of fellowship, even among slaves and masters, (Galatians 3:28).

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Forgiving a fellow believer, no matter what their offense, makes a strong statement of concern for fellowship, (Ephesians 1:18-21; Philippians 2:12-13; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11).“for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us” This is a very interesting phrase in Greek. Literally it would be translated “in the full knowledge of every good thing that is in you”. The Greek word translated as ‘knowledge’ (epignosis evpi,gnwsij) means experiential knowledge, experience, and recognition. It always implies an understanding gained by experience. Before the fall, Adam and Eve had no knowledge of Good and Evil. Only after they had eaten the forbidden fruit, that is after they had experienced sin, did they have a knowledge of Good and Evil. Philemon has an experiential knowledge of the working of God in his life. He has the knowledge of and the experience of God’s forgiveness and being brought into fellowship with Christ and other believers. He has experienced all of these things. But here Paul is praying that Philemon will come to know and experience the full extent of the grace that God has bestowed on him and the congregation in Colossae by forgiving them. Paul prays that Philemon will see how God has forgiven and continues to forgive not only him but all believers and that he will energize his faith by also forgiving and restoring Onesimus. To fully understand (have a knowledge of) grace and forgiveness, Philemon needs to also show grace and forgiveness. His former slave is now a brother in faith and a fellow forgiven sinner and saint. He is now a brother in Christ and the recipient of God’s grace and forgiveness.

The words ‘in us’ are also translated as ‘in you’. Both variations are found in various Greek manuscripts. The Greek words for each phrase are almost identical (‘in you’ evn u`min and ‘in us’ evn h`min). The meaning stays the same either way. Paul is either praying that Philemon will fully experience and know God’s grace and forgiveness in the lives and actions ‘in you’, that is in your midst or that he will see and know God’s grace and forgiveness ‘in us’ that is, in the fellowship of believers at Colossae. If Philemon forgives and restores Onesimus, he will have full knowledge of grace and forgiveness and he will maintain fellowship with the congregation there. He will make his faith energized in full understanding toward Onesimus, who is now his brother in the faith and is to be loved as a Christian brother. The expression can be translated either way. "In your midst" is appropriate as a number of the brethren in Colossae were likely slaves. This also helps us understand "every good thing as regards Christ" as a number of these things referred to the standing of slaves as brethren in the church, (Galatians 3:28; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Colossians 3:11).

“for the sake of Christ” By sharing and making known the love and goodness in his heart, Philemon would also be giving glory to Christ. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Our ability to love, show kindness, goodness, patience, and even forgiveness is a result of the working of the Holy Spirit within us. The truth which is taught in this passage is therefore that when faith exists in the heart, it is necessary that it should produce proper fruits toward others in such a way that all may see that your faith is alive and well. When God’s grace has bestowed faith upon us and forgiven and restored us, we are then empowered to also demonstrate grace, and forgiveness toward others. In fact, we are obligated to forgive others. The Christian life, with all its joys, duties, and responsibilities, is lived for the sake of, or unto, Christ. The Greek text literally reads,

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"unto Christ." (eis Christon eivs cristo,n). The goal of everything believers do should be the glory of Christ, (1 Corinthians 10:31). Someone living unto Christ's glory would certainly forgive another, as an unforgiving spirit does not glorify Christ.

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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.” Philemon had a reputation for love, a fact that brought Paul much joy and comfort. He had in the past shown his love by kindly acts of fellowship also toward slaves. He may have had Christian slaves in his own household already, who would be included in "the church in thy house" and they, too, would hear this letter read. Paul shows what a deep impression the reports of Philemon’s active faith have had upon him. Philemon, as far as we know, was not an elder (pastor), deacon, or teacher in the church. Most likely, he was a businessman. But he was a man of instinctive kindness, a source of blessing to everyone. That kind of person, Paul knew, could be counted on to forgive.

“For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love” Paul uses very similar words of acknowledgment of the evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in many of his other letters (joy and peace – Romans 15:13; comfort and joy – 2 Corinthians 7:4; glory and joy – 1 Thessalonians 2:20). Faith that is energized, that is alive and well, will produce good fruit which is a comfort and joy to all believers. The Greek word translated as ‘joy’ (chara cara.) means joy, gladness, joyful and joyfully. The word translated as ‘comfort’ (paraklesis paraklh,sij) can be understood in the sense of consolation, exhortation, comfort, or encouragement. It is significant that Paul returns here to the thought of Philemon’s love. The evidence of Philemon’s great love, that is his ‘faith in action’ have been reported to Paul and caused him to rejoice and praise God for it. It is not known what Philemon had done to produce this result, but it is generally supposed that it was some act of benevolence which benefited the Colossian Christians

“my brother” Not only is Paul consoled and gladdened by the news of Philemon’s acts of kindness, but he is also a fellow believer in Christ. Philemon is a brother in the Lord. The final address, "brother," is highly effective. It is a full acknowledgment that in all these acts Philemon had shown himself as a true brother of Paul. He is now called upon to show himself as a brother by the way in which he receives Onesimus. In the Greek, the warm address ‘brother’ comes at the end of Paul’s acknowledgment of Philemon’s great love in action which emphasizes it even more. Philemon is a Christian brother and therefore Paul has every expectation that he will respond to Paul’s request to forgive and restore Onesimus, who is also now a Christian brother, in a very Christian and loving way.

“because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.” While we do not know precisely what Philemon had done to provide help and comfort to the Christians in Colossae, we do know that through Philemon, the hearts of the saints had been refreshed. ‘Hearts’ translates the Greek word (splagchnon spla,gcnon) which literally means bowels or spleen. The ancients regarded the bowels as the seat of feelings, passion, affection, kindness and especially benevolence. Mercy and love reside in the bowels for an ancient Hebrew. People struggling, suffering, and hurting emotionally, had been calmed and helped by Philemon. Philemon brought troubled people rest and renewal. Knowing this is another reason why Paul is prepared to present his request about Onesimus to Philemon. Philemon’s love for the Lord was very active and very visible in his treatment of his fellow Christians. Surely he would have the same compassion and love for Onesimus, whom Paul was sending back.

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The Intercession for OnesimusPhilemon 1:8-11

Verses 8-10: 8 “Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required” Paul now comes to the reason and burden of his letter. Although it is the theme of the letter to Philemon, the word forgiveness does not appear in the book. Nor does any explanation of doctrinal principles that would provide the theological foundation for forgiveness. Paul does not appeal to law or principle but to love. He could do that since he knew Philemon to be a godly, spiritually mature man whose heart was right with God.

“Accordingly” The Greek word translated as ‘accordingly’ (dio dio.) means wherefore, therefore, for which cause, and on account of. It links the reason for the letter, given here, with the preceding verses. Having reviewed Philemon’s character and faith and love in action, and his thankfulness and joy because of this, Paul now uses that as a springboard to launch the reason for his letter. Paul has no doubt that Philemon knows that just, as he has been forgiven, so he should also forgive.

“though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required” Paul says that after all the proofs of Philemon’s faith and love in action, (verses 4-7) he has no hesitation that he could command (epitasso evpita.ssw) Philemon what to do regarding Onesimus. Paul knows that since he is an apostle he could simply command Philemon but in this case, he does not give such a command. Paul gives no indication of authority, nor does he indicate that Philemon needs authority in order to make him do the right thing. Paul knows a much more powerful motive, namely the appeal to Christian love. He is writing to Philemon as a ‘brother’, knowing that Philemon will respond as a brother. No higher compliment can be accorded to any Christian.

Paul assumed that Philemon knew the biblical principles that lead Christians to forgive. Here are eight foundational elements of the biblical doctrine of forgiveness.

First, it is not merely murder that is forbidden by the sixth commandment, "You shall not murder", (Exodus 20:13), but also anger and lack of forgiveness. Jesus gave the deeper meaning of that command in Matthew 5:21-22: "You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” When God gave the commandment forbidding murder, He also forbade hate, malice, anger, vengeance, and lack of forgiveness toward anyone. One way to deal with negative attitudes is to remember Jesus' words in Matthew 22:39: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." We find ourselves eminently worthy of forgiveness, and have a hard time understanding why others would not forgive us. We are quick to forgive and excuse ourselves. It is utter selfishness to fail to extend that same forgiveness to others. Selfishness also causes us to exaggerate the faults of those who offend us. In contrast humble, unselfish people do not see offenses against themselves as significant.

