Bible Study Philemon 1-25

 

A Commentary of the Book of Philemon

By Dr. Barry L. Jenkins

Text Used: Legacy Standard Bible

Bible Study Philemon 1-25

Book Introduction from the Old Scofield Study Bible

The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to Philemon

WRITER The Apostle Paul (1.1)

DATE Probably A.D. 64. It is one of the Prison Epistles. See Introductions to Ephesians and Colossians.

THEME Onesimus ("profitable"), a slave of Philemon, a Christian of Colosse, had robbed his master and fled to Rome. There he became a convert through Paul, who sent him back to Philemon with this letter. It is of priceless value as a teaching

(1) in practical righteousness;

(2) in Christian brotherhood;

(3) in Christian courtesy;

(4) in the law of love.

The divisions are four

I. Greeting 1-3.

II. The character of Philemon, 4-7.

III. Intercession for Onesimus, 8-21.

IV. Salutations and conclusion, 22-25.

Text:

Philemon’s Love and Faith

1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy [a]our brother,

To Philemon our beloved brother and fellow worker, 2 and to Apphia [b]our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to 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 making mention of you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the [c]saints; 6 and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective [d]through the full knowledge of every good thing which is in you [e]for the sake of Christ. 7 For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the [f]hearts of the [g]saints have been refreshed through you, brother.

8 Therefore, though I have much boldness in Christ to command you to do what is proper, 9 yet for love’s sake I rather plead with you—since I am such a person as Paul, [h]the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus—

Plea for Onesimus

10 I plead with you for my child [i]Onesimus, of whom I became a [j]father in my chains, 11 who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. 12 I have sent him back to you in person, that is, my very heart, 13 whom I intended to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel, 14 but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but voluntarily. 15 For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, 16 no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

17 If then you regard me a partner, accept him as you would accept me. 18 But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account. 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it (not to [k]mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well). 20 Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ!

21 Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say.

22 And at the same time also prepare me a lodging, for I hope that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you.

23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, 24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers.

25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.[l]

Verse by verse commentary:

Verse 1: “Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, 

                 To Philemon our beloved brother and fellow worker,”

Paul knows that he belongs completely and without reservation to the Lord Jesus Christ, and if he is in prison it is by Christ’s permission. Nothing happened to Paul that did not first pass through the throneroom of heaven. The same applies to all believers. Following first-century custom, the salutation contains the names of the letter’s author and its recipient. Only three people received personal letters that were divinely inspired and this was one of them.

Verse 2: “and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:”

First-century churches met in homes, not huge church buildings, and Paul wanted this personal letter read in the church that met at Philemon’s. This letter would hold Philemon accountable, as well as instruct the church on the matter of forgiveness.

Verse 3: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

This is the standard greeting for Paul to every person and every church to which he wrote.

Verse 4: “I thank my God, always making mention of you in my prayers,”

Paul had a prayer list (and so should we). Philemon was on that list. The thought here is that every time Philemon’s name was mentioned, Paul prayed for him.

Verse 5: “because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints;”

Philemon’s life was a testimony to the transforming power of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul describes it in a tender way. Philemon showed love toward the Lord Jesus Christ and toward other believers. I have always had a sense that Paul was making a case that Philemon couldn’t resist when it came to forgiving Onesimus. 

Verse 6: “and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the full knowledge of every good thing which is in you for the sake of Christ.”

Paul is prepared to suggest a good work for Philemon that will call on his generosity (forgiveness) in an important and visible way. “Every good thing” was the result of the fact that “… it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

Verse 7: “For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.”

Paul had great joy and comfort in the love of Philemon for other believers and for him. The word translated “hearts”emphasizes the emotions more than the usual Greek word for “heart.” The King James Version translated the word as “bowels.” It speaks to the deepest inward parts of something. It implies the entire psychological nature. It brought great satisfaction to Paul.

Verse 8: “Therefore, though I have much boldness in Christ to command you to do what is proper,”

Since Paul was an Apostle of Christ (as opposed to an apostle of the church), he could have ordered Philemon to accept and forgive Onesimus.

Verse 9: “yet for love’s sake I rather plead with you—since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus—”

Paul asks, as opposed to making a demand, for mercy by describing himself as old and in prison. He does this “for love’s sake,” not for his own sake.

Verse 10: “I plead with you for my child  Onesimus, of whom I became a father in my chains,”

Onesimus is Paul’s spiritual son because he was converted through Paul’s ministry. Many times the phrase “spiritual father” or “spiritual mother” are used in churches today. I don’t like either phrase because salvation is of the Lord, not man. It is the Holy Spirit that brings life and He is the reason a person is converted to the faith.

