Well, good morning, everyone. You can turn with me your Bibles to the book of Philemon, chapter 1. There's only one chapter in the book of Philemon, so we're going to look at verses 8 through 16 this morning. Philemon chapter 1.

We're going to read the entire chapter, so we'll begin reading at verse 1. Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy, our brother. To Philemon, our beloved friend and fellow laborer. To the beloved Aphia, Archippus, our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgement of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. We have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.

The Authority Behind the Appeal

Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, 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. I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I had begotten while in my chains,

The Change the Gospel Brings

who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me. I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart, whom I wish to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel. Without your consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary.

For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever,

A Slave Becomes a Beloved Brother

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. If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me. But if he has wronged you or owes you anything, put that on my account. I, Paul, am writing with my own hand.

I will repay, not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self besides. Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in the Lord. Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.

But meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted to you. Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Well, let us pray.

Opening Prayer

Oh Lord our God, we are thankful for your amazing grace and we are thankful for your gospel. We're thankful for the changes that you bring in the hearts of dead sinners, making them alive. We're thankful that you take ones who are once unprofitable and you make them profitable. Thank you for the saving work.

Thank you for the changing work that you bring by your spirit with the word to change hearts, to give new life, to give people everlasting life. Thank you that we see changes in our lives in this world by your grace and mercy in our conversion. And we long for the fullness to come in when our bodies shall be conformed to Christ's heavenly body. Thank you so much that we have a changed heart already, but we long for that heavenly body.

And we're thankful that as we make our way to that celestial city, you remind us about your goodness. You remind us about what we have. You remind us about all the gifts and good things that you give to us. And we especially thank you for your forgiveness.

Thank you for taking away our sins. Thank you for turning away your wrath by the work of the Son. And we ask and pray that we, your people, would be a thankful people. We ask and pray that we would be a forgiving people.

So often we wish to exact exactly what people have done against us. We wish to exact punishment, but we're thankful that you have forgiven us. So help us to be gracious. Help us to be patient.

Help us to be long-suffering with others as you have been long-suffering with us. And as we come to these words, we ask and pray that you would send forth your spirit, your spirit to illumine our hearts and minds, your spirit to save sinners, your spirit to enlighten the eyes of your people, your saints, that we might be uplifted, that we might be encouraged, that we might grow in the things of you. We ask you to feed us with your word. And we pray in all things you would be glorified.

And we pray these things in the name of Christ. Amen.

Introduction

Well, when God saves a sinner, there are certain sins that people have a difficult time shaking. There are some pet sins that just don't go away right away. But there are also sins that when someone is converted, they change immediately. There is a manifestation, an instant change in one's life with respect to a certain sin that they used to commit, but now they no longer do such a thing.

For me in my conversion, it was hard work. I did not show up to my final three weeks at sports check, and I was this close to being fired from my electrical apprenticeship. Then God saved my soul, and my work ethic changed. And certainly we see a change in the life of this slave, Onesimus, in the book of Philemon, one who was once unprofitable, but now is a profitable brother in the Lord Jesus Christ.

And this is what Paul is trying to emphasize to Philemon. He's writing to his friend Colossae concerning his other friend Onesimus. He is writing an appeal for this one son that has been converted under the ministry of the Apostle Paul. That is the purpose and occasion of this letter.

It's kind of unique because he's not just writing to a church, but he's writing to someone specifically. And so probably what happened is Onesimus was Philemon's slave. He ran away, and he's converted by the apostle Paul. Paul doesn't want to violate the slave laws at that time.

You can't harbor a renegade slave. And so he's sending Onesimus back to Philemon with a request to then send Onesimus back to Paul. And so then Paul writes to him concerning this appeal, and we see some themes that emerge as he writes this letter. The themes of a shared faith, the themes of refreshment, the themes of one who was once unprofitable is now also a fellow laborer in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Onesimus, Philemon, and Paul now share the same faith, and so Paul requests that Philemon would refresh Paul by Onesimus, as Philemon has refreshed others. So he writes this appeal, and we see this appeal proper in verses 8 through 16. Now there is a problem that we could glean from verses 8 through 16, although I admit it's a bit of a forced problem. Philemon is actually a loving and gracious man, but the forced problem is how bitterness can sometimes get in the way of forgiveness. how bitterness can get in the way of an appeal.

Even God's people on this side of heaven, even the most forgiving person, can still struggle with bitterness, can still struggle with holding a grudge. And so perhaps he's appealing to Philemon, I know you're loving, I know you're gracious, but please receive Onesimus on my behalf. And so we see the gospel does change hearts, changes the life of Onesimus, but the gospel also changes relationships as well, which we see between Onesimus and Philemon. And so in verses 8 through 16, Paul is requesting forgiveness.