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Second, whoever offends us gives greater offense to God because we are His children. All sin is ultimately against God. When David committed adultery with Bathsheba, he sinned against her, her husband, his own family, and the nation. Yet in Psalm 51:4 he cried out to God, "Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, and done what is evil in Thy sight." Whatever his offense against men, his greatest offense was against God. No one could ever offend us the way we have offended God. Yet God graciously and mercifully forgives us. There is no comparison between other people's offenses against us and our offenses against God. If God can forgive, should we not also be able to forgive.

Third, Christians who fail to forgive others will not enjoy forgiveness from God. Jesus said in Matthew 6:14-15, "If you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions." Failing to forgive others hinders our fellowship with God and puts us in danger of His chastening.

Fourth, believers who manifest an unforgiving spirit will not enjoy the fellowship, communion, and love of other saints, (Matthew 18:31). An unforgiving attitude will destroy a believer's relationships with his fellow believers. Unforgiveness not only hinders our relationship with God, but also with other Christians.

Fifth, by refusing to forgive others and seeking revenge, we usurp the authority of God. Paul urged believers to "Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord", (Romans 12:14, 19). By failing to forgive, believers presume to take the sword of divine judgment out of God's hand and wield it themselves. God is far more able to deal with offenses against us than we are.

Sixth, an unforgiving spirit makes believers unfit for worship. In the Sermon on the Mount, our Lord said, "If therefore you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering", (Matthew 5:23-24). Reconciliation, forgiveness, and restoration can and should be initiated by either party. Seek reconciliation.

Seventh, the injuries and offenses believers suffer are their trials and temptations. Jesus said, "Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be Sons of your Father who is in heaven", (Matthew 5:44-45). God will never let injuries, offenses or temptations afflict us that we are not able to resist and overcome if we trust in Him. These things will produce growth and strength in our lives. If we disobey and refuse to forgive, it becomes a temptation resulting in sin.

Eighth, forgiveness should be given even if it is not sought. On the cross, Jesus said, "Father, forgive them," asking forgiveness for those who did not seek it. Stephen asked the Lord to forgive those who were stoning him, though they had not asked for it. Though the relationship will never be restored until the offending person desires forgiveness, still we are not to hold a grudge, but forgive from the heart and be free from any bitterness, showing only love and mercy.

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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” Despite Philemon's spiritual maturity and deep love for Paul, the apostle knew it would be humanly difficult for him to forgive Onesimus. As Philemon read this letter, Onesimus was no doubt standing there in front of him. As he viewed his runaway slave, who had caused him so much trouble, he may have struggled to control his emotions. Paul gives three personal reasons why Philemon should grant his request: (1) For love's sake; (2) Because Paul was aged; and (3) Because Paul was also a prisoner of Jesus Christ and in bonds.

“yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you” Although Paul could tell Philemon what would be the right thing for him to do, knowing that Philemon would respond positively to such a direction, Paul literally says instead, "because of the love I rather entreat you". The Greek word translated as ‘appeal’ (parakaleo parakale,w) literally means to call to one’s side. It is usually translated as beseech, exhort, entreat, summon, urge, and encourage. Paul is not begging or appealing to Philemon to do the right thing, he is urging him to solely on the basis of love. Paul does not want him to respond out of fear of condemnation, but to respond to the love of Christ. The word ‘prefer’ (mallon mallon) is a comparative adverb and has the basic meaning of rather or better. Paul is saying that he could command Philemon but he would ‘rather’ urge him in love, intelligent and purposeful Christian love. Paul knows Philemon has such a love and will exercise it when he is urged to do so. This is what the Christian life is like and how it differs from living under the Law. Rather than being subjected to a set of rules and regulations, Christians are to be motivated by their faith in God's grace and apply the spirit of God’s grace rather than applying the law.

“I, Paul, an old man” Though Paul was now about sixty, an old man in that era of shorter life spans, he may not have been much older than Philemon who had a grown son in the ministry. By stating that he is an old man (presbutes presbu.thj), Paul is not just referring to his chronological age but also to the length of time that he has been an apostle of Christ. Paul was older than his years. His aging process had been accelerated by all that he had suffered, (2 Corinthians 11:23-30). The years of imprisonment, beatings, poor food, illnesses, difficult journeys, persecution, and concern for the church had all taken their toll. All of that was bound up in Paul's description of himself as an ‘old man’. Out of respect for such a person one might obey a direct order that is given in Christ's name but not so readily obey an order from a younger man, a beginner in the Lord’s word. Paul has been an apostle for Christ a long time and is now suffering because of that work. Paul is to some extent already a martyr in the great cause in which Philemon, too, was a joint worker. One would, therefore, all the more obey an order given in Christ from this old man. Paul knows that Philemon would certainly do so.

“and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus” If love and Paul’s age were not enough to cause Philemon to respond to his request as Paul hoped he would, Paul now reminds Philemon that he is a prisoner (desmois de,smoij) of Christ Jesus. Philemon could not possibly turn down a request from a man in such honorable suffering. How could Philemon refuse the request of one who was suffering in prison on account of their

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common faith? For such a prisoner, we should be ready to do all that we can to mitigate the sorrows of his confinement, and to make his condition bearable. 10 “I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment.” For the first time in his epistle Paul now tells Philemon the main reason for this letter and for the first time mentions Onesimus by name. When he mentions Onesimus, he does not first describe him as Philemon's slave but rather as Paul’s child. It is also apparent that Onesimus himself was not a prisoner there, but rather purposely came to see Paul in prison. In verses 10-18, Paul describes three actions that must be taken by one who forgives. Full forgiveness involves reception (verses 10-11), restoration (verses 12-16), and restitution (verses 17-18).

Reception is the first step in the process of forgiveness. It entails opening up one's life and taking back the person who offended. Philemon needed to receive this slave back into his life because Onesimus sought forgiveness, as shown by three things.

First, he was repentant. The very fact that Onesimus was standing there as Philemon read the letter proved his repentant attitude. Paul could not force Onesimus to return. He willingly returned to face the master he had wronged and who had the power to punish him severely. Before he ever verbally repented, Onesimus demonstrated the fruit of genuine repentance and sought restoration with the one he had wronged. This former fugitive is now part of Paul's spiritual family, like Timothy, Titus, and Philemon himself. His repentance shows the genuineness of his faith.

Second, Onesimus was transformed. Philemon was not getting back the same man he had lost. Onesimus had run away as a useless, pagan slave. He who was formerly useless had been radically changed by the grace of God. Now he is a follower of Christ. He is useful now to both Paul and Philemon.

Third, Onesimus had proven himself to be faithful. Now that Onesimus was a brother in the Lord, his whole attitude about life and others had changed. The time he had spent with Paul in Rome had proven that his faith and his love for the Lord were genuine. He had become so helpful to Paul that the apostle wished he could keep him with him in Rome. Sending him back to Philemon was like sending Paul's very heart. Paul's feelings ran deep for this fugitive Phrygian slave. He had taken him in and found him to be a great man. But without Philemon’s consent, Paul could not legitimately keep Onesimus. Paul assumes that Philemon would want Onesimus to be returned, but would not presume on that nor leave the relationship between the two men unresolved for some personal gain of his own. Paul knew Philemon and Onesimus needed to meet face to face and, if they did, Philemon would find Onesimus a changed man and take him back.

“I appeal to you for my child” This little phrase in Greek is very personal and compassionate. Literally Paul is saying, “I urge you concerning my own child”. While Onesimus had been visiting Paul, Paul had grown to love him as if he were his own son. Onesimus had been a great joy to Paul and had also helped him. If Paul had just written that he was sending back his runaway slave, Philemon might have remembered only his hurt and anger and immediately punished Onesimus. But Paul tactfully and delicately calls Onesimus his spiritual child. This immediately puts

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Philemon in a different frame of mind. If Paul considers Onesimus as a son, perhaps there is reason to look at Onesimus in a different light. It is interesting that in the original Greek text, the name Onesimus is not mentioned until the very end of the sentence. The Greek reads: "I entreat you concerning a son of mine, whom I have begotten in my bonds - Onesimus." In the Greek, Paul does not mention his name until he had explained all of the changes that had happened to Onesimus. He was no longer just a pagan runaway slave. He was now a brother in the Lord. He was a willing servant of Christ and had faithfully helped Paul in his imprisonment. Paul appreciated him so much that he referred to him as a son, a spiritual descendant. Paul does not mention his name until he has informed Philemon of how Onesimus has changed. Then when the name of Onesimus is mentioned, it would occur to Philemon not primarily as the name of an ungrateful and disobedient servant, but as one who is now a brother in Christ.

