“THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PHILEMON?”
PHILEMON 1-25

I. Introduction
You probably thought there were only four gospels. You know, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Well, this little twenty-five verse epistle, a personal letter from Paul to his friend and brother in Christ, Philemon, just overflows with some of the beauties and truths of the glorious gospel of Christ.

“The Gospel According to Philemon” is simply a play on words. The Book of Philemon isn’t a gospel at all; it’s an epistle, a letter from one Christian brother to another. In that regard, it’s just like 1st and 2nd Timothy or Titus. But it is rich in “gospel truth.”

This morning we’re going to look at some of the marvelous aspects of the gospel – things like grace, substitution, intercession, and forgiveness. You can learn a lot about the gospel from the Book of Philemon.
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II. Background
Before we read the text, a little background is in order. Paul and Philemon had become very close friends. Philemon was a wealthy Colossian Christian who had come to faith in Christ as a result of Paul’s preaching. Philemon was a prominent member of the Colossian church. Not only did the church meet in his home, but his son, Archippus, was apparently the acting pastor of that church. At the time the Book of Philemon was written (61 A.D.), their pastor, Epaphrus, found himself imprisoned with Paul in Rome.

As with virtually all the wealthy in first century Rome, Philemon owned a number of slaves. Onesimus was one of them. At some point Onesimus had stolen from Philemon and fled to Rome. Had he been caught; Roman law was clear. Philemon not only had the right to kill One-simus, he had the right to kill him in the most horrible manner possible. There was no legal limit to what could be done to Onesimus.

While seeking refuge in Rome, Onesimus met Paul who led him to Christ. He became a great help to Paul, but the apostle did the right thing. The right thing was to return the slave to his owner to face his fate. Paul did that and sent a letter with Onesimus. Philemon is that letter.

The book can be divided into six parts: A greeting, a thanksgiving, a plea, a pledge, a final request, and a conclusion. With all of that in mind, let’s go to the text.
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III. Text
The Greeting –
*Philemon 1-3
1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our
beloved brother and fellow worker,
2 and to Apphia 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.

Paul begins by reminding his friend that he is under house arrest in Rome for the sake of Christ. He does not refer to his authority as an apostle. He doesn’t need to. Philemon is his friend.
But Paul is going to make it crystal clear to Philemon that Paul’s authority is from Christ. He will speak of Jesus no less than six times before he ever utters the name “Onesimus.” By men-tioning Timothy (whom Philemon most likely knew and respected) Paul places additional weight on what he is going to say.

In v. 1 Paul reminds Philemon what he means to him and just who Philemon is in Christ, “our beloved brother and fellow worker.”

In v. 2 we see that the letter is also addressed to Apphia and Archippus. They are most likely Philemon’s wife and son. Paul refers to them as Christians. Archippus is also mentioned in Colossians.
Colossians 4:17
17 And say to Archippus, “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.”

If indeed Archippus was the acting pastor of the Colossian church, this command makes sense.

V. 3 is a benediction reminding them that they are all Christians. They’ve all been saved by grace. Now remember that “grace” is “unmerited favor.” It is not something you deserve. The issue of grace will shortly play into Paul’s appeal.
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The Thanksgiving –
*Philemon 4-7
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 saints;
6 and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ’s sake.
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.

In these four verses Paul praises Philemon. This is not empty flattery; it is truth. Paul knows Philemon’s character… and he mentions Jesus again. Paul also knows thatPhilemon’s faith is real. Therefore, he has the God-given ability to forgive. And in v. 5 Paul refers to Jesus again. Philemon had demonstrated the willingness to comfort and encourage the saints. He means a great deal to Paul, and Paul reminds him of that fact.
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The Plea –
*Philemon 8-17
8 Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do that which is proper,
9 yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you – since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus –
10 I appeal to you for my child, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment, Onesi-mus,
11 who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me.
12 And I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart,
13 whom I wished to keep with me, that in your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel;
14 but without your consent I did not want to do anything, that your goodness should not be as it were by compulsion, but of your own free will.
15 For perhaps he was for this reason parted from you for a while, that you should 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 me.

Let me paraphrase vv. 8-9. “My dear friend Philemon – You know that I have the authority to command you to obey me in the Lord. But, my friend, I do not want to do that. Instead, I im-plore, I beg you, please, as my brother in Christ, do what I am going to ask you to do.” Twice more he mentions the Lord Jesus.

