Overview of the Book of Philemon

The overview of the week for this Sunday is the book of Philemon. This is one of those books that people read and sometimes they wonder, why is this in the

Bible? But it's actually a wonderful story of forgiveness and reconciliation, one that serves as a beautiful picture of what

Christ has done for us. Philemon only has one chapter and therefore it's one of the shortest epistles in the

New Testament. Paul is writing around 60 AD. This is a personal letter from Paul to this man

Philemon who is a prominent member of the church at Colossae. Paul had led

Philemon to Christ years earlier and the thing about Philemon, he was a slave owner and he owned a man named

Onesimus, whose name means useful. Well something happened,

Onesimus, it appears, stole something from his master Philemon. So he ran away and he ended up in Rome.

There he meets Paul and Paul leads Onesimus to Christ.

Paul and Onesimus become close and living up to his name, Onesimus is useful to Paul for the work of the ministry.

But then Paul discovers this situation, that he's a runaway slave and of course

Paul knows his owner. So Paul realizes this needs to be dealt with.

So Paul sends Onesimus back to Colossae with this letter and he basically,

Paul tells Philemon, you know I could command you to do the right thing because you owe me, but you know

I'm not I'm not gonna do that. I'm not gonna say that even though I kind of just did in the letter. So I, that always sort of makes me laugh.

Starting in verse 9, Paul writes, yet for love's sake, instead of commanding you for love's sake,

I rather appeal to you, being such one as Paul the agent. Paul is an old man now, he's a prisoner, he's in jail in Rome.

Verse 10, I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains, while in prison, who once was unprofitable to you, or not useful to you, but now is profitable to you and to me.

I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is my own heart, this is what I want, whom

I wish to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel.

But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary.

For perhaps he departed for a while, for this purpose, that you might receive him forever.

Here's the point to notice, no longer, receive him no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, as a beloved brother.

Paul then says, if he owes you anything, put it on my account. And of course, this is what

Jesus did for us. He paid our sin debt in full, and he elevated us, who were once slaves to sin, he elevated us, reconciling us with our

Master, who is God the Father in heaven. So Philemon, a wonderful picture of Christ's saving work in the gospel.