“whose father I became in my imprisonment.” Paul has begotten Onesimus through the Gospel, (1 Corinthians 4:15). The Greek word translated as ‘father I became’ (gennao genna.w) literally means to beget, be born, bring forth, and deliver. Paul is explaining to Philemon that his former pagan slave has been reborn and is now a Christian brother. By the power of the Holy Spirit working through the teaching of Paul, Onesimus now believes in Jesus as the Christ. He tells Philemon that he has led Onesimus to Christ and that while Onesimus was previously an unwilling servant, he is now a willing servant to Philemon, Paul and Christ. We see here the work that Christ has done in Onesimus - changing the heart of the man from a bitter and unwilling servant to a willing one. Nothing is said of the way in which Paul had become acquainted with Onesimus, or why Onesimus had put himself under the teaching of Paul.

In addition to the tender love that is contained in this expression there lies in it the thought of immaturity: Onesimus is still a child and needs much tender care lest his young spiritual life, suffer or die. Onesimus is an infant in the faith and, like Timothy, is thought to be physically in his early twenties. Paul places these words before the name "Onesimus" so they may immediately touch Philemon's heart.

“Onesimus” Not only is this the first time Paul names Onesimus, but in the Greek text, the name "Onesimus" is skillfully stated at the end of this sentence. Paul puts first a favorable description of him before he mentions the name of the runaway slave who had fallen into such bad repute with Philemon his master. The Greek sentence would literally read, “I urge you concerning my child - whom I did beget in my bonds - Onesimus,” By mentioning Onesimus’ name last, Paul not only clears the way for Philemon to think well of him and then more favorably receive him back but Paul also shows how dearly he cared for Onesimus. Paul dearly loved Onesimus but knew that he could not keep the man with him without the blessing of Philemon. The only thing he could do was send Onesimus back and pray that Philemon would not have him killed and would see Paul’s underlying request for the services of Onesimus. Paul tells Philemon that he would have kept Onesimus with him if it weren’t for the service Onesimus owed to Philemon, (verse 13). He goes on to say that he wouldn’t accept the services of Onesimus without the willing consent of Philemon, (verse 14). It is plain that Paul would like for Philemon to forgive Onesimus, free him and allow him to

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return to Paul. In Rome, Onesimus could, on Philemon's behalf, minister to Paul in his imprisonment for the gospel. 11 “(Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.)” In this verse, Paul tries to lighten Philemon’s mood with a play on words in Greek. Onesimus’ name means profitable or useful. Where he was previously an unwilling and unprofitable slave, he is now a useful, profitable, one. Paul’s play on Onesimus’ name probably lifted the somberness of the situation. Picture Epaphras and Onesimus arriving at the door of Philemon bearing Paul’s letter. Philemon has every right under Roman law to kill Onesimus for running away. There must have been a great deal of tension in the air as Philemon read the letter while Onesimus waited in fear.

In fairness, at this time in history slavery was not only very prevalent but also very necessary for the sustenance of the Roman Empire. Over half of the population of the Roman Empire was slaves. Every large household had numerous slaves and Philemon was no different. He has doubtless grown up taking slavery for granted. When Onesimus ran away, taking with him some of Philemon's money, Philemon considered himself the injured party. He has been wronged and under the law has complete authority to punish Onesimus and even to kill him. Paul does not question Philemon’s assumption. When he mentions the money that Onesimus has stolen, he does not urge Philemon to balance it against the fact that he has robbed Onesimus of his freedom, has gotten many hours of unpaid labor from him, and, if the sums are totaled on both sides, will probably turn out to owe Onesimus far more than Onesimus owes him. Instead, he simply says, "Put it down to my account. Charge it off against what you owe me" (verses 17-18).

“Formerly he was useless to you” Onesimus has been ‘useless’ to Philemon because he ran away. He is no longer in Colossae or even in Philemon’s house. So he is truly ‘useless’ to Philemon and his family. Paul knows that the moment Onesimus arrives at his door, he will at once remember the kind of a person he has known Onesimus to be. In the past, Onesimus ( vOnh,simoj) which literally means profitable or useful has been anything but useful or profitable to Philemon. He was an unwilling servant and even took from his master and then ran away. Not only does the name Onesimus mean useful or profitable, but in the Greek Paul makes a further play on words. The word translated here as ‘useful’ (euchrestos eu;crhstoj) which means useful, beneficial, serviceable, and profitable. While the word translated as ‘useless’ (achrestos avcrh,stoj) does mean unprofitable and useless. Both words are from the same Greek stem (chrestos crh,stoj) with the root meaning of good, gracious, better, worthy, suitable, pleasant, loving, morally good, reputable, kind, and fit for use or useful. So in describing Onesimus as useless and useful, Paul not only makes a play on the meaning of his name but in doing so makes a play on words in Greek. It is also interesting that at this time, believers called themselves Christian from the Greek word for Christ - Christos (Christos cri,stoj). In derision of these followers of Christ who were good, forgiving, and loving in a world of hatred their opponents often called them Chrestos (chrestos crh,stoj) from the word which means useful or profitable. So Paul really had some fun in describing Onesimus (useful) as being

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formerly ‘useless’ and now being ‘useful’. Whether Paul did this to lighten the mood or not is unknown, but Philemon would have seen the pun.

“but now he is indeed useful to you and to me” In fairness to both Philemon and Onesimus, Onesimus’ previous service as a slave must not have been totally ‘useless’ or incorrigible or Philemon would have promptly sold him to someone else. We do not know the circumstances that brought Onesimus into slavery for Philemon. They were both Phrygians by birth and both still lived in the Phrygian area. Philemon was likely about fifty years old and Onesimus about twenty. We know that Philemon was quite wealthy and was a successful business man in the Roman province of Asia Minor. Onesimus may be the son of another of Philemon’s slaves or he may have been sold into slavery to pay a debt of his parents. In any case, he is a young slave in a very wealthy household and during his service proved himself to be acceptable but not really beneficial or useful.

The point that Paul is making in this verse is that Onesimus’ ‘usefulness’ has changed. This is evident by Paul’s usage of ‘formerly’ (pote pote.) and ‘now’ (nuni nuni.) to describe the change that has taken plane in Onesimus. ‘Formerly’ or in time past Onesimus was at best ‘useful’ to your family only but ‘useless’ to Christ. ‘But now’, or at this present time, he is ‘useful’ to not only your family but also to the family of believers, both those who meet in your house as well as believers elsewhere. Where he was formerly only ‘useful’ to Philemon as a physical laborer, now he is useful to Christ as a fellow worker in the church. This will benefit both Philemon, who also lives in Colossae and Paul as he is in bondage in Rome. Paul claims that Onesimus's conversion has resulted not only in his personal transformation but in his ‘usefulness’ to Philemon as well as his ‘usefulness’ to Paul and the spread of the Gospel. This new situation could not have been immediately clear to Philemon; after all, Onesimus's apparent uselessness has caused him to seek Paul's help, and he is still a slave who is the likely object of Philemon's displeasure.

Paul’s motivation for writing to Philemon and asking him to take Onesimus back is not perfectly certain. Several commentaries state that Paul is probably not motivated to send Onesimus back to Philemon for legal or financial reasons. Onesimus was probably not a Roman citizen, and Roman law is unclear on what Paul's responsibilities were in this case. Now that Onesimus is a Christian, he is freed from slavery to sin and should be freed from slavery to Philemon. But Paul knows that this is not his decision to make. Clearly, Paul resists thinking of Philemon as Onesimus's legal owner. He only uses the word slave (doulos dou.loj) once in the entire epistle (verse 16). The motivation behind Paul's appeal is a primarily a religious one and has social implications. Philemon is to regard Onesimus as his Christian ‘brother’ (verse 16) and ‘partner’ in the faith (verse 17), which makes their owner-slave relationship no longer possible. So Paul is sending Onesimus back to Philemon for their reception, restoration, and restitution. They are both his spiritual ‘sons’, and he is the religious patron and responsible for the nurture of both.