Look at v. 10. Paul has laid the groundwork. Remember that Timothy and Titus are Paul’s spiritual children. Philemon himself is one of Paul’s spiritual children. Only now does Paul speak of Onesimus – Onesimus, the escaped slave and thief, another one of Paul’s spiritual children. And only now, in v. 10, does Paul appeal to Philemon.

In v. 11 Paul uses his own play on words. The name “Onesimus” actually means “useful.” Quite a name for a slave, isn’t it?

Paul is saying, “Philemon, when Onesimus stole from you and fled from you, he became useless to you. But now, as a brother in Christ, he is ‘onesimus’ (useful) to me and he can become ‘one-simus’ (useful) to you as well. He has become our brother, just like Timothy or Titus or Epaph-rus, and he is useful!”

By the way, since he came to saving faith, Onesimus is also useful to Jesus, isn’t he? (My own fears about becoming useless.)

(It’s interesting to note that the name “Philemon,” means “affectionate” or “one who is kind.” [“phileo” = brotherly love”])

In vv. 12-14 Paul tells Philemon that he would really like to keep Onesimus with himself because he is so “useful.” But Paul has already sent him back. He wants Philemon to forgive Onesimus, to free him, and to send him back to Paul. And he wants Philemon to do so not under compulsion, but under his own free will.

The apostle is not asking Philemon to exact justice, even though justice would not be wrong. Remember that under the first century Roman legal system, Philemon is lawfully entitled to jus-tice. Philemon has every right to have Onesimus put to death. Paul is saying to his friend Phi-lemon, “Please do not demand the justice that we both know you are rightly owed.”

Neither is Paul asking Philemon to show mercy, though mercy would not be wrong either. Instead of having Onesimus executed, Philemon would be considered merciful by having his slave imprisoned for life. But Paul is saying to his friend Philemon, “Please do not even be merciful by placing some arbitrary limit on the punishment Onesimus deserves.”

Let me say it again. Justice would be right. Justice would give Onesimus precisely what he deserves. Mercy would be kind. Mercy would give Onesimus less than he deserves.

But the Apostle Paul is seeking the third option, He is asking, He is pleading with Philemon to do for Onesimus what God has already done for all three of them. Paul is seeking grace. Not justice – the punishment which Onesimus clearly deserves. Not even mercy – punishment to be sure, but less punishment than Onesimus deserves.

Paul is seeking grace – something wonderful that Onesimus does not deserve. That is what Paul is asking for. Think about it for just a minute. Most people understand justice, don’t they? Most people understand mercy, don’t they? But do most people understand grace?

In vv. 15-17 Paul is saying to Philemon, “Listen, friend, you can have Onesimus back, but you can have him back as infinitely more than a slave for the rest of your lives. You can have him back as a brother for all of eternity. Extend grace! After all, isn’t that what our Lord Jesus has done for you, and for me… and now for Onesimus as well?”

You can’t miss the lesson here, can you! Jesus Christ has done this for you, Christian! So ask yourself, “To whom do I need to extend grace right now?”

God’s absolute, righteous, and holy justice should send every one of us to hell, should it not? It is in God’s mercy, that He takes pity on us and keeps us from getting the justice we deserve. But it’s in His grace that He gives us heaven, the marvelous future that none of us deserve. No one will ever receive the gift of eternal life and step into God’s glorious presence because of God’s holy justice.

And let’s be clear. No one will see heaven and eternal life because of God’s mercy. God’s mercy keeps us from hell, but His mercy does not give us heaven and eternal life. Only God’s grace does that! So it may be helpful to think of it this way…

• God’s justice requires that we all be punished and eternally destroyed in the lake of fire.
Justice – We get what we deserve.
• God’s mercy keeps us from the punishment and eternal destruction of hell.
Mercy – We do not get all that we deserve.
• But it is only God’s grace that gives us heaven.
Grace – We do get what we do not deserve.

We tend to think of mercy and grace and being somewhat similar, or at least somehow related to each other. But they are not. Justice and mercy are directly related to the punishment we all deserve. But grace? Grace stands alone! It has nothing to do with punishment. There is no-thing like the grace of God. We’ll sing about it in a few minutes, but for now, here are the words of the fourth verse of one of the great hymns of the faith…
“Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
Freely bestowed on all who believe!
You that are longing to see His face,
Will you this moment His grace receive?”

