Epistles of Paul 89

Well, good evening, brethren. After Paul writing Romans from Corinth, then he traveled to Jerusalem. We see in Acts 21, very briefly, in Acts 21 verses 18 through 25, he talks to the elders, and he says, Yeah, and when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, You see, brother, how many mirrors of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealots for the law. So they glorified God, but then they started warning Paul about their situation. And so we can see later in verses 27 through 33, still of Acts 21, that he was arrested in the temple and bound with two chains. We see that in the middle of verse 33, and he says, and he was bound with two chains.

Then in chapter 22 verses 24 through 28, we see that he was not scorched because he was a Roman citizen.

So, we see they wanted to examine him under scorching, and then they bound him. But then Paul said to the centurion in verse 25, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man with a Roman and then condemned? Well, when the centurion heard that, he went and told the commander, saying, Take care of what you do for this man. He's a Roman. And then the commander came and said to him, Tell me, are you a Roman? And Paul said, Yes. And the commander asked him, What's large sum I obtained the citizenship of big part with a large sum I obtained the citizenship? And Paul said, But I was born a citizen. So he was not scourged because he was a Roman citizen. Then we see his defense later on in chapter 24 verses 10 through 22. His defense before Felix, the governor, but then he delays it. And then in verse 24 and 25, Felix comes with his possibly third wife, Drusola, which was Jewish. And Paul reasoned with them. He says, he says now, verse 25, Is he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come? Felix was afraid and said, Go away for now. When I have a convenient time, I'll call for you. But you can see in verse 26 that he was looking for a bribe, but he delayed this whole thing. And two years go by and then Porcius Festus becomes the new governor. We see that in verse 27.

And around about the year 59 AD, around about that time. Then we get to chapter 25, and during the trial in Caesarea, Paul then appears to Caesar. And that is in chapter 25, verse 1 through 12. And then he is in the trial before Festus, that he had visited the province.

Then he appeals to Caesar at that time. Now, then we continue in... and we can see that that God's plan was for Paul to testify in Rome. If we just go back to chapter 23 verse 11, we can see, in the following night the Lord stood by him and said, Be of good cheer, Paul, for as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must also be a witness at Rome.

So that was part of God's plan. And then we continue now in chapter 25 verses 13 through 26 verse 32.

We can see Paul's defense before King Agrippa. And then, well, because he had appealed to Caesar, then he travels to Rome in Acts 27 through Acts 28 verse 10. We see that whole section of him traveling to Rome and his minister, ministry in Malta, which I'm not going to cover today, that, because I want to really get to the Book of Philharmon. And then in Acts 28 verse 16, he says, Now when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the God, but Paul was permitted to dwell. Paul was permitted to dwell, yeah, we read in verse 16, in verse 16, by himself with the soldier who guarded him. So we see that he was permitted to have what we would call today a house arrest with a soldier guarding him.

And then we can see in verse 30 that Paul stayed there for two years in house arrest. Let's read that in verse 30. Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house and received a whole who came to him. So that was probably either between 59 to 61 AD or 60 to 62 AD, somewhere in that time frame, those two years. And we can see in verse 31 that he preached the kingdom of God, and he taught the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all coffinars, no one forbidding him. So he preached about the kingdom of God, he talked about Christ, and while he was there, he wrote a number of epistles, what we are, or the ones that are so called the prison epistles. Those are Philharmon, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians.

So let's move on to give a little bit of background of Philharmon, that later they wrote to Philharmon and to his wife and the elder in that area, and also to to the congregation in Philharmon's house. Now, Philharmon, who is the main recipient of this letter, he may have been a minister, but at least was a strong pillar in the church in Colossae.

In that area of Colossae, there are basically three churches, and Colossae is basically neighboring to Laudasia, and so when we read the letter to the Colossians, it says it also allowed it to be read to Laudasia. So the letter to Philharmon was probably written about the year 1680. So Philharmon was himself a wealthy, successful man, and he owned at least a slave, Onesimus, and maybe he owned others. And according to verse 18 of Philharmon, in verse 18, he says, Iapol says, if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account.