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The change in Onesimus has been one of slavery to sonship. Like all humanity, he was a slave to sin and to Satan but now he has been born again to sonship in Christ. Now, as his name implies, he can truly be ‘useful’. From what we know, he did go on to help Paul and later other apostles. He was then an evangelist in Spain, Capertania, and Colossae. He eventually became a Bishop in the church in Ephesus. He took Timothy’s place as Bishop of all Byzantium until his death (54 – 68 A.D.).

The Reception of OnesimusPhilemon 1:12-14

Verses 12-14: 12 "I am sending him back to you. sending my very heart." In justifying his appeal that Philemon take Onesimus back into his home, Paul is well aware that Onesimus' solicitation of his support has created a delicate situation. A non-Christian slave has come to the apostle, in prison, to gain some advantage over his Christian master. He must make reconciliation possible by asking a trusted colleague for a radical act - the manumission (setting a slave free) of his slave. The motives to which Paul appeals are deeply rooted in Philemon's spiritual obligations to him as spiritual father.

I am sending him back to you" Though the Greco-Roman law demanded that a slave who had sought sanctuary be sent back to his master or sold, Paul does not want to just pack Onesimus up and send him back again as a slave. Onesimus is now a Christian brother. In the Greek text this sentence reads, "whom I did send back to you, him that is my own heart (bowels)." The Greek word translated as 'send' (anapempo avnape,mpw) does mean to send up or send back The interesting difference is that in Greek the verb 'send' is in the aorist active indicative tense which in English is usually rendered in the past tense. It implies a singular action that has either happened or is sure to happen. So as Philemon reads this letter from Paul, he would read, "Whom I did send back" because Onesimus is standing right there in front of him. That is why in verse 11. Paul can say that Onesimus is 'now useful' to Philemon because he has already been sent back to him.

A couple of interesting facts in this verse don't immediately come to mind First, though the law did not allow Paul to give sanctuary to Onesimus permanently, this does not appear to have been the reason for Paul's desire to send Onesimus back to Philemon There is not the slightest evidence that Paul compelled Onesimus, or even urged him to go. It is likely that Paul agreed to Onesimus' request to return to Philemon and be reconciled to him. Second. Paul had no real power to send Onesimus back to his master unless he chose to go. Remember that Paul was a prisoner in Rome. He had no civil authority, and he could not physically take Onesimus back to Philemon. Paul could have told Onesimus to go back to Philemon in Colossae, but there his influence would have ended. Onesimus could have left and gone where he pleased. But there is no evidence that Paul told him to go to Colossae against his will, or that he would have sent him away at all unless he had himself requested it. Third there may have been many reasons why Onesimus desired to return to Colossae. He may have had friends and relatives there: or, being now converted, he may have realized that he had wronged his former master and that he should return to repair the wrong: or he may have desired to return to the comparative comforts of his former condition and possibly to his own family members.

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"sending my very heart." While it is not clear why Paul should speak of Onesimus as his very heart, two possibilities seem best. Now that Onesimus is a Christian, the imprisoned Paul may have found him not only useful as a personal helper but also as a helper in the mission field. Onesimus has been Paul's faithful servant (verse 13) and his only source of companionship while he is in chains for the gospel.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," Paul has already expressed his confidence in Philemon's ability and readiness to assist Paul in aid of the gospel. But he has more to say about how Onesimus has been so useful to him while he was useless to Philemon. Onesimus would be particularly helpful to Paul in very practical ways. Onesimus had been a slave, quite familiar with identifying and meeting needs of his master. Paul, being in chains, would have many practical needs. In addition to that, with Paul under house arrest, he was not free to travel and spread the gospel message. Paul could also empathize with and identify with the bondage Onesimus must have felt. Remember that slaves, at this time, were often more educated and more skilled than their masters. Slaves often did all of the menial work as well as the mental work. Onesimus could have been very well educated and hence very useful to Paul in spreading the gospel message as well as helping him personally.

I would have been glad to keep him with me" So dear has this slave become to Paul that he says he would like to keep Onesimus as his personal assistant while he remained a prisoner in Rome rather than send him back to Philemon as his slave. How long that would be Paul could not tell. When Paul was freed, Onesimus would, of course, be returned to his master. This slave had learned to be a most competent servant and upon his conversion had put his entire heart into competently serving Paul so that Paul doubly loved the man. But Paul knows that without Philemon's agreement, he has no right to retain Onesimus.

"in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel," The Greek word translated as 'serve' (diakoneo diakone,w) means to be a servant, attendant, wait upon, and minister to. It is the word Luke used to describe the seven deacons in the Jerusalem church where it is translated as 'wait upon tables', (Acts 6:2). Paul. however, typically uses the word 'servant' (diakoneo diakone,w) when speaking of the gospel ministry, rather than just physical service, (1 Corinthians 3:5; 2 Corinthians 3:6, 6:4, 11:23; Ephesians 6:21; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:7, 23-25, 4:7, 17; 1 Thessalonians 3:2). While Paul is not saying that he wants to have Onesimus stay and be his 'slave' (doulos dou,loj), he is saying that he would have him be his 'servant' (diakoneo diakone,w) in the ministry of spreading the gospel. If Onesimus did stay with Paul to assist him, it would not involve manumission. When Paul needed no further personal service (remember Paul expected to be set free very shortly) Onesimus would return as a slave to Philemon.

Paul is not implying that Philemon should serve him but only that he could supply Paul with a servant who would serve him during his imprisonment, the servant substituting for his necessarily absent master. Having a slave perform duties to clear the debt of his master was a common practice in Roman culture. In Paul's case, he

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feels that Philemon owes him a debt for being the one to lead him to Christ. This has also established Paul as Philemon's spiritual father. So the suggestion that Philemon have Onesimus fulfill his personal debt to Paul, because he is not personally able to attend to Paul's needs flows from the concept of the obligations of a spiritual son to his father. This service substitution would only be temporary as Paul expected to be released soon. Ironically, Onesimus continues to function as Philemon's slave, but now as Paul's servant.14 "but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness .might not be by compulsion but of your own free will." Paul did not want Philemon to wrongly think that he had persuaded Onesimus to stay with him in Rome. Paul desired that Philemon and Onesimus restore their relationship. Paul would like to see Philemon forgive Onesimus for his misdeeds. To do this, they needed to be face to face. Out of respect for him and because of their mutual love for the Lord, Paul wants to give Philemon the opportunity to freely forgive Onesimus and determine his future freely, not under any compulsion. Once forgiveness had taken place, Onesimus would again be a useful slave to Philemon or he could be a useful helper to Paul in Rome. He would be useful whether he was a freeman or a slave. The decision whether to free Onesimus or not is Philemon's to make freely, so the presumption that Paul expects Philemon to send Onesimus back to serve him as a freeman is not warranted. Because Philemon and Onesimus are now both 'brothers' in the Lord, Paul would expect their relationship to change but there were many Christians in the Roman Empire who were still slaves. As Onesimus has been freed from his slavery to sin. Paul would wish to see him freed from his earthly slavery, but that decision is entirely Philemon's to make. Essentially, Paul gave Philemon the freedom to do what was right in love before the Lord, and he gave the freedom to do it on his own choice, not out of Paul's compulsion or apostolic right.

"but I preferred to do nothing without your consent" Paul would not retain Onesimus in his service, much as he needed his assistance, without the voluntary consent of Philemon. Paul knew that Philemon would have loved to have been there in person to minister to him. Having his slave Onesimus there would have been the next best thing. Paul assumes that is what Philemon would want, but would not presume on that nor leave the relationship between the two men unresolved for his personal gain. Without Philemon's consent Paul did not want to do anything. Paul did not wish to presume on their friendship, so Onesimus and Philemon needed to meet. The Greek word translated as 'consent' (gnome gnw,mh) is a derivative of the word for knowledge and means judgment, mind, reason, and consent. Paul is saying that he will do nothing behind Philemon's back or without his knowledge and consent. Their friendship and spiritual relationship is far too important to risk by acting without Philemon's knowledge and consent.

