Philemon 1:1-7 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs,
Today we begin the book of Philemon, a letter Paul wrote during his first imprisonment in Rome between 61 to 63 AD (imprisoned for preaching the gospel). Here is some background that you might find helpful:
· Paul wrote this letter to a man called Philemon. Who was Philemon? Philemon lived in the city of Colosse and came to faith in Christ through the ministry of Paul (v19). Later on Philemon would open up his home for the church in Colosse to use as their meeting place. The fact that Philemon had a home large enough to host a church and owned slaves like Onesimus suggests that Philemon was wealthy.
· Paul’s reason for writing Philemon personally is because one of Philemon’s slaves, called Onesimus, had stolen something from Philemon, ran away, only to meet Paul in Rome and become a Christian under his ministry. Onesimus becomes useful to Paul’s ministry, but Paul thinks it is best to send Onesimus back to Philemon, encouraging Philemon to forgive his former slave and take him in again.
From this short letter we can learn some powerful lessons on communication, forgiveness, the greatness of what Christ has done for us, and the kind of lives God calls us to live.
Today’s passage is Philemon 1:1-7. Let’s go!
Philemon 1:1-7 (NIV)
1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker,
2 to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier and to the church that meets in your home:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers,
5 because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.
6 I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.
7 Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.
On verses 1-7: The purpose of Paul’s letter is to write to Philemon about forgiving Onesimus and welcoming Onesimus back. But before Paul mentions this difficult topic, Paul first affirms Philemon. He does so in multiple ways. Paul thanks God for Philemon (v4). He tells him that he has been praying for him (v4). He speaks about Philemon’s good reputation as a believer in Christ and as a lover of God’s church (v5). He prays for Philemon that he would continue to grow in his faith and understanding of the riches that are in Christ and in so doing become even more active in sharing his faith with others (v6). He says that Philemon gives him great joy and encouragement (v7). He praises Philemon for refreshing the hearts of God’s people (v7).
What is Paul doing? If Paul has a difficult message to write to Philemon about, why doesn’t he just go ahead and say it? Why does Paul begin with so much affirmation? Is Paul just fattening Philemon up for the kill? Is his goal to blindside Philemon? No. The reason Paul begins by affirming Philemon multiple times is so that Philemon would know that Paul is on his side. As Paul gets ready to discuss a difficult topic with Philemon, Paul wants Philemon to know that he is genuinely a fan of Philemon, believes in Philemon, and is not against him but for him.
I believe it’s for this same reason that out of the 13 letters from Paul that are found in the New Testament, Paul’s letter to Philemon is the only one where he refers to himself as “a prisoner of Christ Jesus”. Why? Paul could have easily taken a top down approach with Philemon and used his authority as an apostle to command, order and even rebuke Philemon (as he will allude to v8-9). But instead, Paul speaks from a much more modest position. I believe it’s because Paul wants Philemon to know that he is Philemon’s friend and is on his side.
What can we learn from this? Here we see an excellent real life example of how to speak the truth in love, or how to confront a person you care about in a loving way. When you have a difficult message to give someone, a message that may not be easy for them to hear, take extra care in how you approach that person. Before you speak that difficult word, make sure that the person knows that you are on their side. Affirm them, encourage them, and let them know you believe in them – it is important groundwork. That way, when it’s time for you to speak that challenging word, they won’t be as defensive or prone to misunderstanding, because they already know where you stand with them. When you do the groundwork of affirming that person first, it is less likely that the other person will see your words as an attack against them, and more as a challenge given purely in love. Some relationship experts even say that for every negative or critical word you speak there should be five positive, encouraging and affirming words.
As Proverbs 16:21 says, “the wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant words promote instruction.” May you be wise in how you speak the truth in love to others.
Heavenly Father, I pray that I would be wise in how I speak the truth in love to others. May I be generous with my affirmation and encouragement, and careful and restrained in my rebukes and criticisms. May I be someone whose words and example refresh and inspire those around me. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