A big part. So, so so we can see that Onesimus had possibly stolen money from Philharmon, and then he ran away or escaped to Rome. But what Paul is saying is, if he's done anything, if he owes you any money, I'll pay for it. You let me know. So Philharmon was wealthy, and he owned Onesimus as a slave. Now, while Onesimus then was in Rome, he was converted by Paul's preaching. And Paul, from what we can see, had a very close affinity with Onesimus. He liked him very much. And therefore, he now writes a personal letter to Philharmon with his own handwriting to ask Philharmon to allow Onesimus to go free. You know, it was for his freedom. And so that Onesimus could help Paul in the ministry in some way or other. Now, the background of slavery is that slavery was widespread in the Roman Empire. According to some comments, commentaries, one third of the population could have been slaves. Now, slavery today is something that is very repugnant, but in that culture was like something that was happening everywhere. So, slaves could be doctors, could be teachers, musicians, artists, librarians, accountants. And so, people could be slaves in just about every field of skills. And they were considered tools of their own masters. They could be bought, they could be sold, they could be inherited, they could be exchanged, or they could be seized to pay their master's debts. So, if the master was owing some money, the other person would take his possessions, and one of those possessions would be the slaves. So, they could be seized to pay for their master's debt. Now, in the New Testament, we do not see any direct attack on slavery. For instance, like you say today, going around the slogans, down the slavery, we don't see that. And because slavery was so prominent, if the New Testament would be directly attacking slavery, it appears that could have resulted in some insurrection by slaves because of whatever could have been written in the New Testament, and that resurrection, or by the way, that insurrection, would have been brutally suppressed.

And the gospel message, therefore, would be very much confused with that of social reform.

The church then would have been very strongly persecuted right on day one, and then it probably would be shut down. So, God instead, through the Bible, through the New Testament, undermined the evils of slavery by focusing on changing the hearts of slaves and of the masters.

So, the focus was in changing the hearts, the approach, the way people treated their slaves, and how people treated their masters. Look at some examples about this. The first one is in Galatians chapter three, where it says it's no man or woman or slave or not. Let's just go to it.

Galatians chapter three verse 28. Yeah, we see there is not a Jew nor Greek, there's not a slave nor free, there's not a male nor female, for you all are one in Christ Jesus. So, we're all one. So, we've got to look at ourselves in that equality from a spiritual point of view, from a spiritual potential, that we are all equal. Another example is in Ephesians chapter six verse nine. Ephesians chapter six verse nine. It says, and you masters, so do the same things to them, giving up, threatening. So, you masters don't threaten us a slave, but we do the same thing like God is doing it to us through Christ. And it says, giving up, threatening, knowing that your own master also is in heaven. Our real master is God, and there's no partiality with him. God is just.

And so, again, the attitude or the approach that the church had in the New Testament was to treat everybody the right way. Another example is in Colossians chapter four.

Colossians chapter four verse one. Again, another instruction to the masters, and saying, masters, give your bondservants, you know, with your slaves. What is just and fair? Knowing that you also have a master in heaven. So, the same principle of treating your people that are your bondservants, treat them in a proper way, as it says here, in a way that is just and fair. Likewise, then there's instruction for the slaves, and that is in first Timothy chapter six, verse one and two. First Timothy chapter six verse one and two. Let as many bondservants, you know, was if you're a slave, as are under the yoke, count their own masters worthy of all honor.

In our respect, your your masters, and then your those that are already above you.

So that the name of God and his doctrine may not be blasphemed. And those who have believing masters, so if you have a slave master which is in the church, let them not despise them because they are brethren. So don't despise your slave master, and just because he's in the church, but rather serve them because those who are who are benefited are believers and beloved.

