Philemon: the Roadmap to Reconciliation
Philemon: the Roadmap to Reconciliation • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 40:50
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Introduction
Introduction
Turn to Philemon.
Philemon is a short letter sandwiched in between Titus and Hebrews.
“Why study Philemon?”
One main reason: it’s very likely that this letter to Philemon was written and sent with the letter to the church at Colosse. We know that Philemon was part of the church at Colosse, and there are some similarities between the two letters.
Compare the following references:
Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer,
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Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,
Paul and Timothy were together when both of these letters were written.
and to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house:
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And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it.
Both letters mention Archippus.
I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds:
whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels:
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With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They shall make known unto you all things which are done here.
Both letters indicate that Onesimus was travelling to Colosse.
There salute thee Epaphras, my fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus; Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers.
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Aristarchus my fellowprisoner saluteth you, and Marcus, sister’s son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him;)
Both letters send greetings from Epaphras, Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke.
These two letters were written at the same time, carried by the same people, and were given to the same recipients.
Circumstances of the letter
I mentioned this while we studied Colossians, but Onesimus was a slave who ran away and may have stolen something from Philemon as he went. Onesimus escaped to Rome, where he could blend in among the populace to try and avoid capture. Somehow, he met Paul, trusted Christ as his savior from sin, and his life was transformed.
Application: It was no accident that Onesimus met Paul! Only God can do something like that! God planned it all along.
God still does that today because God is still sovereign. He is continually moving in our lives.
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Things don’t happen by accident! Pay attention, Christian, and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s prompting in your heart as He works in your life.
Read Philemon 1-7.
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Paul’s greeting - Philemon 1-3.
The letter is addressed primarily to Philemon, but two other individuals are named as recipients also.
He greeted...
Apphia - Since this letter was written to Philemon, it is assumed that this woman was Philemon’s wife, but we do not know for certain. She was beloved by Paul - that means she was esteemed or dear to him.
Archippus - his name means “master of the horse” or “first among horsemen.” He probably excelled in horsemanship, but more precious to Paul was that Archippus was a fellowsoldier. He was a coworker in ministry, whatever that ministry may have been. He may have been pastoring the Colossian church, particularly since Epaphras had travelled to Rome to meet with Paul.
The church - this letter was written to Philemon, but it was not a private letter because it would not be dealing with a private matter. The entire church in Colosse needed to hear how they should receive Onesimus. They needed to hear Paul’s guidance on how to welcome their new brother in Christ. So, Paul addressed this letter to the church in Colosse also.
Philemon - the first person to whom this letter was addressed. According to verse two, he hosted a church in his house. He must have been a man of some wealth to be able to host an assembly of believers and to own slaves such as Onesimus.
Paul wrote this letter to Philemon for one purpose: to ask Philemon to forgive and be reconciled with Onesimus. Through the letter, Paul explains the situation to Philemon and teaches him how his new brother in Christ should be received. In verses 18-19, Paul also offers to repay any damages that Onesimus may have caused.
Do our relationships with others ever get tested? Do they ever get strained? Do Christians ever hurt or offend each other? Yes, every day.
The fact is, we’ve all been there.
Does it ever happen in the local church? Yes - in every single church.
Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
Application: This letter shows us how to seek reconciliation with a brother or sister in Christ. God gave us this letter to teach us how to restore wounded relationships. Relationships take lots of grace, patience, and understanding. Broken relationships take work to restore. Christian, God has given you the responsibility of being right with your fellow man. Embrace that responsibility and by faith, obey Christ! Every one of us who know Christ should know how to seek forgiveness and restore a hurt relationship. We need to know it and practice it among ourselves if we want to protect the unity of our church!
Notice how Paul greets his brother in Christ. He doesn’t attack Philemon. He doesn’t accuse Philemon, he doesn’t make outright demands of Philemon. Paul says, “grace to you, and peace...”
“Grace” is the common Greek greeting and “Peace” (shalom) is the common Hebrew greeting.
John G. Butler, Analytical Bible Expositor: Galatians-Philemon (Clinton, IA: LBC Publications, 2009), 440.
While this pattern is common in the New Testament, it is especially important here. As Paul wrote to Philemon, he shows us the mindset and the tone of voice that you must have when approaching a hurt relationship. There was nothing between Philemon and Paul, but Paul was taking the initiative and stepping into a situation to mediate between Onesimus and Philemon. Paul intended to do so as a gracious peacemaker.
