Have you ever forgiven someone?
Have you ever hurt someone and needed forgiveness? Have you ever been hesitant
to forgive someone? Is there someone in your life today that you haven’t
forgiven? Is there someone today that you need forgiveness from? Have you ever
encouraged a friend to forgive and/or help them see their need of forgiveness?
If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, then Paul’s letter to Philemon
is for you. If you answered “no” to any
of these questions, I would wonder if you know any actual people. Philemon is a short letter written from a
friend to a friend encouraging the forgiveness of another friend. The heart of
this letter is about reconciliation to God and to each other which is at the very
heart of the Christian life. In the book of Philemon, God gives us a picture
through the apostle Paul, of how real people should deal with real sin and work
for real reconciliation for the glory of God.
I pray as we study this letter over the next
several weeks you will desire to reconcile with those from whom you need
forgiveness, extend forgiveness to those who need it, and, most importantly, you
will experience the sweetness of your own forgiveness in Christ Jesus. And it
all begins with a friend’s welcome, Philemon 1:1-7,
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. 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.
Paul begins his letter to his beloved friend Philemon,
reminding him of their common faith.
A Common Faith
This
is the only time in any of Paul’s letters where he begins with the title,
“Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus.” Paul may have wanted to remind Philemon of
his chains and what he was risking for the gospel, but he also was writing more
as a friend to a friend that his customary servant or apostle title. He was not
writing to Philemon commanding his obedience, but as a friend encouraging his
obedience. Paul wrote the letter from a Roman prison because one of Philemon’s
slaves, Onesimus, ran away from Philemon’s house. Onesimus eventually ran into
Paul, whether by accident or intentionally is unclear, and became a believer of
Christ. Paul sent Onesimus back to Philemon so that they could be reconciled.
We will look more at the relationship of Onesimus and Philemon next week, but
for today we want to zero in on Paul’s relationship with Philemon.
Philemon
came to Christ under Paul’s ministry, most likely in nearby Ephesus. We do not
know the specifics of his conversion, but know that he developed a close
relationship with Paul, most likely as they labored together for the gospel.
Philemon was probably from Colossae and a leader in the church, as the church
met in his house. He was probably a successful business man having a house
large enough for the church to meet in as well as the ability to own slaves.
The impression from the letter was that Philemon was not only a patron of the
Lord’s work, but also was actively involved in the mission himself, being
labeled as a fellow worker.
Philemon was far more than just one
of Paul’s colleagues, but a dear friend. Paul calls Philemon our beloved fellow
worker. Beloved means dear one or dear friend. By using beloved Paul is showing
his deep affection for Philemon. Philemon and Paul would have been dear
friends. There is a great level of intimacy here. Paul also addresses Apphia, a
feminine name, most likely Philemon’s wife. Paul is addressing a matter of the
home so it would be natural to include her in the correspondence. Archippus is
most likely Philemon’s and Apphia’s son. He is probably at least a teenager if
not older as he was labeled a fellow soldier and is told in Colossians to
fulfill his ministry. Paul is a family friend and addresses his letter to the
family, but notice he doesn’t only address it to the family. The end of verse
2, Paul adds a 4th recipient of the letter “and the church in your
house.” The implication of the church being addressed was that this personal
letter dealing with Philemon and his family would have been read out loud in
front of the entire church.
There are several applications that
I would like to make from this implication. First, Philemon would have likely
recognized the church’s right to take an interest in the affairs of his
household and for the church give appropriate guidance. Philemon was probably a
leader in the church so how he conducted the affairs of his home were important
to the life of the body. The interconnectedness of the church strikes right at
the heart of individualism. Philemon knew that how he conducted his personal
life would reflect upon the church and the gospel of Christ. Do you view your
personal life the same way? Do you invite the church into the important
decisions of your life? Where to work, where to live, who to date, what
ministries to participate in? Do you delight in the counsel and advice and the
influence of the church, or would you rather the body to stay out of your
affairs?
A few months ago a friend shared of
a couple going through marital problems. I asked if they talked with their
pastor and she said, “No. She said that she would never talk to her pastor
about that.” Beloved, do not shield your lives from each other. God has designed,
as this letter shows, that the church should be intimately involved in your
life. We should not get angry when people step into our lives, but rejoice that
someone loves us that much. Paul shows Philemon how much he needs the church in
his life and in doing so shows us our need as well.
Friend, if you are not already, have
you ever considered becoming a member of a local church? Do you realize how
important the church is for your soul? God has created us for each other. He
says that once we were not a people, but now we are a people. Jesus gave his
life as a ransom to purify a people for himself who are zealous for good works.
He purchased the church with his own blood. When people do not make the local
church a vital part of their lives they may not fully understand what Jesus
died for. He did not just die to save you from your sins, but so that you could
be the righteousness of God. Jesus died and rose from the dead so that we could
live a new life as a part of his resurrected people, the church. Do you realize
without connecting yourself to a church and willingly submitting to the
teaching of the elders you are hurting yourself? And you are hurting the
church. How much stronger would churches be if people laid down their
individualism for the corporate community? American individualism may be great
for career or image, but it flows against the interdependence of the Christian
life. Christian, consider joining a local church, and if you want to talk more
about that I would be happy to set up a meeting with you.
