CHARGE IT !
This paper is a re-work from a message shared a number of years ago at a church in Ocean View, Hawaii. Before continuing, it would be profitable to read all of the short epistle of Paul to Philemon.
A little history: Philemon was a wealthy Christian man who lived in the city of Colossae. He was also a slave owner. Christianity did not immediately overturn the evil practice of slavery, but first began by regulating the relation between master and slave.
1 Corinthians 7:21-23...(from: The Amplified Bible)... Were you a slave when you were called? Do not let that trouble you. But if you are able to gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity. For he who as a slave was summoned in [to union with] the Lord is a freedman of the Lord, just so he who was free when he was called is a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah).
It really was Christianity that fought slavery and showed what a terrible thing it is. By the way, there is still a considerable amount of slavery going on in the world, especially in Muslim territory.
O.K..... Philemon was evidently converted through the ministry of the Apostle Paul. We are not sure that they ever met in person, although the tenor of this letter certainly sounds like it. At any rate, they certainly did not meet in Colossae, because in his letter to the church in that city, Paul states that he had never seen the faces of the ...saints and faithful brothers... in that city. It may be that Philemon was one of those who had come to Christ through the ministry of Epaphras, whom Paul refers to as his ...beloved fellow bond-servant (or slave)... (Colossians 1:7).
In any event, Philemon had heard, and believed, and as we see from verse 5 , Paul had heard of the ...love and faith which [Philemon] had toward the Lord Jesus Christ and toward all the saints.
Some time had passed, and evidently the slave Onesimus (whose name means profitable or useful, probably because he was literate), this slave had evidently robbed Philemon, and with his ill-gotten gains had fled to Rome, where he no doubt thought he would be safe...... But, as David says in Psalm 139:7.... Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your Presence? Sometimes the Lord engineers circumstances in strange or complicated ways to reach us with the truth. You may remember the account of Philip being sent into the desert to bring the Ethiopian eunuch to Christ. (Acts 8:26-40).
Throughout Onesimus theft and flight to Rome, God was watching! In due time He brought him in contact with Paul. Perhaps he was arrested for some crime and met Paul in prison, we dont know. What we do know is that Paul introduced Onesimus to the Lord Jesus Christ, and Onesimus became a new creation, a new creature in Christ.
It is no stretch to imagine Onesimus saying to Paul (after a bit), There is something troubling me. I stole from my master Philemon, and ran away. I feel I must now go back and try to make things right. Thats a tough one! He couldnt get a job to pay back what he owed... he was a slave! There was a real possibility that he would face death if he returned.
One evidence of the new birth, is that the one who really is in Christ makes an effort to pay back or make restitution for wrongs they have done in the past.
So... Onesimus was in a catch 22" position. He felt that he must go back, but he couldnt earn anything to make up for his masters loss.
Paul could have appealed to Philemon to forgive the theft, but he didnt do that. God wanted to give us a wonderful lesson. So Paul might have said something like this to Onesimus: I will write a letter to your master....you go back and give him my letter and trust the Lord for the details.
Use your imagination with me for a bit..... Philemon is standing on the portico of his mansion and looks down the road.... Why, who is that? It looks like that thief Onesimus!...then.... It is him! No doubt all he stole is gone and he is hungry.
As he approaches, Onesimus calls out .... Master, master! Well, Onesimus, are you back? Yes master, please read this. And then Onesimus is silent. Philemon opens the letter and begins to read.... 'Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ.' Why Onesimus, where did you meet Paul? Did you see him and speak to him personally?
Yes master, in the prison in Rome; Paul led me to faith in Christ Jesus.
'To Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellow laborer. And to our beloved Apphia.'
Come here Apphia; here is a letter from Paul! You can imagine Apphias reaction when she sees Onesimus.... Are you back? But Philemon goes on....
'...for loves sake I beseech you, being such a one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. I beseech you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds.'
Philemon and Apphia might have thought .... Right! Onesimus must have scammed Paul good and proper.
'He was in time past unprofitable to you.'
Boy, Ill say!
'But now profitable to you and me.' Maybe.
'Whom I have sent again.'
I bet he told Paul we let him go! ......... Whats this?....
'If he has wronged you, or owes you anything, put that on my account; I, Paul, have written it with my own hand, I will repay it....'
Why its all out then. He has confessed his sin. And just think.... Paul says: Put that on my account, I will settle everything for him.
This is just as clear a picture of the Gospel as one can find. Jesus appears in the Fathers Presence on behalf of the repentant sinner and says: Father, this one has wronged You. He owes you far more than he can pay; but it has all been charged to My account. Let him go free.
And that is not all! Not only had Paul provided for Onesimus past wrongs, but he takes care of the future too! 'If you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me.' That is another aspect of our salvation. The Saviour brings the redeemed one into the Presence of the Father and says: Father, because we are One, receive this one as You receive Me. And as Paul wrote..... 'Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother, beloved.'
Onesimus was once a poor, thieving, runaway slave, but now a recognized servant of Christ, made welcome for Paul sake.
We, as lawless, guilty sinners are welcome in the Presence of the Father for Jesus sake. And the Father, our Father, treats us as He treats His own Beloved Son.
Written by: W.A.B.
