The Power of Appeal

Introduction

Good morning please open to the book of Philemon that is the book of Philemon. If you are using one of the Bible’s scattered througout the chairs that is on page 940. This the last on our little books big wisdom series and these little books can be a bit tricky to find since they are only on one page. Philemon is right before the book of Hebrews and right after the book of Titus. Again that is page 940 if you are using a Bible scattered throughout the chairs.

This morning as we dive into this small book I want us to see the power of an appeal. An appeal is serious and urgent request. We make an appeal when we try to persuade or perhaps when we ask for a favor from someone. We appeal to someone when we know that our request might be difficult to for a person to fulfill. Yet, we make an appeal with urgency, we don’t makes appeals when we are indifferent to someone’s response. We appeal, when we want the person to actually fulfill the request. When found guilty of a crime an innocent party might appeal the court. They know that cannot demand their case be overturned, but they do urgently and passionately ask the court to reconsider their verdict. As you and I live life we will need to make appeals to other people. We appeal to our lost friend and family to consider Christ, we appeal to brothers and sisters who are in sin to repent, we appeal to our spouse and our kids, perhaps our parents on any number of things. We make our case, but often the decision is for another to make.

In today’s text Paul appeals to Philemon, a brother in Christ, on behalf of a man named Onesimus. A run away slave who belonged to Philemon. A man once useless to Philemon, but not because of his conversion is now useful. Paul appeals to Philemon to forgive Onesimus’s debts and to free him from his bonds. In the first three verses we read Philemon 1–3 “Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

It seems likely, though we are not sure, that Apphia is married to Philemon and that Archippus is their son. And since the freeing of a slave would be a household matter Paul addresses all three of them. However, throughout the body of the letter the second person singular is used, which is why this letter is primarily to Philemon. Yet, something interesting is happening in this opening verses… A letter the concerns one household is still addressed the church that meets in this house. And at the end of the letter Paul switches to the second person plural (think ya’ll) as if he expects the letter to be read publicly. So, Philemon is reading this appeal of hearing this appeal being read to him in the presence of his church. Paul is asking Philemon to change the way he views Onesimus both economically and relationally in this letter. He wants this brother, Philemon, to see a slave, Onesimus, as a brother and to forgive this man’s debts. A culturally challenging ask, a request that will require Philemon to lay down his legal rights in order comply.

It is hard for us to enter into this situation because one we hear the word slavery and immediately think of ethnic based slavery of the American 1700 and 1800’s. We think of all the horrors that we have read and seen in regards to slave ships, cruel slave masters, and the harsh treatment endured by black people in America at that time. And we also think of the heroes of the time like Wilbur Wilberforce or Harriet Tubman who stood against the slave trade. In our minds slaves are the “good” guys and slave owners the “bad” guys. Yet, the slavery of 1st century Rome was very different from this. Slaves could be well paid, they could be entrusted with estates, and slavery was more of an economic reality than a purely ethnic one. Yet, slavery was still slavery. Slaves were often mistreated and taken advantage of. Culturally, this probably would have been seen as a lot more neutral than we can understand. I say that to say for the first century reader Onesimus might have been viewed as the “bad” guy. He was useless and it seems that he ran away, and might have even stolen from Philemon, hence the debts he owed. Philemon is a good Christian man that allows a church to meet in his home. A personal friend of an apostle, and yet this apostle approaches this good man and appeals to him. He asks, we you, Philemon, will see this man who wronged you as your brother? Will you lay down your rights of ownership for this man’s sake?

This is a beautiful picture of forgivness. When we forgive we assume the debt of the offending party. We choose to not render the punishment or penalty that is due the offender. Forgivness requires the offenders guilt. We cannot forgive the innocent. So, Paul writes this letter in order to appeal to Philemon. He is asking Philemon to do a hard thing. How does he make his appeal? I want us to see three ways to make an appeal to a brother in Christ. Paul was a thankful brother, a humble example, and a willing benefactor. Paul writes to Philemon and sees him as a brother, a brother who he is thankful for.

