Philemon Study #2

“The Return of the Colossian Prodigal”

Philemon 12-25

Study 2 in Philemon Series

INTRODUCTION:

As I explained in the introduction to our previous study, this short letter to Philemon is the only truly personal letter by Paul that God has chosen to preserve in the Canon of Scripture. He almost certainly wrote many others, because from what we can gather in the NT, he was a prolific writer. However, the Epistle to Philemon stands out as one-of-a-kind, in several ways. Here we get a glimpse of one of Paul’s personal friendships, one that meant a great deal to him. We also can see his wisdom at work as he mediates between two men he loved very much.  

TRANSITION:

Verses 10-11:

¹⁰ I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment, ¹¹ who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me.

·       We do not know the backstory of how Onesimus came to faith in Christ, but it is obvious from verse 10 that Paul was instrumental in that process. Where did they meet? We don’t know. Did Onesimus remember Paul from Colossae and set out to look him up? We don’t know. This is just another of the many questions we must wait to ask until we get to Heaven.

·       We also talked in our last study about the meaning of Onesimus’ name and the way Paul used that as a play on words. Onesimus in Greek literally means “profitable” or “useful”. Once Onesimus was useless, but according to Paul he is useful now (v. 11). Since meeting Jesus, he is not only Onesimus by name, but he is also Onesimus by nature, having been transformed by God’s grace through faith in Christ.

NOTES on the Text:  

Verses 12-14:

¹² I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart, ¹³ whom I wished to keep with me, so that on 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, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will.

·       “I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart,” – When he ran away and escaped from his master Onesimus had done something both illegal and unethical, and it was now time to make things right, so Paul sent him back to Philemon to face the music, as they say. But there are pieces of this story that are missing. Something must have happened. Once he knew Onesimus’ story it became obvious to Paul that he could not go on harboring a runaway slave, but something must have brought the problem to a head. Perhaps it was the coming of Epaphras, who was also from Colossae, and almost certainly knew Philemon. It is possible that Epaphras recognized Onesimus as a slave in Philemon’s household. That might be what caused the whole story to come out. Or possibly, with the arrival of Epaphras, the conscience of Onesimus moved him to make a full confession of his hidden past.

·       However, Paul also wanted Philemon to deal mercifully with Onesimus. Under Roman law the slave owner had complete and total control over his slave and both Paul and Onesimus must have been worried that Philemon might allow his anger and sense of aggrievement to determine Onesimus’ punishment.

·       In Paul’s time the Roman Empire had a total population of approximately 60 million, and slaves made up 20-30% of the population. That works out to +/- 15-20 million slaves in total. In Italy slaves comprised approximately 1/4 of the population. In the rest of the Empire, they accounted for about 1/5 of the population. In Rome itself it is estimated that of the population of 1 million approximately 350,000 were slaves. Because of the huge number of slaves in the Roman Empire, the Romans lived in constant fear of a slave revolt. Therefore, they imposed ruthless punishments on rebellious or runaway slaves hoping to control them through fear. A captured runaway slave could be beaten even to death, crucified, or at the very least, cruelly branded with a red-hot iron on the forehead with the letter “F” for fugitivus, runaway.

·       “…that is, sending my very heart” – Onesimus had become very dear to Paul, like one of his “sons”. In fact, Paul refers to him as “my child…whom I have begotten” meaning that he viewed himself to be the man’s spiritual parent or at least the midwife that brought him into this new life. Moreover, Paul says that sending Onesimus back to Philemon felt like he was ripping out his own heart and sending it to Philemon by FedEx.

·       “…whom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the Gospel;” – Paul sent Onesimus back to Colossae but in the hope that Philemon would allow him to return again to Paul in Rome. Paul recognized that his selfish motives for keeping Onesimus with him did not trump Philemon’s rights as his owner and master. Paul makes it clear that his personal choice was for Onesimus to stay with him, because he had become a helper to him. He made his appeal using three arguments:

1.    First, Onesimus was useful to him. Paul was getting old, and he probably needed extra help.

2.    Second, Onesimus being there with him was sort of like having his friend, Philemon, with him because Onesimus was, in a sense, an extension of Philemon.

3.    Thirdly, because Paul was imprisoned for the sake of the Gospel, this was a way that Philemon could be a real partner in the furtherance of Paul’s Gospel ministry.

