BIG IDEA:
EFFECTIVE FAITH SHOWS ITSELF IN PRACTICAL LOVE
INTRODUCTION:
The Apostle Paul is petitioning Philemon to receive back into good graces Onesimus, the slave he had led to the Lord but the slave who had robbed his master and run away to Rome. Paul has been urging Onesimus to make things right with his master; but at issue would be whether Philemon would be willing to forgive and extend love to Onesimus and whether he would be able to trust him again. This is a practical test of genuine Christian love. Paul does not want Onesimus to be punished; in fact he would like him to be freed up to be returned to him for service in the gospel. But Paul does not presume upon the willingness of Philemon.
C.S. Lewis once said “Everyone thinks forgiveness is a lovely idea, until he has something to forgive.”
Martin Lloyd Jones once said “I say to the glory of God and in utter humility that whenever I see myself before God and realize even something of what my blessed Lord has done for me, I am ready to forgive anybody and anything”
Arthur Rupprecht: The traditional interpretation has been that Paul sent him back with Tychicus at the time of the writing of the Epistle to the Colossians.
Paul wrote the letter to Philemon in approximately 57-60A.D. probably during his first imprisonment in Rome. This letter was written at about the same time that he wrote his letters to the church at Ephesus (Ephesians) and to the church at Colossae (Colossians).
Much along the lines of the Book of James – 9 Tests of Genuine Faith
- Faith without Perseverance is dead
- Faith without Obedience is dead
- Faith without Impartial Love is dead
- Faith without Good Works is dead
- Faith without Practical Wisdom is dead
- Faith without Intimacy is dead
- Faith without Submission to the Will of God is dead
- Faith without the Fear of God is dead
- Faith without Fervent Effectual Prayer is dead
Here in Philemon we see how faith must work together with love in very practical ways to bless the saints
Daniel Akin: The manner in which Paul treats the problem of Onesimus indicates the way Christianity confronted the evils of human society. To have directly denounced the institution of human slavery would have been problematic. It would have precipitated an immediate conflict between Rome and Christianity. It would have marked Christianity as being antisocial and would have turned all the powers of the empire against it. Instead of making a frontal attack on the institution of slavery, Christianity inculcated a spirit of love, grace, compassion, and consideration that ultimately meant the death knell of that evil institution.
William Barclay: 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.
(:1-3) GREETING: FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS IN CHRIST INVOLVE WORKING RELATIONSHIPS AS PARTNERS IN THE GOSPEL
Daniel Akin: Main Idea: Those who are in Christ are brought into a spiritual family by God’s grace and are called to participate in his work.
I. We Serve by Divine Appointment (1).
A. Know who you are.
B. Know whom you please.
II. Express Your Confidence in the Gospel’s Work in Others.
A. We serve with brothers (1).
B. We serve with fellow workers (2).
C. We serve with sisters (2).
D. We serve with fellow soldiers (2).
E. We serve with a community of believers (2).
III. Express Your Confidence in the Gospel’s Work in Others.
A. We are divinely enabled by our Father.
B. We are divinely enabled by our Savior.
A. Author
- Main Author – Enslaved to the Will of His Master – Belonging to His Master
“Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus,”
Also physically in prison at the time because of his faithful labors for
Christ; obligated to serve under the circumstances ordained for him by
his master; he will be asking Philemon to fulfill his obligations as well
William Hendriksen: all the details of the imprisonment as well as its outcome, whether it be the death-sentence or acquittal, are in the hands that were pierced for this prisoner, those very hands that now control the entire universe in the interest of the church. Paul’s imprisonment is therefore a very honorable one. The mention of himself as a prisoner of Christ Jesus is also very tactful, probably implying, “In comparison with the sacrifice that I am making is not the favor which I am asking you to grant a rather easy matter?”
William Barclay: Here at the very beginning, Paul lays aside all appeal to authority and makes his appeal to sympathy and to love alone.
- Companion / Co-Laborer (not really co-author)
“and Timothy our brother”
Spiritual brotherhood is closer relationship than flesh and blood
Not just Paul’s brother, but “our” brother
B. Recipients: Beloved family members in Christ and fellow workers in the gospel ministry
- Main Recipient
“to Philemon our beloved brother and fellow worker”
All brothers in the Lord should also be fellow workers
No room in the family of God for those who don’t enter into the yoke of
partnership in the gospel ministry; involves commitment and hard work
- Associates
a. Apphia
“and to Apphia our sister”
probably the wife of Philemon and as such would have had some oversight responsibility over the slaves as they worked in the household
James Dunn: She is usually regarded as Philemon’s wife, and this makes good sense, since if Onesimus had been a household slave Philemon’s wife would have had much to do with him and therefore would have as much interest in the Onesimus affair. She is called literally “the sister” (as Timothy was called “the brother”). This presumably means that she also was a Christian, “our sister”.
b. Archippus (Perhaps the son of Philemon or prominent preacher)
“and to Archippus our fellow soldier”
Phil. 2:25 – reference to Epaphroditus using same term
- Overall Local Church
“and to the church in your house”
Philemon fairly wealthy; hospitable; hosting the church = the people
[Some people would advocate today that the house church format is still optimal – whole house church movement]
body of “called out” ones
W.E. Oesterley: Up to the third century we have no certain evidence of the existence of church buildings for the purposes of worship; all references point to private houses for this. In Rome several of the oldest churches appear to have been built on the sites of houses used for Christian worship.
