Philemon-Philemon 17-19-Paul's Request, Promissory Note and Reminder to Philemon
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday April 21, 2013
Philemon: Philemon 17-19-Paul’s Request, Promissory Note and Reminder to Philemon
Lesson # 9
Please turn in your Bibles to Philemon 1.
Philemon 1 From Paul, a prisoner owned by Christ, who is Jesus, along with Timothy, our spiritual brother, to Philemon, who is our dear friend and co-worker 2 as well as to Apphia, our spiritual sister and in addition, Archippus, our fellow-soldier, also, the church, which is in your private home. 3 Grace to all of you as well as peace from God our Father as well as the Lord, who is Jesus, who is the Christ. 4 I continue making it a habit of giving thanks to my God always as I myself continue to make it a habit of remembering you during my prayers 5 because I continue to regularly hear about your divine-love as well as your faithfulness, which you continue to regularly demonstrate toward the Lord who is Jesus, which is for the benefit of each and every one of the saints. 6 I make it a habit to pray that the fellowship produced by your faith would cause itself to be manifested as effective because of an experiential knowledge, which produces every type of divine good of intrinsic quality and character, which is in all of us on behalf of Christ. 7 Indeed, I have experienced much joy as well as encouragement because of your divine-love in the sense that the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, spiritual brother. 8 Therefore, even though I possess great confidence because of my authority from Christ to command what is appropriate and obligatory for you, 9 I rather appeal to you on the basis of this divine-love, even though I am the one who is identified as Paul, an elder as well as now in fact, a prisoner, owned by the Christ, who is Jesus. 10 I appeal to you on behalf of my spiritual child whom I became the spiritual father of during my imprisonment, Onesimus. 11 The one who was formerly characterized as useless, of no benefit to you but now for your benefit and especially for my benefit, is characterized as useful 12 whom I have sent back to you himself, that is, my very own affections 13 whom I myself in contrast to this desire, could almost wish for my own benefit keep with myself in order that on your behalf, he could render service to me during my imprisonment with reference to the proclamation of the gospel. 14 However, I prefer to do absolutely nothing without your consent in order that your good deed would not be as characterized on the basis of compulsion but rather on the basis self-determination. 15 Indeed, perhaps because of this he was taken away for a brief period of time in order that you would receive him back in person forever. 16 No longer as a slave but rather, more than a slave, namely a divinely loved spiritual brother, especially for my benefit but how much more, for your benefit, both a human relationship and a relationship with the Lord. (My translation)
Philemon 17 If then you regard me a partner, accept him as you would me. (NASB95)
“Then” is the inferential conjunction oun (οὖν), which is introducing a statement that is the direct result of an inference from Paul’s statements in Philemon 8-16.
This indicates that Paul is linking Philemon’s new spiritual relationship with Onesimus to Philemon welcoming Onesimus into the fellowship of the church which met in his home.
“If” is the conditional particle ei (εἰ), which introduces a protasis of a first class condition that indicates the assumption of truth for the sake of argument.
The idea behind the first class condition is not “since” but rather, “if-and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that, then...”
This would encourage Philemon to respond and come to Paul’s conclusion in the apodosis since Philemon would already agree with Paul with regards to his statement in the protasis.
Therefore, Paul is employing the first class condition as a tool of persuasion with Philemon who would respond to Paul’s protasis.
Here the protasis is “if and let assume that it is true for the sake argument that you, Philemon, regard my as your partner with regards to the gospel.” Philemon would acknowledge this.
The apodasis is “(then) welcome Onesimus into the fellowship of the church which meets in your home.”
“Partner” is the adjective koinōnos (κοινωνός), which speaks of the partnership aspect of Christian fellowship.
It refers to the relationship that Paul and Philemon shared with regards to the propagation of the gospel.
It also refers to the fact that Paul and Philemon shared a common relationship with Jesus Christ through faith in Him.
Also, it meant that they communicated with one another, sharing the Word of God with each other.
Lastly, it meant that they shared their material possessions with one another as each one had a need.
“Accept” is the verb proslambanomai (προσλαμβάνομαι), which means “to welcome into one’s fellowship” and is used with Philemon as its subject and Onesimus as its object indicating that Paul wants Philemon to welcome Onesimus into the fellowship of the church which met in his home.
The aorist imperative form of the verb is a “pure ingressive aorist imperative” emphasizing with Philemon the urgency for him to welcome Onesimus into the fellowship of the church which met in his home.
Philemon 17 Therefore, if, and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument you regard me as a partner and of course you do, then please, you yourself welcome him into the fellowship as you, yourself would certainly welcome me into the fellowship. (My translation)
Paul is persuading Philemon with the first class conditional statement that based upon their partnership he is requesting that he welcome Onesimus into the fellowship of the church which met in his home as he would welcome himself.
He wants Philemon to infer from this partnership that he should welcome Onesimus, a new Christian, into the fellowship of the church which meets in his home as he would welcome himself.
If Philemon refused Paul’s request, then this would be inconsistent with his acknowledgement of their partnership.
Philemon 18 But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account. (NASB95)
This verse marks a mild contrast with the previous first class conditional statement and the one to follow.
So the contrast is between Philemon welcoming Onesimus into the fellowship of the church which met in his home and Philemon not doing so because Onesimus defrauded him of money or owes him money.
