Philemon (ESV)
1 Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our beloved fellow worker 2 and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, 6 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. 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.
8 Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, 9 yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus— 10 I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. 11 (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) 12 I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. 13 I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, 14 but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. 15 For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, 16 no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
17 So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. 18 If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. 19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. 20 Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.
21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. 22 At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you.
23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, 24 and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
This book of Philemon is one of the shortest books in the Bible. It’s easily skipped over, for what does a personal letter to a believer in what is now modern day Turkey have to do with us today? The fact that it deals with a runaway slave also makes it a complicated book for some people as well. At its heart, I think Philemon is a letter of reconciliation, though this letter does not use that word. It’s a personal appeal to some believers to apply their faith in Christ to all areas of their lives, and specifically to extend mercy and grace in a difficult situation. For us today, I think it stands as evidence that God wants us to view our whole world through the lens of what Christ has done for us, viewing all believers as our brothers and sisters in the Lord.
When Paul wrote this letter, he was imprisoned in Rome. He was writing to a man named Philemon and to Apphia, a woman who is assumed to be Philemon’s wife. They were gentiles living in Colossae. Another person is also mentioned, a man named Archippus. He is mentioned one other time in scripture, in Colossians 4:17, which says, “And say to Archippus, ‘See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.’” When Epaphras, who is mentioned in Philemon 1:23, was also imprisoned, Archippus seems to have taken leadership of this church that was meeting in Philemon and Apphia’s home. So when Paul refers to him as a solider, I don’t think that is because Archippus was an actual soldier; Paul is using that expression as a solider for Christ.
In N.T. Wright’s book, Paul for Everyone, he states that Archippus was Philemon and Apphia’s son. He doesn’t explain the basis for that idea, though (p.199). It could be that since they all live in that one home, they are assumed to be one household and therefore, he is their son. Regardless, we know that those three were in leadership of this home church, and Paul is appealing to them, and specifically to Philemon, who would have been head of the household, to take back into his care this man named Onesimus.
Onesimus was a young man who apparently ran away from Philemon. The letter doesn’t tell us how Onesimus came to meet up with Paul in prison, but only that he did. Because Onesimus lived in Philemon’s home, perhaps he had heard of Paul before and thought that Paul could help him. What we do know is, while together, Paul was able to lead Onesimus to the Lord. That is why Paul refers to him as his child. Paul values Onesimus and wants to keep him with him, but he knows that Onesimus must return to Philemon.
In verse 11, Paul writes, “(Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.)” Paul writes in this way, for Onesimus’ name means useful. Paul is saying, “Useful used to be useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.” Later, too, in verse 20, Paul cleverly states, “Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.” That word, benefit, is the same word for useful, the same word as Onesimus. I think Paul is having fun writing this letter, and of course, as he is certainly being led by the Holy Spirit to write these specific words, and the Lord is showing His skill at prose.
This letter might seem confusing to us in our day and age. The concept of slaves and slave owners is rightfully detestable. In Paul’s time, when this letter was written, it was around A.D. 50, and slaves and slave ownership was simply the way society functioned. In the book, The New Testament in its World, N.T. Wright explains that “slavery was widespread, with slaves compromising up to 30% of the population in some urban areas.” To our modern day minds, we might imagine Onesimus as a black man who was violently kidnapped and taken captive. We would be wrong to do so. People from all ethnic groups might become a slave, either through capture as a prisoner of war, when kidnapped by slave traders, or by being sold into slavery by their family. A person could also voluntarily become a slave in order to find food and shelter. As Wright also explains, “While slavery often entailed harsh conditions and cruel exploitation, many slaves were managers for wealthy patrons, positions that could be financially lucrative and even socially advantageous. To be a slave of someone great was to be in a position of authority and legitimacy. Freedom was possible either by payment of a ransom price or else by the master or owner granting release” (pp. 148-149).
Just like in ancient Greece, and as we see here in the Roman Empire where Philemon lived, slavery was the way of life for society. People were not debating whether slavery should exist or not; that idea does not seem to be considered. What makes the Bible radical and incredible is the fact that Jesus, and Paul by result of Jesus, speaks not only to the ethical treatment of slaves, but to view people who are slaves as equals. As Paul writes in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” All people should be given the invitation to be welcomed into the family of God, and once a part of the family of God, viewed as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ with no varying degrees of social status.
Knowing all that, then we can look at this letter and better understand why Paul says the things he does and why Philemon could be a believer and leader in a church and still “own” a man named Onesimus. But note, Paul never suggests that slavery is good, nor does he want Onesimus punished for running away. Paul wants Onesimus to do the right thing and return to Philemon, since legally, he belongs to him. And Paul wants Philemon to forgive Onesimus, and to take him back. He even goes so far as to offer to personally repay Philemon for any debt that Onesimus owes him or perhaps even stole from him. He also doesn’t want Philemon to treat Onesimus as a slave. He writes, starting in verse 12, “I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. 13 I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, 14 but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. 15 For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, 16 no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.” Paul wants Philemon to treat Onesimus the same way he would treat Paul: as an equal.
With all of that context in mind, I want to look at what I think is the key verse in this book. Let’s look at three different translations of Verse 6:
The ESV reads, “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.”
The NIV reads, “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.”
The NASB reads, “I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for the sake of Christ.”
In the original Greek, the word which is translated as either sharing, partnership or fellowship is the word koinonia. HELPS Word-studies defines this word as, “properly, what is shared in common as the basis of fellowship (partnership, community).”
