BEING AN ADVOCATE FOR OTHERS
Philemon 1:8-21
(Antioch Baptist Church: Sunday Morning, July 6th, 2025)
Listen online at - https://youtu.be/hA3T00nqTGM?feature=shared
It’s the kind of story that makes the news; a man who had set out on a mission to destroy a church unexpectedly came to faith in Christ and as a result of his spiritual transformation he joined with the members of the church he once sought to destroy and helped them rebuild.
I am not referencing one of the many arsonists or bombers that have been active in recent years; I am actually referring to the story of the Apostle Paul. The Book of Acts and the Epistles tell of how this man who was once the greatest adversary of the Church became one of its greatest advocates. Paul testified in Galatians 1:13 about his “former life in Judaism”, he declared that he “persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it.”
Acts chapter 8 tells of how the actions of Saul and his allies persecuted the Church so violently that the followers of Christ were scattered abroad. Then Acts chapter 9 chronicles the amazing conversion of Saul on the Road to Damascus. From that point forward we see how Paul labors intensely to spread the gospel, build the Church, and advance the cause of Christ.
There are many dynamic moments where we see the Apostle preaching before vast crowds, making his defense before the Sanhedrin, and boldly confronting Governors, and even Kings. As impressive as those moments are, we must not overlook the amazing work that God did through Paul in the local church. Paul was actively involved in establishing and strengthening various assemblies of Christ followers.
Paul did not start the Church at Colossae, but the book of Philemon records the fact that he was certainly invested in his brothers and sisters who worshipped there.
I believe one of the most beautiful moments of Paul’s life and ministry is the advocating work that he performed on behalf of Onesimus. The Cambridge Dictionary defines being an advocate as “speaking for, supporting, or representing a person or group of people who need extra help or protection.”
I have had many advocates who have supported and encouraged me during my time walking with Jesus. In fact, even before I came to faith in Christ I had parents, grandparents, and other family members who went to the Savior on my behalf and prayed for my salvation. Those same people (along with many others in the local church) taught me the fundamentals of the Christian faith. When I surrendered to the call to preach there were several pastors and churches that allowed me to stand and speak in their pulpits when I really had no business doing so. During my almost two decades of vocational ministry I have been blessed with a host of Saints who invested in my life and there are many who are still doing so today.
If you are a follower of Jesus you have a similar testimony. You have had many advocates and I think that there is much biblical evidence that proves that we should be an advocate for others. I would like to look at what Paul did for Onesimus and preach on the subject “Being An Advocate For Others”.
The Book that we are studying is Paul’s personal correspondence to his friend Philemon, a leader in the Colossian Church; a church that met in his own home. Onesimus was a slave who belonged to Philemon and at some point ran away from him, eventually making his way to Rome. While there he encountered the Apostle Paul who was under house arrest. Paul led Onesimus to faith in Christ and for a period of time Onesimus served Paul. It is a safe assumption that during their time together Paul taught Onesimus the fundamentals of the faith and after some time Paul convinced Onesimus of the importance of returning to Philemon and seeking forgiveness and reconciliation.
Obviously this was not an easy task for Onesimus, he was a criminal and Philemon possessed the legal right to bring legal charges against him. However, Paul did not send Onesimus back to his master empty handed; The Apostle sat down and penned this intimate and beautiful letter where he acted as an advocate on behalf of his new brother in Christ.
Paul had every right to demand that Philemon forgive his runaway slave. He possessed apostolic authority and he absolutely could have appealed to the scriptures to prove that Onesimus should be forgiven. Philemon was a Christian and His Lord and Savior taught that “if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:15). It was Jesus who said, “whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses” (Mark 11:25). Furthermore, Jesus told Peter that he was required to forgive his brother even if he sinned against him four hundred and ninety times (Matthew 18:21-22).
Though he absolutely could have “commanded (Philemon) to do what is fitting”, Paul said that “for love’s sake I rather appeal to you… for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains, who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me.”
