Philemon 1:1-25
1 Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer,
2 And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house:
3 Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers,
5 Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints;
6 That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.
7 For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.
8 Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient,
9 Yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.
10 I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds:
11 Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:
12 Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels:
13 Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel:
14 But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly.
15 For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever;
16 Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?
17 If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself.
18 If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account;
19 I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it: albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides.
20 Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord.
21 Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say.
22 But withal prepare me also a lodging: for I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you.
23 There salute thee Epaphras, my fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus;
24 Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers.
25 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. [Written from Rome to Philemon, by Onesimus a servant.]
4 The name Philemon means "fond". He seems to have been a most exemplary character, whose reputation had reached Paul's ears, and had given him joy in the midst of the sorrows and dangers of his situation in Rome. But Paul is not thinking of himself but of the service
Philemon renders to the saints.
8 Paul's apostolic authority gives him the right to dictate to Philemon regarding Onesimus. It would have been perfectly proper to have held the run away slave for his own comfort and service without consulting his master in the matter. Yet grace does not demand its rights, or stand upon its privileges, but, led by love, entreats. What a glorious sunset to such a life as Paul's! The rare graces of the gospel glow in the aged apostle and prisoner with greater splendor than ever before. Age has not soured but rather mellowed him.
11 There is a pleasing play upon the name "Onesimus", which means profitable. Paul uses it as a verb in verse twenty. He may be regarded as a picture of those of the nations who had strayed away from God, who are the fruit of Paul's bonds as Onesimus was, and who now return to God to become His "profitable" slaves. He is also a marvelous example of God's method of tranforming evil into good. No one would condone the act of Onesimus in running away from his master, yet God made it a blessing not only to Onesimus, but to his master and to Paul. All were enriched by it. vIn this way He is able to make all evil subserve His purpose. It is the background of His grace and will become the means of drawing His creatures infinitely closer to Himself and His affections than would be possible if sin had never invaded the universe.
15 The short period of Onesimus' absence was not worth reckoning compared with the fact that, as a brother in Christ, Philemon would have him for all the eons. So the short term of sin (which seems to us so long) is not worth reckoning compared with the eonian and everlasting tenure of the bliss which follows it.
15 Collect as a repayment, from-have, is a special term used in the papyri for receiving in full for any debt or obligation. Thus the Lord, in the sixth of Matthew, said concerning those whose deeds were done before men, that "they are collecting their wages," i.e. they have their reward and the receipt for it in full-there is no more due them from God.
18 Philemon was evidently called under Paul's preaching, so that he owed all he had in grace to his ministry. With all this to his credit, Paul may well assume all of Onesimus' debts to his master.
20 There is a play on the name Onesimus, or Profitable. If he should be sent back to Paul, to serve him in the evangel, he would indeed be "Profitable" to Paul, both in name and in fact.
22 At this time Paul still hoped to be released and return to his itinerant ministry. But the very spiritual character of his latest ministry did not demand his physical presence. It was more in keeping to convey it by epistles. We have no evidence to show that he ever went to Colosse.
23 Later, all except Luke left him (2Ti_:4:11). Demas abandoned him. And to this very day his inspired epistles, by means of which he still speaks, and which are the only source of the truth for this economy of God's grace, are often unheeded, neglected, abandoned, forsaken.