Philemon

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

While writing this, Paul was restrained within the four walls of a Roman
prison cell. More importantly, he had willingly offered himself to be a
prisoner of Christ Jesus. That meant that he had decided to position
himself with people, within the structure of authority set in the
Scriptures. He would submit to those above him and take responsibility
for those under him. He would also deny himself to do according to
GOD’S will in every situation, obeying the voice of the Holy Spirit. Thus
he would abide IN CHRIST! 

Christ above him, Christ beneath him;

Christ before him, Christ behind him;

Christ in him, Christ around him

Therefore Paul was bearing the fruit of the Spirit and was able to speak
about joy, love and faith. The evidence of the fruit of his ministry  extending
beyond the prison walls and down generations is this very blog I am able to write and
you are reading!!

 I am the vine, you are the branches. 

He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit;

 for without Me you can do nothing.

John 15:5

O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;

 You maintain my lot. 

The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; 

Yes, I have a good inheritance.

Psalm 16:5-6

***

 To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer, 

to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, 

and to the church in your house: 

The above could be a family. Father, mother and Archippus being the son. 

They were hosting the believers’ meeting which was the Church. 

Obviously the whole family was serving the LORD. 

In Colossians 4:17 Paul sends a message to Archippus:

 And say to Archippus, 

"Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, 

that you may fulfill it."

Colossians 4:17

 Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, 

it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.

 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, 

I am there in the midst of them."

Matthew 18:19-20

***

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

What Paul had received, he could offer to others.

Grace and peace are freely given to us from GOD through the LORD JESUS.

 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. 

Freely you have received, freely give.

Matthew 10:8

***

 I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers,

Praying for one another is an important part of the Christian life.

It is good to have a planned prayer life, 

but also important to be sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

***

 hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus 

and toward all the saints, 

Knowing the persons and having information of

their situation helps us to pray specifically.

Philemon was a loving man of faith.

***

that the sharing of your faith may become effective 

by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

Our prayer for each other should be that

The LORD’S name should be glorified through each one.

Faith should be lived out in good works.

 Let your light so shine before men,

 that they may see your good works 

and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:16

***

For we have great joy and consolation in your love, 

because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother. 

When we are tired and dehydrated, 

we are physically refreshed by a cup of water.

Similarly, our soul is refreshed by the love of GOD,

Which is poured into our heart.

Philemon was a channel of GOD’S love.

 Now hope does not disappoint, 

because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts 

by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Romans 5:5

***

Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ 

to command you what is fitting, 

yet for love's sake I rather appeal to you-

-being such a one as Paul, the aged, 

and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ-

- I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, 

Although Paul could have written to the younger Philemon

With the tone of a command,

He decides to appeal with the tone of gentleness as the aged

And humility as a prisoner.

***

whom I have begotten while in my chains,

While the apostle Paul was in prison, 

He got to know Onesimus whom he brought to the LORD.

While Paul was physically in chains,

He was spiritually free.

Onesimus was physically free

But bound spiritually.

Paul saw Onesimus set free 

Through prayer and by sharing the Gospel

Of the LORD JESUS.

The command from GOD to Adam & Eve at the beginning of time

Re-echos to us now,

“Be fruitful and multiply.” 

Let us take every opportunity to 

Bring people to the LORD.

 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, 

"Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; 

have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, 

and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

Genesis 1:28

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, 

baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you;

 and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

Matthew 28:19-20

*** 

who once was unprofitable to you, 

but now is profitable to you and to me.

When Onesimus was a slave of Philemon,

He pilfered from him

And then ran away from him.

Since being born again,

He had changed.

One who brought loss,

Had now become one who would bring profit!

 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; 

old things have passed away; 

behold, all things have become new.

2 Corinthians 5:17

*** 

I am sending him back.

Although Paul was instrumental

In seeing Onesimus changed

And knowing that he would be profitable to him,

He does the right thing in sending him back to his rightful owner.

That is restitution.

Do we do the right thing in such situations

With people or property?

*** 

You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart, 

whom I wished to keep with me, 

that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel. 

But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, 

that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary. 

GOD did not make man as a robot.

