Philemon 8-11 says...
Today's verse are Philemon 8-11, which read,
v.8 - Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper,...
Paul is writing to Philemon a very personal letter that is to be read publicly by his wife, son, and the Colossian church which meets in his home. He is writing to him about something that he is to do that will effect all those who are around him.
Philemon is a Christian and his family are also followers. He has a love of God and of others and it has been demonstrated in very visible and genuine ways.
Therefore, because Philemon is such a man in Christ, Paul could just say, "because of what Christ said, you, Philemon need to do this" and that would be enough said.
v.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--
Paul could have just said, "Philemon, do this because it is in the Bible and Jesus said it" but he wanted Philemon to remember who was saying this to him. It was Paul. Paul who loved him. The man who told him of the gospel. The man who was older than him. The man who was in prison at the time because of words of Christ that he was going to share with him. The man who had some "skin in the game" of Philemon's life.
We are listening in to an older believer, most possibly in age but also in the age of faith in Christ, presenting to another believer something that needs to be done from the Bible for his sake and the sake of others. Paul reminds Philemon of who he is in Philemon's life and that his own life is one that is following Christ not just in words but also in actions.
v.10, 11 - ...I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment, who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me.
Onesimus was Philemon's slave who ran away. He may have ran away with some of Philemon's resources. In any event, he ran away as a non-Christian and ran from one Christian influence into another. In the vast city of Rome where Onesimus could easily hide from existence but through some series of events he runs into Paul, the man who shared the gospel with his master, who is now in prison. What God will put together to get people's attention that He is calling them.
Onesimus must have thought he got away from Philemon and his Christianity to be face to face with the one who told Philemon of Christ. Now Onesimus was a Christian as signified by Paul, another new covert to the faith.
The good thing that Paul is asking of Philemon to do is to accept Onesimus as a Christian. He was once useless but now he is useful not only to Paul but also to Philemon. Onesimus did something wrong but now he has done something right. Paul is asking but also telling Philemon to focus on what was done right.
Someone has done wrong and maybe done wrong to you but then a change has happened. They have come to see it was sin and they are repenting to follow Christ's direction. Do you accept this person in their repentant state? Do you allow the right thing to overshadow the wrong things that were done? Will you allow there to be real and true forgiveness given from you to them if that is called for? What if it is coming from a trusted friend who you attribute as your spiritual leader saying that you need to forgive? Will you listen and obey as you hear the words of Scripture on this?
The answer for many is "no." Forgiveness is an area where many Christians give Scripture a pass on the obedience to do what the Lord says. We hold on to the hurt rather than hold onto Jesus' ways through the hurt to the other side of forgiveness. We choose to ignore His teaching and even if it is coming from those who God has put before us as spiritual leaders speaking and leading with their lives. Paul had to do this and now he is instructing Philemon in the same matter to do the same. Will Philemon obey? Will you obey when you need to forgive out of obedience to God? Let's pray.
"Lord, there is so much more to this letter that it is hard to stop at this point but we need to ask ourselves if we are going to obey You on this. Thank you for spiritual leadership that speaks Your words but also lives out those words to us so we can follow Your and their examples. Help us to see that when we forgive, truly forgive, we are stepping right into Your footprints as followers of You. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.8 - Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper,...
Paul is writing to Philemon a very personal letter that is to be read publicly by his wife, son, and the Colossian church which meets in his home. He is writing to him about something that he is to do that will effect all those who are around him.
Philemon is a Christian and his family are also followers. He has a love of God and of others and it has been demonstrated in very visible and genuine ways.
Therefore, because Philemon is such a man in Christ, Paul could just say, "because of what Christ said, you, Philemon need to do this" and that would be enough said.
v.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--
Paul could have just said, "Philemon, do this because it is in the Bible and Jesus said it" but he wanted Philemon to remember who was saying this to him. It was Paul. Paul who loved him. The man who told him of the gospel. The man who was older than him. The man who was in prison at the time because of words of Christ that he was going to share with him. The man who had some "skin in the game" of Philemon's life.
We are listening in to an older believer, most possibly in age but also in the age of faith in Christ, presenting to another believer something that needs to be done from the Bible for his sake and the sake of others. Paul reminds Philemon of who he is in Philemon's life and that his own life is one that is following Christ not just in words but also in actions.
v.10, 11 - ...I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment, who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me.
Onesimus was Philemon's slave who ran away. He may have ran away with some of Philemon's resources. In any event, he ran away as a non-Christian and ran from one Christian influence into another. In the vast city of Rome where Onesimus could easily hide from existence but through some series of events he runs into Paul, the man who shared the gospel with his master, who is now in prison. What God will put together to get people's attention that He is calling them.
Onesimus must have thought he got away from Philemon and his Christianity to be face to face with the one who told Philemon of Christ. Now Onesimus was a Christian as signified by Paul, another new covert to the faith.
The good thing that Paul is asking of Philemon to do is to accept Onesimus as a Christian. He was once useless but now he is useful not only to Paul but also to Philemon. Onesimus did something wrong but now he has done something right. Paul is asking but also telling Philemon to focus on what was done right.
Someone has done wrong and maybe done wrong to you but then a change has happened. They have come to see it was sin and they are repenting to follow Christ's direction. Do you accept this person in their repentant state? Do you allow the right thing to overshadow the wrong things that were done? Will you allow there to be real and true forgiveness given from you to them if that is called for? What if it is coming from a trusted friend who you attribute as your spiritual leader saying that you need to forgive? Will you listen and obey as you hear the words of Scripture on this?
The answer for many is "no." Forgiveness is an area where many Christians give Scripture a pass on the obedience to do what the Lord says. We hold on to the hurt rather than hold onto Jesus' ways through the hurt to the other side of forgiveness. We choose to ignore His teaching and even if it is coming from those who God has put before us as spiritual leaders speaking and leading with their lives. Paul had to do this and now he is instructing Philemon in the same matter to do the same. Will Philemon obey? Will you obey when you need to forgive out of obedience to God? Let's pray.
"Lord, there is so much more to this letter that it is hard to stop at this point but we need to ask ourselves if we are going to obey You on this. Thank you for spiritual leadership that speaks Your words but also lives out those words to us so we can follow Your and their examples. Help us to see that when we forgive, truly forgive, we are stepping right into Your footprints as followers of You. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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