·       “…but without your consent I did not want to do anything” – Paul recognized that he had no legal authority in this matter. His only leverage was his friendship with Philemon and his influence as an apostle. Paul made his appeal and made it strong and skillfully. At the same time, he left the decision to Philemon. He would appeal in love, but he would not infringe on Philemon’s rights.

·       “…so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will. – Paul wanted Philemon to do the right thing for the right reasons. To force someone to do the right thing against their will is not a victory for anyone. If Paul demanded it, then Philemon’s good deed would be out of compulsion, and voluntary. This would make the whole business unpleasant and would rob Philemon of any spiritual reward.

·       So, Paul tossed the ball into Philemon’s court. He gave Philemon the freedom to do what was right out of love for the Lord and for Paul, not to mention out of Christian compassion for a man who was once an enemy but who now has become a brother in Christ, albeit still his slave.

·       By the way, in trying to put all the pieces together, it seems that Paul gave this letter to Onesimus to hand-carry back to Colossae to serve as an introduction and explanation to Philemon of what had transpired after he ran away. However, Onesimus did not travel alone. According to Colossians 4:7-9 he traveled with Tychicus. “As to all my affairs, Tychicus, our beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bondservant in the Lord, will bring you information. For I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts; and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of your number. They will inform you about the whole situation here.” Tychicus was the bearer of the Epistle to the Colossians and Onesimus accompanied him.

Verses 15-16:

¹⁵ For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would 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.

·       “For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while…” – God’s ways are high above our ways, and He often works out His sovereign plans in ways that leave us marveling and guessing. Paul explains the providential hand of God at work in Onesimus’ escape. This whole story is too amazing just to be “luck”. And besides, there really is no such thing as luck.

·       “…separated from you for a while” – It was true that Onesimus had runaway and separated himself from Philemon, but now Paul was sending him back. I think Paul here tries to defuse the situation by using a euphemism: “…separated from you for a while” sounds better than “escaped runaway slave.” Paul argues that perhaps Philemon lost him for a time in order to have him forever (v. 15). He says that Philemon must take him back now, not as a slave, but as a Christian brother (v. 16). Because Onesimus is now Paul's son in the faith, Philemon must receive him as he would receive Paul himself. 

William Barclay, in his Daily Study Bible Commentary Series, gives us some interesting insights into the issue of slavery in Paul’s day:

 

Many people have wondered why Paul says nothing in this letter about the whole matter of slavery. He does not condemn it; he does not even tell Philemon to set Onesimus free; it is still as a slave that he would have him taken back. There are those who have criticized Paul for not seizing the opportunity to condemn the slavery on which the ancient world was built. Lightfoot says, "The word emancipation seems to tremble on his lips, but he never utters it." But there are reasons for his silence.

 

Slavery was an integral part of the ancient world; the whole of society was built on it. Aristotle held that it was in the nature of things that certain men should be slaves, hewers of wood and drawers of water, to serve the higher classes of men. It may well be that Paul accepted the institution of slavery because it was almost impossible to imagine society without it. Further, if Christianity had, in fact, given the slaves any encouragement to revolt or to leave their masters, nothing but tragedy could have followed. Any such revolt would have been savagely crushed; any slave who took his freedom would have been mercilessly punished; and Christianity would itself have been branded as revolutionary and subversionary. Given the Christian faith, emancipation was bound to come--but the time was not ripe; and to have encouraged slaves to hope for it, and to seize it, would have done infinitely more harm than good. There are some things which cannot be suddenly achieved, and for which the world must wait, until the leaven works.

 

What Christianity did was to introduce a new relationship between man and man, in which all external differences were abolished. Christians are one body whether Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free men (1 Corinthians 12:13). In Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free man, male nor female (Galatians 3:28). In Christ there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free man (Colossians 3:11). It was as a slave that Onesimus ran away, and it was as a slave that he was coming back, but now he was not only a slave, he was a beloved brother in the Lord. When a relationship like that enters into life, social grades and castes cease to matter. The very names, master and slave, become irrelevant. If the master treats the slave as Christ would have treated him, and if the slave serves the master as he would serve Christ, then it does not matter if you call the one master and the other slave; their relationship does not depend on any human classification, for they are both in Christ.