So teach and exhort these things. So once again, in the New Testament, instead of saying, do away with slavery, it focused in changing the hearts and minds of both slaves and masters to treat each other in a right way. For masters to treat their slaves properly, and our slaves should respond to their masters. So that's a little bit of background about the cultural situation of slavery at that time that this letter to Philharmon was written. Now the letter teaches us two important lessons. This letter teaches us two major lessons. Number one, it shows us that we need to have love, tact, diplomacy, and maybe just call it good psychology. That was what Paul used to address the problem of the runaway slave. In other words, what should Paul tell Onesimus to do, and what should Paul tell Philharmon to do? And so Paul was very careful in how he told Philharmon what he should do, because the whole principle here is to help a brother. So the first principle, major lesson, is that when we deal with others, we really have to really be careful how we approach others when there's something that maybe needs to be addressed. That is so important.

We really have to do things in a loving and caring approach. And then we also see a second major lesson in this letter is how Paul approaches Philharmon and encourages Philharmon to forgive Onesimus. And that's a thing. We have to have an approach if somebody has done something wrong. We need to encourage those people that feel they've been wronged to forgive. So those are two important lessons. Carefulness, love, tact, how to talk to people, and encourage those that feel they've been wronged to have an attitude of forgiveness. So let's look at Philharmon as we get into it. We notice that Paul doesn't start by asking Philharmon to release Onesimus so that he's no longer a slave, that he's no longer as belongs to him, but asks Philharmon to forgive Onesimus.

And this is interesting also to know that Philharmon was a letter to an individual by Paul, not to a church. Like we have letters to Colossians, Galatians, Philippians, Romans, Corinthians. They are to congregations, but Philharmon was a letter to an individual.

There are also other letters to individuals like 1st and 2nd Timothy and Titus. All right, let's move on.

Verse 1, Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ and Timothy, our brother. So yeah, we have Paul saying that he was a prisoner of Christ, so he was in jail. And if you look at also verse 9, in verse 9, we read, Yet for love's sake, I rather appeal to you, being such a one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. So he says, I'm aged and a prisoner. So he, in a sense, he's eliciting a certain amount of sympathy. And then, yeah, in verse 1, he says, to Philharmon, our beloved friend and fellow laborer. So yeah, he says, we're a beloved, beloved brother, beloved friend. He doesn't say, hey, you're a sinner because you're a slave, master, and you have slaves. No, he doesn't say that. And now continuing in verse 2.

So he says to Philharmon, but now in verse 2, he says to the beloved Athia.

Some manuscripts, the Vulgate, the Slavonic, the Laxandrian, and others, use the word like beloved sister. And so it is thought by some people that she was Philharmon's wife. And the custom of the time was that the wife had the day-to-day responsibility of dealing with the slaves. And so he's addressing to Philharmon, and if it is indeed correct, as some scriptures say or some versions say, our sister, Athia, then is addressing his wife as well, because she would have the responsibility of dealing with the slave.

And then it's addressing also to Archipas, our fellow soldier in Philo-Soldier. So Archipas was a minister in the Colossian Church. Now let's just turn to Colossians chapter 4 verse 17. Colossians chapter 4 verse 17, he says, and say to Archipas, take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.

So take your responsibility as a minister, take it carefully, that you may fulfill your job, complete your job, do your job, fulfill the job description that God's given you as a minister of Jesus Christ. So continuing in in the section here in Philomon chapter, chapter 1, it is only one chapter, verse 2, he says to the beloved Athia or a sister Athia to Archipas, our fellow soldier, you know, was a fellow elder, and to the church in your house.

And so the letter, therefore, as I mentioned, is not just addressed to Philomon, but it's addressed to those in that congregation in Philomon's house. So as I mentioned earlier on, he was probably a very reasonably wealthy man, and he had a house and the church was in his own house. Right now, verse 3, we see Paul's quite common salutation that he uses, a greeting raised to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. So that's his typical greeting that he has.