B. Salutation / Benediction
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”
The resources of God that are most precious to us can be summed up as Grace and Peace
The Father and the Son work in tandem to provide those benefits to the saints
W.E. Oesterley: In the N.T. the word peace expresses the spiritual state, which is the result of a right relationship between God and man. According to Jewish belief, the establishment of peace, in this sense, was one of the main functions of the Messiah (cf. Luke ii. 14), it was herein that His mediatorial work was to be accomplished.
John MacArthur: Grace, the means of salvation; peace, the result of salvation.
G.K. Beale: The main point of verses 1–3 appears to be in verse 3, which states the general goal of the letter: that God and Christ will bestow “grace and peace” on the recipients, especially on Philemon. The remainder of the letter will explain in what way Philemon needs such “grace,” which will bring about “peace.”
(:4-7) EFFECTIVE FAITH SHOWS ITSELF IN PRACTICAL LOVE —
THANKSGIVING AND PRAYER FOR THE EFFECTIVE APPLICATION OF LOVE AND FAITH IN THE LIFE OF PHILEMON
Daniel Akin: Main Idea: Though Christians may experience trials and conflicts with one another, because of their shared faith in Christ, they can lift one another up in prayer and encourage one another with love.
I. Thank God for the Good Things You Hear (4-5).
A. We honor God by our love for one another.
B. We honor God by our faith in his Son.
II. Express Your Confidence in the Gospel’s Work in Others.
A. We grow as we participate in our common faith.
B. We grow as we do good things for Christ.
III. Express Your Confidence in the Gospel’s Work in Others.
A. Be a source of joy.
B. Be a source of encouragement.
C. Be a source of refreshment.
(:4) INTRODUCTION: Ongoing Thanksgiving for Philemon
“I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers”
Switch in pronoun number in this section from plural to singular “you”
Paul took the time to pray for specific individuals and their needs;
The tone of Paul’s prayers was one of thanksgiving
Always tried to accentuate the positive; not looking for things to criticize or to harp on someone’s weaknesses
“always” – goes with the giving of thanks — consistent pattern in the letters of Paul (cf. Eph 1:16, Phil 1:3, Col. 1:3,4)
G.K. Beale: Thankfulness arises, at least in part, from the following aspects of continual prayer, consistent with the broad sweep of Paul’s theology (cf. Eph. 5:20; Phil. 4:6):
(1) from reflection on how God has answered prayers in the past (whether with “no” or “yes”);
(2) from adoration of God’s person, faithfulness, and providential provisions in spiritual and material ways;
(3) from the times when we acknowledge our sin and recall that Christ paid the penalty for sin and overcame that penalty by his resurrection (cf. 1 Cor. 1:4–6).
Christians impoverish themselves when they do not prayerfully consider how they have experienced God’s grace, and this theological impoverishment results in an unthankful attitude. To the extent that one has a prayerful attitude, to that extent one will have an attitude of thanksgiving. . .
Thus, in Philem. 4–7, Paul does not thank Philemon, nor does he thank both Philemon and God; instead, he thanks only God for Philemon’s love and faithfulness. This indicates that it is not Philemon’s independent, autonomous efforts, even to some small degree, that earned God’s grace in his life, but it shows that everything about his Christian life is a result of God’s unconditional “grace,” as evidenced from verses 3 and 25: “grace [χάρις, charis] . . . from . . . the Lord Jesus Christ.” Human significance does not reside in self-determination apart from divine influence. Rather, Paul sees that human self-worth has its foundation in the grace of God alone (see 1 Cor. 4:7).
I. (:5) THE DISTINGUISHING BRAND OF GENUINE CHRISTIANITY SHOULD BE THE SYNERGY OF ACTIVE FAITH AND PRACTICAL LOVE
Exemplary Report: Commending Philemon for Consistent Pattern of Love and Faith
A. The Report of Practical Love
“because I hear of your love,” “toward all the saints”
Who did Paul hear of this good report from? Possibly Epaphras (Col. 1:7,8; 4:12)
Chiastic Arrangement: A-love / B-faith / B-Lord Jesus / A-all the saints
W.E. Oesterley: The first and prominent thought is Philemon’s love. This suggests the mention of his faith, as the source from which it springs.
No partiality of prejudice
Concept of separation for God’s service (Lev. 19:2)
No false spirituality
Unusual emphasis here – Why?
B. The Report of Active Faith
“and of the faith which you have” “toward the Lord Jesus”
Object of our faith is what is important
Alexander Maclaren: The preposition here used to define the relation of faith to its object is noteworthy. Faith is “toward” Him. The idea is that of a movement of yearning after an unattained good.