 

Christianity in the early days did not attack slavery; to have done so would have been disastrous. But it introduced a new relationship in which the human grades of society ceased to matter. It is to be noted that this new relationship never gave the slave the right to take advantage of it; it made him rather a better slave and a more efficient servant, for now he must do things in such a way that he could offer them to Christ. Nor did it mean that the master must be soft and easy-going, willing to accept bad workmanship and inferior service; but it did mean that he no longer treated any servant as a thing, but as a person and a brother in Christ.

Verse 17:

¹⁷ If then you regard me a partner, accept him as you would me.

·       “If then you regard me as a partner…” – We can almost imagine Paul standing beside Onesimus, pleading with Philemon, asking for his mercy for the runaway: “Philemon, if you consider me as your partner in the Gospel, then please treat Onesimus like you would treat me.”

·       “…accept him as you would me.” – Paul’s appeal is powerful because he stands beside the guilty slave and says, “I know this man is a criminal and he deserves punishment. However, he has become my friend and my brother in Christ, so, if you punish him, then you are punishing me as well.”

·       In this letter Paul is serving as an advocate for Onesimus before Philemon. And isn’t it interesting, this is exactly what Jesus does for us before our master, God the Father. 

Verses 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 (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well). ²⁰ Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.

·       “But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything…” – Apparently when Onesimus escaped he also stole from Philemon. This theft, under Roman law was a capital crime, punishable by death.

·       “…charge that to my account” – Paul asked that the value of what had been stolen be “charged” to Paul’s account. “Put it on my tab, Philemon.”

·       “I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will repay it” – Paul was so serious that he gave Philemon a personal IOU, written by his own hand, which was a legally binding document. This is so interesting. When Paul told Philemon to “charge Onesimus’ debt to my account,” he was doing for Onesimus exactly what Jesus Christ did for us when He took our sins upon Himself and counted His righteousness to our account.

·       “…(not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well)” – What does Paul mean by this? He includes it almost as an aside. Basically, Paul is saying, “Oh, and by the way, while you’re adding up Onesimus’ tab, you might take just a moment to add up your own tab that you owe to me.” Is Paul being snarky and petty? I don’t think so. Here again we are missing some details of this story, but from Paul’s comment I conclude that Paul must have been the one that led Philemon to saving faith in Christ, establishing a form of debt on Philemon’s part. This story contains some amazing irony. Onesimus ran away to Rome, thinking he would never get caught and be held accountable for his wrongdoing, only to cross paths with the very man who had led his master, Philemon, to saving faith. What were the chances?  

·       “Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord” – “…let me benefit from you” Paul here once again is doing some word play. This word “benefit” translates the Greek verb onínemi, (ὀνίνημι), which means “to be useful, to profit, or to help” and is the root word for the name “Onesimus.” So, here Paul uses another play on words with the name Onesimus to communicate a not-so-subtle request: “Let me have Onesimus back from you in the Lord.”

·       “…refresh my heart in Christ.” – Earlier in the letter, Paul praised Philemon saying that he was a man who “refreshed the heart of the saints” (v. 7). Now I think he is saying, “Refresh my heart too, by showing Christian compassion to Onesimus and to me, by letting him return to assist me here in Rome.” 

Verses 21-22:

²¹ Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say. ²² At the same time also prepare me a lodging, for I hope that through your prayers I will be given to you.

·       “Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say.” – Paul’s letter, full of appeal, was also full of hope. Paul knew Philemon to be a kind and compassionate man, and he had every confidence to expect that he would fulfill his Christian duty and do even more than Paul had requested of him. This confidence was based on the long friendship between Paul and Philemon and their mutual love and respect.

·       “At the same time also prepare me a lodging” – Apparently Paul, in the expectation that he would eventually win his case and be freed from prison, was planning another missionary trip that would include Colossae, and he knew that warm Christian hospitality always awaited him at Philemon’s home.

·       “…for I hope that through your prayers I will be given to you.” – Paul wanted Philemon to pray along with him that they would soon be together again. 