And so let's move on. Verse 4, and I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers. Now, even Paul even Paul was in jail and facing his own death, he said, Paul, I ask God to intervene in your life, Philomon, and in your lives, because it's not just your life, and not necessarily, he wasn't saying that in every prayer, but he mentioned Philomon and that congregation quite frequently in his prayers, maybe constantly in his prayers. And so we can see that as we read various letters of Paul, he clearly had a long prayer list.

Right, verse 5, hearing of your love and faith, which you have towards the Lord Jesus and towards all the saints. Now, it's interesting that he says your love and faith. Now, if you look at this, let's call it theologically, let's just look at it briefly in 2 Peter chapter 1. In 2 Peter chapter 1, in verse 5 through 7, he says, but I also for this reason, giving all diligence, but also give all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to your virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance, to godliness, to broadly kindness, and to broadly kindness love.

So we can see that the construct or the theological sequence, you start with faith, with trust in God, and then you strive to be virtuous and doing the right thing, and you learn more, you learn more, and then you have to have the self-control to put it to practice, and you have to stick to it, persevere, and then through that perseverance, you're becoming more and more like God, and then you have more broadly kindness or more broadly love, and then ultimately you have agape love.

And so it is like, theologically, like a build-up from faith to love. But now in Philharmon, we see, he uses love first, yeah, in verse five, hearing of your love and faith, which you have towards the Lord Jesus and towards all saints. So Paul puts love first because he wants to focus also in that faith, that love that Philharmon has for others. And so the other interesting point here is that some commentaries say that the sentence, Greek grammatical sentence construction, implies the following. That he says, your love and faith.

So faith, which we have towards the Lord Jesus Christ, and love towards all the saints. So it is like love, and then like A, in B, B, and then A. You see, so love to all the saints is well known, and faith towards Jesus Christ. So that's what some commentaries say, which is an interesting position to look at it.

So now let's continue in verse six. That the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgement of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. The sharing of your faith. That's the fellowship. That's the willingness for you to to serve. And that is your faith, our beliefs, that we are in the faith. And as we have that sharing of your life, because as Christians we share our lives, and that's how we grow in brotherly love towards one another. So the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgement of everything by the acknowledgement of everything which is in you in Christ Jesus. So he is again being very encouraging to Philharmon. Now verse seven, for we have great joy and consolation in your love. So again, it is your faith, and then he's got your love. So he starts your love and your faith, and then he gets back to love. And he says, for we have great joy and consolation in your love. The word joy, carise, means gift, grace, joy, even thanksgiving. So you're, we have great thanksgivingness, have great, we are very grateful. We have great joy, great thankiveness, and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you. You know, it was because you care for others. You, you know, Paul was saying, I'm very happy to see that you are engaged emotionally in being a Christian, and the reputation, your reputation of helping others, and it was being refreshed that you helping others, is well known. That he says, because you have been refreshed by you, even we know, as we read early on, that's the church that is in his own house. And so one of the things that we refresh the brethren is open his own arm to, to be a church, to be there every Sabbath. The brethren could be at his own and have services in Philharmon's home. And then he says, brother, in other words, to conciliate, to, to actually build a bridge to what follows, to provide a nice, peaceful bridge to what's coming. And that is in verse eight, because now in verse eight, he begins his plea for Onesimus. Let's read verse eight, therefore, because you, in other words, you careful brethren, you help others, therefore, I want you to help Onesimus as well. You know, that's why in verse seven, he says, you have refreshed others, you have helped others, and therefore, do it also for Onesimus. That's why, therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, in other words, I could, as an apostle, I could just tell you, I could just demand and says, hey, you, you let Onesimus go, clear his debt, forgive his debt, even though maybe his stole is now changed, is a man in the church, he's repented, just let it go. But Paul is saying, he's not saying, I'm instructing you, he's not saying, I demand that. He's saying, even though I could, he's saying, yet for love's sake, I rather, that's now in verse nine, I rather appeal to you. I rather appeal to you. So we can see that he's pleading, in a sense, is what we would call using a bit of psychology, and he's plea is based on what? On genuine, sincere love.