Though Paul had grown fond of Onesimus and would love to have him stay and help, nothing indicates that Paul coerced Onesimus to stay with him. All indications are that Onesimus, having been reconciled with the Lord, now sought reconciliation with Philemon. If the relationship between Onesimus and Philemon had not been restored, Onesimus' service to anyone would be hindered. As Christians, we are to forgive those who have injured us, and be prepared to be reconciled with our enemies. In our quarrels with others, we often suppose ourselves to be mostly or

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entirely in the right (as we may guess that Philemon did in his quarrel with Onesimus). Regardless of who has wronged whom, we are told to forgive because unforgiveness not only affects our relationship with others but it also affects our relationship with God, (Matthew 5:23-24).

Now that he had experienced forgiveness of his sins. Onesimus also wanted to receive forgiveness for the wrong he had caused Philemon. But it would have been easy for Paul to convince Onesimus to stay in Rome with him. Onesimus could have fulfilled Paul's need for a friend and a helper in the gospel. Because Paul had been instrumental in Onesimus' conversion, Paul could have appealed to Onesimus' gratitude and tried to convince him to stay on in Rome. Or Paul could have told Onesimus that he was under no moral or legal obligation to return to Philemon. After all, he had escaped and was now several countries away from his master. Paul could have refused to write a letter asking Philemon to forgive and restore his slave, or he could have reminded Onesimus of the many dangers along the way. Paul could have even warned him of the probability of a harsh reception, and effectually dissuaded him from trying to return to Philemon. But none of these would be pleasing to the Lord nor would they be in keeping with what Paul knew he should do.

If he dissuaded Onesimus from returning, Paul would continue the rift between these two brothers in the Lord. He would effectually be preventing forgiveness and restoration from happening and thereby hinder the spiritual life of both men. Any action on Paul's part other than encouraging and enabling Onesimus to safely and profitably return would have caused hard feelings in the heart of Philemon. Rather than do that, Paul preferred to let Onesimus return to his master, and to help him plead his case so that he would be kindly received and restored.

Though Roman law indicated that Paul could not keep Onesimus forever without the permission of Philemon, we do not know that this caused Paul to feel obligated to hasten Onesimus' return to Philemon. Where the Roman law may have left some maneuver room for Paul, the Gospel did not. Paul knew that the wrong needed to be made right: that the broken relationship between master and slave needed to be restored. This was especially true now that both Onesimus and Philemon were brothers in Christ, and both were even spiritual children of Paul himself. Paul knew that it was his spiritual duty to assist this reconciliation. Therefore, Paul is careful not to hinder Onesimus when he intended to return to Colossae. Paul felt it would be wrong to keep Onesimus, as much as he needed him, without the consent of Philemon. Paul therefore did not make use of any influence to retain Onesimus without the consent of his master.

“in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own free will." Paul did not want to force Philemon to do anything. He wanted him to make the choice to do right thing by his own will. More than that, Paul wanted Philemon to observe the transformation and value of Onesimus first hand. Paul is careful not to put Philemon in a position where he has no choice except to do what Paul asked. The Greek word translated as 'compulsion' (anagke avnagkh.) means necessity, distress, by law of duty, and imposed under the circumstances. Paul understood that

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Philemon may perceive him to be exploiting their relationship to Onesimus' unfair advantage. Under such circumstances, Philemon granting Paul's request would be a hollow triumph and might even create bitterness between them. Instead, Paul's solution to this potential problem maintained Philemon's honor. His decision must be spontaneous, not forced. The goodness that Paul hoped for is that Philemon receives Onesimus and forgives him so that their relationship would be restored.

The Restoration of OnesimusPhilemon 1:15-16

Verses 15-16: 15 “For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever,” This is an interesting verse for those who have suffered loss, particularly the temporary loss of a relationship. Paul explains that the providence of God in bringing about the contact of Onesimus with Paul went far beyond the matter of Paul having a dear and devoted servant during his imprisonment. God used Paul as an instrument for higher ends. This is realistically the reason for what happened to Philemon, Onesimus, and Paul.

The concept of separation for a purpose, for a specific timeframe, and for God’s working out His will, is seen throughout Scripture. The history of mankind has examples of Godly separation: Adam and Eve joined in marriage are to remain faithful to each other and separated from all others - Genesis 2:18-25, Matthew 19:6, Mark 10:9, 1 Corinthians 7:10; Adam and Eve separated from the Tree of Life - Genesis 3:21-24; Noah's family separated from sinful world in the Flood - Genesis 7:11-8:22. The history of the descendants of Abraham becoming the nation of Israel was accomplished by different, specific periods of separation: Abraham separated from his father Haran - Genesis 12:1-3; Abraham and Lot separate - Genesis 13:10- 18; Jacob separated from Esau - Genesis 27:41- 28:5; Jacob separated from Laban - Genesis 31:1-21; Joseph separated from his family - Genesis 37:18-28; Moses separated from Pharaoh - Exodus 2:11-22; Passover separated Jacob's family from Egyptians - Exodus 12:1-30; Crossing the Red Sea separated the nation of Israel from Egypt - Exodus 12:31-42; Israelites separated from foreign wives - Ezra 10:10-11. The New Testament also contains examples of God using separation to bring about His purpose: Jesus temptation when He was separated to the desert - Matthew 4:1-17; Jesus separated to pray - Matthew 14:13-14, Mark 1:35-39, Luke 4:42-44; The Prodigal Son - Luke 15:11-32; Believers separated from idol worshipers - 2 Corinthians 6:17; Angels will separate the sheep and the goats on the last day - Matthew 13:49-50, 25:31-46.

Just as in Greek and Roman societies, slavery was prominent within Jewish society. It was so prevalent that God spelled out the treatment and specific period of separation in slavery that was allowed. Within Jewish law, God spelled out how long the period of separation from one's family as a servant or slave was to be in Exodus 21:1-8, "Now these are the rules that you shall set before them. When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing. If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out alone. But if the slave plainly says, 'I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,' then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or

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the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever. When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her.""For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while." 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 the purpose of God and he wanted Philemon to also see the purpose. Paul, trusting in the providential care of God, puts the best understanding on what has transpired between these three people. Paul says 'perhaps,' for God's providential purposes are veiled. Even Paul can speak of them only tentatively. The Greek word translated as 'perhaps' (tacha taca,) means possibly, perhaps, and shortly. Onesimus ran away which of course, rightly angered Philemon. Now Onesimus returns. Let Philemon consider what God seems to be doing in this matter. Yes, the slave was gone for a time, Philemon was deprived of his labor and was provoked. The Greek word translated as 'a while' (hora w]ra) literally means an hour, time, or season. It refers to a definite fixed time. Here Paul is emphasizing the shortness of time that Onesimus has been away from Philemon and also that God has fixed the time of their separation just as He fixed the periods of separation for His people throughout human history.

Instead of Paul saying that Onesimus ran away from Philemon, he says that Onesimus 'was parted' from him for a specific period of time. The Greek word translated as 'parted' (chorizo cwri.zw) means to depart, separate, divorce, and go away. It implies a physical separation that puts space between two parties. It is interesting here that Paul uses the Aorist Passive Indicative voice of the verb 'to separate'. This means that the separation was a singular, factual event in the past where Onesimus was acted upon. The passive voice implies that something or someone besides Onesimus was responsible for Onesimus' action. It suggests that God worked out a good result from a bad situation. Further, Paul couples this phrase with the adverb 'perhaps' (tacha taca,), which is often used in Jewish literature to introduce a theological exposition. For Paul, Onesimus' departure provides the setting for the work of God. For this reason, many commentaries suggest that the New Testament story of Philemon and Onesimus is parallel to the story of Joseph and Jacob in the Old Testament, (Genesis 45:4-8; 50:15-21). Both stories portray God's providence. Both show that God uses separation, which in the short term (hora w]ra) is painful, but in the long term (aionios aivw.nioj) is very beneficial to all concerned. In both cases, God's redemptive purposes are achieved by the act of freeing a slave. Paul is not however saying that the ends justify the means.