Paul is requesting service. Paul is requesting that Philemon would forgive Onesimus, but then also send Onesimus back to Paul to minister to him. So we'll look at this request, we'll look at this appeal under two headings this morning. First of all, we'll see his, that is Paul's appeal for Onesimus in verses 8 through 11.

And then secondly, we'll see Philemon's reception of Onesimus in verses 12 through 16. So Paul's appeal for Onesimus, verses 8 through 11, and then we'll see Philemon's reception of Onesimus in verses 12 through 16. So let's first look at the appeal, or mainly the authority of the appeal, in verses 8 through 11. But notice we see in verse 8, And so we see in verses 1 through 7 this thanksgiving.

Paul gives a typical thanksgiving. Paul usually likes to start his letters with a greeting, but usually there's little nuggets in those thanksgivings that tell us something about what the letter is going to be about. We see language like prisoner. This is the only time Paul uses that specific language.

It's a different word than bondservant that we see in verse 1. He uses the language of love, the language of sharing, the language of hearts, the language of refreshment, as he primes the pump to ask Philemon something and request something from Philemon. You're this nice guy. Thank you for refreshing them.

Thank you for caring for the brethren at Colossae. Now, please do this one thing for me, Paul, as well. So therefore, Paul then goes on to start with his authority as one who is making this appeal. Now Paul does have that apostolic authority, and Paul says as much in verse 8, Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, Paul has been appointed by God and given authority, and so he is free, and he has the right to command Philemon.

Philemon, you must do this thing that I'm about to ask you. You must do what is right and fitting. You must forgive this one who is coming to you and asking for forgiveness. You cannot hold a grudge.

You cannot be bitter against him. You must forgive this one. So Paul could say that. Paul could exercise his authority.

But Paul does it for love's sake instead. And he says, I can command you what is fitting, yet, verse 9, for love's sake I would rather appeal to you. For love's sake, I'd rather plead with you. I love you, Philemon.

You love me. I love Onesimus. Now please do what I ask." Bruce says, orders are liable to be resented, from whomsoever they come. But an appeal from a friend is difficult to resist, especially when it is made expressly for love's sake.

Paul's Appeal for Onesimus

So Paul's not going to exercise authority. He is asking and requesting that Philemon would receive anesimus. But Paul also likes to throw in his status again in verse 9, being such a one as Paul, the aged, Such a one is Paul the Honorable. Such a one is Paul Advanced.

Such a one is Paul who has this authority. So he still likes to throw that in there. And now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus. One who has status, but one who also suffers for that status. one who also is in a lowly place.

God has given him authority, but he's suffering for the cause of Christ. This is during his first imprisonment, and that's why he says that in verse 1, he starts it differently, a prisoner of Christ, Jesus. There needs to be sympathy for Paul, and as Paul requests that sympathy with his words, or implicitly asks it in his words, he also wants sympathy for Nicemas, as well. So Paul is appealing to him for love's sake.

Paul is not commanding him. He is simply asking that you would do this very thing for me. Now we don't get to the appeal proper until verse 12, but we do see who the appeal is about in verses 10 and 11. And he says,

Onesimus: The Subject of the Appeal

I appeal to you for my son Onesimus. This is the runaway slave of Philemon. Now, slavery in the Graeco-Roman world was a major institution. I know a lot of modern readers get their bee in a bonnet over the Bible mentioning slavery and what that means and what that looks like.

It was a huge institution, was not always man-stealing. Someone could be born into slavery. There's infanticide. What people would do if they didn't want their babies, they would just leave them on the trash heap, and so slave traders would go and they'd pick up these babies and raise them for slavery.

Perhaps slavery was also a form of punishment as well. If you did something wrong, here's how you paid it back. You became a slave, or some people, because life was hard, they could actually have a good life as a slave. There was so many, there's a different spectrum on different types of slaves.

Yes, slaves in the mines, slaves doing hard labor, but also slaves who basically acted like managers of their master's household. A slave could be a very good life in the Graeco-Roman world, but you cannot run away. And that's what Philemon does, or sorry, what Onesimus does. He runs away from Philemon.

And so something happens as he runs away. Onesimus runs into the apostle Paul. And we see Paul's affection for this runaway slave, for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains. Paul has great affection for those in his care, but especially for those converted under his preaching.

