Philemonic Considerations

Philemon (ESV)

Greeting

¹ Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,

To Philemon our beloved fellow worker ² and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house:

³ Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philemon's Love and Faith

⁴ I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, ⁵ because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, ⁶ and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.^{[a] 7} For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.

Q. Whom do you have in your life that is like Philemon?

Q. Have you repeatedly remembered this person in your prayers, thanking God for them?

Q. Have you refreshed the hearts of your fellow spiritual brothers and sisters?

Q. Can anyone honestly label you as a Philemon-like individual?

Paul's Plea for Onesimus

⁸ Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, ⁹ yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus— ¹⁰ I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus,^[b] whose father I became in my imprisonment.

Q. Do you habitually appeal rather than make demand of others?

Q. Can anyone look to you as being their spiritual parent?

Q. If so, are you concerned for them, ensuring to take an active interest in their life or did you leave them as an orphan, abandoning them at some point in time in the past, leaving them to fend for themselves?

 ¹¹ (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) ¹² I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. ¹³ I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, ¹⁴ but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord.

Q. Do you carelessly and callously presume on the good natures of any other people, taking their kindnesses for granted or do you make an effort to value their willing consideration and consent?

 ¹⁵ For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, ¹⁶ no longer as a bondservant^[c] but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

Q. Do you have a practical understanding of and have submitted yourself to God’s providential control over all of His creation, knowing that there is a reason for everything as part of God’s larger plan or do you believe in random chance of coincidence, serendipity, and good luck?

¹⁷ So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. ¹⁸ If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account

Q. Are there any fellow spiritual brothers and sisters for whom you would support completely, willingly giving yourself completely?

¹⁹ I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. ²⁰ Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.²¹ Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. ²² At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you.

Q. Are you confident enough to be respectfully assertive careful to not cross the line into insistence and demandingness?

Q. In potentially tense conversations, are you either alert or wise enough to convey your confidence in that other person’s integrity, goodwill, and amiability?

Final Greetings

²³ Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, ²⁴ and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

Q. Do you operate in a circle of friends who typically all know each other or are your relationships largely linear and without the depth of a multifaceted understanding of one another?

²⁵ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Footnotes:

1. Philemon 1:6 Or for Christ's service
2. Philemon 1:10 Onesimus means useful (see verse 11) or beneficial (see verse 20)

Philemon 1:16 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; twice in this verse


For More: Spurgeon's Verse Expositions of the Bible: Philemon