A Thankful Brother v. 4-7

Philemon 4–7 “I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, 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. For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.”

As Paul makes his appeal to Philemon he makes the appeal viewing Philemon as a brother not as an opponent. He does want to convince Philemon to embrace Onesimus as a brother, he is being persuasive. But he is persuading a brother, not a combatant. And not a brother that you see once a year and endure for a short time, but rather a brother who he gives thanks for every time he prays for him. A brother who has a good reputation, and Paul makes mention of this reputation, he acknowledges the good in Philemon’s life, as one who has love and faith toward Jesus and all the saints. The phrasing is a little strange for us, but this is a Chiasm in which the words love and faith align with the faith love of verses 5 and 6. Philemon has love for all the saints and faith in the Lord Jesus. He believes the right things about Jesus, and he is good to those in his church who meet in his house. Philemon in many ways is a model Christian man.

He isn’t just a Christian in word, he is not a hypocrite. Philemon is a faithful leader is the church. He is a source of joy and comfort in Paul’s life because of his love. His love for Paul and his love for the people in his church. Philemon is the kind of man that refreshes the hearts of fellow church members. You know that fellow church member that when you see them in the hallway on any given Sunday they bring a smile to your face. The kind of brother who you know will give you a big hug, who is always ready to pray for you, the brother who encourages you from the word. He sends you text throughout the week, ask how you’re doing this is the kind of man that Philemon is.

And it is this man who Paul says he is praying that Philemon 6 “… 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.” This is a bit of confusing verse because we hear sharing of your faith and think evangelism. But I do not think that is the intention here. There is a bit of word pay happening in that in v. 17 Paul is going to say if you consider me a partner receive Onesimus as you would receive me. That word partner in greek is the word  koinonia which is often translated as fellowship or partnership. When this word is used as a verb it gets translated as sharing. So Paul is praying that the fellowshipping or partnering of your faith might be effective for the full knowledge of every good thing… specifically the good thing I am going to ask you to do. And the prepositional phrase “of your faith” should be understood as cause of the partnering. May the partnering that you experience in your home church which is the result of your faith be effective to make you do what is right.

Philemon you love the church, you refresh their hearts and bring my joy and comfort, you love all the saints and have faith in Jesus. May this reality you experience in your home be effective to change your heart. Might Christian fellowship enable you to embrace a useless slave as a useful brother. And because you are this kind of a man, who has Christian fellowship with his church, I am always thankful for you in my prayers.

Paul lays the foundation for the appeal he will make in verse 8. That foundation is Philemon’s faith in Christ, his love for the saints, and his fellowship with the church. Paul points to the family Philemon has in his local church and says … now can you all take in a slave? You love one another, will you embrace this man like he is one of us. This is what a community founded on grace can do. A community of believers founded on grace can look to the socially outcast, the “bad” guys and say in Christ you are one of us. Can we love all of those who God brings to RHC? 1 Corinthians 13:7 “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Will we embrace those once caught in sexual sin, those who have failed in marriage, those who had an addiction, those whose family life is still a little messy, those who don’t live in a house or apartment, those who were once useless. Will the fellowship of our faith be effective for the full knowledge of every good thing? I hope you experience a real sense of community here at RHC, but I hope that community compels you to invite others in. Don’t keep the blessing of community a secret. Let them know, and may we be a place where all are welcomed. Not in any way excusing sin, because sin kills. But knowing that I am the chief of sinners, and you all still love me. Surely, you can handle my friends too.

T/S- Paul prays for Philemon’s fellowship to be effective in helping him do what is right, and now makes his appeal to Philemon. However, as he asks Philemon to give up his legal and cultural rights over Onesimus he first lays down his own rights. His right to command Philemon as an apostle and his right to keep Onesimus to serve him on Philemon’s behalf as Philemon’s spiritual father.