He refers to Timothy like a son in 1 Corinthians chapter 4. And here he refers to this slave like a son, this one who was converted under his ministry, this one who he has great affection 4. This one who has been regenerated by God through the preaching of the Apostle Paul. We see the spiritual working through the preaching.

One is begotten of God, not of the will of man, nor of the will of flesh, nor of blood, but of the will of God. Well, God changes hearts. God gives new life. God takes someone who is dead, and he makes them alive.

And he does that through the preaching of his word, giving the gifts of faith and repentance. And that's exactly what God does to and for Onesimus. And notice we see the language of his change in verse 11. Who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me.

Now, there is a play on words here. Onesimus means useful or profitable. So he once did not live up to his namesake, but now he is living up to his namesake. He was once unprofitable, but now he is profitable.

Now, notice something else as well. Notice throughout the letter, and I'm going to point out another place where Paul does this, Paul is very mild. with Onesimus' sin. Paul is very delicate, we could say. Paul, in a lot of ways, is covering a multitude of sins.

What Philemon does is terrible. Sorry, I keep getting Philemon and Onesimus mixed up. What Onesimus does is terrible. Onesimus runs away.

Onesimus leaves his master. We see in verse 18 that perhaps he stole, he engaged in thievery. But notice how Paul puts it. He's unprofitable.

And later on he's going to say in verse 15, for perhaps he left for this very reason. Brethren, I understand sin brings shame. I understand sin is deserving of death. I understand sin must be dealt with, and I believe that.

And what I'm about to say is not saying that we can keep on sinning that grace may abound. However, When someone is penitent, when someone is concerned over their sin, when someone is wondering what's going to happen, when Isimus, I need to go back, I understand that, Paul, but what if Philemon doesn't forgive me? What if Philemon exacts the punishment upon me that I deserve? And so sometimes we need to be gracious and patient.

We need to be kind with those who are struggling with their sins, don't we? That's exactly what Paul is doing here. He doesn't say he's a thieving wretch, he says unprofitable. That does describe what he did, but nonetheless, it still is a bit more delicate than what he could say.

Who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me. He is now one who is useful in the kingdom of heaven. He is one who is useful now, who is going to be useful to Philemon, to help Philemon in his work as well. That's what the gospel does.

It changes. One who was once unprofitable is now profitable. We see this change that God brings to Onesimus And now the swan who was once a renegade is now redeemed in the Lord Jesus Christ. And so the change in Onesimus is seen in his profitability, not just to Paul, not just to you, but also to me, so not just to Paul, but also to Philemon as well.

See, Paul understands the slave-master relationship. Paul writes to the church at Colossae concerning that slave-master relationship in Colossians 3 and 4, and what they're doing here is they're following the laws of the land to send Onesimus back to Philemon, and Paul is saying, Philemon, please receive this one who once was unprofitable, but now is profitable to you and to me. Now there's a lot of things we could take away from these verses, but the main thing, and I think the heart of the book, is really how the gospel does change hearts, doesn't it? How God changes lives, and you see this very radically with Onesimus.

This runaway, thieving, possibly lazy slave is now a child of God. Even when you consider the hierarchy of status during the Graeco-Roman world, slaves didn't receive much. Yes, it could be a good life, but they really didn't have any rights. Now, here's this one who was once a slave, and now he is a child of God.

Isn't that what God does when he changes hearts? Isn't that what regeneration is? taking out a heart of stone and God puts in a heart of flesh, or to use the language once dead and now made alive, or to use the language of Philemon, or Paul in Philemon, who once was unprofitable to you but now is profitable to you and to me. God can save the worst of sinners, and God does save the worst of sinners, and he gives them new life, and thankfully does so by the Spirit, with the Word, as the Word goes forth, and as we see in the life of this slave.

The Gospel Saves the Riffraff

Now, if you're an unbeliever here today, only God can save, but notice how one of the riffraff of society is now a believer. One of the riffraff of society is now a child of God. One of the blessed things about the gospel is that God can and does forgive all sorts of terrible things. He forgives all sorts of sins, and that's the blessedness of believing on the Lord Jesus Christ and believing that He actually does forgive sins.

If you reject that, if you reject that truth that He forgives sins, then you are setting yourself up for a life of eternal misery, but there is a life of eternal bliss, and that's with Christ. If you believe on Him, you shall be a child of God by believing upon the Lord Jesus Christ. To as many as received Him, He gave the right to become children of God to those who believed in His name. So thankfully, even as Paul appeals, we see how the gospel brings change even into the life of Onesimus.