Reading this verse in the Greek translation it says, “[I am praying for you] so that the fellowship of the faith of you, might become effective in [the] acknowledgment of every good [thing] that [is] in us, in Christ.” Is it just me or is that a confusing sentence? I think that is why there are so many ways this verse has been translated. Let’s break it down further. What does the phrase “become effective in the acknowledgement” mean? If you acknowledge something, you are admitting the existence or truth of something. I think Paul is saying that he is praying that, by Philemon participating in fellowship of faith, he will effectively show the truth of all the good that is in believers, through Christ.
In Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, it says about this verse, “the share which one has in anything, participation, in the benefits of Christ’s death.”
Paul is telling Onesimus, by you participating in fellowship of faith with Onesimus, I pray you might effectively acknowledge all that Christ has done for us. If you, Philemon, forgive Onesimus, you will be proving that all that Christ has done for us is true.
So all that to say, Paul was praying for Philemon, that Philemon’s act of true fellowship, would be an effective example of the marvelous faithfulness of God’s unfathomable grace that is revealed to us in Jesus. Paul is hoping that Philemon will extend to Onesimus the same grace and mercy that God has extended to him through Jesus. If Philemon forgives Onesimus and doesn’t have him thrown in prison for running away (or have him killed, which is something it seems was acceptable at that time for runaway slaves), then Philemon will be participating in true Christian fellowship and his fellowship with Onesimus will stand as an effective example of what it means to follow Jesus.
This letter doesn’t tell us what Philemon and his home church decided to do with Onesimus, but looking at other historical writings, we can conclude that they did, in fact, forgive Onesimus and restore him to fellowship with them. It also seems that Philemon granted Onesimus his freedom as well, for according to studylight.org, Onesimus was later ordained bishop of Bercea, in Macedonia. He was also martyred in Rome, on March 2, 95A.D., during the persecution under Nero.[1]
How do we apply this letter to us today? Today, culture has thankfully changed, and slavery is not an acceptable practice. Yet, a lot of people run businesses and have employees. For sure, we could apply the lesson in this letter to employee management. We should indeed view our employees as equals and not think of them as less than us. In fact, anyone in leadership over any person, whether in paid positions or volunteer, should consider those under them as equals. For the leadership that Paul’s letter is describing for us, is the leadership style of Jesus. It is one of servant leadership, operating from humility and grace.
While learning how to treat people is essential, I believe there is an even more important lesson to be learned from this letter. God wants us to view our whole world through the lens of what Christ has done for us. Going back to verse 6, we see this key idea. The truth of what Jesus has done for us on the cross is effectively shown to the world when we believers live in all-encompassing fellowship of faith. I stated earlier that the heart of this letter is a plea for reconciliation, and it is. Paul wanted Onesimus to be reconciled to Philemon. But along with that, Paul wants Philemon to apply his faith to all aspects of his life. If Philemon wants to be a true witness to the Gospel message of Jesus Christ, then he needs to live out the Gospel message. For him, that looks like forgiving Onesimus and treating him no longer like a slave, but as a brother in Christ. For each of us today to be a true witness to the Gospel message of Jesus Christ, our whole lives need to be lived through the lens of what Christ has done for us.
Our witness to the world is not effective if we do not live by the principles of the Word or our actions don’t match our words. We can’t follow Jesus if we’ve compartmentalized our faith into a small section of our life. But if we participate fully in the faith, if we share in, and fellowship, and live by faith the way the Word of God instructs us to live, then our witness will be effective. Our life will then effectively acknowledge, or affirm, all the good things that Christ has done for us.
The bottom line is, our actions need to be consistent with our confession of faith. If we identify as a Christian but we are angry, full of pride, selfish, mean, or immoral, then we won’t effectively show the truth of all the good that is in believers through Christ. If we live consistent with the principles laid out for us in the Word of God, then we will effectively show the truth of all the good that is in believers through Christ.
To use an idiom: we can’t just talk the talk, we need to walk the walk. We have to act in such a way that it matches up with what we say. Only then will we be effective witnesses for Jesus. Even Jesus said this about Himself in John 10:25. He said, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me.” He knew that His words alone would not be enough to prove that He is the Son of God. He performed miracles in order to show proof that He was who He claimed to be. Of course, not even that was enough for some people to believe in Him.
Not everyone will respond with faith to our witness for Jesus either, but that is no reason to stop. For not only do we effectively acknowledge the truth of Jesus to other people by our consistent actions of faith, but we effectively acknowledge the truth of Jesus to ourselves. If Philemon forgave Onesimus and treated him as an equal, Philemon would gain a deeper understanding of all the good things we have given to us through Jesus by doing that. For when we live by faith, faith grows inside of us and we better understand the truth of God’s word. When we live by faith, we discover that Jesus can be trusted and His Word is true.
Malachi 3:10 tells us, “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.” And Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Both of those verses are promising us that when we live by faith and follow God’s Word, He will come through for us. When we place our faith in Jesus, we find out that He is trustworthy and true.
In summary, let me repeat what Paul wrote in Galatians 6:8-10, “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
Pray: Heavenly Father, we confess that we are not always consistent in what we say and what we do. Please help us by Your Holy Spirit to live out what we know to be true. Help our actions match our words. Please help us, too, to follow You in all areas of life, not just compartmentalize our faith to sections of our life, but help our walk to be all-encompassing, the way Your word tells us to do. May we view all people as equals to us, not being prideful thinking we are better than others. Help us to be forgiving, too, the way You have forgiven us. We love You and praise You, and in Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
[1] www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/mse/o/onesimus.html).
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