Not fake flattery, no, is genuine, sincere love. And so he says, being, appeal to you, being such a one as Paul, and now also a prisoner, being such a one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. So he's appealing to him, saying, hey, I'm the aged. Look, I'm about 60 years old, and I've had all this beating, and I've had to suffer, I'm now a prisoner, so my life is not much longer. I'm kind of, my days are counted, and therefore he's saying, hey, I could just ask you or demand from you, but no, I'm pleading, pleading you in love. And you see, again, Paul's approach. Paul's approach has been very similar to Christ's approach, as Christ, when he wrote to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and Revelation 3, that he emphasized the good in all of the seven letters to the seven churches. Christ first emphasized the good, some positive points about the church, and then he addresses a few areas of correction, and then he encourages them to overcome. So, and that's a godly approach, and we can see Paul is using it here, and for those of you many years ago attended what we used to call Spokesman's Club, you would have known, you would have remembered that that is the type of style that we would use in evaluation. I know there are sometimes there are some people that criticize that, but really it is very wise, because that's how Christ does with us. He doesn't just come to, he encourages us, and then he says, look gently, Yasir and Eric, I want you to address, and then he encourages us to address it, to do what is right in God's eyes.

And when you and I analyze ourselves, and we see maybe we've done something wrong, we can see how God has that approach towards us. And in the end, God wants us to change. He wants us to encourage to become better people. So, continuing now in verse 10, I appeal to you. Now, he says that a second time, I appeal to you for my son Onesimus. Now, obviously Onesimus wasn't his physical son, but to him was a son in the faith that he Onesimus learned the truth from Paul. And so he says, I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains. And so when he was in prison, God used Paul to bring Onesimus to the faith. And now in verse 11, who was unprofitable to you? Onesimus was unprofitable to you, but now he's profitable to you and to me.

Now, you always see a play in words because the word unprofitable, translated unprofitable, it's actually the word is actually useless or inefficient. That's what that word is in Greek. But by implication, means unprofitable. So he's talking about he was unprofitable, he was useless, inefficient to you, and he left you. But he says, but now, Onesimus is useful because the word that is used in Greek is useful in words, need to use or profitable.

So he was useless, but now he's useless. By implication, he was unprofitable, but now he's profitable. Now, the play on words is that the word Onesimus means profitable. And so now, he is profitable to you and me, not just to you, Philharmon, but to me, Paul. So, verse 12, I am sending him back. Now, look at Colossians chapter 4. Colossians chapter 4, verse 7 through 9. Colossians chapter 4, verse 7 through 9. He says, Tychakas, a beloved brother, a faithful minister, and a faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me.

I'm sending him to you in words this brother and minister, Tychakas, and to you for this purpose, that he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts. So, he knows what Paul was going through. He then is going to know the circumstances of the Colossians and comfort the Colossians. And he's sending this minister with Onesimus, who we are referring to in this letter of Philharmon, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. And they will make known to you all things that are happening here in Rome.

So, we can see, going back to Philharmon in verse 12, he says, I'm sending him back. Yeah, you're sending Philharmon back to the Colossians because he was a person from the Colossian Church. And Philharmon and that minister, there was accompanying him.

They would tell them all the encouraging things, how the work was being done in Rome.

And you therefore receive him, verse 12, Philharmon, verse 12, that is my own heart.

So, you're receiving and treating as if you're receiving me.

Treat Onesimus as if you're receiving Paul's own heart.

And verse 13, whom I wish to keep with me. Oh, I'd laugh if Onesimus could stay here. That on your behalf, he might minister to me, in my chance, for the gospel. That he could serve me. But I want him to go there and making sure that you forgive him and that you accept him. Verse 14, but without your consent, I wanted to do nothing. You said in other words, I don't want to just say, well, I'll keep on this with the eye and I'm just writing to you and you just forgive Onesimus. And they said, no, I'm sending him to you and allow you to actually forgive him and and then decide how to act. So he's giving Phanamon the option, the liberty, to show forgiveness to Onesimus. And they said, therefore, but without your consent, I wanted to do nothing. That your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary. In other words, it's not that, therefore, you had to do it because I'm demanding for you and I told you I'll keep Onesimus and you let him go. No, I'm sending it to you and now you voluntarily do what's right.