Humble Example v. 8-16

Philemon 8–16 “Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus— I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. 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, but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a bondservant 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.”

Paul is bold enough, confident enough, to command Philemon to do that right thing. He believes as an apostle he does have the right to command Philemon to set Onesimus free, but for love’s sake he prefers to appeal to him. Paul wants Philemon to come to this conclusion in his one conscience and mind. He wants Philemon to obey not just out of obligation, but from the heart. He wants Philemon to love Onesimus as a brother. And the key to having Philemon humble himself, give up his rights, is to model humility. So, instead of raising himself up as an apostle, something he has the right to do, he lowers himself as an old man and prisoner for Christ Jesus. He doesn’t present himself as an apostle with authority to command (though he is) instead he is a old man and a prisoner.

He speaks of Onesimus as once being useless. Perhaps Onesimus was a bad slave before running away. Maybe in just running away he was useless. Or he may have even stolen from Philemon to finance his escape and life there after. But now Onesimus has encountered Paul and converted. In verse 10, somehow Onesimus became a Christian through Paul’s preaching while Paul was in prison. And now he is useful. Paul again could excercise he authority as an apostle and the spiritual father of Philemon and have Onesimus stay and continue to serve Paul while he was in prison. The ancient prison system was different from our system. Often times a prisoner would need to be fed and clothed by his friends and family outside of the prison. Perhaps, Onesimus was doing this for Paul. Perhaps this is when Paul in under house arrest in Rome and Onesimus is serving Paul. We don’t acutally know, we just know that Onesimus was useful to Paul and Paul choose to forgo Onesimus’s service for the sake of Philemon. Paul is willing to go without Onesimus’s service so that they two will have a chance to reconcile face to face. Paul, for the sake of his spiritual sons, lays down his own rights. He hopes that this will lead Philemon to do likewise and award Onesimus his freedom.

He doesn’t want Philemon to act out of complusion, but rather his own accord. And then he suggest something wonderful. Maybe this was all a part of God’s plan to begin with. Perhaps Onesimus’s misdeeds occured so he would meet me and be converted. Onesimus’s escape was actually a part of God’s plan so that Philemon would gain not a slave, but a brother. A brother in Christ who would be a brother for all eternity. And not just any brother, but maybe this was all God’s plan so that Philemon might gain a beloved brother. What a good reminder that what we often see as bad, God uses for good. It’s like Paul is saying don’t you see Philemon in giving up your rights of ownership over Onesimus you gain something better. A slave is just a slave, but a brother is someone that is beloved. In the Christian life, losing is so often how we win. In laying down our rights we gain eternal reward. This is the way of the cross, before resurrection can happen there must first be death. Mark 8:34–37 “And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul?” Now, Jesus means this literally, those who stand for him will be martyred and most of his early disciples were. But even without the threat of martyrdom there is a gospel principle here. The way to find your life is to lay it down. The way to experience all the goodness that God has for you in this world is humble yourself before God and others. It is not in the exercise of rights that we experience eternal joy. It is the laying down of rights for the sake of others that we gain eternal reward.

But these rewards are also meant to manifest now. Philemon is to gain a brother in the Lord (eternally) and in the flesh (the here and now). The radical nature of the Gospel is meant to impact our lives in the here and now. Philemon is being asked to make a gospel reality come to life for his church community. In Christ, slaves become brothers. We know this, those who are enslaved in sin and death are make free in Christ Jesus. And the freedom is to be experienced now. Not the freedom to do what we want… that isn’t real freedom. The wonderful freedom to obey God. The freedom to willingly give up what we deserve for someone else.

T/S- Paul is so committed to this reality in Philemon’s life he is willing to be the benefactor that inherits Onesimus’s debts.

Willing Benefactor v. 17-20

Philemon 17–20 “So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.”