Philemon had received this grace. How could he not give it to another? Hasn’t Paul already said as much back in v. 14? If I may paraphrase again… “Philemon, you are a Christian! Can you do anything less than what your brother Paul now asks of you?”
*Ephesians 4:32
32 And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

What will Philemon do? The reality is that, according to Roman law, Onesimus is still Phile-mon’s slave. But according to God’s law, Onesimus is now Philemon’s spiritual brother and fellow worker for Christ. The question now facing Philemon is which law will rule in his heart, the law of man or the Law of God.

Look once more at v. 17. Onesimus is Philemon’s brother in Christ, and Paul asks that Phile-mon treat him the very same way he would treat Paul. But Paul isn’t finished.
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The Pledge –
*Philemon 18-20
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 (lest I should mention to you that you owe me even your own self as well).
20 Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.

But Paul still isn’t finished. In vv. 18-20 Paul intercedes for Onesimus. Jesus – the Second Person of the Trinity, and our Great High Priest – intercedes directly for us.

Hebrews 7:25
25 Hence, also, He (Jesus) is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Actually, the all three Persons of the Holy Trinity are involved in this intercession. Listen…
Romans 8:26b-27
26b …the (Holy) Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;
27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the (Holy) Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Look again at Philemon 18-20. Paul has already sought forgiveness for Onesimus. Christ did that for us. He has already sought grace for the guilty one. Christ did that for us. But now the apostle goes even further. Now Paul lays himself on the line. In this we see substitution. This is a picture of Jesus’ substitutionary atonement for you and for me.

Here in Philemon 18 Paul is saying, “What does he owe you Philemon? Whatever it is, I’ll pay it. And in Philemon 19, he says, “You have my absolute word, written in my own hand. I’ll pay it all!” You can’t miss the bigger picture; the greater truth, can you?
“Jesus paid it all. All to Him I owe.
Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow.”

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

Now Paul takes his request still further. Again, permit me to use my own words. “By the way, Philemon, as you ponder my request, please remember that I not only led Onesimus to Christ, but I led you to Him as well.” Therefore, I know you’ll do even more than I ask.”

“I know that you will do even more…?” What more is there? The “more” is this: Paul wants Onesimus back. Paul, already assuming that Philemon will forgive Onesimus, now asks his friend to not only set his slave free, but to return him to Paul.

Remember, that even if Philemon does forgive Onesimus, he still – under first century Roman law – owns him. God owns this creation and everything in it, doesn’t He? If you’re not quite clear on that, just ask yourself, “Who else?” But Jesus asked His Father to give those who trust in Him for their salvation to Him. Every true Christian belong to Jesus? But how did Jesus “get” you? He paid the price and bought you at the cross, didn’t He?

Therefore, God gave you to His Son. Jesus asked and His Father said, “Yes!” Shortly before He went to the cross, near the end of Jesus’ high priestly prayer, He said this…
*John 17:24
24 “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, in order that they may behold My glory, which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”
God honored that request. And so, we will be with Jesus where He is. And we will behold Jesus’ glory.
1 John 3:2
2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is.

We know that God honored Jesus’ request, but will Philemon honor Paul’s? Will he forgive Onesimus? And more than that, will he send his slave back to Paul for the work of the minis-try? The Scriptures do not specifically tell us. But there are some fascinating clues…
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The Final Request –
*Philemon 22
22 And at the same time also prepare me a lodging; for I hope that through your prayers I shall be given to you.

The prospect of a visit from Paul would be further encouragement for Philemon to honor the apostle’s request. The Greek words used for “your” and “you” in this verse are plural. This indicates that many people are praying for Paul’s release from prison and many people would like him to visit Colossae.

Furthermore, Paul was confident that he would be released because the case against him was weak. Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon, are commonly known as the “prison epistles,” because they were all written about 61 A.D while Paul was imprisoned in Rome. One of them, Philippians, offers a clue as to the reason for Paul’s optimism. Paul speaks about both Timothy and himself coming to visit the church at Philippi soon.
Philippians 2:23-24
23 Therefore I hope to send him (Timothy) immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me;
24 and I trust in the Lord that I myself also shall be coming shortly.
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The Conclusion –
*Philemon 23-25
23 Epaphrus, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,
24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, (and) Luke, my fellow workers.
25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Who are these people? Epaphrus is the pastor of the church at Colossae, also imprisoned with Paul. Mark is John Mark, the writer of the second gospel. Aristarchus is a converted Jew, also imprisoned with Paul. Demas is most likely an apostate. He later leaves Paul and disappears from history. Luke is the beloved physician, the writer of the third gospel and the Book of Acts.
And with that, Paul’s concludes the letter to his friend, Philemon.
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So what happened? I believe Philemon did forgive Onesimus, did set him free, and did send him back to Paul. Think about this for just a moment. It seems very unlikely that this little epistle would have found its way into the canon of Scripture had Philemon not done so.

