Philemon IV

MINISTER, Rev. Thomas O. Scarborough.

Paul's Epistle to Philemon. Philemon (Close).


Over the last few Sundays, we have been dealing with Paul's Letter to Philemon. We spent a lot of time on some of the opening words, and today I am going to cover the whole second half of the letter.

Paul wrote this letter to Philemon -- because his slave, Onesimus, had run away.

In those days it was very serious indeed for a slave to run away from his master. Often the master of that slave, when he or she was recaptured, would keep the slave in chains, or brand him with an iron, or even kill him.

Slaves were not considered to be human beings. These days, we supposedly look upon everyone as a human being -- but I don’t think so -- there are many ways in which we do not. Human beings are what they always were, and don’t genuinely care for their fellow man or woman.

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But this slave Onesimus, while he was in Rome, somehow came into contact with the apostle Paul -- who at that time was in chains in prison. And Onesimus received Jesus Christ as his Saviour.

In verse 10, Paul says: "Onesimus became my son while I was in chains" -- which means that, in the spiritual sense, he was born through the ministry of Paul -- he became his son.

And so Onesimus began to care for Paul in his jail cell. The slave who didn’t want to serve -- who ran away to Rome -- became the loving servant of a prisoner in jail. And in verse 13, Paul says to Philemon: "I would have liked to keep him with me ... to help me while I am in chains for the gospel."

But for some reason -- and we don’t know the reason -- it may very well have been Paul’s discovery that Onesimus was a runaway slave -- Paul sent Onesimus back to his master.

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Now this letter to Philemon is a very interesting letter, particularly from the point of view that it deals with a very important problem. There were 60 million slaves at the time of Paul, and they were very badly treated.

How will Paul approach this issue? And this morning we are really going to get to the heart of the matter.

Let’s notice right at the start that this letter has puzzled many commentators. In one way, it’s about slavery, and a runaway slave -- but in another way, Paul doesn’t talk about slavery.

The commentator William Barclay writes: “Paul says nothing in this letter about the whole matter of slavery. He does not condemn slavery; he does not even tell Philemon to set Onesimus free.”

So let’s take a look at what Paul does say.

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Incidentally I wonder if you have noticed that Paul seems more than a bit worried about sending a runaway slave back to his master.

In verse 9 he says to Philemon: "I appeal to you ..." And again in verse 10: "I appeal to you ... " And in verse 19, "See, I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand ..." And the commentator Matthew Henry lists fourteen separate appeals that Paul makes in this letter.

Another sign that he is worried is that he writes this letter not only to Philemon, but to the whole Church in his house. He appeals to them all -- not just to Philemon as the slave owner.

Let’s take a close look at how Paul deals with this issue of slavery. And this letter is important to us today, because there are still some vital things we can learn from it today.

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Firstly, we cannot miss the fact that Paul's whole focus and emphasis in this letter is not on slavery -- but rather it is on new relationships in Christ.

Verse 10 is a very important verse. In verse 10, we find compacted into one verse Paul's basic approach to this whole issue. He says to Philemon: "I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains."

Here Paul is talking about a new family relationship that he has with Onesimus through Jesus Christ. This young man, who was just some wretched slave, has been born into the family of God -- and this changes everything. Throughout this letter, Paul points to this new relationship.

In verse 16, Paul says to Philemon: "Accept him back, no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother." Onesimus belongs to the family now -- he’s not just nothing.

Like every other Christian, the eyes of Onesimus have been opened -- new life has entered his heart -- he has been washed of his sins -- he has become a priest to God -- there is power in his prayers -- He is a useful instrument in the hands of the Holy Spirit -- and so, so much more.

Sometimes people say, “What’s the point of theology? What’s the point of teaching? We should just get on and do it. We should focus on action. We shouldn’t have so much airy-fairy talk.”

But actually, what we see happening in this letter is that all the Christians involved here come to understand some basic Christian realities -- and that is what lies behind all the changes. They come to understand what it means to be born into the Christian family. Once you understand that, there is only one thing you can do with a born again slave.

So let’s notice the importance of understanding Christian basics. They are not just irrelevant. They are very important. They change the world -- because this is what happened in the Roman empire.

