Paul’s Letter to Philemon

And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
Matthew 4:19

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In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus spoke of how important it is for brothers to be reconciled; it is a matter of priority even over the offering of a sacrifice to God! The circumstances underlying Paul's letter to Philemon are a wonderful worked example of this. Onesimus, the servant of Philemon, has been converted to the gospel probably by Paul himself, but the fact remains that he is a slave who has run away from his master. He has to at least go back and offer to make reconciliation. Philemon, similarly, is exhorted to give Onesimus another chance, and to be a good master to him. The letter is also an exercise in diplomacy on Paul's part, as he uses every conceivable argument to encourage Philemon to be forgiving.

Philemon shows that the principles of fellowship, forgiveness and reconcilliation that are at the heart of the gospel message are not merely theoretical concepts, but are to be put into practise in a very hands-on way in the sorts of awkward situations that crop up in life. Philemon has to show, in other words, that forgiveness is something that we don't just talk about, but something we actually do. Onesimus has to be prepared to humble himself to go back to his master and seek reconcilliation. These difficult interpersonal relationships between 'injured parties' are the perfect opportunity for the practise of the Christlike life.

Philemon was likely a convert of Paul's (v19), a Christian brother noted for his hospitality and welfare work, as well as for hosting the local meetings of believers in his home (v2,7). Paul even asks him to reserve a room for him when he is released from his captivity in Rome (v22)!

Paul probably wrote this letter when in prison in Rome (Acts 28), the time when he also wrote Ephesians and Colossians, and perhaps Philippians also. There are particular links between Colossians and Philemon in terms of the people mentioned in both letters.

The essence of Paul's plea to Philemon is contained in v8-21. The opening and concluding parts of the letter contain Paul's greetings and prayers for Philemon and his fellow believers.

Coming soon!

As Philemon sits at home prior to receiving Paul's letter, the loss of his servant Onesimus has been nothing but a nuisance and a financial loss to him. But in v15-16 Paul suggests that with Onesimus' return, there is scope for the whole episode to be transformed into something entirely positive. Philemon now has the opportunity to forgive and 'receive him for ever' - to follow in the footsteps of the father in Jesus' parable of the prodigal son, in other words. Sometimes things that we look at in life purely as negatives God is able to transform into something which has real positive spiritual value. Now both Onesimus and Philemon have the opportunity to put spiritual values into practise as they resolve their differences.