II. (:6) THE DYNAMIC BASIS FOR PRACTICAL LOVE IS EFFECTIVE FAITH THAT MATURES IN THE COMPREHENSION OF OUR UNION WITH JESUS CHRIST
Specific Petition:
A. Foundation for Love = the common faith in our Lord Jesus Christ
“and I pray that the fellowship of your faith”
– could be the sharing of faith in terms of evangelism
– could also be the sharing of faith in obeying God in other practical areas such as showing love to the brethren which is the emphasis of this book
David Guzik: It is possible that Paul means the sharing of material things, prompted by faith. The ancient Greek word for sharing is koinonia, and sometimes Paul used koinonia, which means “fellowship, sharing,” to describe giving (2 Corinthians 8:4; 9:13; Romans 15:6).
John MacArthur: Koinōnia (fellowship) is difficult to render precisely in English. It is usually translated “fellowship,” but it means much more than merely enjoying each other’s company. It refers to a mutual sharing of all life, and could be translated “belonging.” Believers belong to each other in a mutual partnership, produced by their faith in Christ. By forgiving him, Philemon would acknowledge that he belonged to Onesimus as a brother in Christ. Effective translates energēs, which literally means “powerful.” Such an act of forgiveness would send a powerful message to the church about the importance of fellowship, even among slaves and masters (cf. Gal. 3:28). Forgiving a fellow believer, no matter what their offense, makes a strong statement of concern for fellowship.
B. Functioning of Faith = the maturing and exercise of that faith
“may become effective”
James Dunn: What Paul had in mind here, then, is almost certainly the subjective experience of a faith shared in common. The prayer is that this shared experience of a common trust in Christ might be or become (γένηται) ἐνεργής, “effective, active, powerful” (cf. the other two New Testament instances: 1 Cor. 16:9; Heb. 4:12; also the verb in Gal. 5:6) in the knowledge (ἐπίγνωσις, a term common in Colossians: 1:9-10; 2:2; 3:7; cf. also particularly Phil. 1:9) of all the good which was their common lot as Christians. The thought is of the shared experience of faith as a dynamic relation with the Lord Jesus which constantly fed their understanding and consciousness, making them aware of how much they were benefiting as a result.
C. Fruit of Spiritual Knowledge = comprehending and applying the truth of our precious union with Jesus Christ
“through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you”
D. Focus of Our Faith and Love = ministering to others so that Christ would be exalted
“for Christ’s sake.”
Matthew Henry: The apostle joins prayer with his praises, that the fruits of Philemon’s faith and love might be more and more conspicuous, so as that the communication of them might constrain others to the acknowledgment of all the good things that were in him and in his house towards Christ Jesus; that their light might so shine before men that they, seeing their good works, might be stirred up to imitate them, and to glorify their Father who is in heaven. Good works must be done, not of vain-glory to be seen, yet such as may be seen to God’s glory and the good of men.
Arthur Rupprecht: With equal certainty one might suggest that:
1) Paul prays that Philemon’s participation in the faith will be made effective because of his full understanding of God’s goodness to both of them; or
2) he prays that Philemon will be active in the faith so that he will develop a full understanding of God’s goodness to both of them.
The former interpretation is more attractive than the latter one because of Paul’s repeated suggestion that knowledge precedes good works (cf. Col. 1:9, 10).
Warren Wiersbe: He also prayed that his friend would have a deeper understanding of all that he had in Jesus Christ. After all, the better we know Christ and experience His blessings, the more we want to share these blessings with others.
III. (:7) THE DEFINING BAROMETER OF EFFECTIVE FAITH SHOULD BE THE PRACTICAL EXPRESSION OF LOVE TOWARDS THE SAINTS
Overall Joy and Encouragement – Testimony of Practical Expression of Love by Philemon towards the Saints
A.. The Encouragement of Love to the Apostle Paul
“For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love,”
William Klein: Paul has been repeatedly impressed by the expressions of Philemon’s love, which have brought him much “joy and encouragement.” The implication is that this maturity will find expression in Philemon’s treatment of Onesimus.
B. The Encouragement of Love to the Saints
“because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.”
Refreshed in every way: spiritually, financially, physically
Thomas Constable: Paul felt much joy and comfort as he heard of Philemon’s love. The Greek word translated “hearts” (splagchna) designates total personality at the deepest level. Philemon had already demonstrated the kind of behavior that Paul was going to call on him to manifest again. Paul’s request would test his response. However, Paul was confident of Philemon’s cooperation. He appealed to him from the same authority level, as a “brother” (cf. v. 2 where Paul called Apphia a “sister“).
William Kelly: Undoubtedly there had been evil in Onesimus, and in his desertion of his master. But is it not the word of God to overcome evil with good, instead of being overcome by it? Is it not so that grace has wrought for us and in us? Nothing different is looked for now, but rather accordance with that course of grace which had characterized Philemon.
James Dunn: As Paul had been delighted and encouraged by the accounts he had received of Philemon’s ministry (note again the network of communication implied), so he hoped for further delight and encouragement from Philemon’s response to his request regarding Onesimus.