Man has a free will to make decisions.

Every person has the right to make decisions

And has to face the consequences.

We can choose to obey GOD

Or disobey Him.

***

For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, 

that you might receive him forever, 

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.

The position of Onesimus with Philemon had changed

Since He was born into the Kingdom of GOD.

There would be a relationship of ‘Forever Love’!

They would be brothers in Christ.

*** 

If then you count me as a partner, 

receive him as you would me. 

Paul, as a close friend of Philemon,

Is making a plea to him 

To receive Onesimus on his behalf.

***

But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account.

Paul was playing the role of an intercessor

And a redeemer.

He was willing to pay back what Onesimus owed Philemon

So that they could be reconciled.

Do we have opportunities to play such a role,

Not just financially, but to humble ourselves to ask for forgiveness

On behalf of someone,

For the sake of reconciliation?

***

 I, Paul, am writing with my own hand. 

I will repay--not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self besides. 

Paul has obviously been a great spiritual blessing 

To Philemon.

Yet he was willing to pay him back on behalf of Onesimus.

***

Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord;

 refresh my heart in the Lord. 

As previously stated, Philemon was known to be one 

who refreshes others with the love of the LORD.

Paul was calling on his strength 

To once again refresh his heart 

By answering his plea 

On behalf of Onesimus.

***

Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you,

knowing that you will do even more than I say. 

GOD gives to us more than what we ask or imagine.

 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly 

above all that we ask or think, 

according to the power that works in us,

Ephesians 3:20

***

But, meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me,

 for I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted to you. 

Paul expresses his desire to visit Philemon.

Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, as do Mark, 

Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers.

Epaphras was probably very involved in the Church in Colosse.

The others were mutual friends.

***

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

The apostle Paul begins and ends the letter with 

The impartation of GOD’S grace.

Philemon 1:1-25

This book brings out the message of breaking of relationship, forgiveness, restitution, restoration, intercession and redemption.

Just as Onesimus, a slave, wronged his master Philemon, all of us as sinners have wronged the LORD Who is our Creator, Master and Lord. We have taken His love and grace for granted. We have run away from Him to live our lives according to our will and become separated from Him.

Paul who is literally a prisoner in a Roman jail, refers to himself as a prisoner of the LORD JESUS, plays the role of a mediator and becomes instrumental in seeing Onesimus restored to Philemon. The LORD JESUS, the Son of GOD, like the apostle Paul, was obedient to the Father even to the point of death on the cross. He became the Mediator for all mankind to be restored to the Father.

Just as Paul made a plea to Philemon to receive Onesimus who had caused loss to him and ran away from him, JESUS continues to plead the Father as the Intercessor, to receive us, who are sinners, who caused loss and ran away from Him.

Paul also offered to pay back Philemon, what Onesimus had taken from him. As sinners, we stand condemned and worthy of eternal punishment before the Holy and Just GOD. The LORD JESUS took the punishment for all our sin by coming down in human form, unjustly suffering as a criminal and dying on the cross, taking on himself the curse of the sin of mankind. He has fully paid up for our restoration to our Heavenly Father! Since He paid for our redemption from the hand of the enemy of our soul, He is our Redeemer.

Just as the LORD JESUS continues as Intercessor at the right hand of the Father, He requires us as His children to be intercessors on earth. We need to stand in the gap on behalf of others in prayer and intercession, pleading the blood of JESUS to cover their sin and bring salvation and restoration.

Paul saw Onesimus restored to GOD first and then restored to his master. We need to look for opportunities to restore people to GOD and then to one another in their relationships. We are called to be such ambassadors for GOD. 

 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus:

 that if One died for all, then all died;

 and He died for all, 

that those who live should live no longer for themselves,

 but for Him who died for them and rose again. 

Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. 

Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, 

yet now we know Him thus no longer. 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, 

he is a new creation; 

old things have passed away; 

behold, all things have become new. 

Now all things are of God, 

who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, 

and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 

that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, 

not imputing their trespasses to them, 

and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, 

as though God were pleading through us: 

we implore you on Christ's behalf, 

be reconciled to God. 

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, 

that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

2 Corinthians 5:14-21