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Scripture Reading: Philem. 1:1-16
The subject of the book of Philemon is an illustration of the believers’ equal status in the new man. In the new man all the believers, whether masters such as Philemon or slaves such as Onesimus, have the same status.
The book of Philemon opens with the words, “Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy the brother, to Philemon the beloved and our fellow-worker.” In verse 2 Paul refers to Apphia the sister and to Archippus and to the church in Philemon’s house. According to the family nature of this Epistle, Apphia must be Philemon’s wife, and Archippus, his son. Philemon lived in Colosse (v. 2, see Col. 4:17 v. 10, see Col. 1:2; 4:9). According to history, he was an elder of the church in Colosse. It should be that the church in Colosse met in his house. Hence, it was the church in his house.
The introduction to this Epistle concludes with Paul’s word in verse 3: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
In verses 4 and 5 Paul goes on to say, “I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, hearing of your love and the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and to all the saints.” Notice that in verse 5 Paul speaks first of love and then of faith. In the initial stage faith came first, and then love was produced by faith (Gal. 5:6; Eph. 1:15; Col. 1:4). But here love is referred to first and then faith, because what is dealt with in this Epistle concerning the equal status of believers is a matter of love, which comes out of faith. In the new man the members love one another in faith (Titus 3:15). The relationship is of love through faith. The apostle appreciates the fellowship of Philemon’s faith (v. 6) and is encouraged by his love (v. 7); thus he entreats him to receive Onesimus because of this love (v. 9). These two virtues are referred to in a combined way. Philemon has both of them, not only toward the Lord, but also toward all the saints.
In verse 6 Paul continues, “That the fellowship of your faith may become operative in the full knowledge of every good thing which is in us for Christ.” This verse is actually the continuation of verse 4. Full knowledge here means full acknowledgment, entire appreciation, and experiential recognition. By “every good thing” Paul does not mean natural things (see Rom. 7:18), but spiritual and divinely good things, such as eternal life, the divine nature, and spiritual gifts, which are in us, the regenerated believers, not in natural men.
The Greek word rendered “for” in the phrase “for Christ” literally means unto, toward. All the spiritual and divinely good things in us are unto Christ, toward Christ, for Christ. The apostle prays that the fellowship, the communication, the sharing, of Philemon’s faith toward all the saints may operate in them in the element and sphere of the full knowledge, the full realization, of all the good things in us for Christ, causing them to acknowledge, appreciate, and recognize all the spiritual and divinely good things which are in the believers for Christ.
In verse 7 Paul says, “For I had much joy and encouragement over your love, because the inward parts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.” The word “for” introduces the reason the apostle prays for Philemon’s faith to operate in the saints (v. 6). It is because his love has refreshed the inward parts of the saints and has hence rendered the apostle much joy and encouragement. The Greek word rendered refreshed also means soothed, cheered.
Verses 8 and 9 continue, “Wherefore, having much boldness in Christ to charge you what is fitting, because of love I rather entreat, being such a one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus.” The Greek word for aged here may also be translated an ambassador (Eph. 6:20). Prisoner here and in verse 23, and bonds in verse 13, indicate that this Epistle was written during imprisonment, the apostle’s first imprisonment in Rome.
In verses 10 and 11 Paul says, “I entreat you concerning my child whom I have begotten in my bonds, Onesimus, who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me.” During his imprisonment, Paul begot Onesimus through the Spirit with the eternal life of God (John 3:3; 1:13). In Greek the name Onesimus means profitable, useful, helpful; it was a common name for slaves. He was Philemon’s purchased bondslave, who, according to Roman law, had no human rights. He ran away from his master, committing a crime which could bring the death penalty. While he was in prison at Rome with the apostle, he was saved through him. Now the apostle sends him back with this Epistle to his master.
The word useless in verse 11 also means not of service, profitless. This refers to Onesimus’s running away from Philemon. The word useful also means of service, profitable. Onesimus became of service because he had been converted and was willing to return to Philemon.
Verse 12 continues, “Whom I have sent back to you — him, that is, my very heart.” Literally, the Greek word for heart means bowels, as in verses 7 and 20; Philippians 1:8; 2:1; and Colossians 3:12. It signifies inward affection, tenderheartedness, compassions. Paul’s inward affection and compassions went with Onesimus to Philemon.
Verses 13 and 14 say, “Whom I resolved to keep with myself, that on your behalf he might minister to me in the bonds of the gospel, but without your mind I did not want to do anything, that your goodness should not be as of necessity, but voluntary.” Just as the Lord would not do anything without our consent, Paul would not keep Onesimus with him without Philemon’s consent.
In verses 15 and 16 Paul says, “For perhaps therefore he was separated from you for an hour that you might fully have him forever, no longer as a slave, but above a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, and how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.” The word “for” in verse 15 introduces the reason for the sending in verse 12. The word perhaps here is not only an expression of humility, but also one which shows no prejudice.
This short Epistle serves the special purpose of showing us the equality in eternal life and divine love of all the members in the Body of Christ. In the age of Paul the life of Christ had annulled, among the believers, the strong institution of slavery. Since the sentiment of the love of the Christian fellowship was so powerful and prevailing that the evil social order among fallen mankind was spontaneously ignored, any need for institutional emancipation was obviated. Because of the divine birth and living by the divine life, all the believers in Christ had equal status in the church, which was the new man in Christ, with no discrimination between free and bond (Col. 3:10-11). This is based on three facts. First, Christ’s death on the cross has abolished the ordinances of the different ways of life for the creation of the one new man (Eph. 2:15). Second, we all have been baptized into Christ and made one in Him without any difference (Gal. 3:27-28). Third, in the new man Christ is all and in all (Col. 3:11). Such a life with such a love in equal fellowship is well able to maintain good order in the church (in Titus), carry out God’s economy concerning the church (in 1 Timothy), and stand against the tide of the church’s decline (in 2 Timothy). It is of the Lord’s sovereignty that this Epistle was positioned after the three preceding books in the arrangement of the New Testament.