Given the importance of allusions to Old Testament types and texts in Paul's writings, Paul may have the Joseph story in mind as he writes his appeal to Philemon. That is, Paul may recognize Onesimus to be a type of Joseph. The relationship between the two may well suggest Paul's principal theological conviction in this case: God's good intentions for people are often worked out in the redemptive consequences of choices. In Joseph's story, a bad choice (brothers selling another brother into slavery) results in a good end because of divine intervention. In this case, Philemon's good

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choice (a 'brother' forgiving and manumitting another 'brother' from slavery) would likewise result in a good end. From God's perspective Philemon's favorable decision, which has been shown to make sense in light of Onesimus' past usefulness to him, would make even more sense when he considers the prospect of a redemptive result.

"that you might have him back forever." It is as if Paul said. 'Perhaps he took a brief vacation that you might take him back for good.' It was possible that this was permitted, in the providence of God, so that Onesimus might be brought under the influence of the gospel. and be far more useful to Philemon as a Christian, than he could have been in his former relation to him. What appeared to Philemon to be a calamity, and what seemed to him to be wrong on the part of Onesimus, might have been permitted to occur in order that he might receive a higher benefit. God did not cause or force Onesimus to be rebellious, but rather leads him and works with him in spite of his sinfulness. Thus God draws the unredeemed to himself leading them through circumstances that will help to bring them closer as it is written: "He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us", (Acts 17:26-27).

Though Onesimus has been 'useless' to Philemon because of his absence, he is now more than ‘useful’; he is a brother in the Lord. So while he was physically parted for a short time, he will now be with him forever in eternity. The Greek word translated as 'forever' (aionios aivw.nioj) literally means eternal, everlasting, and without beginning and end. Paul can be referring to Onesimus having been gone for a specific period of time here on earth but he can only be referring to the two being together for eternity if he is speaking about heaven. The intriguing comparison between 'for a while' and 'forever' refers less to a changed social status than to the eternal destiny of both 'brothers', Philemon and Onesimus, who will share together the salvation of God. Paul's point is not that our decisions about social conventions bear witness to our convictions about God; rather, our convictions about God ought to prompt our decisions about the social order. Because Philemon trusts that God purposes good ends for God's people, Paul trusts that he will make a natural, free decision about Onesimus that will result in good.

Paul re-introduced Onesimus to Philemon, not as a slave, but as a brother asking Philemon to restore him. Since Onesimus has received the Lord Jesus Christ, he can no longer be looked upon as just a talking tool. In this relationship as brothers, not slaves, Paul effectively abolished the sting of the master-slave relationship and laid the foundation for the eventual legal abolition of slavery. In this letter, Paul is breaking the distinction between master and slave which was an absolutely revolutionary development. It did far more to change society than the passing of a law prohibiting slavery. What the letter to Philemon does is bring the institution of slavery 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 have to follow, the legal confirmation of their new relationship.

Yet Paul does not incite slaves to revolt if they become Christian. Instead he advises them to "remain in the situation in which they were when God called them",

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(1 Corinthians 7:20-24). "For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink", (1 Corinthians 12:13). "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus", (Galatians 3:28). He even tells slaves to be obedient to their earthly masters out of love for the Lord, (Ephesians 6:5-24).16 "no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a beloved brother -especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord." Paul suggests that God wanted to bless Philemon by taking away his slave in order to return to him one who is 'more than a slave,' namely one who is now a 'beloved brother.' a Christian slave, who would serve his master in a conscientious and devoted way that no pagan slave could achieve, hence 'beloved' for his Christian character and devotion. This shows us what a great change Christianity was already working in the early church. A one-time slave was now to be recognized as a beloved brother in the Lord.

"no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a beloved brother especially to me,” Though Onesimus is still Philemon's slave, he is no longer just a slave, he is a ‘brother in the Lord'. Onesimus has changed. His reason for living and his motivation were no longer the same. Now his desire was to serve the Lord in everything that he did whether that was to continue in slavery to Philemon or to assist Paul in the spread of the gospel. Paul knew that Onesimus had changed. He had seen the evidence of this change. Now Paul was trying to bring about a change in Philemon. Paul wanted Philemon to understand how his former slave had changed and what the result of this change was. Paul had just stated that he believes it was God's providence for Onesimus to find Paul and be introduced to the gospel message. He believed that it was God's providence that Onesimus wanted to return to Philemon to set right the wrong that had been committed. For only when he had been received and forgiven, their relationship restored, and restitution made, can either of them move on. Philemon needed to accept the change to accept the slave. Onesimus' actions in desiring to return and be reconciled show that he was willing to try. As Paul says, "All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God's name and our teaching may not be slandered. Those who have believing masters are not to show less respect for them because they are brothers. Instead, they are to serve them even better, because those who benefit from their service are believers, and dear to them. These are the things you are to teach and urge on them", (1 Timothy 6:1-2).

"but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord." The fundamental shift of Onesimus' social status from 'slave' to 'beloved brother' is repeated in the phrases ‘in the flesh' and 'in the Lord'. When Onesimus returned, he would again be 'useful' to Philemon. He would be useful both 'in the flesh and in the Lord'. The Greek word translated 'in the flesh' (sarx sa.rx) means flesh, carnal, body, human nature and opposed to God. While the word 'in the Lord' (kurios ku,rioj) means Lord, master, God, owner, and he to whom a person or thing belongs. Paul is saying that everything that Onesimus does now, both in a physical sense and in a spiritual sense, will be useful and beloved by both Paul and Philemon. When Onesimus was an unwilling servant, he was comparatively 'useless' compared to how he will be now that he is a willing servant. When both master and slave are united by brotherly love for each other, their relationship toward each other will be very different than it was

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before. Onesimus will now be much more useful. Now he is useful to Philemon and to the Lord. This is the true light in which Paul sees this remarkable case and seeks to find God's purpose in it all. Paul would like Philemon to see it in the same divine light. This slave is Paul's brother as eternally as he is Philemon's brother.

The Restitution of OnesimusPhilemon 1:17-18

Verses 17-18: 17 “So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me.” Again, Paul stood beside Onesimus, requesting mercy. "If I am your partner in the gospel, then treat Onesimus like you would treat me." Paul continues to convince Philemon of the right thing to do. Onesimus does not deserve what Paul is asking Philemon to do. Onesimus has run away. He possibly stole something from his master. So Onesimus has done wrong. But God and Paul have forgiven and accepted Philemon in spite of what he has done wrong. They have forgiven him even though he was a sinner. So now Paul asks Philemon to forgive and accept Onesimus as a repentant sinner and as a fellow Christian.

"So if you consider me your partner," 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 now my friend, so if you must 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. Paul's choice of the Greek word translated as 'partner' (koinonos koinwno.j) is interesting. It literally means partner, partaker, fellowship, companion, and associate. It is derived from the root word (koinos koino,j) which means common, ceremonially: unclean, defiled, and unholy. Thus the idea of the word translated as 'partner' implies having something in 'common' such as common belief, common attachments, a common interest in an enterprise, and common hopes. It may be applied to those who hold the same beliefs, who have the same hope of heaven, who trust in the same Savior, and have the same views of spiritual and earthly things. Here the meaning is that if Philemon regarded Paul as sharing with him in the belief that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior from sin, that is if they have spiritual 'fellowship', then consider Onesimus in the same way, because he was also now motivated by the same belief, the same principles, had the same hopes, and had a claim to be received as a Christian brother. Philemon's reception of Onesimus would be understood by Paul as proof that Philemon regarded him as a ‘partaker’ of the hope of the gospel, and that they truly had spiritual 'fellowship'.

"receive him as you would receive me." Paul now puts his case for Onesimus plainly before Philemon - "receive him as you would receive me". Onesimus is returning to Philemon as a brother in the Lord. They now have 'fellowship' in Christ. Paul paints a beautiful picture of our acceptance in Christ. In the case of every saved sinner, it is as though our Lord presents us to the Father saying, 'If you consider me as a partner, receive this person as I myself.' Just as in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives, so in us the fullness of Christ lives, (Colossians 2:9-10; 1 John 4:17; John 17:23). The Greek word translated 'receive' (proslambano proslambanw.) means receive, accept, and take to yourself in friendship. So if Philemon would 'receive' or 'accept' Paul with brotherly love in the Lord, he should also 'receive' and 'accept' Onesimus in

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the same way. If Philemon would readily forgive Paul and reconcile any differences, so he should do with Onesimus. Onesimus is now a brother in full Christian fellowship with Philemon just as is Paul himself, although the one is a slave, the other an apostle. The fellowship is equal. Philemon should show no difference.18 "If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account." Philemon had been wronged by Onesimus' running away. Not knowing if Onesimus would return, Philemon may have had to purchase a replacement for him. Further, it seems likely that Onesimus stole money when he fled.