Verses 23-25:

²³ Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, ²⁴ as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers. ²⁵ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

·       “Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,” – The Greek word Paul uses to describe his friend, Epaphras is, συναιχμάλωτος (sun, with + aichmalōtos), which literally means, “fellow captive or prisoner of war.” Used by itself αἰχμάλωτος means “one taken captive by the spear.” (from aichmé, “a spear,” and halotós, a verbal adjective, from halonai, “to be captured”), hence it denotes “a captive,” cf. Luke 4:18.

·       “Epaphras greets you…as do [John] Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers.” – Each of these names is also mentioned in the conclusion of the letter to the Colossians (cf. Colossians 4:10-17). This confirms that the two letters went to the same place, namely, Colossae, where Philemon lived.

·       A sad note about Demas: At the writing of these two letters Demas was still serving alongside Paul and was apparently still a trusted colleague. However, by the time we get to 2 Timothy written near the end of Paul’s second Roman imprisonment Paul sadly wrote in 4:9-10, “Make every effort to come to me soon; for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.”

·       “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.” – Paul closes his little letter to his friend with a simple benediction expressing his hope that the Lord might be gracious to Philemon and his family, and might refresh his spirit the way he had refreshed so many others. 

CONCLUSION:

Unlike Paul Harvey’s stories, we do not know the ending to the story of Onesimus and Philemon. We can make guesses. We can hope it all turned out right. We can believe that Philemon did the Christian thing and forgave Onesimus, that they hugged and made up, and that Philemon sent Onesimus back to Paul with cash in his pocket and with his heartfelt blessing. However, all of this would be conjecture because we simply don’t know. 

But there are a few tidbits of information still floating around after almost 2,000 years that are intriguing to say the least. William Barclay in his Daily Bible Study commentary series tells a story that I find compelling.

 

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 profitable one to Christ. It may well be that the runaway slave had become with the passing years the great bishop of Ephesus.

 

If all this is so, we have still another explanation. Why did this little slip of a letter, this single papyrus sheet, survive; and how did it ever get itself into the collection of Pauline letters? It deals with no great doctrine; it attacks no great heresy; it is the only one of Paul's undoubted letters written to an individual person. It is practically certain that the first collection of Paul's letters was made at Ephesus, about the turn of the century. It was just then that Onesimus was bishop of Ephesus; and it may well be that it was he who insisted that this letter be included in the collection, short and personal as it was, in order that all might know what the grace of God had done for him. Through it the great bishop tells the world that once he was a runaway slave and that he owed his life to Paul and to Jesus Christ.

 

Did Onesimus come back to Paul with Philemon's blessing? Did he become the great bishop of Ephesus, he who had been the runaway slave? Did he insist that this little letter be included in the Pauline collection to tell what Christ, through Paul, had done for him? We can never tell for, certain, but it is a lovely story of God's grace in Christ--and we hope that it is true!

Philemon Study #1

“Asking for a Friend”

Philemon 1-11

Study 1 in Philemon Series

INTRODUCTION:

If you spend much time on social media, you have seen someone post a sarcastic or humorous question followed by the words, “Asking for a friend.” Of course, we all know that this is not a legitimate request for more information but rather is a kind of statement, usually a snarky comment masked as a question.

Paul’s letter to Philemon is the only truly personal epistle that has survived. We know that Paul wrote many letters, some were to local Christian assemblies, some were to believers at large, and some were to individuals. But apart from his letter to Philemon all the other personal epistles were obviously also intended to be shared with the whole church.

Paul wrote this letter to a Christian friend and brother in Colossae after a series of fascinating events that occurred in Rome where Paul was being held prisoner by the Romans. In this letter we hear Paul “asking for a friend,” pleading for mercy for a man he had come to know and to love, but who was also legally connected to his friend, Philemon. It is the story of a triangle relationship, one for which Paul was standing as a mediator, representing both of his friends.

TRANSITION:

This letter breaks down nicely into four (4) sections:

          A. Verses 1-3 = Paul’s greetings to Philemon and his family

          B. Verses 4-9 = Paul’s thanks to God and prayer for Philemon

          C. Verses 10-19 = Paul’s earnest plea for Onesimus

          D. Verses 20-25 = Paul’s final request, greetings, and blessings.

NOTES on the Text:  

Verse1:

¹ Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our beloved brother and fellow worker,

·       This letter begins with a typical Pauline greeting and introduction.

·       “Paul, a prisoner” – Paul almost certainly penned this short letter to his friend, Philemon, during his first Roman imprisonment described in Acts 28:30-31.