If you are not a Christian, I want
you to pay particular attention how Paul finishes his customary greeting. It
may appear like a simple greeting, but it is filled with two of the most
precious words that shape a Christian’s life, “Grace to you and peace from God
our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” It is a customary greeting for the day,
but grace and peace are deeply profound theological words that shape the
Christian life. Friend, if you are not a Christian, please understand why
Christians love grace and peace. Grace is the unmerited favor of God. The Bible
says we are sinners and have rebelled against God. We all know that we have not
lived perfect lives. We have done or said things we regret. Our conscience
condemns us. We know we are sinners and deserving of eternal hell because of
our sin, a place where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. But here is the
good news, while we are deserving of hell, God gives us grace through the Lord
Jesus Christ. Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins. And after he was
dead and buried, God raised him from the dead accepting his sacrifice for
sinners. So we bring our sin, our shame, our guilt and regret to God and he
gives us grace, unmerited favor. Jesus has made peace for us through his blood
on the cross. God gives us grace by making peace. Non-Christian, please know
that the grace and peace we have received is also offered to you. All you have
to do is confess your sin and turn to Christ. Trust in Jesus as your only hope
before God. Friend, the reason this letter is so important is because it speaks
about forgiveness and we all need forgiveness. Before we can extend
forgiveness, we first must receive forgiveness from God. Are you ready to
receive forgiveness?
The former president of World Vision
Bob Seiple shares a story of a woman named Mary as she visited in a Lebanon
hospital. In the 1980’s, during civil war, Druze militia slaughtered 33 of her
Christian relatives in a single day. A young man about 20 came up and said,
“Renounce the cross of die.” And Mary said, “I was born a Christian and I will
die a Christian.” And he shot her. The bullet passed through her jaw and neck.
The soldier then carved a cross on her chest with a knife. The next day they came
back and discovered her alive and miraculously brought her to a hospital.
Seiple recalls her conversation with Mary who was a quadriplegic asking why
would they shoot you one day and try to save your life the next. She said,
“Sometimes bad people are taught to do good things.” Seiple responded by
asking, “How do you feel about the person who pulled the trigger? Who made you
strapped to a wheel chair? A ward of the state? How do you feel about the man?’
She said, “I have forgiven my enemies because Christ has forgiven me. And I am
looking for the man who hurt me so I can tell him I forgive him.[1]” Beloved, when we
understand that we have been forgiven by God, how can we not forgive those who
sin against us? Forgiven people forgive.
Grace and peace might be a customary
greeting, but to a believer they remind us of the common faith in the gospel of
Jesus Christ that saves us from hell. Philemon and the church would have
treasured those words as Christians do today.
A Common
Mission
Paul was in a Roman prison because
he was arrested for preaching the gospel. Philemon, a fellow worker, would have
known the risks of partnering in the same mission. He opened up his home for
the church to meet in his house. His wife and his son were intimately involved
in the mission of Christ. It appears that Archippus may even have been given a
unique task to be fulfilled separate from the work in Colossae. Paul reminded
Philemon of their partnership in recalling how often Paul prays for him in his
work. Paul writes, “I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers.”
Paul often thanked God for how he was moving in churches. Paul’s focus was to
give praise and thanks to God, because he knew that all good and perfect gifts
come from above. Paul knew this in his own life for he said, “It is no longer I
who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I
live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Gal
2:20)
The credit for Philemon’s life and
faithfulness goes to God. Thanksgiving should be a common part of the Christian
life. Thankfulness is one way Christians keep their hearts focused on the gift
of God’s salvation. Thankfulness creates humility in the life of the believer.
If you struggle with pride, spend more time in prayer thanking God for his
work. Your thanksgiving will cultivate humility in your heart. And this is what
Paul is trying to get Philemon to remember. Paul is thanking God for how God
has changed and transformed Philemon’s heart for the same God who changed him
also changed Onesimus. Paul wisely helps Philemon remember that God is the one
who desires all the praise and thanksgiving for his life. In a way this is
preparing his heart to live on the basis of that thanksgiving.
When Paul prayed, he thanked God for
Philemon’s life because Philemon loved the saints and his strong faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ. Philemon trusted Jesus Christ as His Savior and it was
evident to everyone around him. His faith was manifested in love towards others.
There is no such thing as faith without love. If people claim to have faith, but
do not love the brothers then their faith is dead and futile. The Christian
faith should always be expressed in love for others, which is one of the
reasons why the church is so important. The natural life will always lend
itself toward self-preservation. We naturally look out for our own interests
and do things that serve ourselves and our families, but when we come to Christ
that changes. Christians primary motivation is no longer self-survival and to
care for ourselves, but to love others. The love we have for one another proves
that we are disciples of Jesus.
When we are tethered to a specific
people in a local church, we are forced to sacrifice our own desires for the body.
We give our time every week to one another as we gather in worship. The simple
fact of showing up to the gathering is a statement that we care more about each
other than we do about ourselves. When we use our gifts to serve the body we
show practically that the “us” is more important than the “I.” This was
Philemon’s testimony and is the testimony of every faithful believer in Christ.
