Philemon - Part One Of Two

Today, we jump into the book of Philemon. A personal letter from Paul to a house church leader and his family. It's a one page wonder that is perfect for the time like this where people have once again been made aware of inequality, injustice and racism. A time when many run to the scriptures to find answers. Why does God allow (you fill in the blank)?

The reality is the scriptures we have chosen were used to justify slavery in the early 19th century and at the same time forgiveness. The America’s pro-slavery folks referred to Philemon as “the Pauline Mandate.” A Biblical sanction of American slavery and a legal brief or outline for what one should do if a slave runs away. However, both interpretations represent poor biblical study to justify societal problems they were never meant to address.

Philemon is a message from Paul to us about the dangers of the extremes of judgement and acceptance. A warning we all need to hear now.

The airwaves are filled with judgement. Media is fanning the flames of both sides of the racism, injustice and inequality loudspeaker. Notice I didn’t say debate or discussion because there is little debate taking place. I have seen good people say, do and post the most judgmental and critical statements on both sides. If social media has taught us anything, we all have some inherent biases and fears. Listen to the quotes of the past few days. None of which fully encapsulate the Christian worldview..

“When the looting starts, the shooting starts” - Former Miami police chief Walter Headley in 1967, whose legacy of harsh policing in black neighborhoods incited three days of riots in 1968.

Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, in an Instagram war with a customer over the difference between the statements “black lives matters, blue lives matter and all lives matter” shared why he supports the “black lives matter movement.” He said, “Black lives matter speaks to racism and the disproportionate risk that many Black people face in our law enforcement and justice system.”

“They Fear what they don’t understand/Hate what they can’t conquer/Guess that’s just the theory of man/became a MONSTER” - Nas as quoted by LeBron James

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter,” - MLK

“Don’t forget, these are the people who have been promising their African-American voters this stuff’s gonna stop for 50 years. They don’t fix anything.” - Rush Limbaugh on the Minnesota government

“Riots are the voices of the unheard.” - Martin Luther King

The reality is none of these public figures or their statements represent the Christian worldview - where the sanctity of life is paramount. As a Christian we believe we all are created by one God who came out of love for us and commands us to love to the same extent.

The book of Philemon teaches us a different way - the Christian way. So let’s dive into the scriptures where Paul begins as he writes from prison…

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[a] from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The letter begins with a standard greeting of that day. It is written to Philemon, the leader of a house church, a Christian leader, and to his family. He reminds Him/them of commitment as a leader in Christ’s church and of his faith. This will be key as he lays out his case for the slave who is now a believer and in Paul’s presence.

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.

Paul continues to lay it on reminding him not only of his commitment as a leader and a Christian but as a partner. They are part of the shared vision and mission. He is establishing the foundation of his request or as a friend said, the best “drive by” guilting's in the history of scripture.

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 (the name means useful), 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.