·       “…and Timothy our brother” – Timothy was with Paul in Rome when he wrote this letter, so his presence was acknowledged.

·       “…a prisoner of Christ Jesus” – Paul did not consider himself to be a prisoner of Rome, of circumstances, or of the Jewish religious leaders who started his legal troubles back in Jerusalem (cf. Acts 23-24). No, Paul was a prisoner of Christ. He saw his imprisonment as the sovereign will of God.

·       “…to Philemon our beloved brother and fellow worker” – Philemon was a beloved Christian brother living in the city of Colosse, located in Asia Minor. While this is the only place in the New Testament where Philemon is mentioned by name, it is obvious that he was a beloved friend to Paul and a man that Paul held in high esteem.

Verses 2-3:

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.

·       “…and to Apphia our sister” – Apphia was probably Philemon’s wife, and Archippus was probably his son, although no one can prove this one way or another. Paul’s address to the family members here is unique among Paul’s letters, but it makes sense considering the content of the letter to Philemon. Onesimus, the fugitive slave, would have been well known to all of them. Moreover, Philemon’s wife, Apphia, would have been the supervisor of the household slaves, so the letter concerned her also.

·       “…and to Archippus our fellow soldier” – While Apphia is mentioned nowhere else in Scripture, Archippus is also mentioned in Colossians 4:17 where Paul urged him to “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.” He was apparently actively involved in the Gospel ministry in Colossae and Paul regarded him as a valuable fellow worker.

·       “…and to the church in your house” – Just as Lydia hosted the newly formed

Philippian Church in her home (cf. Acts 16), so also Philemon hosted a Colossian congregation in his home. This fact leads us to several conclusions:

o   He was almost certainly wealthy. He owned slaves and servants and must have had a spacious home, adequate for the church to gather.

o   He was gracious and given to hospitality.

o   He was likely involved from the beginning of the ministry in Colossae. First Century Christians had no property of their own for church buildings. Pagans had their temples, Jews had their synagogues, but Christians met in the homes of their members. They would gather into house churches with a “bishop” overseeing the various congregations in the region. This is the way the Church expanded in the early days. They would just keep adding house churches. And these small groups functioned on the micro level as autonomous churches:

§  They had their own leaders who taught the Scriptures and watched over the flock

§  They worshiped together

§  They observed the ordinance of baptism and communion

§  They evangelized friends and family members

Verses 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.

·       “I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers” – Paul prayed often for Philemon, giving thanks to God for him. It would have been a great honor to know that you were on Paul’s daily prayer list. That fact speaks volumes for Philemon.

·       “…because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints” – Paul thanked God for Philemon because of his love and faith, first towards the Lord Jesus and then towards all the saints (i.e., “holy ones” meaning believers).

·       “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.” – Paul’s prayer for Philemon was that the sharing of his faith would become more and more effective as Philemon understood the work God had done, and was continuing to do in him.

·       “…through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ’s sake” – Paul here is reminding Philemon that any good thing he is, or possesses, is from God and is to be used for His sake and for His glory. Paul is starting to lay the groundwork for the request he is going to make on behalf of his friend, Onesimus, by pointing out to Philemon that every good thing that has been given to him has come as a gift from God.

·       “…the fellowship of your faith” – This word “fellowship” is koinonia, which can be translated as communion, communication, fellowship, or sharing. This idea of sharing is the foundation for all effective evangelism: i.e., the overflow of a life touched and transformed by God.

·       “…For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love” – You can sense in these words the genuine fondness that Paul felt toward Philemon. He was not just trying to butter him up.

·        “…because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.” – Paul here is remembering how wonderfully Philemon had met not only his needs but the needs of other Christians. Philemon effectively refreshed the hearts of many others.

Verses 8-9:

⁸ Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what 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—

·       “Therefore…” – Everything Paul has said up to now is groundwork for the main subject of this letter, i.e., Paul’s advocacy for Onesimus.

·       “…though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper” – I find Paul’s approach somewhat humorous. Paul was a canny old preacher, and he knew how to apply moral leverage. He knew how to use guilt to his advantage. Paul says, “While I could just order you to do this, because I have that authority as an apostle, I have chosen to take another approach, by appealing to you as a dear friend, and as a Christian, not to mention appealing to your conscience about the debt you owe to me personally.”

