“Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing”

— John 15:4-5

This is a weekly reflection on the previous week’s sermon text. Each week there will be a devotional related to the scripture for the week, along with questions for reflection/discussion, as well as prayer. Feel free to make this a part of your individual spiritual growth throughout the week or utilize in small group settings (growth groups, Sunday school, etc.)

Philemon 1

Salutation

1Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,

To Philemon our dear friend and co-worker, 2to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:

3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philemon's Love and Faith

4When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God 5because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus. 6I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ. 7I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother.

Paul's Plea for Onesimus

8For this reason, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do your duty, 9yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love—and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. 10I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. 11Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful both to you and to me. 12I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. 13I wanted to keep him with me, so that he might be of service to me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel; 14but I preferred to do nothing without your consent, in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not something forced. 15Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back forever, 16no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother—especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

17So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18If he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. 19I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it. I say nothing about your owing me even your own self. 20Yes, brother, let me have this benefit from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ. 21Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.

22One thing more—prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping through your prayers to be restored to you.

Final Greetings and Benediction

23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, 24and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

25The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Philemon is the shortest and most concise of all the letters written by Paul. Paul wrote this letter from prison, most likely in Ephesus, to a man named Philemon. He was a wealthy believer in Colossae whose house served as a gathering place for the church in Colossae. The theme of this letter to Philemon is reconciliation and how the Gospel transforms social relationships.

Philemon had a slave named Onesimus who ran away and later encountered Paul in prison. While in prison with Paul, Onesimus became a follower of Jesus Christ. Paul wrote the letter we now know as “Philemon” for the purpose of reconciling the relationship between Philemon and Onesimus. We do not know why Philemon ran away, but there is some evidence in verse 18 that Onesimus might have stolen something that belonged to Philemon.

Paul began the letter by deliberately appealing to Philemon based on his Christian faith and love. In Philemon 1:8-9 Paul wrote: “For this reason, though I am more than bold enough in Christ to command you to do the right thing, yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love – and I, Paul, do this as an old man and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ Jesus.” In other words, that was Paul’s way of saying, “Philemon, it’s time for you to put into practice all the things we believe about forgiveness and grace in Christ.” As we all know, it’s one thing to say we believe in forgiveness and reconciliation and quite another to practice it in real life.

Paul’s goal in this letter was to encourage Philemon to not only forgive Onesimus, but to receive him as a brother in the Christian faith and mission. According to Roman law, Philemon had every right to punish and even execute his runaway slave, yet here Paul is calling him to put the way of Christ up against the culture.

Philemon’s name meant “beloved”. Onesimus’ name meant “useful”. So, Paul was asking one who was a beloved child of God who had received grace and forgiveness himself, to welcome back in partnership the who he had formerly thought of as useless. In verse 11 Paul wrote, “Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.” It was not by accident that Paul recognized the play on words involving “useless” and “useful”. Paul was so determined to restore this relationship that he even went as far as to say, “If he (Onesimus) has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to me.”

This is the only letter written by Paul that does not specifically mention the death and resurrection of Jesus. Yet this letter powerfully displays the reconciling work of the cross through Paul’s willingness to be an agent of reconciliation in this relationship for the sake of the Gospel. We do not know if Philemon reconciled with Onesimus, but we do know that through Paul’s letter (which was read publicly in the church), Philemon was faced with a clear decision – do what the world expects or what Christ expects. I suppose the same could be said for you and me. What will you decide today?

Prayer:

Gracious God, we are thankful that you are a God of second chances and grace. When we have the opportunity to choose between forgiving or not forgiving, through your grace, help us to forgive and be reconciled with one another. Amen.

QUESTION FOR REFLECTION:

At various points in our lives, we find ourselves in the position of Philemon, Onesimus, and Paul. When have you been in Philemon’s position of choosing between alienation or reconciliation? How did you respond and why?
Recall a time when you were in Onesimus’ position. What was it like to be in a helpless position needing someone to restore you in relationship? When have you been in Paul’s position? Did you actively go out of your way to help reconcile the relationship between two other parties?
How is Paul acting as an intercessor for Onesimus, and how does this parallel Christ’s intercession for us?

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