Philemon: Jesus is a Friend Closer Than A Brother
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Preaching Christ Through The Bible |
Jesus is a Friend Closer Than a Brother
Philemon 1:4-7
4 I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. 6 I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ.7 Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.
Philemon 1:15-18
15 Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— 16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord. 17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me.
There was a movie in 2016 called Hacksaw Ridge. It was about the real life story of Desmond Doss, a pacifist combat medic during World War II. When he was young, he nearly killed his brother while they were just clowning around and that experience reinforced his Christian belief against violence. Later on, he found himself in the medical profession and so when Pearl Harbor was attacked, he enlisted to be a combat medic in the army. In the military, even medics are expected to train in handling weapons for their protection or in case they find themselves in situations where they have to fight. Due to his refusal to carry a gun, his officers and co-trainees, especially Capt. Jack Glover, gave him an exceptionally hard time so he would be tossed out of the military. He became a pariah amongst his peers, put through grueling labor and underwent an unsuccessful trial for a discharge from the Army. These did not daunt him and he eventually got through basic training. He and his company were then sent to the Pacific front. In the Battle of Okinawa, they found themselves in heavy fighting in their attempt to capture Hacksaw Ridge. To make a long story short, without carrying a gun, Doss ended up saving numerous comrades by carrying wounded soldiers to safety under heavy gunfire. He even saved the lives of some of his comrades, including Capt. Glover, by deflecting enemy grenades. In 1945, He received the Medal of Honor from President Harry Truman for saving 75 soldiers during the fight in Hacksaw Ridge.
I’d like you to put yourself in the shoes of Capt. Glover. How would you feel if someone you despised, bullied and persecuted ended up saving your life. He treats you like a brother despite your ill-intent towards him. We will meet such a friend as we study the book of Philemon.
The book of Philemon was written by the apostle Paul when he was a prisoner in Rome awaiting trial. Around AD 60-62, after his third missionary journey, Paul went back to Jerusalem and continued proclaiming the gospel in the city. On one occasion, a riot broke out because some Jews accused Paul of defiling Jewish practices and bringing Gentiles to a Jewish temple. He was arrested and when he realized that he would not be given a fair trial in Jerusalem, he invoked his right as a Roman citizen and opted to stand trial in Rome (Acts chapters 21-26). So it was during this stay in Rome that he wrote the epistles of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon. The letters of Colossians and Philemon may have been written around the same time and delivered to the church in Colossae by the same messengers.
As a background to the letter, let us first get to know the major characters aside from Paul, who we are very much familiar with. Philemon was a wealthy slave owner whose house was the meeting place of the church in Colossae. He may have met Paul during Paul’s stop in Ephesus during his third missionary journey. Paul was directly responsible for Philemon’s conversion to Christianity as implied by verse 19. (I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self.) Philemon owing Paul his life may have meant Philemon’s eternal life.
Onesimus was one of Philemon’s slaves. Onesimus had stolen from Philemon and eventually ran away. He made his way to Rome thinking that it was the best place for him to hide since it was the biggest city at that time. But he cannot hide from God. He eventually encountered Paul in Rome and came to know the Lord through the apostle.
The book of Philemon is a letter written by Paul appealing to Philemon to reconcile with Onesimus and forgive the latter for stealing and running away. Paul even had Onesimus himself deliver this letter to his master.
To show how grave Onesimus’ offense was, let us consider the system of slavery during the time of Acts. There were three major ways a person can fall into slavery during the Roman Empire. First and the source of the most number of slaves was due to warfare. If a tribe or nation got conquered, the people would be brought back to Rome as slaves. Next was through hardship. People who fall into debt that could not be paid either became slaves or sold their children as slaves. Last was by birth. Children of slaves became slaves themselves. Services rendered by the slaves encompass all fields. There are those that did manual labor like farmers and servants but there are also slaves who are teachers, accountants and physicians. Slaves can be bought and sold at auctions. Slaves can be freed by their masters but these were small in numbers. Slaves who ran away are hunted down and can either be harshly punished or killed. Some by crucifixion.
In this sermon, we will look at Paul’s reasons why Philemon should forgive Onesimus, the result of the reconciliation and how this story applies to us.
I. Reasons for the Reconciliation
In the letter, Paul did not go directly to his appeal. He tried to soften Philemon’s heart first in verses 4-7. And this is where I based the reasons for the reconciliation.