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Paul’s gratitude - Philemon 4-7.
In American English we have this idiom, “don’t beat around the bush.” What does that mean, exactly?
It means, “apply yourself!” “Get to it!” “say what you’re trying to say!” You and I understand what it means, but to someone who is learning our language, that is a strange expression.
You might be tempted to think that Paul’s beating around the bush here a little bit in this letter. I mean, the whole point of this letter is to address the sticky issue of a runaway slave, but Paul doesn’t start there. In fact, he doesn’t mention Onesimus until verse ten. No, Paul’s not beating around the bush. He is using a little bit of tact. He is simply exercising some godly wisdom. He’s being prudent in how he approaches the situation. He starts off the letter by expressing his gratitude for Philemon.
Application: If you are like Paul and you have a relationship to restore: don’t go into it like a bull in a china shop. Go to them in humility. Identify and acknowledge the positive about the other person, not just the negative. When someone has hurt us, our minds tend to find the bad in that person real quick and its like our brains shut down and we cannot find anything good about the other person. That’s not what Paul does here. He starts off his letter by immediately emphasizing the good qualities in Philemon’s life. The only way you’re going to do that when you’re in a hurt relationship is if you choose to. It’s a choice of your will.
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His gratitude was expressed in prayer - Philemon 4.
Paul thanked God for Philemon. Paul didn’t just pray that Philemon would forgive Onesimus, no, Paul thanked God for Philemon! What an example of grace this is!
Application: In a scenario like this, it would have been easy for Paul to simply pray for Philemon and Onesimus to get right with each other, but that’s not all that Paul did. Paul thanked God for Philemon! And you know who was there within earshot while Paul was praying in prison? Onesimus. Yes. I believe that Paul taught Onesimus to thank God for Philemon also. Why? Because it would help Onesimus to have the right mindset concerning his former master.
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His gratitude was shown in praise - Philemon 5-6.
Philemon had a testimony that all believers should covet for themselves. He had a testimony of faith in Christ and love towards Christ and all the saints. He had a testimony of being gracious and hospitable toward other Christians. He lived out his faith and Paul’s desire was that he would live it out completely. That he would be a clear reflection of Christ in every area of life.
Try to imagine with me this scenario from the eyes of Onesimus. Imagine being in his shoes and hearing Paul dictate this letter to Philemon. Imagine hearing Paul praise the man whom you had wronged. If Onesimus was like most of us, he would rather have preferred to push the situation out of his mind. He would have preferred to run away from Philemon, run away to Rome, and start a new life there with no intention of ever going back to Philemon and making things right with him. Actually, that’s exactly what Philemon tried to do until Christ changed his life. Now, he would be carrying this letter of praise back to the slaveowner that he had run away from. Now he would be seeking forgiveness and reconciliation.
Application: Paul’s gratitude and his praise of Philemon are a prelude to the main subject of this letter, but they are a critical part of it nonetheless. When you have a wounded relationship with another Christian, be graceful, be tactful, be wise in your words, and look for the ways that they do reflect their Savior. Every Christian is a work in progress, including you. We tend to shine the spotlight on each other’s weak points, when rather we should celebrate their strong points.
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His gratitude was grounded in hope - Philemon 7.
This principle is only hinted at in this verse, but we’ll see it more later in the letter. In verse seven Paul expresses his joy and comfort in hearing that Philemon was such a hospitable host to other believers. This is certain: if Paul doubted how Philemon would respond to the letter and to Onesimus, Paul would not have written this way. Paul believed in Philemon and hoped for a good outcome in this reconciliation.
Application: Christians may disappoint you, but you must always hope for the best! Don’t ever give up on someone! Believe that God can change their life! Believe that can be reconciliation is possible!
In a culture where runaway slaves were captured and beheaded, Paul believed that Philemon and Onesimus could be restored.
That is the power of the Gospel. Paul’s gratitude was grounded in hope because Paul believed in the changing power of the Gospel. It had evidently changed Philemon’s life. It had changed Onesimus’ life. And therefore, Paul had a confidence that these two Christians could be restored to fellowship with each other.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Philemon: the roadmap to reconciliation.
