Sermon Tone Analysis

Paul’s object in writing is to request that Philemon should receive his returning slave with mercy and joy.

Onesimus is now a brother beloved in Christ and should be acknowledged as such and therefore given his freedom.

Last week we began what was going to be a 3 week series on the letter to Philemon in the NT.

However, as I was studying this week, it became evident that I simply could not cut up the letter any more.

Maybe someone more advanced in Greek could, but I felt like I would do a disservice to the text and there fore to you if I tried to cut up the text into 3 messages, so today we are going to bring it home.

Last week introduced you to the 3 main people involved in this letter.

Paul the author of the letter.

Written in his own hand-writing while he was under house arrest in Rome for preaching the gospel which was seen as an affront to the Empire a d the culture.

YES there was a time when being a Christian was seen as countercultural and an affront to the surrounding culture.

Philemon a slave owner in a society where slave ownership was the norm.

He also hosted a church in his home in the town of Colossae, in Asia Minor, modern day Turkey.

It is believed that the two names mentioned at the beginning of the letter along with Philemomn are his wife Apphia and their son Archipius.

Onesimus a runaway slave belonging to Philemon, who had not only run away but had stolen as well from Philemon.

So in first century Rome, he could be in some real trouble!

Paul a father over many churches and their pastors.

He knows Philemon, calls him his “beloved fellow worker”

He has now also become friends with Onesimus, possibly shared the good news of Jesus with him, and the news that in Christ, in the new reality of the cross, there is no longer “slaves or free”, but we are all one in Christ!

And you can picture the day when Paul says to Onesimus…you need to return to Philemon!

That would have been a conversation!

Paul....Im good.

I would much rather be your friend and gofer tan to go back to Philemon and face the law and what it prescribes for runaway thief slaves!

Paul says....”Onesimus.....I will write you a letter.

A letter addressed specifically to your old master.

And I want you to tell him to read it before he deals with you.”

PAUSE

Imagine how many times Onesimus, on his way back to Colossae played the scene in his head!!

Would he even get any words out, before he was grabbed and beaten.

Imprisioned.

Would he assume the letter was a fake.

Would he find any compassion in Philemon.

Or would Philemon dismiss the words of Paul all together?

And finally he gets to the road leading up to his old home, and Philemon sees him from a distance.

And he fumes!!

Is that Onesimus???

And

He calls his wife Apphia!!! Look its Onesimus!

Call the other slaves.....they need to see this.

We need to make an example.

And I can see Onesimus, head bowed.....maybe a fear of Philemon, but also a trust in his new found Saviour.

Trusting Paul’s words would save him.

And as he gets within ten feet of Philemon he falls to the ground and cries out, “Master!!!!!

I know that I have wronged you, I am guilty under the law!

But PLEASE before you punish me, before you toss me into prison, or brand me or worse....execute me.....PLEASE read this letter!!

I beg you in the name of Christ!”

PLEASE!

That would take Philemon back!

“Apphia would give him a look!”

“Give me the letter”

And he reads these words....

PRAYER

Philemon

How does a first century, slave owning, wealthy, church hosting citizen of Rome deal with a letter like this.

We all have moments in our lives, if we’ve lived long enough and are paying attention, that are sanctifying.

Where our worldview comes up against the gospel and has to either submit or rebel.

And our submission more and more to the gospels influence in our lives will mean more sanctification.

One of the biggest works of sanctification in our lives will not be moving on from the Gospel to higher loftier things, but will come from a deeper understanding and meditation on what it means to have been given a new identity, a greater humanity, complete acceptance by my Creator, and a new elevated position in the cosmos, because of the work of Christ.

This is that moment for Philemon

Paul is giving him a lesson that would not have lines up with what a wealthy Romans citizen has been taught.

That there is more to us than our name.

Our belongings, and that the gospel rearranges things.

Philemon’s first lesson is this:

i.e. - That personhood is not based on what the state has declared; his personhood is not based on what Philemon has declared, something deeper is giving Onesimus worth.

Putting him on equal footing!!

Paul has the audacity to say that Onesimus is a person of worth regardless of opinion.

He is a brother to Philemon not in the flesh but in the LORD.

And we may think “Oh, thats quaint.

They sure needed to hear that back then.”

“How could they possibly believe that they could just remove personhood by declaration.”

Fact is, it is still the same belief that causes Christians to oppose abortion, euthanasia, and even to protect the biblical sexual ethic.

Because our personhood is connected with our humanity and cannot be removed from it.

Rather our worth is based on something deeper, not only in the flesh but also “in the Lord” v 16

I.

Christ gives new identity

We are more than our labels and our mistakes.

We are more than our titles and our victories.

Paul’s object in writing is to request that Philemon should receive his returning slave with mercy and joy.

Onesimus is now a brother beloved in Christ and should be acknowledged as such and therefore given his freedom.

Paul could have come in authority, but he came in humility

Cor.

5:3-4

Gal 1:1-2

He could have..

As I probably would have.

Do you not know who I am?

I have the credentials!!

I love in verse 8 “I could command it of you”

I love that an old man in prison, can make a demand of a wealthy land owner ion Colassae.

The world is turned upside down.

____________________

There are some of you who with great kindness refer to me as Pastor!

Hello, Pastor.

Good morning pastor.

How are you pastor.

Yeah there’s like two of you!!

And whenever you show me that respect, my first feeling is warmth, a close close second is.....how come you are the only one referring to me, so warmly, with such respect, nay…love as pastor?

Paul could have pulled out his credentials!!

Isn’t that what we want to do?

We want to say like we do to our children or our students… “Who do you think you are?”

“Who do you think I am? that you can talk to me like that?”

Paul could do that, and no one could argue.

If anyone

But Paul’s theme in this letter is not who we are in the flesh.....but who we are in the LORD.