1. Common Faith
Paul appealed to Philemon because of the faith in Christ they both shared. Verse 5 said “I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus.” So how does faith result in love and in turn result in forgiveness? Let us first define faith. Faith is the complete trust and confidence in the gospel and instructions of Jesus Christ. Philemon had faith that believing in Christ will result in his salvation. But if that faith is real, then it should result in actions. Let us consider what James, the half-brother of Christ, said.
James 2:14-17
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
Faith should result in good deeds for others. Good deeds are acts of love. Faith should be accompanied by actually doing works of love. And Paul already acknowledged that Philemon had made that step in verse 5. Since forgiveness is also a way to love our brothers and sisters, Philemon should also make that step towards Onesimus.
Christ even directly commanded us to forgive others. In Matthew, he said
Matthew 18:21-22 21
Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.
Of course the number seventy-seven is not literal, but should mean an unlimited number of times. Even if we think that we are being taken-advantage of or it means swallowing our pride. Our act of forgiveness stems from our devotion to Christ who sacrificed his life so we ourselves would be forgiven. Going back to Philemon, if he had to forgive others, what more Onesimus who had become a fellow believer in Christ.
2. Common Goals
Paul also pointed out that he and Philemon are fellow workers for Christ. Paul mentioned in verse 1 that he was a ‘prisoner of Christ’. He used the ‘of’ function word to indicate cause or reason. He became a prisoner because of what he was doing for Christ. Then he ended that verse by indicating that he considered Philemon a fellow worker in the endeavor. So this established that Paul considered Philemon as a partner in their mission work. They have common goals.
He followed that up with verse 6 that said “I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ.” So what would be the ‘every good thing’ that they share for the sake of Christ? The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges identified it as ‘every grace; the gift of love in all its practical manifestations.’
For the sake of Christ (for Christ), Paul and Philemon are in the business of sharing Jesus’ gospel of salvation to the world. They would be explaining that the key to achieving salvation includes understanding that it is only possible through God’s grace. Grace meaning it is through God’s unrequited love. And to be effective in that ministry they should also have strived to be gracious with others’ offenses towards them. In 2 Corinthians 24 and the first part of 25, Paul enumerated what the Jews had done to him and yet he still kept on witnessing to them.
2 Corinthians 24-25a
24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones…
So even when he experienced lashes, beatings and stonings from the Jews, Paul still exhibited grace towards them and loved them enough to still share the gospel.
Rick Warren said: “And you know, when you've experienced grace and you feel like you've been forgiven, you're a lot more forgiving of other people. You're a lot more gracious to others.”
3. Common Friendships
In verse 7, we see that Paul called Philemon his brother. In the same verse, Paul said, ‘your love has given me great joy and encouragement.’ In the prologue of the letter, he addressed Philemon as ‘our dear friend.’ From these, you can sense that there is a close relationship between Philemon and Paul. In addition to Paul being directly responsible for Philemon’s salvation, some bible scholars believe that they may have even been working together when Paul was in Ephesus.
Not only was Paul close to Philemon, the letter also established that Paul also had a deep relationship with Onesimus. Like Philemon, Paul directly shared the gospel to Onesimus. On verse 10, he referred to Onesimus as ‘my son’ and on verse 12, ‘my very heart.’ So what was happening here was that Paul, who was both a friend to Philemon and Onesimus, was trying to reconcile the two from the rift brought about by very serious sins. Sins punishable by death. Towards both, Paul showed that he was a true friend who was closer than a brother!
So once Paul demonstrated to Philemon that they have common faith, common goals and common friendships, he moved in for the kill. He forthrightly made his request. First, he pointed out that he had the right to order Philemon to forgive Onesimus. In their professional hierarchy, Paul is an apostle while Philemon, though a leader, cannot call himself an apostle. In addition, as mentioned before, Paul was instrumental in Philemon’s Christianity. So although Paul can command Philemon, he wants love to be the basis of the reconciliation. It will not be by force. Next, let’s look at verses 17-20:
17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self. 20 I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.
Verse 17 directly said that if Philemon believed that they have the same faith and the same goals in the work for Christ, If they are indeed partners in the ministry, then Philemon should forgive Onesimus. He followed that up with the statement that Philemon can charge what Onesimus owed to Paul’s account. Paul was saying that although Philemon owed Paul his life, if that is not enough, then charge whatever was owed by Onesimus to Paul’s account. Finally, Paul stated that he hoped that there would be a benefit for Philemon being a Christian. Paul was hoping that Philemon’s Chiristianity made a genuine positive change in him. Philemon should have had the fruit of the spirit of love, kindness and generosity. And these fruits should result in a forgiving heart.