“If” is the conditional particle ei (εἰ), which introduces a protasis of a first class condition that indicates the assumption of truth for the sake of argument.
Here the protasis is “if and let assume that it is true for the sake argument that Onesimus defrauded you in any way or owed you money.”
Philemon would acknowledge this since Onesimus did wrong him by running away and thus costing him money.
The apodasis is “(then) charge it to my account.”
“He has wronged” is the verb adikeō (ἀδικέω), which refers to Onesimus wronging Philemon or acting unjustly by running away or stealing money from him to support himself while on the run.
“Owes” is the verb ellogeō (ἐλλογέω), which means “to owe, to be in debt” and is used of Onesimus being in debt financially to Philemon implying that he robbed him or owed him money which he did not pay back to him.
This financial indebtedness could be the result of Onesimus running away and costing Philemon money because of the loss of his services or Onesimus could have robbed Philemon to finance his flight or both could be in view.
“Charge to my account” is composed of the following: (1) dative first person singular form of the possessive personal pronoun egō (ἐγώ), “my” (2) second person singular present active imperative form of the verb ellogeō (ἐλλογέω), “charge to account.”
The verb ellogeo means, “to charge to a person’s account” indicating that Paul is requesting that Philemon charge Onesimus’ financial obligation to him in case Onesimus owes him money.
The imperative form of this verb in Philemon 18 is an imperative of request indicating that Paul is requesting that Philemon charge to his account or give him the bill for any money which Onesimus owes him for the loss of his services or stole from him.
Philemon 18 However, if, and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that he has wronged you at all or owes you anything, and we know this is the case, then please, at this time, charge that to my account. (My translation)
So the apostle Paul is contrasting Philemon welcoming Onesimus into the fellowship of the church which met in his home and Philemon not doing so because Onesimus wronged him in any way or owed him money.
Here in verse 18, Paul is acknowledging to Philemon that Onesimus had in fact wronged him by running away and thus costing him money from the loss of his services or costing him money because he robbed him.
The responsive first class condition in verse 18 acknowledges that Onesimus wronged Philemon.
Paul does not mention explicitly how Onesimus wronged Philemon or owed him money because the fact that Onesimus ran away did in fact wrong Philemon and ultimately would have cost him money.
So there is no need to mention explicitly that by running away he cost Philemon money and wronged him since it is all clear to both parties what the wrong is and how the wrong cost Philemon money.
So Paul’s offer or request here in verse 18 is another imitation of Jesus Christ.
Just as the Lord Jesus Christ reconciled us to God by willingly assuming our sin debt at the cross and paying it in full to the Father with His substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross, so also Paul willingly assumed any financial debt Onesimus might have had with Philemon so as to reconcile the two.
Just as the Son’s motivation to pay our sin debt was His love for the Father and us, so Paul’s motivation was his love for both Philemon and Onesimus.
Just as the Son did not ignore our sins and forget about our debt of sin to the Father and to Him and the Spirit, so Paul did not ignore Onesimus’ financial debt to Philemon.
Just as the Lord Jesus Christ was sinless but yet incurred our sin debt and paid it in full at the cross to reconcile us to God so Paul who was not involved in any possible guilt on the part of Onesimus, assumed his debt to reconcile him with Philemon.
Just as the Lord Jesus Christ paid our sin debt to God and thus provided us the forgiveness of sins so Paul assumed any possible sin debt that Onesimus might have incurred with Philemon so as to provide Onesimus forgiveness for any crimes he might have committed against Philemon.
Philemon 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). (NASB95)
“I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it” emphasizes with Philemon that he is placing himself under legal obligation to him and by stating his name, Paul wants Philemon to be assured that he and not an amanuensis is making this promise.
“Not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well” is a rhetorical device called “paralipsis” which is used when a comment is made about something by the suggestion that it will not be mentioned or does not need to be spoken of. The orator pretends to pass over something which he in fact mentions.
This device is telling Philemon in a delicate manner that if Onesimus has a financial obligation with Philemon, then Philemon is spiritually obligated to Paul since Philemon got saved through Paul’s ministry.
Paul is giving this promissory note in order that he may avoid mentioning that Philemon owes him his very own self in the sense that Philemon was saved through his ministry and is Paul’s spiritual child just like Onesimus.
Philemon 19 I, Paul am writing with my very own hand: I will make restitution in order to avoid mentioning to you that you owe even your very self to me. (My translation)
Paul’s message to Philemon is clear in this verse.
If Onesimus was indebted to Philemon financially then Philemon was even more indebted to Paul since not only was Philemon saved through Paul’s ministry but also he will receive Onesimus back as a useful Christian as well.
He was thus obligated to forgive Onesimus and welcome him.
Paul had not charged Philemon who is Paul’s spiritual child, thus Philemon should forgive Onesimus’ debt who is also Paul’s spiritual child and thus, they are in fact spiritual brothers since they have the same spiritual father, Paul.
So here in verses 18-19, Philemon went from being a creditor to a debtor!
The fact that Paul mentions Philemon’s indebtedness to him indicates clearly that Philemon was saved through Paul’s ministry and was personally involved in the conversion of Philemon just as he was with Onesimus’ conversion.
Now we know that at the time Paul wrote Colossians and Philemon, he had never been to Colossae and so Philemon must have come into contact with Paul and heard him teach somewhere outside the Lycus Valley.
They might have come into contact with each other at Ephesus.