Paul now puts himself on the line as he makes his final appeal to Philemon. He says to Philemon if you consider me a partner, using the same root word from verse 6, the world that means fellowship or partnership, receive him as you would receive me. And how would they receive Paul? Philemon 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.” They would treat Paul as a brother and an equal who was given the joys of hospitality. And this is how Paul wants this runaway slave to be welcomed. This man who was useless and who stepped out on his legal obligation to Philemon. He wants them to receive him as a member of the family with full adoptive rights. Philemon lay down your right of ownership and receive Onesimus as a son returning home with all of the rights of sonship.

And if he has wronged you and you need financial compensation credit it to my account. I will pay what he owes. I write this with my own hand as a guarantee that this will happen. This letter is my signature saying I will pay. Philemon, if you insist on getting what is owed to you then I will pay it, even though you owe your salvation to me. If you are going to exact the penalty on your brother, then you will to exact the penalty on me, your father.

I have this fear as a Dad of 4 young children. I fear one day they will grow up and not like each other. I fear that my kids won’t have affection for one another. And if that does happen, I would like to think that I would gladly pay the fine if it would result in their reconciliation. I would lay myself low, if it means that my kids would have brotherly affection for one another. And this is what Paul is doing here in this passage.

He loves these men. Onesimus, his son in the Lord, the one who is his very heart. And Philemon, a source of comfort and joy because of Christian maturity and his love for his house church. He loves both of these men. He brought them both to faith, and he is like a spiritual father to them. So, if payment is what Philemon needs to make this right, then Paul will pay it. And in his earnest appeal he is saying to Philemon, you are my son, but so is Onesimus. Yes, he is a runaway, a contract breaker, and maybe a thief… But he is my son, and that makes him your brother. So receive him as you would receive me. Put on display the grace of God to your house church. Show them the love you have for all the saints, even this one. Show them what faith in Christ does to man. How it radically changes him and makes him willing to give up his rights for the sake of his brother.

Conclusion

Paul signs off and tells Philemon that he is confident that he will do the right thing. He has a fatherly confidence in his spiritual son to do what is right for the sake of his spiritual brother. He believes that Philemon will give up his rights for Onesimus’s sake. The reality of the gospel put on display in the lives of a charitable master and a runaway slave. We don’t know what happened, but I wonder how this affected this house church. To see Philemon embrace his slave as a brother. The scandal of grace put on display as a slave comes home to be embraced a son.

Perhaps this morning you can relate to Philemon. The Lord is calling you to lay down your rights for the sake of another who has wronged you. You have the right to exact a toll on someone. They deserve to get a piece of your mind, they owe you money, affection, care.. your spouse hasn’t been doing so great lately, your adult children have wronged you, you have a lousy neighbor… but forgivness absorbs the debt. Perhaps there is a right you can lay down that would lead to reconciliation.

Or maybe you relate to Onesimus. You have “run away” from responsibility. You have failed to do what is right, but God has gotten a hold of you. You have given your life to Christ, but you’re still worried that maybe the people of God won’t really except you because of your past sin. You fear, that once we really know what is going on that we won’t receive you as a brother or sister. That once we hear of your struggles and your story you will be viewed as an outcast and slave. And I want to say, come home. Trust God by trusting this church family. We won’t always get it right, but I pray that there would also be some Paul’s in this church. Men and women who will say, they are with me. If they have wronged you charge it to my account. May we be peacemakers here at RHC and as we relate to one another as family, may we encourage one another.

And if you are here and do not follow Jesus, I pray this letter would be a fragrant aroma to you. That a real life story that did happen in the early church would make you want to be a Christian. That you would hear about this radical forgivness and radical family that comes through faith in Christ and you would say, I want that. How do I get what you are talking about Josh? Here is my inviation to you today, on the back table we have Two Ways to Live booklets. I want you to grab one and meet with any member of RHC. And we would love to tell you how you can have what we have in Christ.