The Letter of Paul to Philemon
What does it take to Forgive?
In 1995, a movie was made titled “Dead Man Walking.” The movie was based on the book written by a Catholic Nun named Sister Helen PreJean. If you remember movie the actor Sean Penn played Matthew Poncelet on death row for the brutal rape and murder of a teenage couple. His character was based on Robert Lee Willie.
Debbie Morris was one of the surviving victims of Robert Lee Willie and Joseph Vaccaro’s crime spree. She and her boyfriend were abducted and after being beaten and raped several times, they killed Debbie’s boyfriend. At one point Debbie begged them to kill her to end her misery. For some reason they released her. Robert Lee Willie and Joseph Vaccaro were captured, tried and convicted. Robert Lee Willie was sentenced to death by lethal injection, while Joseph Vaccaro continues to serves a life sentence in the state of Colorado.
Debbie Morris has written a book titled “Forgiving the Dead Man Walking” which tells of the process of how she forgave Robert Lee Willie and Joseph Vaccaro for her abduction, beating and repeatedly raping at age 16.
On the radio program, “Focus On The Family,” James Dobson asked her “Have you completely forgiven Robert Lee Willie and Joseph Vaccaro?” Debbie Morris’s answer was I have completely forgiven them for what they did to me. And as my Daughters grow up, I am sure I will forgive them in areas I am not aware of at this moment. But Jesus Christ makes the difference and I have and will be able to forgive.
As we look at the book of Philemon, we are going the see “What It Takes To Forgive and Ask For Forgiveness.
But first, some background information
Philemon was a Christian slave owner who lived in Colosse and hosted a church in his home. Onesimus who was Philemon’s slave who stole from him and run away. As a run away slave Onesimus ended up in Rome where he met the Apostle Paul. Paul exposed Onesimus to the Gospel, He accepted Jesus as his LORD and Savior. He had become a new person, a brother in Christ, a fellow Christian. Even Though Onesimus had inwardly changed and growing in Christ; to the world he was a slave, one with a death sentence hanging over him. You see the penalty for run away slaves was branding or death. Not only had Onesimus ran away but also he had added to his crime by stealing from his master. This must have been a concern to Paul and Onesimus because Paul writes a letter to Philemon asking to accept Onesimus back. Paul gives the letter to Tychicus and Onesimus for delivery. In essence, Onesimus could have been carrying his own death degree.
Let’s open our bibles to Philemon. I’ll be reading from the NASB
The Letter of Paul to
PHILEMON
Salutation
1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our beloved brother and efellow worker,
2 and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to 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, making mention of you in my prayers,
5 because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints;
6 and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing, which is in you for Christ’s sake.
7 For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.
8 Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper,
9 yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus
Plea for Onesimus, a Free Man
10 I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment,
11 who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me.
12 I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart,
13 whom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel;
14 but, without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion; but of your own free will.
15 For perhaps, he was for this reason; separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever,
16 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.
17 If then, you regard me a partner, accept him as you would me.
18 But, if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account;
19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well).
20 Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.
21 Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say.
22 At the same time also prepare me a lodging, for I hope that through your prayers I will be given to you.
23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,
24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers.
25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
4 I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers,
5 because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints;
1. Philemon must have had Love and Faith in Jesus that could be seen in his walk because it was reported to Paul while in prison in Rome.
2. Faith in Jesus brings LOVE to the believers heart: Love is given to the believer by the Holy Spirit as a gift to be exercised in our daily lives(Gal 5:22) because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which HE has given to us’ (Rom. 5:5).
3. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision mean anything, but faith working through Love. (Gal 5:6) Though salvation is by faith not by works, genuine faith works its self out “through acts of love.”
4. Philemon’s faith in Jesus produced love for all the saints. Since Philemon loved “all the saints, he surely should include Onesimus, now a saint, in his love.
6 and I pray that the fellowship(NIV Sharing of your faith. So that you will have a full understanding of every good thing, we have in Christ.) of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing, which is in you for Christ’s sake.
1. Philemon’s sharing of his faith would lead to a fuller understanding of his blessings. The more we comprehend all we have in Jesus the easier and the more we want to share HIM to others.
7 For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.
1. refreshed is to cause or permit one to cease from any movement or labor in order to recover and collect ones strength. The saints faith were being strengthen because of Philemon’s love.
8 Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper,
9 yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus
Forgiveness is taught throughout scripture, but the heart can never know true forgiveness without faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. We become more Christ like when we let HIS love control our lives so that we can forgive. That same Love in us will release us from pride to and ask for forgiveness
Proverbs 19:11 The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, And his glory is to over look a transgression.
What Does It Take To Forgive? It Takes God’s Love In Your Heart. How do you get God’s love in your heart?
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