Paul did not just appeal to Philemon to forgive Onesimus, he implored him to receive him, “no longer as a slave but more than a slave—a beloved brother” (v16). Paul went on to say, “If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me” (v17). It is apparent that Paul is not just appealing to Philemon to forgive and restore Onesimus, he is declaring that he should love him!
Though he did not realize it just yet, Philemon possessed a new relationship with this man who was once his slave. Whether Philemon forgave him or not, they were brothers in Christ. Paul’s appeal highlights the radical equality and unity found in Christ. For those of us who belong to the Savior, social distinctions are transcended by spiritual kinship.
I believe that as Paul began this process of serving as an advocate for his friend Onesimus, he thought back to the early days of his walk with Christ. After his conversion Paul went to the Christians at Jerusalem and tried to join them but they were terrified of him. It was at that point that a great encourager named Barnabas stepped in and served as an advocate for this new convert. (Acts 9:26 And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. 28 So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out.)
Paul had been the beneficiary of a Christian advocate and now he sought to do the same for Onesimus. Similarly, every Believer in this assembly has been the recipient of the same kind of love and service from various brothers and sisters; in response, we should seize the opportunity to serve as advocate for others.
There are several attributes of the Apostle Paul that we must possess if we seek to be an advocate for others. First of all we see that:
TO BE AN ADVOCATE, WE MUST BE PATIENT WITH OTHERS
It is not recorded, but I am sure that Onesimus was hesitant to return to Philemon, he may have even been rebellious and refused at first. It is clear through the context of this letter that Paul was patient and spent time teaching his new friend.
There are times in the Christian life when our brothers and sisters drive us crazy. Sometimes we have to pause and remember that not everyone knows what we know. We are all in different places in our journey with Jesus. Not everyone possesses all of the scriptural knowledge that you possess. There will be many times when you must minister to people who are not as spiritually mature as you are. In such times there is a temptation to become impatient or frustrated with them. We must guard against responding this way, for if we do, there is a chance that we could do irreparable harm to our fellow Christians.
We must be patient and we must also be willing to teach, train, and disciple them. This leads us to the fact that:
TO BE AN ADVOCATE, WE MUST BE WILLING TO TEACH OTHERS
We have ample evidence in the New Testament that Paul had devoted his life to teaching others about Jesus and walking with Him. It is clear that he taught Onesimus about Christian responsibility just by considering the fact that he instructed him to act with integrity and seek reconciliation with his master. Paul knew that Onesimus knew very little about the Christian life because he was the one whom God used to lead him to faith in Christ; he had recently “begotten him while in his chains”. The Apostle did not simply lead him to faith and let him be; he took the time that he had with him and discipled him in the faith.
As Christians we have been commissioned by our Savior to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:19-20). We are where we are on our journey because someone cared enough to tell us about Jesus and because many others have been willing to disciple us; that is, they have taught us the truths of the Christian faith.
If we are to be an advocate for others like Paul was for Onesimus, this will require us to invest the time to teach them and train them in the Word and ways of God. Intertwined with this responsibility is the fact that:
TO BE AN ADVOCATE, WE MUST SEEK TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS
Paul not only taught Onesimus, he encouraged him to do what was right. He shared truths with him that helped him believe that if he would take the proper steps to do what was proper, the end result would be a positive one. This involved speaking of the character of Philemon and indicating that he would reach out on his behalf. Onesimus must have been encouraged to know that this well-respected leader in the Christian Church would be willing to stand up for him.
So many people (even in the church) have been treated harshly by others. They have been mocked, scorned, and ridiculed. They have been judged, condemned, and ignored by many. When we are willing to invest the time, energy, and effort to serve as an advocate on their behalf, it could be just the encouragement that they need to press on and keep moving forward even when they are tempted to give in and give up.
One of the most encouraging things we can do for others is to stand up for them even when it is not popular to do so. This leads us to the fact that:
TO BE AN ADVOCATE, WE MUST BEWILLING TO STAND UP FOR OTHERS
Once again there is no denying that Onesimus had wronged his master. His offense was a great one and the consequences deserved were arrest and imprisonment. I would not be surprised if Philemon felt somewhat justified in holding a grudge against a man who had so greatly offended him. I would love to have seen the look on his face as Onesimus humbly walked up to him holding this letter in his hand. However, no matter how he felt at first, I believe that his heart was melted as he read the words of the Apostle Paul who said, “If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me.”