Encyclopaedia Britannica says: "The sentiments that (Christianity) created ... were the germs out of which (the slave class's) entire liberation was destined." 60 million slaves were liberated.

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Let’s briefly notice reason a comment that Paul makes in verse 15. He says to Philemon, “Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back ... as a dear brother.”

So Paul is saying that there is a reason behind Onesimus’ running away, and his journey to Rome -- although he is not sure that he understands the reason.

Today we know the reason. God used this incident to do away with slavery, and God also turned Onesimus into a famous bishop of the early Church.

There are many people in our congregation who have been driven away -- who have fled from their countries. Paul is saying, “There is a reason. God has a plan.” He wouldn’t send you so far just for nothing.

And if you broaden your vision, you will see that there are great trends across the continent of Africa, and across the world -- and there is a reason for that, too. God has a plan. He is the sovereign God, who has all things in His power.

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Secondly, Paul not only talks about Christian basics, like salvation, and the Christian family. He also speaks about changing our practice, so that the things we do come into line with the things we believe.

So Paul has already spoken about our unity in Christ. And then he pleads for the way that Philemon should treat Onesimus.

In verse 17, Paul says to Philemon: "Welcome him as you would welcome me." It’s a very vague instruction, but the meaning is absolutely clear. How would Philemon treat Paul? Well, for one thing we see in verse 22 that Philemon would prepare a guest room to welcome him. And no doubt Philemon will have given Paul a royal welcome -- it was to Paul that he owed his whole life, because it was through Paul that he came to know the Lord.

Paul also tells Philemon not to demand anything back from Onesimus that he destroyed or robbed him of. He says in verse 18, “Charge it to me”, but leave Onesimus alone.

And in verse 21, Paul writes, “I know that you will do even more than I ask.”

So Paul is saying, “What does it mean that Onesimus has been saved? How are you going to treat him?

I wonder what Paul would say to us today? If he looked around our Church, and asked himself how we are treating one another as Christian brothers and sisters. To what extent does the spiritual truth match up with the practice?

Are you making a true effort to live in redeemed relationships?

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Let’s notice incidentally that Paul sent Onesimus back to his master. And it was only by sending Onesimus back to his master that real change and transformation actually took place.

Imagine if Paul had not sent Onesimus back to his master. Any real change in this relationship would have been impossible. For truly effective change to take place, it had to come from within that master-slave relationship.

So often people turn around and walk away from situations. I have said to quite a few people during counselling -- you can turn around and walk away from this situation -- often people do -- or you can submit yourself to God and persevere and see a breakthrough.

If you have trouble in your marriage, God doesn’t want you to walk away -- He wants to see a spiritual breakthrough. If you are thinking suicide, God doesn’t want you to take the quick way out -- He wants you to get through this, and see a victory through Him.

There do come times, of course, where you need to move on in life -- but what I am saying is that people often quit at that point where it looks as though God is about to do a great work in their lives.

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Thirdly, in this letter to Philemon -- actually, through the events of history that came about through this letter to Philemon -- we see the power of a Christian example.

People are copy-cats. They love to copy what they see around them. I still write electronics articles from time to time -- and writer’s etiquette says you must not tell anybody else what you wrote about -- because it is quite likely that your idea will be swiped even before it makes it into print.

Not all of the Roman empire was saved -- but the whole of the Roman empire copied what the Christians did, and two to three-hundred years later, slavery was gone. They copied what the Christians began.

The Bible calls it salt and light. Jesus said: "You are the salt of the earth ... you are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:13) -- and we should not underestimate the effectiveness of that salt and light.

When you live as a Christian truly should live -- when you truly live out redeemed relationships -- you will have a major impact on the society round about you.

A very good example from history of this is the establishment of hospitals, and field hospitals, and clinics, and leprosy work, and schools, and literature work. It was originally Christians, through Christian love, who established these institutions.

It was Christians saw the need for it, and were motivated by the Holy Spirit to put their love into action. And as the years went by, unbelievers saw what these places meant to society, and either they were shamed into imitating what Christians had done, or they were inspired into imitating them.