And then

Philemon's Reception of Onesimus

Paul then transitions in verses 12 through 16 to make his request. Please receive Onesimus back. He's changed, he's profitable, I'm sending him back. And so we see Philemon's reception of Onesimus in verses 12 through 16.

So Paul says in verses 12 through 14, he gives the request proper.

The Request: Receive and Release

I am sending him back to you. You, therefore, receive him. That is my own heart. Receive in order to send back.

That is the purpose. I don't think emancipation is necessarily in view here. I don't think Paul is asking that Onesimus be released. Although, I do think in verse 21, I do think perhaps that is implied.

I write to you knowing that you will do more than I, even more than I say. And most slaves were released at some point in their life, and so Paul certainly implies that in verse 21, but the whole request is not that. The whole request is that you forgive this one, and then please send him back to me to minister on your behalf. And so Paul is sending him back.

We see the closeness. I'm sending my very own heart. Paul has this affection for Onesimus. Paul has affection for Philemon as well.

Shows their love and care and concern. That's what heart means here. There's a different word for heart that is used in verses 7, 12, and 20. Referring to that love, referring to that care, referring to that affection, that tender affection, for one another.

That's different than the typical word we see. So he says, I'm sending him my own heart. I'm sending my very self and love back to you. So I'm sending him, but I'm also asking that you release him to help me.

Not release, emancipate, but to release and send him to help me. Whom I wish to keep with me, verse 13, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel." Encouragement can come in many ways, sometimes financial, sometimes ordinary relief, and sometimes just with companionship. And I think that is what is in view here. Paul is in prison.

Paul is under house arrest. Paul needs friends. Paul needs companions. And Onesimus was there for him, and now he's asking that Philemon send Onesimus to him.

I want him to be here and help me on your behalf. Here's how Philemon can help Paul, even though Philemon is not anywhere near Paul. Here's how you can help me. Philemon, to minister to me in my chains for the gospel." Now, it could cover some sort of financial aspect.

We have to remember in the Greco-Roman world, the government wasn't forking out $125,000 of taxpayer income to pay for prisoners. Prisoners had to rely upon themselves for sustenance. They had to rely upon others for sustenance. They had to rely upon friends for aid.

And so that's another way that perhaps Philemon could help Paul while he is in his chains. Others had to provide for him. So he's asking this. I'm sending him back, but then please send him to me.

But then in verse 14 he asks that this request would be voluntary. Verse 14,

A Voluntary, Not Compelled, Act

But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary. Notice consent is needed here because Philemon owns Onesimus. Notice how Paul isn't trying to upend society. He understands the slave laws, and he is having Onesimus abide by them.

And so he's asking that Philemon would then release him voluntarily. And it's one way he can show his good works and love for the saints. In verse 6, Paul says to Philemon, I've heard of the sharing of your faith. I've heard, I pray, that it would become effective by the acknowledgement of every good thing which is in you.

As we know how you share with one another, we know how you care for the saints, we see it manifested in your goodness. And perhaps the church at Colossae met at Philemon's home, and so Philemon provided much encouragement to the church at Colossae. And so now then, Paul is saying, here's another way you can manifest good works. You can manifest it by sending Onesimus back to me.

As it were, voluntary, not by compulsion. But one thing is not lost on the Apostle Paul, and that is

God's Providence Over Onesimus' Flight

the divine purpose of God in all of these things. And he says as much in verses 15 and 16. Notice we see the divine purpose for receiving a beloved brother. For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever." Notice again how mild he is.

When Onesimus fled, it was of his free will. He ran away from his master. It is sin. It is wrong.

He did it and rebelled, not only against his master, but against God Most High. But again, notice the language. for perhaps he departed for a while for this reason. He understands that God is providentially over all things. It is a New Testament way of saying Genesis 50 20.

What man means for evil, God means for good. Or to put it another way, what you and I mean for evil, God means for good. Again, I'm not saying we go out and sin. Please don't take that.

I hope that's not the thing you take away from this. But notice the kindness and goodness of God here, and the kindness and graciousness of Paul here as well. He understands it was God's purpose for this to happen. Henry says, Observe the wisdom and goodness and power of God, and causing that to end so happily, which was begun and carried on for some time so wickedly.

Thus regarding a poor vassal, one of such low rank and condition, and so little regarded by men, working so good a great change in him, who was so far gone in evil ways, who had wronged a master so good, who had run from a family so pious, from the means of grace, the church and his house, that he should be led into the way of salvation, who had fled from it, and find means made effectual at Rome? who had been hardened under them at Colossae. What riches are here of divine grace! None so low, nor mean, nor vile, as utterly to be despaired of. God can meet with them when running from him, can make means effectual at one time and place, which have not been so at another.

