Devotions

But Now He Is Useful To You

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Philemon is a unique letter because of its very personal nature. The life of Onesimus had been transformed as he accepted Christ, but in the eyes of the world, he was still a runaway slave. Onesimus could never fulfill his ministry without dealing with his past. For Onesimus, returning to Philemon his master likely meant death even though Philemon had also accepted Christ. It was possible that Onesimus could return to service for his old master branded as a runaway as was the custom but freedom was not a possibility. Although it seems that freedom was granted as Onesimus faced his past.

Philemon Introduction

In Jesus day, and Paul’s day, slavery was common and “slaves were deliberately repressed. There were in the Roman Empire 60,000,000 of them, and the danger of revolt was constantly to be guarded against. A rebellious slave was promptly eliminated. And, if a slave ran away, at best he would be branded with a red-hot iron on the forehead, with the letter F—standing for fugitivus, runaway—and at the worst he would be put to death by crucifixion”.1

By the gospel of the kingdom, we become new creatures in Christ, old things pass away, we are forgiven as it says in

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.

And, here is a great example of the grace of God. “Onesimus, of Colosse (“one of you,” Col 4:9), slave of Philemon, had fled from his master to Rome, after having probably defrauded him (Phm 2:18). He there was converted to Christianity by Paul, and being induced by him to return to his master, he was furnished with this Epistle”.2 

To the Church in Your House

Philemon 1–3
This is a special letter, to the church in this community, but it is mainly a personal appeal to Philemon. By its tone, it seems that Paul was well acquainted with them so, “Probably during the “two years” of Paul’s stay at Ephesus, when “all which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus” (Ac 19:10, 26), Epaphras, Philemon, Archippus, Apphia and the other natives of Colosse, becoming converted at Ephesus, were subsequently the first sowers of the Gospel seed in their own city. This will account for their personal acquaintance with, and attachment to, Paul and his fellow ministers, and for his loving language as to them, and their counter salutations to him. So also with respect to “them at Laodicea,” (Col 2:1)”.3

Now though, as Paul is writing, he honors Philemon as a “fellow worker” and, “it has been suggested that Apphia was the wife and Archippus the son of Philemon (and) … Archippus had seen Christian service with Paul, for Paul speaks of him as his fellow campaigner”.4

Paul is writing also to the “church in your (Philemon’s) house”. And E. J. Goodspeed suggests that this is the church of Laodicea because of these references, “in Colossians 4:17: ‘And say to Archippus, “See that you complete the task that you have received in the Lord.” ’ Now, that instruction comes after a whole series of very definite references, not to Colosse, but to Laodicaea (Colossians 4:13, 4:15, 4:16). Might not the fact that he appears among the messages sent to Laodicaea imply that Archippus must be at Laodicaea”.5 

That Your Faith May Become Effective

Philemon 4–7
After the short introduction, Paul turns his attention to Philemon the reason for writing the letter, and commends him in

Philemon 5 because I hear about your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints.

and then says in

Philemon 6 I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective in the knowledge of every good thing that is in us for Christ.

Paul makes it clear that the power of the work that God is doing through Philemon is not just about him and his life, it is wrapped up in “the fellowship of your faith”. It seems that Philemon was not only a property owner (the church in your house) and a slave owner (of the runaway Onesimus) but it seems that in some way Philemon had begun using his position and wealth for the purpose of the gospel. Note though, the warning to the church of Laodicea in

Revelation 3:17 Because you are saying, “I am rich, and have become rich, and I have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and pitiable and poor and blind and naked,

 

But Now He Is Useful To You

Philemon 8–16
As Paul says in Philemon 8 “I have great confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper” and it would be easy for Paul to use his position and prior relationship with them to tell them what to do. Or, he might react as we do when we read this history of slavery and simply tell Philemon to emancipate Onesimus. But Paul is very careful with his words and makes this bold statement about Onesimus in

Philemon 11 Once he was useless to you, but now he is useful to you and to me,

Philemon only knows Onesimus as a runaway slave that legally belonged to him and likely stole from him to make his escape. But Onesimus has accepted Christ and was transformed so that he excelled in his service to Paul. Now, though, it was necessary that Onesimus repair this breach in his life by confronting his owner and slave master Philemon.

I Know That You Will Do Even Beyond

Philemon 17–22
Paul wants Philemon to understand the value he places on the new man that Onesimus has become, not the man Philemon knows as a runaway salve. So Paul offers to pay back for any wrong done in the past by Onesimus. But this isn’t an empty offer based on a momentary confession of sin by Onesimus. Paul has proven Onesimus as a faithful son and fellow worker in ministry. In this letter, Paul shows us that “Christianity is not trying to help people escape from their past and run away from it; it is aiming to enable them to face the past and rise above it”.6

My Fellow Workers

Philemon 23–25
Paul takes time to honor those that Philemon would know as fellow workers ans specifically mentions Epaphras who it seems was sent from their region to help Paul as mentioned in

Colossians 4:12–13 Epaphras, who is one of you, greets you, a slave of Christ always struggling on behalf of you in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I testify to him that he is working hard on behalf of you and those in Laodicea and those in Hierapolis.

The Bishop of Ephesus

It isn’t always possible for us to follow the life of people we read about in the Bible but they are real people and the Bible is a record of at least some of the event in their lives. There is though, this extra-biblical account of Onesimus: “Let us move on about fifty years. Ignatius, one of the great Christian martyrs, is being taken to execution from Antioch to Rome. As he goes, he writes letters—which still survive—to the churches of Asia Minor. He stops at Smyrna and writes to the church at Ephesus, and in the first chapter of that letter he has much to say about their wonderful bishop. And what is the bishop’s name? It is Onesimus; and Ignatius makes exactly the same pun as Paul made—he is Onesimus by name and Onesimus by nature, the one who is profitable to Christ. It may well be that, with the passing years, the runaway slave had become the great Bishop of Ephesus”.7

Study Verses

Today’s Reading

  • Philemon 1-25

References

  • 1. Barclay, W. (2003). The Letters to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon (3rd ed. fully rev. and updated, pp. 304–305). Louisville, KY; London: Westminster John Knox Press.
  • 2. Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 436). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
  • 3. Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 370). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
  • 4. Barclay, W. (2003). The Letters to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon (3rd ed. fully rev. and updated, p. 314). Louisville, KY; London: Westminster John Knox Press.
  • 5. Barclay, W. (2003). The Letters to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon (3rd ed. fully rev. and updated, p. 308). Louisville, KY; London: Westminster John Knox Press.
  • 6. Barclay, W. (2003). The Letters to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon (3rd ed. fully rev. and updated, p. 318). Louisville, KY; London: Westminster John Knox Press.
  • 7. Barclay, W. (2003). The Letters to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon (3rd ed. fully rev. and updated, p. 310). Louisville, KY; London: Westminster John Knox Press.