Verse 11: “who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me.”

Paul was essentially saying, “Useful formerly was useless, but now is useful.” Paul’s point is that Onesimus had been radically transformed by God’s grace. There is always a transformation when a person comes to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is an observable event.

Verse 12: “I have sent him back to you in person, that is, my very heart,”

Paul is asking Philemon to receive Onesimus just as if he were receiving Paul. 

Verse 13: “whom I intended to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel,”

Now Paul concedes that he would have liked to have kept Onesimus with him.Paul may have thought:  “My first thought was that this man knows how to serve, and I need somebody. I am here in prison, and need assistance. This fellow could help me. My first thought was to keep him here and just let you know that I have him here with me.” However, Paul did not do that. He saw an opportunity to promote the gospel message that includes forgiveness and restoration.

Verse 14: “but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but voluntarily.”

Paul wants Philemon to come to the right decision on his own as opposed to Paul’s taking authority over him. This is a good trait for spiritual leaders to employ. You pray, teach, lead by example and allow the Holy Spirit to work on others. This is different from someone in intentional sin that needs to be rebuked. 

Verse 15: “For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever,”

Paul was suggesting that God providentially ordered the separation of Onesimus by his escaping from Philemon to produce eventual good. This is a lesson we need to keep close to us during times of challenge. In the Old Testament, Jacob thought his son Joseph was dead, they were all going to starve due to the famine, and his life was one heartache after another. Was that true? No, Joseph was alive and Jacob was never in danger. God had Providentially saved Joseph and placed in a seat of authority to save the Jewish nation. Know that no matter what things look like, God is still in charge.

Verse 16: “no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.”

Paul did not call for Onesimus’ freedom,  but that Philemon would receive his slave now as a fellow-believer in Christ. Christianity never sought to abolish slavery, but rather to make the relationships within it just and kind. This is difficult for the unsaved to understand because they make a “god” in their image. They say that slavery is wrong and must be stopped. In the first century, slavery wasn’t considered morally objectionable. Instead, the Bible teaches us to eliminate slavery but rather to be fair and kind. I would submit that there are many slaves today that work a job they don’t like, for pay less than what they desire, but they continue to work because they need money to survive. Let us focus on the requirement to be kind and loving to each other rather than how the work relationship is defined. 

Verse 17: “If then you regard me a partner, accept him as you would accept me.”

Paul is willing to place his friendship with Philemon into balance to make sure that Philemon will not refuse his request for Onesimus. While Paul wants Philemon to make the right decision, he makes an argument to lead Philemon to that right choice. Paul identifies with Onesimus so that Philemon can’t separate the two of them because they are family members in Christ. There really can be only one response.

Verse 18: “But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account.”

Restitution is part of true repentance. If you are truly sorry for your sinful actions and desire to change your ways, included in that sorrow would be a desire to make things right. That would include paying for the damages you have caused. That is what Paul is suggesting here. He is removing any obstacles that Philemon might have in receiving Onesimus back.

Verse 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).”

This means that Philemon, like Onesimus, owed his Christian faith to the ministry of Paul. While faith is a gift from God, that gift is received when the Holy Spirit takes the preached word and applies it to the heart of the sinner. The sinner responds in repentance and faith. Paul was not taking credit for the faith of Phuilemon or Onesimus, he was merely pointing out that it was his ministry that the Holy Spirit used to save them. 

Verse 20: “Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ!”

By forgiving Onesimus, Philemon would keep unity in the church at Colosse and bring joy to the imprisoned apostle of Christ.

Verse 21: “Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say.”

This is a personal letter, and in a sense we are reading it over the shoulder of Philemon. Paul states his confidence in him and actually feels that Philemon will do more than he requests. Paul was not the least bit subtle. He lays out a case for Philemon and brings him to a place where only one answer to Paul’s request is possible. 

Verse 22: “And at the same time also prepare me a lodging, for I hope that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you.”

Paul expects to be released from prison soon. He requests prayers for that purpose. Paul had hope that he would have freedom again. We should take note of his approach to a traumatic situation (being in prison) and have hope in the midst of our challenges.

Verse 23-24: “23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, 24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers.”

This beautiful little letter concludes with personal greetings to mutual friends.

Verse 25: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.”

The Letter closes with Paul’s characteristic benediction with the grace of God. Paul was a preacher that stressed the importance of grace. Paul finished this letter and gave it to Tychicus for delivery to Philemon. He could not have known the extent to which this Epistle would impact Christian behavior for centuries to follow.