Philemon 1 - The Real Solution to Slavery!

Philemon 1

1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker— 2 also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier—and to the church that meets in your home: 3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Though Paul was literally a prisoner, he is a prisoner of Jesus Christ metaphorically. Paul used different words like "bondservant", "slave", and "servant" of Jesus. The basic meaning of that Greek word "doulos" is to give up one's own rights to serve our true master Jesus Christ. In our culture, we are always talking about "our rights", but as Christians we are called to "give up our rights" and serve Christ and others before ourselves. 

Paul wrote this short letter to Philemon, who lived in Colossae. This letter is the only reference to him in the bible, but it most have been important enough to be included in the New Testament canon. Many commentators think Apphia was his wife, and Archippus was his son. 

In this letter Paul will appeal to Philemon regarding a runaway slave who has met Jesus and found refuge with Paul. In the customs of that day, Philemon’s wife Apphia was the supervisor of the slaves in the household, so the letter concerned her also. - Guzik

Regarding the escaped slave, “She is as much a party to the decision as her husband, because according to the custom of the time, she had day-to-day responsibility for the slaves.” (Rupprecht)

Paul addresses the letter to the church that meets in his home. We call this a, "house church". 

The earliest Christians had no property of their own for church buildings. The Jews had their synagogues, but Christians met in the homes of their members. The Christians of a city would be gathered into different “house churches” with a city “bishop” overseeing the different house churches. House churches are also mentioned in Romans 16:5 and Colossians 4:15.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

4 I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. 6 I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. 7 Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.

As in many other letters, Paul celebrates the partnership he has with Philemon and the other believers in Colossae. Paul is refreshed by Philemon's pastoring of the people there, which gives him great joy and encouragement. As we have said before, Paul planted many churches across Europe and Asia, but he had a heart for each one that people would not only receive Christ but grow up to be like him. 

Paul’s Plea for Onesimus

8 Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9 yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— 10 that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus,[b] who became my son while I was in chains. 11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.

Now we get to the main purpose of this letter, where Paul exhorts Philemon to take care of a slave named Onesimus. Paul calls himself an old man. It would be interesting to know what he meant by that statement. Onesimus was a slave of Philemon, who escaped to Rome where he had a chance encounter with the apostle Paul. Onesimus became a believer when Paul was in prison. Paul thinks he will also now be useful to Philemon, as he is now a fellow believer. Paul had a right to demand this but instead he appealed in love to Philemon. Love is always a better motivator than doing something out of "fear of punishment".

12 I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. 13 I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. 14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary. 15 Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— 16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.

Though he was a great partner and very close friend who Paul says, "who is my very heart", he is willing to release Onesimus to go back home and help Philemon and the church in Colossae. Paul wants Philemon to receive him back not because he must, but because he is willing to do so. Note even though Paul is in chains, he is still doing ministry in and through people like Onesimus. 

Paul says something very important in verses 15-16. Paul says, "Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever—no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother."

Though Onesimus' escape as a slave was not the right thing to do, God in his providence allowed Onesimus to meet Paul, which led to his conversion and the transformation of his character. In this letter Paul is helping change the institution of slavery in his culture. What he was doing in reconciling an escaped slave with his master would have been unheard of in his day For Philemon to be considering taking back Onesimus without some kind of punishment was asking a lot of him. But we see that gospel not only transforms a human heart but also a  society.

Paul “re-introduced” Onesimus to Philemon; not as a slave, but as a brother. In this relationship as brothers and not slaves, Paul effectively abolished the sting of the “master-slave” relationship and laid the foundation for the eventual legal abolition of slavery. If a man is a stranger, I might make him my slave. But how can my brother be my slave? This breaking of the distinction between master and slave was an absolutely revolutionary development. It did far more to change society than the passing of a law prohibiting slavery. - Guzik

“What the letter to Philemon does is to bring the institution into an atmosphere where it could only wilt and die. Where master and slave were united in affection as brothers in Christ, formal emancipation would be but a matter of expediency, the legal confirmation of their new relationship.” (Bruce)

17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self. 20 I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask. 22 And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers. 23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. 24 And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers. 25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Paul is so adamant about Philemon taking him back that he is willing to pay for anything Onesimus owed him. Paul "tongue in cheek" adds, "Not to mention you owe me your very self!" Money cannot compare with the treasure we receive when someone leads us to Christ. Paul mentions he is writing this is in his own hand, which distinguishes this letter from those where someone else wrote for him. 

Paul’s appeal is powerful because he stood beside a guilty man and said to the owner of the slave, “I know this man is a criminal and deserves punishment. Yet this slave is my friend, so if you punish him punish me also. I stand beside him to take his punishment.” This is what Jesus does for us before our master, God the Father.

As we close this letter, we do see principles here regarding how slavery should be confronted by the church today!

Paul never called for an overthrow of the system of slavery, yet the principles in the letter to Philemon destroy slavery. The greatest social changes come when people are changed, one heart at a time. In our society, racism and our low regard for the unborn cannot be eliminated by laws; a change of heart must occur.