"If he has wronged you at all,” Onesimus has wronged Philemon. Paul does not know whether or not Philemon feels wronged. He has every right to, but Paul does not know for certain. He assumes that Philemon feels 'wronged'. So Paul begins this verse by saying 'if (ei eiv). 'If Onesimus has wronged Philemon, Paul will take the blame. The Greek word translated as 'wronged' (adikeo avkide,w) means to hurt, wrong, injure, offend, be unjust and to sin. It does not necessarily mean to actually steal. Onesimus may have wronged him in many of these ways, either by escaping from him or by failing to perform what he had agreed to, or by unfaithfulness when he was with Philemon as his slave, or possibly by stealing his property. Any of these actions would justify saying that Philemon had been 'wronged'. We know that when Onesimus fled and deprived his master of his services, that loss could be reckoned in dollars and cents, for it would have cost Philemon money to either hire a temporary servant or purchase a replacement slave. Thus 'if’ becomes clear. Philemon may reckon thus, and 'if’ he does, Paul will not object to or haggle about the amount of the loss. Whatever the amount, Paul says: "Charge it to me."

"or owes you anything, charge that to my account." Doubtless Philemon would suppose that he had been 'wronged' by Onesimus, even if he had done no more than run away. Whatever Paul's views of that might be, Paul wanted Philemon to charge any loss or expense to his own account. Paul took the blame onto himself and asked Philemon not to hold it against Onesimus. Even if Onesimus had taken money when he left or if Paul was thinking of the duties which he had not performed, Paul will accept the debt. Paul is saying to hold nothing against Onesimus that might interfere with your reception of him as my child, even as you would receive me.

This would be impressive enough if it were only Paul who said it. But he is passing on to us, both in word and deed, what he received from his Master. Paul undertook a life of danger and hardship, spreading the Good News about Christ. He gave his whole life to Christ because he knew that Christ had given His life for him. Paul's willingness to assume any punishment due to Onesimus reminds us of what scripture says about Jesus. "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God", (2 Corinthians 5:211, "Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, vet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities: the punishment that brought us peace was upon him", (Isaiah 53:4-5). Luther notes this similarity: as Paul takes over the entire debt of Onesimus, so Christ takes over our entire debt, but in a higher sense. "For we are all his Onesimi if we believe it." Paul desires the removal of anything from the mind of

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Philemon that might hinder him from genuinely forgiving and receiving Onesimus as a brother in the Lord.

The Motives of ForgivenessPhilemon 1:19-21

Verses 19-21: 19 “I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self.” The fact that Paul was writing this with his own hand is also significant, for most of his letters were dictated. Not that he couldn't write, but rather that he had some affliction that gave him problems writing - perhaps an eye disease. Thus in some letters, to increase their intensity and intimacy, Paul would end the letter with his own hand.

“I, Paul, write this with my own hand:” This is a special compliment to Philemon for Paul to have personally written this epistle. He did not usually write his own epistles, (Romans 16:22; 1 Corinthians 16:21; Galatians 6:11; Colossians 4:18; 2 Thessalonians 3:17). But this letter Paul needed to pen personally. Not only is this a personal letter to Philemon but in it Paul also gives him an I.O.U. for any wrong or debt that Philemon feels is owed to him by Onesimus, (verse 18). Notice the formal language used in this verse. It suggests that Paul considers this is a legally binding note signed by Paul personally and witnessed by Epaphras, Mark, Aristarchis, Demas, and Luke, (verses 23-24).

“I will repay it” Again Paul tries to remove any barriers from Philemon’s mind that could hinder him from forgiving and restoring Onesimus. Whatever wrong or debt that may be hindering forgiveness and restoration, Paul would repay it. The Greek word translated as ‘repay’ (apotino avpoti.nw) means to repay and to pay off any debt. This is Paul’s promissory note to Philemon. Onesimus’ debt is covered. Philemon knew that Paul was in prison and could not work to earn money to repay him so Paul’s only source of income was from other churches. Knowing that Paul would have to ask other churches to send him money to pay Onesimus’ debt to Philemon added another sense of obligation within Philemon to provoke him to action. This is also what God does in us. Even for the unredeemed, God's riches are meant to lead a person to repentance, (Romans 2:4).

“to say nothing of your owing me even your own self.” Though he does not want to mention it, Paul does. He reminds Philemon that he had been the means of his conversion, and whatever hope he cherished of eternal life, was to be traced to the Holy Spirit working through Paul. Paul says that this was equivalent to Philemon owing himself to Paul. The Greek word translated as ‘owing’ (prosopheilo prosofei,lw) means to owe beside. If debts were to be tallied, Philemon was not entirely debt free. His very life and his eternal welfare were all traceable to the labors of Paul in Ephesus. What Paul asked now of him was a small matter compared with this. Besides, one could consider the work that Onesimus did for Paul in Rome as having been done on behalf of Philemon. Thus Onesimus' labor for Paul was a part payment for what Philemon owed him. Paul used every available argument to bring

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Philemon to see the fellowship and brotherhood between the three men so that he could more easily forgive and restore Onesimus.

20 “Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.” Paul is not waiting until Tychicus returns and reports how Philemon received Onesimus. He is happy already in anticipation that Philemon will do the right thing, that he will forgive and restore Onesimus, his brother in the Lord. Paul trusts that Philemon will see the love and compassion Paul has shown for Onesimus and also Paul’s great desire to see these two reconciled and that he will heed to Paul’s request, and in doing so, give some benefit to him.

“Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord.” Again Paul addresses Philemon as ‘brother’ to remind him of their mutual faith in the Lord Jesus and his boldness in asking this question. The Greek word translated as ‘benefit’ (oninemi ovni.nhmi) literally means to be useful, to profit, joyful, and to help. A couple of times in this letter, Paul has made a play on words meaning ‘useful’ or ‘profitable’. Here, Paul is asking Philemon, whose name means ‘the loving one’, to be ‘useful’ or ‘profitable’ which is the meaning of the name Onesimus. How is Paul asking Philemon to become ‘useful’ (Onesimus)? Paul is not asking Philemon to recompense him with money for having been his spiritual father, nor is he asking him to physically come to Rome and be his servant while in prison. No, the benefit that Paul is asking for is a spiritual benefit. Paul asks Philemon to grant him a favor, to favorably react to his request to forgive and restore Onesimus. This will make Paul full of joy. This will be useful and profitable to him. The profit or benefit that Paul would like to make is spiritual, all of it is "in the Lord." His happiness is what he desires, happiness in seeing these two converts, both of whom are his spiritual children, joined in true Christian fellowship even though the one is a master and the other a slave. A nobler sentence has seldom been written. Philemon will delight to let the apostle, to whom he owes so much, make this profit from him.

"Refresh my heart in Christ,” While Onesimus had been staying with Paul, Paul had not only led him to Christ but he had also personally grown very fond of him. Knowing that Onesimus was a runaway slave hiding out in Rome caused Paul great discomfort and concern. Yes, he could give temporary sanctuary to Onesimus, but at some time they would both have to face the facts that Paul had to do something with him. Paul did not want to sell him to slave catchers and he could not just turn him loose to be caught by them. Now that Onesimus was a Christian, Paul wanted to return and restore Onesimus to Philemon. Although he could exercise apostolic authority and command Philemon to take Onesimus back, that would not resolve the rift between them. They needed to be restored to fellowship. Paul knew that Philemon was leading a God fearing life and trusted that he would forgive Onesimus and receive him back. Yet there was still that doubt and uneasiness that Philemon may not forgive and restore Onesimus. The word translated as ‘refresh’ (anapauo avnapau.w) means to give rest to, to refresh, to free from sorrow or care and to keep quiet, (verse 7). Paul is saying that by receiving Onesimus, Philemon would cause the deep and anxious feelings of Paul to cease, and he would be calm and happy. If Philemon would forgive his runaway slave, Paul’s ‘heart’ (splagchnon splagcno,n) or literally his bowels would be at peace and joyful. Paul’s heart

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would be set at ease knowing that these two Christian brothers had been restored to fellowship with each other and with the Lord Jesus Christ. The purpose for writing this personal letter to Philemon would then have been accomplished. 21 “Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.” Paul had confidence that the loving heart of Philemon would cause him to fully accept Onesimus into a right standing under these conditions. Onesimus would be forgiven. He would be lovingly received, restored, and restitution made to set the accounts right. Even so are we as sinners accepted by our heavenly Father when we accept his Son and His sacrifice for us.