In a sense, he's empowering Phanamon to do what's right voluntarily. And you can see this is how Christ thinks he wants us to voluntarily be forgiving to others. And that's really how God's Holy Spirit should be motivating us, have this desire, this capability of by own free will just forgive others. And I know sometimes it's difficult, but that is what we've got to do. Just let it go. Just let it go. Verse 15, for perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose. Maybe this is what God intended. This was God's way of sorting things out in a way or another.

Think about the situation when Joseph was put in a well, was sold as a slave to Egypt, and then he ended up being part of his wife, and he ended up in jail. You know that whole story. And then at the end of that story, Joseph said to his brothers, because he had all these dreams and his attack, you know Joseph's story very well, and then he said to his brothers, well, you intended, Joseph said to his brothers, you intended for evil, but God worked it out for good.

And so maybe there was some evil, yeah, that Onesimus did, but God worked it out for good.

You see? So that's what he's saying, yeah? Maybe this worked this way, because by God's hands, maybe that's part of God's plan. And so that's what we read here in verse 15. Perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever, forever as a brother in Christ. Verse 16, no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother in faith, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. And so this is the key. We're all children of God, and God has got a plan for us to be in his kingdom, and we have to look at one another as brothers and sisters in the English great plan.

And we just got to look at it in a spiritual plane that we all equal. We all equal.

Verse 17, if then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would mean. So if you count me, Paul, an apostle, receive him as you would receive me. Wow! And then he says, but if he has wronged you or owes you anything, put that on my account.

So he's saying, hey, if he's done anything wrong, whatever, so very possibly stole some money and ran away to wrong, whatever, I'll repay his debts. I'll repay. Verse 19, I, Paul, am writing with my own and I will repay. So Paul is writing with his own handwriting. I will repay, not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self besides. You know, it was just they knew the truth because of what Paul had done to that church area when he visited them right at the beginning of his first missionary trip. And Paul had done a lot in that area. And so he said, hey, you owe me a lot too. You owe me a lot. So verse 20, yes, brother. So he gets back, brother, that brotherly love, let me have joy from you in the Lord. So just like you refreshed others, he says, refresh my heart in the Lord. In other words, give me less joy, this happiness that you are forgiving, onesimus, and if he owes me any money, let me know, and we'll sort it out. But remember, you owe me a lot too. So you can see a very careful approach of dealing with a difficult situation.

Verse 21, having confidence in your obedience. And so, hey, I know you're going to do what's right.

I know what you're going to do with right. So I know you're going to do what I'm asking. I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than what I'm saying. You'll go far and beyond what I'm asking. Verse 22, but in the meantime, also prepare a guest room for me. In the meantime, I trust, he says, that through your prayers, I will be let out of jail, and my intention is to come and visit you, the church, in Colossae afterwards. So that's my desire. I want to come. So I know through your prayers I will be let free, and so I trust that therefore, therefore, have the room ready. Have the room ready. I'm coming. And then he says, verse 23, Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ, Jesus, pleads you. So somebody that was there with Paul in jail greets him. As do Mark and Aristarchus and Demas, and Luke, my fellow laborers. Luke was basically Paul's scribe that he wrote. Most of Paul's letters, he was right there, greets you. And then the grace of our Lord Jesus be with your spirit. An interesting point is the word your spirit, your, the word Yahweh, your, is in the plural. So he points not only to Philharmon's spirit, but to Philharmon's wife, and the minister there was there in that house, archipus, as he mentioned, his fellow soldier, and the church, the congregation in Philharmon's house. So he says, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your, your all's, your all's spirit. And then, amen.