II. Results of the Reconciliation
Why was Paul advocating for Philemon and Onesimus’ reconciliation? What could be achieved by all the effort he was exerting? It would have been easier to just let the situation happen according to the law at that time.
1. Onesimus will be a brother to Philemon.
This was pointed out so powerfully in verses 15 and 16.
”15Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— 16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord. “
Paul was implying that the situation was all planned by God so that Philemon and Onesimus can in the end be brothers. What does Philemon and Onesimus becoming brothers mean? If Onesimus remained a slave then Philemon would have regained his property. Wouldn’t that be more advantageous to Philemon? Not if you expand your point of view much wider – to what it means in terms of eternity. To be brothers means that they will be belonging to the same family, the household of God. This is a test for Philemon to see if his conversion is real and if he indeed belongs to God’s family. If he accepts Onesimus as a brother, instead of regaining a slave, he will be an heir of God, as mentioned in Romans 8:17.
2. Reconciliation will be a testimony to the church.
In the first 2 verses, Paul addressed the letter not only to Philemon but also Apphia and Archippus, who bible scholars believe to be the wife and son of Philemon. Then Paul added the church. This letter would then have been read in front of the church and everyone would have their eyes on Philemon and his response. It would be a testament to his church that he follows Christ’s command according to the gospel of John.
John 13:34-35
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
3. Onesimus will be productive.
On verse 11 Paul said, ‘formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and me.’ Paul’s plan for Onesimus is for him to go back to Rome and help Paul in his ministry there. Surely he would have been very instrumental since Paul was in jail at that time. Onesimus, as a free man, could be Paul’s agent outside of prison. Onesimus will be productive for Philemon too since as we explained before, they have the same ministry and goal: to share the gospel of Christ to more and more people.
III. Representation of the Reconciliation
I believe that one of the main reasons this book was included in the Bible was that it is a representation of the reconciliation that became available for us due to the advocacy of Jesus Christ. Just like Onesimus who had done wrong towards his master Philemon, we have sinned against our God and creator. Just like Onesimus whose sins could result in life and death circumstances, our sins also robbed us of our eternal life and doomed us to spend eternity in hell. Then comes our friend who is closer than a brother. Just like Paul, Jesus Christ appealed for us so we would be forgiven. In John’s first epistle, we see:
1 John 2:2 “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”
Just like Paul taking on the burden of Onesimus’ sins when he said ‘charge it to my account’, Jesus also took on the burden for our sins. Jesus’ sacrifice, a God dying by the hands of man, took on our punishment so we can again be reconciled with our God and Master.
How do we avail of this forgiveness? Just like Onesimus going back to Philemon, we have to go back to God and in a prayer to admit our sins. Just like in the first section of our sermon, we have to use faith, grace and Christ’s affinity to God for our forgiveness. We have to have faith in Christ that as He promised, his death on the cross is sufficient for the reconciliation. We have to believe that we will be forgiven not through our works, but only through the grace and love of God. We have to understand that only Christ is the qualified sacrifice for our sins, due to his position and affinity to God.
If you believe that you have not been reconciled with God and would sincerely desire to have a relationship with him, we will be doing a prayer of acceptance after the sermon.
For those who already consider themselves as followers of Christ, just like what we learned in the second part of the sermon, you are now brothers and co-heirs to God’s riches and to an eternal life. In addition, similar to what was shown in the story of Philemon, we have to be a good testimony and be productive Christians. We have to work on getting to know our God better, on being good brothers to our fellow Christians, and on being truly active in sharing God’s love all over the world.
In closing, we may have already heard numerous times how Christ loves us so much that he died on the cross for our salvation. It may have come to the point that we have been over-saturated by that message that it does not move us anymore. Take time to really think about what Jesus had to go through to die on that cross. What happened in Jerusalem and Calvary may have been truly agonizing, too torturous, too excruciating that he was sweating blood in anticipation of it in the Garden of Gethsemane. Let us not waste his sacrifice by not accepting his offer of salvation or by just living as casual Christians.
-Bro. Art Tumbokon