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.
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
Philemon is one of those books of the bible that is just one chapter in length and so we only quote the verse numbers. Despite the people mentioned in the opening greeting, it is a personal letter from Paul to Philemon but it has wide application to all believers facing personal conflict. Onesimus had been a slave who had apparently stolen from Philemon and fled. At some point, Onesimus met Paul while he was in prison and became a Christian. Paul appealed to Philemon to take Onesimus back, forgive him, and receive him not only as a slave but now also as a brother in Christ. Paul was certain that Onesimus would more useful now as a fellow brother in Christ. Paul wrote this letter around the same time as his letter to the Colossians and it was delivered at the same time by Tychicus accompanied by Onesimus (Col 4:7-9).
Paul identifies himself as a prisoner as he is writing while physically confined. He was imprisoned because of his ministry of the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. Even though it is a personal letter, Paul included Timothy who was with him. In addition to Philemon, Paul addressed the letter to Apphia, possibly Philemon’s wife, and Archippus, perhaps the pastor of the church that met in Philemon’s house. Each of these additional recipients would be able to encourage Philemon to act positively to Paul’s request. Paul’s greeting is the same as his other letters. Grace is how we can have peace with God through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Again, typical of his other letters, Paul opens by giving thanks for his readers. Whenever Paul prayed for Philemon, he gave thanks because of his love and faith for Jesus expressed in his love for the saints—other believers. He prayed that he would grow that love by sharing his faith. This could be in ministry to his fellow believers or as an effective witness and sharing his faith with those who did not believe. Or, perhaps it is both. As he grew in his knowledge and understanding of every good thing he had in Christ, he would be more eager to share his faith with others. Paul was encouraged and found joy in how Philemon had spiritually refreshed the believers around him.
In the nineties a band named DC Talk released a song titled, “Luv is a verb”. As an action, love needs an object. What is the object of your love? Jesus told us to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, minds, and strength and then, to love others as we love ourselves. Philemon is commended for a love expressed towards those around him because of his love for Jesus. How does your love for others reflect your love for Jesus?
Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan
Jacob and Rachel: Genesis 29-30