This paper is a re-work from a message shared a number of years ago at a church in Ocean View, Hawaii. Before continuing, it would be profitable to read all of the short epistle of Paul to Philemon.
A little history: Philemon was a wealthy Christian man who lived in the city of Colossae. He was also a slave owner. Christianity did not immediately overturn the evil practice of slavery, but first began by regulating the relation between master and slave.
1 Corinthians 7:21-23...(from: The Amplified Bible)... Were you a slave when you were called? Do not let that trouble you. But if you are able to gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity. For he who as a slave was summoned in [to union with] the Lord is a freedman of the Lord, just so he who was free when he was called is a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah).
It really was Christianity that fought slavery and showed what a terrible thing it is. By the way, there is still a considerable amount of slavery going on in the world, especially in Muslim territory.
O.K..... Philemon was evidently converted through the ministry of the Apostle Paul. We are not sure that they ever met in person, although the tenor of this letter certainly sounds like it. At any rate, they certainly did not meet in Colossae, because in his letter to the church in that city, Paul states that he had never seen the faces of the ...saints and faithful brothers... in that city. It may be that Philemon was one of those who had come to Christ through the ministry of Epaphras, whom Paul refers to as his ...beloved fellow bond-servant (or slave)... (Colossians 1:7).
In any event, Philemon had heard, and believed, and as we see from verse 5 , Paul had heard of the ...love and faith which [Philemon] had toward the Lord Jesus Christ and toward all the saints.
Some time had passed, and evidently the slave Onesimus (whose name means profitable or useful, probably because he was literate), this slave had evidently robbed Philemon, and with his ill-gotten gains had fled to Rome, where he no doubt thought he would be safe...... But, as David says in Psalm 139:7.... Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your Presence? Sometimes the Lord engineers circumstances in strange or complicated ways to reach us with the truth. You may remember the account of Philip being sent into the desert to bring the Ethiopian eunuch to Christ. (Acts 8:26-40).
Throughout Onesimus theft and flight to Rome, God was watching! In due time He brought him in contact with Paul. Perhaps he was arrested for some crime and met Paul in prison, we dont know. What we do know is that Paul introduced Onesimus to the Lord Jesus Christ, and Onesimus became a new creation, a new creature in Christ.
It is no stretch to imagine Onesimus saying to Paul (after a bit), There is something troubling me. I stole from my master Philemon, and ran away. I feel I must now go back and try to make things right. Thats a tough one! He couldnt get a job to pay back what he owed... he was a slave! There was a real possibility that he would face death if he returned.
One evidence of the new birth, is that the one who really is in Christ makes an effort to pay back or make restitution for wrongs they have done in the past.
So... Onesimus was in a catch 22" position. He felt that he must go back, but he couldnt earn anything to make up for his masters loss.
Paul could have appealed to Philemon to forgive the theft, but he didnt do that. God wanted to give us a wonderful lesson. So Paul might have said something like this to Onesimus: I will write a letter to your master....you go back and give him my letter and trust the Lord for the details.
Use your imagination with me for a bit..... Philemon is standing on the portico of his mansion and looks down the road.... Why, who is that? It looks like that thief Onesimus!...then.... It is him! No doubt all he stole is gone and he is hungry.
As he approaches, Onesimus calls out .... Master, master! Well, Onesimus, are you back? Yes master, please read this. And then Onesimus is silent. Philemon opens the letter and begins to read.... 'Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ.' Why Onesimus, where did you meet Paul? Did you see him and speak to him personally?
Yes master, in the prison in Rome; Paul led me to faith in Christ Jesus.
'To Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellow laborer. And to our beloved Apphia.'
Come here Apphia; here is a letter from Paul! You can imagine Apphias reaction when she sees Onesimus.... Are you back? But Philemon goes on....
'...for loves sake I beseech you, being such a one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. I beseech you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds.'
Philemon and Apphia might have thought .... Right! Onesimus must have scammed Paul good and proper.
'He was in time past unprofitable to you.'
Boy, Ill say!
'But now profitable to you and me.' Maybe.
'Whom I have sent again.'
I bet he told Paul we let him go! ......... Whats this?....
'If he has wronged you, or owes you anything, put that on my account; I, Paul, have written it with my own hand, I will repay it....'
Why its all out then. He has confessed his sin. And just think.... Paul says: Put that on my account, I will settle everything for him.
This is just as clear a picture of the Gospel as one can find. Jesus appears in the Fathers Presence on behalf of the repentant sinner and says: Father, this one has wronged You. He owes you far more than he can pay; but it has all been charged to My account. Let him go free.
And that is not all! Not only had Paul provided for Onesimus past wrongs, but he takes care of the future too! 'If you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me.' That is another aspect of our salvation. The Saviour brings the redeemed one into the Presence of the Father and says: Father, because we are One, receive this one as You receive Me. And as Paul wrote..... 'Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother, beloved.'
Onesimus was once a poor, thieving, runaway slave, but now a recognized servant of Christ, made welcome for Paul sake.
We, as lawless, guilty sinners are welcome in the Presence of the Father for Jesus sake. And the Father, our Father, treats us as He treats His own Beloved Son.
Written by: W.A.B.