According to Paul’s word in verse 16, Onesimus was above a slave, or more than a slave. He was even more than a free man; he was a beloved brother.
There are a number of intimate terms in this Epistle: a beloved brother, the sister (v. 2), the beloved and our fellow-worker (v. 1), our fellow-soldier (v. 2), my fellow-workers (v. 24), my fellow-prisoner (v. 23), and a partner (v. 17). These terms indicate the intimate sentiment in the apostle concerning his relationship with the fellow members in the new man.
The expression “both in the flesh and in the Lord” means in the flesh as a slave and in the Lord as a brother; in the flesh a brother for a slave, and in the Lord a slave for a brother.
The title of this message is “A Slave Reborn to Be a Brother.” Only through the preaching of the gospel could a slave like Onesimus be reborn to be a brother. Paul did not preach the gospel to Onesimus in an ordinary way or in a careless, superficial way. Paul preached the gospel to him while he was a prisoner in Rome. This indicates that no matter what kind of situation Paul was in, he was always exercised to carry on the preaching of the gospel. He says, “Now I want you to know, brothers, that the things concerning me have turned out rather to the advancement of the gospel, so that my bonds have become manifest in Christ in the whole praetorium and to all the rest.” Nero’s royal guard heard Paul preaching the gospel and even saw him preaching the gospel. Philippians 4:22 indicates that certain members of Caesar’s household were saved: “All the saints greet you, and especially those of Caesar’s household.” Now we know from the Epistle to Philemon that the slave Onesimus was saved through Paul.
Paul did not preach the gospel to Onesimus in the way practiced by most Christians today. Paul regarded his gospel preaching as an act of begetting. For this reason, Paul refers to Onesimus as his child begotten in his bonds. Paul’s preaching involved a process of begetting and giving birth to a child. This indicates that in his preaching of the gospel Paul ministered the divine life into others. The eternal life of God imparted into Onesimus caused him to be reborn as Paul’s spiritual child and brother in Christ. When we preach the gospel today, we also must preach in the way of begetting, in the way of imparting Christ as the divine life into those to whom we preach the gospel.
Furthermore, after begetting this child, Paul did not neglect him or leave him as an orphan in the care of others. Because this child was so dear to him, Paul kept him and loved him. He even referred to him as “my very heart.” Mothers often feel this way toward their child. If the child were taken away from them, it would seem as if the mother’s heart had been snatched away. Do you have this kind of feeling concerning one whom you have brought to the Lord? Probably we do not have much of this kind of feeling. However, Paul considered Onesimus not only his child, but also his heart. For Paul to send his child to Philemon meant that he also sent his heart to him. What concern we see here!
There are some parents who do not regard their children in the flesh as their own heart. They may say within themselves, “God has given me this child, and it is my duty to take care of him. In this matter I have no choice.” Often Christians who bring others to the Lord have a similar attitude. In contrast to Paul, they lack a deep parental concern for the one saved through them.
Although Paul had such a loving concern for his child, he realized that he was not the right person to keep him. Because Onesimus was a slave who had escaped from his master, he had to return. It is possible that Onesimus had stolen something from Philemon. Verse 18 may indicate this: “And if he has wronged you in anything or owes anything, charge that to my account.” Onesimus may not merely have pilfered things from Philemon; he may have stolen something precious.
Here we see that Paul’s concern was that the human relationship between Onesimus and Philemon would be rectified. After we have brought a sinner to the Lord, we should first regard him as our spiritual child and then help him to rectify his relationships. For example, if one has wronged his parents, we should help him to be reconciled to his parents. If a wife is wrong with her husband, or a husband with his wife, we should help the wife or husband to restore the proper relationship with the spouse. This is an important principle.
In sending back this escaped slave to his master, Paul, an excellent writer, appealed to Philemon’s love. In verses 5 and 6 Paul says, “Hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and to all the saints, that the fellowship of your faith may become operative in the full knowledge of every good thing which is in us for Christ.” Because in this Epistle Paul is appealing to Philemon’s love, he puts love before faith in verse 5.
Verse 6 is difficult to understand. Here Paul seems to be saying, “When the brothers in different localities learn of what you did in love through faith and have fellowship regarding your faith, your faith will work in them. It will become operative in them in the full knowledge of every good thing which is in us for Christ, because all believers have the same good things within them.” These good things include the divine life, the divine nature, and the divine gifts. A full record of these things is found in the three books of 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus. All these good things in us are for Christ. The fellowship of Philemon’s faith may be likened to a fan with which we fan into flame for Christ all the good things within us (2 Tim. 1:6). When the saints hear what Philemon did in love, the good deposit within them will be stirred up. This is the operation of the faith of a certain saint through the fellowship among the believers.
In the book of Philemon we have an excellent pattern and example of bringing a sinner to the Lord through begetting him with the divine life; regarding him as a child, even as our heart; and helping him to rectify all the human relationships. In the churches in the Lord’s recovery it is our practice to send back the escaped one and the divorced or separated wife or husband. We want to help rectify all human relationships. In doing this, we must have a loving concern and appeal to the love of the other party. Finally, in keeping with Paul’s example in this Epistle, we must help the newly saved one to come into the church life. Paul’s desire was to bring Onesimus into the church life. Having been begotten by Paul, Onesimus was now a slave reborn to be a brother. As the one who had begotten him, Paul bore the responsibility to bring Onesimus into the church life, into the fellowship among the members of the Body.
