Paul writes this
brief letter to Philemon, a Christian brother, asking him to forgive and take
back Onesimus (his former slave). Onesimus had run away from Philemon and
apparently he had stolen from him. But now he has become a Christian and is
helping Paul in prison.
As Paul greets Philemon
showing his love and respect, he also appeals on behalf of “his spiritual son”
Onesimus:
“I am sending him
back. You therefore receive him, that
is, my own heart, whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might
minister to me in my chains for the gospel. But without your
consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion,
as it were, but voluntary.” (12-14)
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 of my family,
so if you punish him punish me also. I stand beside him to take his
punishment.” This is what Jesus does for us before our master, God the Father!
“My little children (believers, dear ones), I am writing you these
things so that you will not sin and violate
God’s law. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate [who will intercede for us]
with the Father: Jesus Christ the righteous [the upright, the just One, who
conforms to the Father’s will in every way—purpose, thought, and action]. 2 And He [that same Jesus] is the propitiation for our
sins [the atoning sacrifice that holds back the wrath of God that would
otherwise be directed at us because of our sinful nature—our worldliness, our
lifestyle]; and not for ours alone, but also for [the sins of all believers
throughout] the whole world.” (1 John 2:1-2)
“Here we see how Paul lays himself
out for poor Onesimus, and with all his means pleads his cause with his master,
and so sets himself as if he were Onesimus, and had himself done wrong to
Philemon. Even as Christ did for us with God the Father, thus also does Paul
for Onesimus with Philemon. We are all his Onesimi, to my thinking.” (Luther)
Now that Onesimus is in Christ he
is not a slave of sin anymore, just as we were, too:
“For we too once were foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various sinful desires and pleasures, spending and wasting our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating
one another.” (Titus 3:3)
In Christ Onesimus is now a useful
person -by the fact: Onesimus means profitable,
useful- (1:11)
“It is significant to note that Paul claims
that in Christ the useless person has been made useful.” (Barclay)
When Paul said to Philemon, “charge
the wrong of Onesimus to my account,” (18-19) he essentially did for Onesimus
what Jesus did for us in taking our sins to His account:
“ He personally carried our sins in His body on the [a]cross [willingly offering Himself on it, as on an altar of sacrifice], so that we might die to sin [becoming immune from the penalty and power of sin] and live for righteousness; for by His wounds you [who believe] have been [b]healed.” (2 Peter 2:24)
Paul mentioned one
more thing. “Philemon, remember that I have a lot of credit on your account,
because you owe me even your own self besides.” Paul could afford to pay
Onesimus’ expenses because there was a sense in which Philemon owed Paul his
salvation!
Onesimus was
obligated to return to his master. When we wrong somebody, we must do our
best to set it right. We must make an effort for reconciliation!
“So if you are presenting your offering at the altar,
and while there you remember
that your brother has something [such as a grievance or legitimate complaint] against you, 24 leave your offering there at the altar and go. First make peace with
your brother, and then come and present your offering.” (Mat.
5:23-24)
Being made a new creation in Christ
(2 Cor. 5:17) does not end our responsibility to make restitution; it increases
our obligation, even when restitution is difficult.
When Paul mentioned: “Knowing
that you will do even more than I say” (21), he writes with confidence and
hope, knowing through Philemon’s testimony (4-7), that he was a generous man. So
that is why Paul could expect that Philemon would take Onesimus back, not as
his slave but as a brother in Christ! (Gal. 3:28-29)
“Philemon was Paul’s
son in the faith, yet he entreated him as a brother. Onesimus was a poor slave,
yet Paul besought for him as if seeking some great thing for himself.
Christians should do what may give joy to the hearts of one another. From the
world they expect trouble; they should find comfort and joy in one another.” M.
Henry
When I try to put
myself in Philemon’s place I ask myself: “Would I have accepted Onesimus back into
my house liberally, with joy and in total forgiveness?
“Be kind and helpful to one
another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another
[readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave [a]you.” (Ephesians
4:32 AMP)
“… bearing graciously with one another, and
willingly forgiving each other if one has a cause for complaint against
another; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so should you forgive.” (Colossians 3:13 AMP)
I pray my
Heavenly Father for this to become a reality in my life!
Mari