Some of our members work in hospitals and in charitable programmes, and so on. Sometimes they seem to be getting nowhere from day to day -- but remember that this is what has changed societies before.

The same applies to your daily work, and your marriage relationship, and your circle of friends, and your outlook on life, and all sorts of things -- it is all salt and light. Others people observe you and see how relationships can be, and begin themselves to change.

When you live as a Christian truly should live -- when you truly live out redeemed relationships -- you will have a major impact on the society round about you.

But ultimately we don't want to shame others into action, or force them into action -- that’s not our goal -- but rather we want to bring them into a new relationship with God. As soon as the inner man changes through Christian conversion and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, then by God's power, major changes take place in relationships and in society -- as we so clearly see in this Letter to Philemon.

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Now today I also want to follow up on just one verse that we looked at last time, which deals with our purpose in life.

In this verse 11, Paul wrote about Onesimus, who was useless -- we don’t know how, but he might truly have been a useless character -- but now he has become useful both to Philemon and to Paul. Verse 11 reads: “Foremerly he -- Onesimus -- was useless to you -- but now he has become useful both to you and to me.”

Last Sunday I spoke about real examples about how people change when they come to know Jesus Christ.

Now this morning I would like to talk about the deeper spiritual truth that is involved.

Something that is useless is something that does not have a purpose.

If you have been washed up on a uninhabited sandy island with a crate of floor polish, you may safely say that that floor polish is useless. It has no purpose on a sandy island. Or if you are using a screwdriver, and the end breaks off, the screwdriver may be said to be useless. It has no further purpose.

Formerly Onesimus was useless. His life had no purpose. It had no usefulness. His life was profitless. And not only that, but Onesimus, according to this verse, was not of any usefulness to anyone.

In fact the Bible tells us that each one of us, before we know the Lord, is useless.

The Bible says, "All have turned away. They have together become worthless." Romans 3 verse 12. And that includes the so-called righteous and virtuous. Another version of the Bible says they have together become unprofitable -- useless. And the version The Message says, “They’ve wandered down blind alleys.”

Can’t you be profitable even if you don’t know God Him in your life?

Let’s look at this in stages. Supposing you are a gangster, sowing destruction and hurt. Is your life useful? I think you would say no, it is not. Supposing you are a husband who strikes terror into the hearts of his wife and family, and abuses them. Is your life useful? Probably no.

But supposing you are a shopkeeper who is 80% honest -- or a nurse who mostly does her job. Is your life useful? The Bible says no.

Let me use some illustrations so that we can better understand this.

I have spoken before about a Church member who called me to his bedside shortly before he died -- he died the next day. And he said to me over and over, "I have wasted my life. I have only realised it now." "I have wasted my life. I have only realised it now."

His family were quite perplexed about this. This man was a well respected old man in the community. Nobody could say a bad word about him. He had been decent to his family and friends, and had given to the Church and to charity. But he himself knew that all his good deeds had not had any purpose.

He realised too late that he had missed the real purpose of his life, which was the Lord his God.

What makes a life useful? What gives it a useful purpose?

The highest way to look at this question is to look at it from God's point of view.

What makes a life useful is if it is useful to God. If it is not useful to God, how can it be useful at all? If it is useful only for things and people that pass away -- and not for God -- how can it ultimately really be useful or have any purpose?

The apostle Peter says in 1 Peter 2:25 -- and he is speaking to Christian believers: "For you were like sheep going astray. But now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls."

Our lives become useful only when we become useful to God, through a new relationship with Him.

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And there is another reason why our lives can only be useful when we find the Lord -- a very important reason -- and that is that it is only then that we are filled with the Holy Spirit.

It is only then that we can go beyond our own human limitations, and be filled with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

There is a world of difference between being good -- living a good human life, if that’s really possiblehuman -- and truly flowing over with the Holy Spirit in one's life.

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I would urge you to come into a new relationship with God this morning.

The way to do that is very simple. Ask God, through what Christ has done for you, to forgive you for your sins of the past -- for the sinfulness and purposelessness of your life as you have lived it until now. And ask Him to take control of your life -- your whole life -- through His Holy Spirit.

AMEN.

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