Don’t miss the fact that Paul placed a great deal of trust in Onesimus; he was putting his name and reputation on the line to endorse this new brother in Christ. He was certain that in quick order Philemon would seek the spiritual transformation that Jesus had wrought in the life of his runaway slave.
If we are to be an advocate for others it will require us putting faith in the legitimacy of their conversion. Furthermore, it will require us to stand up and speak out on their behalf. There are many (even within the household of faith) who are hesitant to trust others. Many have a tendency to look at one’s past and refuse to consider the reality that they have been transformed by the Savior. In these instances it may be difficult for the new convert to be accepted in certain circles, hold certain positions, or participate in certain ministries. In such times let us seek to be an advocate, let us exhibit patience, take time to teach, and stand up and speak out on behalf of others.
Will there be times when we get burned? Most likely, but remember Barnabas took a chance on Paul, Paul took a chance on Onesimus, someone took a chance on you, now you should seek to do the same for others. This leads us to the reality that:
TO BE AN ADVOCATE, WE MAY HAVE TO SACRIFICE FOR OTHERS
If Philemon was stunned by Paul’s appeal for him to receive Onesimus as a brother instead of a slave, he must have been astonished when he read the words, “if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account. I, Paul, am writing with my own hand. I will repay” (v18-19).
If most scholars are correct and Onesimus had stolen something from Philemon, Paul declares that he is willing to accept responsibility on Onesimus’ behalf and make restitution himself. Onesimus had been born again, however, his conversion did not absolve him of his debts to his fellow man. He obviously had no way to pay such a debt, so Paul says, “charge it to me”.
Being an advocate for others is not always easy. Sometimes we will have to risk personal loss in order to stand up for others. We may have to sacrifice our time, personal desires, and even money to serve as an advocate.
As we have already mentioned in this study it is believed by many that after being forgiven by and reconciled with Philemon, Onesimus eventually became the pastor of the Church at Ephesus. There is no way to know the impact that you can have in someone’s life by standing up for them and being their advocate. Everyone else may think that they are a lost cause, but Jesus can do great things with unexpected people. Moreover, He can use you in that process!
To be an advocate we must be patient, teach, encourage, and stand up for others; we may have to sacrifice for them. The only way that we will ever be willing to do these things is if we love them. This leads us to the fact that:
TO BE AN ADVOCATE, WE MUST LOVE OTHERS
There is no need for a long exposition of the text to prove that Paul loved Onesimus. This entire letter was prompted by his love for this new convert. It was love that caused him to serve as an advocate.
The same is true for us! Being an advocate is not easy, it take much time, energy, and effort. But if we love others, we will be an advocate for them. Many of us would testify that we are where we are in our Christian life because we had an advocate who stood up on our behalf. Let us determine that we will do the same for others.
You cannot read this letter, especially this section that we've studied today without seeing Jesus. When Paul says, “if he owes you anything charge that to my account”, that is a picture of what Jesus has done for us. We were all born in sin and conceived in iniquity. We have all “sinned and come short of the glory of God”. Within ourselves we possessed no hope of salvation. We deserved the wages of sin; I am referring to spiritual and eternal death. There is no way that we could have ever paid our sin debt, but Jesus said, “Father, charge that to My account, I will pay the debt”. I am glad to report to you that Jesus paid that debt at Calvary and it is PAID IN FULL!
All who will repent and believe will receive the greatest advocate, you will receive a Friend that is closer than a brother, you can be saved, assured of eternal life, a home in Heaven, and a personal relationship with God if you will surrender to Jesus.
For those of us who already belong to Christ, I pray that we would follow the example that is recorded in this beautiful letter and be an advocate for others. You could impact eternity and just as Paul did for his dear friend Onesimus.
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