Sends You Their Greetings

I. EXORDIUM:

Do you have good company?

II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:

Believers

III. OBJECTIVES:

To prove that we need to choose good company rather than evil companions.

IV. TEXT:

Philemon 1:23-24 (Amplified Bible)

1:23 Greetings to you from Epaphras, my fellow prisoner here in [the cause of] Christ Jesus (the Messiah),

1:24 And [from] Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

V. THESIS:

Surround ourselves with good people

VI. TITLE:

Sends you their greetings

VII. EXPLICATION:

A. Author: Apostle Paul

B. Date written: 60 A.D.

C. Purpose: To appeal to Philemon to receive, forgive and restore Onesimus even as Philemon would receive Paul

D. To whom written: Philemon.

He was apparently a member of the church at Colosse, which seems to have held its assemblies in his house (Philemon 1:2). His benevolence (Philemon 1:5-7), and Paul's request for him to prepare a lodging (Philemon 1:22), indicate that he was a man of some means.

As Paul had never been in Colosse (Colossians 2:1), Philemon must have met him elsewhere, possibly in Ephesus, which was not far away. It would seem that he owed his conversion to the apostle, Philemon 1:19.

—Thompson Chain - Bible Book Outlines

E. Main Theme:

A personal plea with Philemon to forgive and restore Onesimus, his once runaway slave, now converted through the ministry of Paul. As a runaway slave, it is inferred that he robbed his master and fled to Rome (Philemon 1:18). There he came under the influence of Paul and was converted (Philemon 1:10). He became a devoted disciple of Christ (Colossians 4:9). Paul would have chosen to detain him in Rome as a helper (Philemon 1:13), but not having the consent of Philemon (Philemon 1:14), he felt it to be his duty to send the slave back to his master. So the apostle writes this beautiful letter of intercession, pleading with Philemon to receive Onesimus as though he were receiving the apostle himself.—Thompson Chain - Bible Book Outlines

F. Keywords: Receive (forgive and restore) him

Philemon 1:12 (Amplified Bible)

1:12 I am sending him back to you in his own person, [and it is like sending] my very heart.

Philemon 1:17 (Amplified Bible)

1:17 If then you consider me a partner and a comrade in fellowship, welcome and receive him as you would [welcome and receive] me.

G. Keyverses:

Philemon 1:16-17 (Amplified Bible)

1:16 Not as a slave any longer but as [something] more than a slave, as a brother [Christian], especially dear to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh [as a servant] and in the Lord [as a fellow believer].

1:17 If then you consider me a partner and a comrade in fellowship, welcome and receive him as you would [welcome and receive] me.

VIII. MAIN BODY:

Paul has good company with him. He surrounds himself with good people.

1 Corinthians 15:33 (Amplified Bible)

15:33 Do not be so deceived and misled! Evil companionships (communion, associations) corrupt and deprave good manners and morals and character.

A. Greetings from Epaphras - fellow prisoner of Paul

"Greetings to you from Epaphras, my fellow prisoner here in [the cause of] Christ Jesus (the Messiah), "

CHRIST = “anointed”

- CHRIST was the Messiah, the Son of God

- anointed

JESUS = “Jehovah is salvation”

- JESUS, the Son of GOD, the Saviour of mankind, GOD incarnate

Epaphras = “lovely”

- a Christian man mentioned in Paul’s epistles

We have more than a lovely GOD, our GOD is Love Personified.

1 John 3:1 (Amplified Bible)

3:1 SEE WHAT [an incredible] quality of love the Father has given (shown, bestowed on) us, that we should [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! The reason that the world does not know (recognize, acknowledge) us is that it does not know (recognize, acknowledge) Him.

1 John 4:10 (Amplified Bible)

4:10 In this is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins.

1 John 4:16 (Amplified Bible)

4:16 And we know (understand, recognize, are conscious of, by observation and by experience) and believe (adhere to and put faith in and rely on) the love God cherishes for us. God is love, and he who dwells and continues in love dwells and continues in God, and God dwells and continues in him.

Don't boast about your love for GOD, but boast instead that GOD loves us. It's His Love for us that is Eternal.

We suffer because of the GOSPEL but we don't suffer because we are poor, or we are not finished in our college studies, not that, but by the Gospel we suffer because we are persecuted for the sake of JESUS CHRIST.

Philippians 1:29 (Amplified Bible)