He would have sat under the preaching at Colossae, he would have been there, and yet it was his flight where God saved him. It was his providence to run into the Apostle Paul in Rome, where God shows forth his great and good providence, that you Philemon might now receive him forever. might receive a beloved brother, might receive someone and be part of the kingdom of heaven forever. That's probably what forever refers to here. Not just in this life, but in the life to come.

In the kingdom of God, status does not matter. There's neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female. And so then in verse 16, he's 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. One who he'd still be a, hopefully, a faithful and good servant now in the house of Philemon, but also one who he would be in the new heavens and new earth with. someone he could stand on Sunday and sing praises to his God.

That's what Paul is saying. A beloved brother, especially to me, how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. And since he is this, since you have received, since he has been saved, Philemon, forgive him. Philemon, you have been forgiven.

Philemon, your sins have been taken away. Paul does actually say as much later on. He says, not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self besides. You see, God is so gracious and kind and forgiving and patient and long-suffering with you and I.

Sometimes we are not that towards other people, but we should be. We should be gracious. We should be kind. We should be patient.

Sometimes we should give people the benefit of the doubt, and Paul does this very thing. Still has to deal with, Saint Anisim starts to deal with his sin, but Paul is very gracious as he is sending him back. God has forgiven Onesimus, God has forgiven Philemon, and now that relationship has changed. Not only does God change hearts, but he does change relationships as well by the gospel, doesn't he?

Now, I understand there is the sad side of gospel transformation. I understand that Jesus said, I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. And that's in the context of dividing families. And many of us have to endure that kind of sorrow.

There is the comforting side, isn't there? There is the blessed side of that, and we see that here with the change in Onesimus. Those who were once enemies are now friends. We see an example of reconciliation and peace in the life of God's people.

And certainly God has reconciled us to himself that we now have peace with God. Should we then not try to have peace with others, especially fellow brothers and sisters in Christ? If God has forgiven us, should we not be forgiving towards other people and seek to mend those relationships? Paul does say, as far as it depends on us, be at peace with all men. the gospel changes.

The gospel brings new life, and the gospel does change relationships, sometimes for the worse, but sometimes for the better as well. And I think Onesimus' conversion is a great example of how the gospel brings change. One who was once unprofitable is now profitable, not just to you, but to me as well, as Paul says. That's what God does.

That's where we can see God's gracious providence in the salvation of sinners. Well, let's pray.

Closing Prayer

Our gracious God, we pray that You would forgive us for our sins, and thank You for what Your Word has said concerning this reality, that if we are in Christ, we are covered in His blood, we are washed in His blood, and our sins have been cleansed. And thank You that when we do sin, we can go to You and ask, and You are faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. And one sin that we ask that you'd forgive us for now is the sin of being exacting, the sin of not being gracious and patient with others, the sin of being vengeful sometimes. We pray that you'd forgive us for these things and help us to know the forgiveness that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. and we pray that we would know how to speak with our brothers and sisters concerning sin, that we would be gracious, that we would be patient, that we would be mild as we do so, to know when to be firm, but to especially know when to be gracious.

We know that we need wisdom in these areas, and we ask that you would give it, and we're thankful for your grace to such undeserving wretches like Anesimus, and undeserving wretches like us, and we ask and pray if there are any here today who do not know you, we pray that you would save them. We pray that you give them new life. We pray that you give them a new heart. We pray that you would give them everlasting joy, and peace, and hope, and that you would bring change to their life.

Thank you for what you have done in the crosswork of Christ. Thank you for what you continue to do by your Spirit as the Word goes forth, and we pray that we would be a people who put our faith and trust in you, and that we would be a people who seek forgiveness, forgive us our debts, and help us to forgive others as well. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for your mercy, and we pray that you be honored and glorified, and we pray these things in the name of Christ.

Amen. Well, we'll close by seeing the doxology. I don't know what it is in your hymnal, so you'll have to find it. Pardon? 568.

So 568. We'll stand and sing together the doxology. ♪ Praise God from whom all blessings flow ♪ ♪ Praise Him, all creatures here below ♪ ♪ Praise Him, above the heavenly host ♪ ♪ Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ♪ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. Close with a brief time meditation.

The piano's finished. You are dismissed.

Scripture References

• Genesis 50:20
• Colossians 3-4
• John 1:12
• 1 Corinthians 4
• Philemon 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12; 13; 14; 15; 16; 18; 21