·       “…to order you to do what is proper” – Paul was not hesitant to command when the situation demanded it (cf. 1 Cor. 5:4-5), but he also wisely knew when to use a softer, more loving approach. There was no doubt in Paul’s mind about what the outcome of this case should be. He was convinced of what would be proper and just regarding Onesimus, but he wanted Philemon to come to this conclusion without coercion or compulsion.  

·       “…yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you” – I think Paul is referring here to the mutual love that he and Philemon shared for one another. Paul certainly had an agenda and something he wanted Philemon to do for him and for Onesimus, but he wanted Philemon to make the right choice on his own, motivated by Christian love, not just because he was doing Paul a favor.

·       “…since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus” – OK, having just said all that stuff, it’s also obvious that Paul is not above playing on Philemon’s sympathies. This is a very Jewish thing to do. It is a truism that Jewish mother’s have mastered the art of guilt-tripping. They are famous for it! Here Paul is just using what his momma taught him many years ago. Paul appealed to Philemon’s sympathies in two ways: (1) by the way he described himself = “I am Paul, the aged one, your old buddy!” and (2) by his circumstances = “And I am a prisoner, locked up in jail, for crying out loud!”

Verses 10-11:

¹⁰ I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment, ¹¹ who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me.

·       Paul has been pulling out all the stops to prepare Philemon for what salesmen call the “BIG ASK.” Now in verses 10-11 he finally broaches the subject—i.e., Onesimus, Philemon’s run-away slave.

·       “I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus” – Onesimus was an escaped slave from Colossae who had fled from the household of his master, Philemon. It seems that when Onesimus escaped, he fled to Rome and, whether intentionally or not, he somehow met up with Paul.

·       “…for my child, Onesimus” – Paul often spoke of his converts as his “children.” Timothy (1 Cor. 4:17), Titus (Titus 1:4), the Corinthian Christians (1 Cor. 4:14) and the Galatian Christians (Galatians 4:19) were all called Paul’s “children.”

·       “…whom I have begotten in my imprisonment” – Although under house arrest by the Romans, Paul led Onesimus to faith in Jesus Christ (cf. “…whom I have begotten in my imprisonment”).

·       It was logical that Onesimus had escaped to Rome, the biggest city of the Roman Empire, probably thinking that no one would ever recognize him there. Being a huge city, Rome was known for being something of a human cesspool. But what Onesimus didn’t know was that God was pursuing him. Somehow or another at just the right time God brought Paul and Onesimus together and the runaway slave’s life was radically transformed. This was the act of a sovereign, all-knowing God. Miraculously Onesimus had met the man who many scholars believe had led his master, Philemon, to Jesus (cf. Philemon 19).

·       “…who formerly was useless to you” – Here Paul uses a play on words (a pun). The Greek name, Onesimus, means “useful, or profitable.” Paul is saying here, somewhat ironically, before this man met me and met Christ, he was useless to you, despite his name.

·       “…but now is useful both to you and to me.” – But now, since Onesimus met Jesus, he is finally living up to his name! How wonderful! Paul says, “Onesimus is not only useful to God, but he is also useful to me, and hopefully, to you as well.” The runaway slave became unprofitable to Philemon when he escaped, but now he had become profitable to Paul, and by extension, also to Philemon. Paul’s logic runs as follows: Since Philemon loved Paul, if Onesimus helped Paul he was helping Philemon also.

·       One more thing, when Paul spoke of Onesimus being unprofitable and profitable, he made a play on a word, his point being that now that he was a Christian, Onesimus could live up to his name. By making this clear to Philemon, I believe that Paul was gently hinting that he would like to retain the services of Onesimus, although he would not command Philemon to do this.

CONCLUSION:

William Barclay, in his commentary on Philemon said, “It is significant to note that Paul claims that in Christ this formerly useless person has been made useful.” But isn’t that true of all of us? Our value, our worth, our usefulness can only be established in our relationship to God. He is the one who declares our worth; He is the one who determines our value; and He is the only one who can truly measure our usefulness.

Onesimus finally began to live up to his name. Are you living up to your name? The God of Heaven has called you “My son,” or “My daughter.” Are you living up to your name? It’s worth thinking about.