Paul wrote Philemon in the year 61 A.D. The letter was taken to Colossae along with Paul’s letter to the Colossian church. Paul was ultimately released from prison and apparently traveled extensively until his final arrest, imprisonment, and execution in Rome some time before the year 70. Many scholars believe that he did visit Colossae and there saw for himself that Phile-mon had done the right thing.

There’s an allegorical aspect to all of this, isn’t there? Philemon owned Onesimus in every sense of the word. Onesimus’ very existence and survival was at the pleasure of Philemon. Had Philemon wanted to take Onesimus’ life, he had every right to do so. But Paul interceded on Onesimus’ behalf. He went before the owner and pled for the guilty one and offered to pay the debt himself.
*Philemon 10, 18-19
10 I appeal to you for my child…Onesimus…
18 …if he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge it to my account;
19 …I will repay it.

That’s the way it was with us. As unbelievers we existed and survived due to the grace of God. He owned us even though we were not willing to acknowledge it. He had sovereign control over every breath we ever took – over every beat of our unregenerate hearts. We had sinned against Him, and like Philemon’s ownership of Onesimus, God was legally entitled to take our lives. He had every right. We had only one “right.” The right to eternity in hell!

But then something happened? Jesus paid our debt Himself.
2 Corinthians 5:21
21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Just as Onesimus was forgiven and freed from slavery to Philemon by the intercessory work of Paul, so we have been forgiven and freed from slavery to sin and death by the intercessory work of Christ.

So the allegory is complete. In it God is represented by Philemon. Christ is represented by Paul. And you and I – sinners – are represented by Onesimus. In the little Book of Philemon we’ve seen represented great and eternal truths. And the Holy Spirit has seen fit to preserve this very personal letter and to place it into our New Testament.
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What can we learn from all this? What can we apply practically to our lives? Ask yourself a few questions…hard questions.
Do you know someone who needs you to intercede in their life as Paul did on behalf of Onesi-mus? Is there someone you can defend? Is there someone for whom you can “step into the gap,” as it were? Is there someone for whom you can sacrifice something? If you are a Bible-believing Christian, what will you do?

Or, do you know someone who needs your forgiveness as Philemon forgave Onesimus? Have you been wronged or offended by someone? Do you want justice? Or are you willing to extend mercy and let it go? Or better still, are you willing, able, and even eager to do for that person what Jesus did for you? He gave grace. You didn’t deserve grace, but He gave it to you any-way. By grace He interceded for you (and still does). By grace He substituted Himself for you. He paid the price for your salvation. And because of Him, God forgave you. So once again I ask, if you are a Bible-believing Christian, how are you doing at forgiving others?
Ephesians 4:32
32 And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Now what if you’re not a Christian this morning? Can you see that, like Onesimus, you cannot help yourself? Can you see that without an intercessor, without God’s grace and His forgive-ness, you have no hope? Come to Christ – repent, that is, be willing to turn away from your sin, and trust the Lord Jesus Christ, and Him alone for your salvation. He will plead your case before God. The Bible guarantees that God will accept His beloved Son’s plea on your behalf.

Onesimus was an offense to Philemon. You and I were an offense to God. Paul interceded for Onesimus. The Lord Jesus Christ intercedes for you. We have every reason to believe that Philemon forgave Onesimus and set him free. We know that God forgives us and sets us free.
John 8:36 (Jesus speaking)
36 “If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.”
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One more thing – you may be wondering – whatever became of Onesimus? There is one bit of fairly compelling extra-biblical evidence found in ancient writings.

Around 110 A.D. (50 years after Paul’s letter to Philemon) Ignatius, the pastor of the church in Anti-och. was being taken to Rome to be martyred. On the way he wrote a letter to the church at Ephesus and said this, “I received your large congregation in the person of Onesimus, your pastor in this world, a man whose love is beyond words.”

Secular history tells us that during the reign of the Roman Emperor Trajan (98-117 A.D.) an elderly Christian by the name of Onesimus was martyred in Rome. His crime? He refused to deny the name of Christ.

The same Onesimus? I’d like to think so. I’d like to think it was Philemon’s former slave – set free and completely “onesimus,” completely useful for the cause of Christ.

~ Pray ~