“Confident of your obedience, I write to you” Paul's whole letter rests on his confidence in Philemon's obedience. He knew that if he were to write to Philemon on Onesimus’ behalf the outcome would be good. Philemon has constantly shown obedience to the will of God even though he is wealthy and prominent. Paul has arrived at this knowledge on the basis of all that Epaphras and Onesimus have told him. Every report he has heard about Philemon has been good and encouraging. Paul is ‘confident’ he will do the right thing. The Greek word translated as ‘confident’ (peitho pei.qw) means persuade, believe, have confidence, confident, and trust. Paul is persuaded that when Philemon reads this letter, he will be persuaded to respond in appropriate obedience. The Greek word translated as ‘obedience’ (hupakoe u`pakoh,) means obedience, obedient, submission, and obey. Interestingly, it is a word generally associated with submission and obedience of slaves to their human masters. Here, however, Paul is saying that he can count on Philemon to be ‘submissive’ or ‘obedient’ to Christ. He did not doubt Philemon's willingness to obey, but reminds him of the necessity of obeying Christ. Knowing Philemon's godly character, Paul was confident of his response.

We have to assume that Philemon was well instructed in the theology of forgiveness. He knew the principle taught in Matthew 6, that the believer's relational forgiveness from God depends on his willingness to forgive others. He knew that our Lord had taught that there must be no limit to forgiveness, (Matthew 18:21-22; Luke 17:3-4). He no doubt was familiar with Paul's teaching on forgiveness, (2 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13). Because Philemon was aware of the commands to forgive, Paul does not repeat them.

“knowing that you will do even more than I say.” Paul knows that Philemon will do not only what he asks of him but far beyond that. This is not a hint to send the slave back to Paul to be Paul's servant. The Greek word translated as ‘knowing’ (eido ei;dw) means know, perceive, behold, look, and discern. Paul has discerned from all of the glowing reports about Philemon that he will do as Paul has asked. Paul has given no commands. He is relying on love to motivate Philemon, not commands. If Philemon does respond out of love, his response will be even more than Paul has asked. The Greek word translated as ‘more than’ (huper u`pe.r) means above, more than, beyond, exceedingly abundantly, and on behalf of. Yet Paul is not asking for Onesimus' emancipation. Such an assumption is unwarranted. There are several other possibilities. Paul may be calling upon Philemon to welcome Onesimus back, not grudgingly, but with open arms, (Luke 15:22-24). He may also be requesting Philemon to permit Onesimus to minister alongside him, as well as to perform menial

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service. Paul may also be urging Philemon to forgive others who have wronged him. All of this would be done voluntarily, not because of law, not out of duty, but because of love, Philemon is to obey the God who commanded him to forgive.

Salutations and ConclusionsPhilemon 1:22-25

Verses 22-25: 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 hoped that he would be freed soon and would be able to personally visit Philemon. So while you are granting this favor concerning Onesimus, please do me one more favor and prepare a lodging for me. Because he knew the case against him was weak, Paul expected to be released from this imprisonment, (Philippians 2:23-24). He believes his release to be imminent, perhaps because a date for his hearing before the imperial court had been set. Accordingly, he asked Philemon to prepare a lodging where he could stay.

“At the same time, prepare a guest room for me,” Paul means "at the same time" that Philemon will do more than Paul asks regarding Onesimus, that he would also prepare him lodging since he hopes God will answer the prayers made for him and grant his friends in Colossae the opportunity to see him again. This request is not threatening. Philemon had been accustomed to show kindness to the saints (verse 5). Though this request could be further impetus for Philemon to forgive and restore Onesimus, it does not imply that Paul wants to check up on how Philemon responded to Onesimus’ return. It is just the request of one friend asking another friend to prepare him a room when he is able to visit Colossae again. The Greek word translated as ‘guest room’ (xenia xeni,a), means hospitality, lodging, reception, entertainment, and a place for guests, (Acts 27:3). Remember Paul did not usually travel alone, he had travelling companions.

“for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you.” Paul then mentions the means by which his release will be effected. He writes to Philemon, I hope that through your prayer (proseuche proseuch.) I shall be given to you. Prayers are the nerves that move the muscles omnipotent. Prayer is not an exercise in futility thinking that God's will would be done in any case; prayer is the means by which God's will is carried out. "The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much", (James 5:16). Paul understood that our sovereign God works His purposes through prayer. Paul's request for prayer would certainly affect Philemon's treatment of Onesimus. Philemon could hardly pray for God to bring Paul to Colossae if he had not forgiven Onesimus. Yet if he fails to pray for Paul's release, Paul might remain in prison. Philemon needed to both forgive Onesimus and pray for Paul. Paul uses an interesting word to describe what he plans to do when Philemon’s prayers have been answered and he is released. He plans to be “graciously given to him.” This Greek word (charizomai cari,zomai) means forgive, give freely, deliver, grant, and do a favor. Paul is saying that when he is ‘granted a pardon’ and ‘delivered’ from prison, he will return the ‘favor’ and come to visit Philemon.

All believers are to be accountable to those over them in the Lord. Hebrews 13:17 says, "Obey your leaders, and submit to them; they keep watch over your souls, as

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those who will give an account. Because leaders are responsible for watching over those in their care they have the right to expect accountability from them. Acknowledgment of that accountability is a powerful motive for forgiveness.23 “Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you,” Paul closes his epistle with greetings from those who are visiting him in Rome who would be known to Philemon. Each of these names is also mentioned in the conclusion of Paul’s letter to the Colossians, (Colossians 4:10-17). This confirms that the two letters went to the same place at the same time. Remember that Philemon lived in Colossae.

The Christian life is not lived in a vacuum. Believers do not exist alone, independent of the fellowship. By sending greetings from men known to him, Paul reminds Philemon of his accountability to them. Failing to forgive Onesimus would disappoint their high expectations of him and bring him under their discipline.

“Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus” Epaphras had been sent by the Colossian Church to ask Paul’s advice on how to deal with the Judaizers and to inquire after, and minister to, Paul. The Greek word translated as ‘fellow prisoner’ (sunaichmalotos sunaicma.lwtoj) means fellow prisoner, prisoner of war. As Epaphras is not mentioned as a prisoner in Colossians 4:12, Paul must be referring to Epaphras as being a fellow worker for Christ. He is the pastor in the Colossae church and a ‘fellow prisoner of Christ’ in the war against Satan. Along with Paul and their companions, they send their greetings. The Greek word translated as ‘greetings’ (aspazomai avspa.zomai) means salute, greet, embrace, take leave, and welcome. It has the connotation of paying respects to someone who is visiting or about to visit. Paul again expresses his hope that he will soon be free.

24 “and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.” Other fellow workers are mentioned in the accompanying epistle to the Colossians but since they were probably not personally known to Philemon their names and their greetings are not included in this letter to Philemon. Those who did know Philemon, (Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke) do send greetings.

25 “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.” Everything Paul has said or done regarding Philemon and Onesimus has been done by God’s grace and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is only proper and fitting that Paul would close such a personal letter by blessing the intended recipients. Grace is the gift of God. God gives it to us whatever we are like. In these final words, Paul reminds Philemon that God has loved him freely. So Philemon must love other people in the same way that God loves him.

Tychicus, who would deliver Paul’s letters, probably followed the Roman road, the Appian Way, from Rome through southern Italy. He would then cross the Adriatic Sea by ship and follow another great Roman road, the Egnatian Way, over the mountains of northern Greece to the Aegean Sea. He might cross the sea from Neapolis to Troas by another ship, (Acts 16:11, 20: 6). From Troas to Colossae was about another 240 miles, which he would travel on foot. The whole journey was about 1000 miles.

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