I want people to be more heavily invested in the local church, not only because
I want the local church to grow, which I do, but I want Christians to
experience more of God.
The love that we experience from the
saints in the body of Christ pales in comparison to the love we have
experienced from God in Jesus Christ. We are fundamentally always forgiven
sinners. Our rebellion and sin was so great that we deserved to pay for it for
all eternity, but that great debt we owe was forgiven by God through Christ. When
we understand how much we have been forgiven, we will gladly and happily give
ourselves in love for others. Jesus gave himself for us so now we give
ourselves to one another. Paul prays for Philemon that he will experience the
full knowledge of every good thing when he shares his faith. Many Christians
read verse 6 and interpret the sharing of faith as a reference to evangelism.
And it is true that when we share the faith with non-Christians we are reminded
of God’s faithfulness and grace given to us, but I think Paul is not referring
to sharing one’s faith with non-Christians here. Paul is focusing on Philemon’s
sharing of his faith with other Christians.
The Greek word for sharing here is
koinonia, which means “fellowship”. Paul wants the sharing or the fellowship or
the participation of his faith among the saints to become effective so that he
will experience the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the
sake of Christ. Paul wants Philemon to experience more of God as he loves the
church. Fellowship, koinonia, is a key word in this book. It appears at very
specific points in this letter, because the issue Paul is addressing is not
sharing of one’s faith with non-believers, but with believers. Paul is
primarily concerned with how Philemon will share his faith with his brother
Onesimus. He wants the church to have true fellowship so people within the church
can more fully experience the love of God in Christ.
Beloved, do you realize how
important is the fellowship of the saints? We have been called into the
fellowship of Jesus Christ and one another. 1 John 1:6-7, “If we say we have
fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the
truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship
with one another, and the blood of Jesus is Son cleanses us from all sin.”
Isn’t it interesting that living in an interdependent fellowship with one
another helps us walk in the light and cleanses us from sin? I think most
Christians underestimate the importance of the local church for their spiritual
growth. Many are so focused on their own individual spiritual growth that they
forsake the church, and in doing so cripple fellowship with God. When we are
walking in the light, walking with Jesus, we have fellowship with God and with
one another. This is what Paul wants for Philemon and I want for you.
How are you sharing your faith with
the people of Park Baptist Church? How are you loving each other? Are you
spending time in prayer together or the study of the word? Are you
intentionally using your words to encourage one another? Are you using your
gift to serve others? Are you regularly praying and thanking God for members’
faith in Jesus and their love for the saints? The fellowship of the church
should not be first thing to cut out of your life when things get busy. The
church should be central in your life because it is the primary way you will
experience the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of
Christ.
A Comforting
Joy
Paul
finishes his friendly welcome to Philemon with a personal note of what
Philemon’s live has done for Paul in verse 7, “For I have derived much joy and
comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been
refreshed through you.” Paul was filled with comfort and joy because how
Philemon loved others. What a great example Paul gives for us. His primary cause
for joy and comfort was not Philemon’s love for him, but in how he has
refreshed the saints. You can hear how dear Philemon was to Paul even how he
addressed him, as “my brother.”
Paul
encourages Philemon before he exhorts him. It is a great example in how we
should look how God is moving and growing in someone’s life before we point out
what they are lacking. Paul wants to show Philemon the cause for his joy so
that Philemon will be spurred on to continue to refresh the hearts of the
saints specifically in how he forgives and reconciles with Onesimus. Philemon’s
relationship with Onesimus has far-reaching ramifications beyond their personal
relationship, but will have an impact with the fellowship, koinonia, of the
church and the witness of Christ lived out for the gospel. Paul was reminding
Philemon to continue in love so his life would be marked by Christ’s
forgiveness.
Friend,
do you realize how important forgiveness is? Forgiveness will have
ramifications for eternity for yourself and for others. Friend, we will all one
day stand before God and the reality of our forgiveness will be all that matters.
We may want to pursue many things in this life, but are we pursuing that which
will matter most at the end of life? D.A. Carson wrote a book about his dad, an
Ordinary Pastor, who was not well known, but well loved by God. He finishes his
book writing about his father’s death and the most important thing about his
father. He writes,
When
Tom Carson (he) died, there were no crowds outside the hospital, no editorial
comments in the papers, no announcements on the television, no mention in
Parliament, no attention paid by the nation. In his hospital room there was no
one by his bedside. There was only the quiet hiss of oxygen, vainly venting
because he had stopped breathing and would never need it again.
But
on the other side, all the trumpets sounded. Dad won entrance to the only
throne-room that matters, not because he was a good man or a great man—he was,
after all, a most ordinary pastor—but because he was a forgiven man. And he
heard the voice of him whom he longed to hear saying, “Well done, good and
faithful servant; enter into the joy of your Lord.[2]”
Friend, will you hear the same words? Our entrance
into glory is not the basis of great works, but on the forgiveness of a great
God. On the day judgement the most important thing will not be your
accomplishments, but your forgiveness. Are you forgiven? And if you are
forgiven, will you also forgive?
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