The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God, and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
Philemon 1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved brother and fellow worker, 2 and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints; 6 and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ’s sake. 7 For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother. 8 Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper, 9 yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— 10 I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment, 11 who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. 12 I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart, 13 whom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel; 14 but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will. 15 For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, 16 no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. 17 If then you regard me a partner, accept him as you would me. 18 But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account; 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well). 20 Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say. (NASB)
The little Epistle to Philemon is unique among the books of the Old and New Testament. It is unique because it was written by St. Paul to a Christian layman and leader in the Church about a slave named Onesimus. It is unique because on the one hand it is about the relationship between four sets of relationship. Paul’s relationship to Philemon, Paul’s relationship to Onesimus. The relationship between Philemon and Onesimus, and Christ Jesus’s relationship to all three of them.
The Epistle itself is packed with both historical, concrete, “real life,” stuff between three Christian men that is analogous to what Jesus Christ has done for us in His earthly ministry and in the work of the Church.
Onesimus was an escaped slave who was owned by Philemon. Philemon was a wealthy convert to the Christian Faith. He had opened up his home so that the local church could hold services there, along with all the other activities that were part of a healthy new congregations.
Onesimus ran away and ended up in Rome. That likely means he helped himself to some of Philemon’s money. He would have needed it for the trip and for accommodations in Rome. Once he got to Rome, he found St. Paul, who was a prisoner waiting to stand trial before Caesar. Onesimus became a servant to Paul and through the teaching of Paul, Onesimus was converted by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Even though Onesimus and escape had been redeemed and forgiven by Christ, according to Roman law, he still belonged to Philemon. Onesimus needed to go back and put himself back under a yoke of slavery, since God commanded slaves that they should obey and be loyal to their masters.
So St. Paul sends him back, but he sends him back with a letter, an Epistle to letting Philemon know that life has changed for both the slave owner and the slave. St. Paul is not only sending a slave back to his master, he is sending Philemon a new brother.
The Epistle is itself is a wealth of theological material: the office of ministry, the doctrine of vocation, the doctrine of election, the doctrine of the new nature, and of course the Gospel of Jesus Christ Himself.
As Onesimus’s owner Philemon had the legal right to punish his run away slave in any manner he saw fit. A slap on the hand, scourge him, and even killed him. So Paul sends Onesimus back with a letter. The letter begins with a customary greeting. It is a little longer than most of the greetings in his other Epistles, but He is making sure that Philemon understands that he and his former slave were in the same boat. Philemon was Paul’s beloved brother by faith and a fellow worker in the church. So now Onesimus is a brother to Philemon and a fellow worker in the Church.
And when it comes to fellow workers in the Church, St. Paul is the ranking member and worker. He doesn’t hide that fact either. Both Onesimus and Philemon owe St. Paul a personal debt. Both were claimed by the Gospel through the preaching and teaching of St. Paul. So St. Paul is sending Onesimus back to where he belongs by virtue of his vocation in life. And Philemon owes St. Paul buy virtue of Paul’s service and position in the Church.
So St. Paul writes to Philemon, 8 Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper, 9 yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus.”
Though he has the authority to demand that Philemon do as Paul instructs, Paul simply appeals to love. He does not say, “You must do this or you will lose your salvation.” He does not say, “Promise to be lenient, or I will not send Onesimus back.” Paul simply makes an appeal to Philemon’s love and to the fact that the Gospel has claimed Onesimus as a child and brother and that Paul and Philemon work together in the same purpose – namely, the salvation of souls and the care of the Church members.
In regard to the people in the world, there are only two kinds of people. People who have been claimed by the Gospel and trust in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit for their salvation and thus have forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation and those who do not.
But there are four kinds of people when it comes to their relationship to the Church. 1. There are folks who give of their time, talent, and treasure, who come to the church service to receive what God gives to them in Jesus Christ and who make church attendance and involvement a part of their life.
- There are those who show up to the church occasionally or off and on throughout their life for short periods of time. For them church is not part of their lifestyle. It is more like a small retreat to satisfy some psychological need.
- There are those who run to the church in times of trouble, looking for some kind of help.
- And there are those whose only contact with the church is to call the church phone number and ask the church to help pay their rent, their utility bill, put gas in their car, etc.
Now Galatians 6:10 tells us that “while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.” In Philippians St. Paul ranks the order in which we are to care for people. We are first to care for those who belong to the household of faith first, then if we are able do what we can for those outside the church.
In other words, the Church, we Christians, are suppose to put our money and efforts where out mouth is. And that is what St. Paul is doing in regard to Onesimus and Philemon. Paul is telling Philemon that Onesimus’s place in life has changed in the regard to Christ Jesus, the Church, St. Paul, and Philemon.
15 “For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, 16 no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. 17 If then you regard me a partner, accept him as you would me. ”
Onesimus, while still by law and vocation a slave, is now is a new creature and now holds a new position, namely as a member of the Church, a son by faith to St. Paul, and a co-worker in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, even to the point of spending time and help Paul was he was in prison.
Paul is not just giving empty lip service, telling Philemon to do something that even Paul himself wouldn’t do if he were in that position. Some people are very good at giving advice to others about how to do things, knowing deep down that if they were in the same situation, they wouldn’t do the very thing they’re advising others to do.
The situation between St. Paul, Onesimus, and Philemon can be likened to the situation between the sinner and God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We were slaves to sin, under the law, owing a debt we could not pay.
Paul is not being original in this generosity. There are lots of people, Christian and non-Christian who are generous. Paul is simply emulating his own Lord and Savior, who willingly paid—in full—for each and every one of Paul’s terrible sins. Paul was loved much and forgiven much by Christ, in spite of how foul and sinful he had been – even to the point of persecuting and killing a In turning a worthless slave into a new creation, Paul showed the work of Christ. Christ also redeemed us out of our slavery, and worse than slavery. As runaway fugitives who rebelled against our Master, we deserved death. Yet Christ took the debt we owed, as Paul says of Onesimus, “If he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account – I will repay.”
In the same way, Christ took our sins onto His account on the cross. Christ repaid all with His innocent suffering and death. As Paul said, “Receive Onesimus as you would me,” so Christ points to you and tells the Father, “Receive that one as you would Me.”
We are not equal to Christ. He is perfect and filled with holiness. We are corrupt and filled with sin. Yet the Father accepts Christ’s offer! He receives you as if you were Christ. He says, “Enter into eternal glory,” and He heaps honor after honor upon you. As Christ covers you with His righteousness, so also His eternal reward for His obedience is given to you. That is the work of Christ, the grand exchange of sin for holiness, reward for punishment, by which we are saved. And that also is what the pastoral office bestows – the exact benefits of Christ.
Although a pastor usually uses gentle encouragement to the members of his congregation to do what is proper (as Paul words it), it is not because he lacks power in his office. The true power of the pastoral office is indeed a great and mighty power beyond anything in the world. It is the power of the Gospel, the power of rebirth.
In the Word and in the waters of Baptism, a new person is created out of the spiritual corpse of the Old Adam. The new creation is holy and new because it is born not of flesh and corruption, but born of Christ, born of water and the Spirit, born of the power of God for the salvation of all who believe. This rebirth is the action of God. Only He can do it, as it is written: “We are saved by grace.”
AMEN.
May the peace that surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.