The Burden And Blessing Of Forgiving Others

There are two sisters who aren’t speaking to one another because of things that happened, years ago: What does the gospel say to them? There’s a brother in the church who’s made a serious mistake: What does the gospel say to him, and those around him? There’s a whole congregation that needs reminding of how to be at peace with one another, and to accept each other: What does the gospel say to them?

To all of these circumstances—and so many more—the gospel does have something to say. Because the good news of being saved is so powerful, and redemption is such a fundamental thing, those who know the gospel must be changed by the gospel. If we really believe it, it needs to change our outlook, to give our purpose, and to transform our relationships.

This is evident on every page of the Scripture. It’s evident, even on the unassuming page that’s open before us, the 25 verses of Philemon. Even in these humble words, we see that theme of the gospel at work.

Philemon is the shortest of Paul’s letters. It’s also very different from other areas of Scripture. It’s not like the ancient beginnings of Genesis. It’s not like the lyrical poetry of the Psalms, nor the deep theology of Romans. No, it’s a semi-private letter, written to a (so-called) “regular” member of the church in Colosse. The sole purpose of this letter is to secure forgiveness for a runaway slave, named Onesimus.

It’s short, and it’s unique. But God was pleased to have this letter preserved. And we can safely say it’s in the Bible for a good reason. It’s here, because the truth of the gospel is not only found in dramatic historical events and profound theological statements. The truth of the gospel is also found in stories like this—stories where we see what a difference salvation makes. And that’s still how it is today, isn’t it? The gospel can make a difference, for you, and me, and everyone. This is our theme,

Paul sends Onesimus back to Philemon:

1) the precious bond between these brothers

2) the loving conduct between these brothers

1) the precious bond between these brothers: This letter is one of the “Prison Letters” of Paul—like Philippians is, or Colossians, or 2 Timothy. Philemon was likely written from a cell somewhere in the city of Rome, as Paul waited for his day in court. That’s what he puts up front, “Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus…” (v 1).

The letter he’s writing is for Philemon. Paul calls him, “Our dear friend and fellow worker” (v 1). Nice title, but just who was this Philemon? A few things are clear. Philemon was a Gentile believer, and one who’d been brought to the Christian faith by Paul himself (v 19). We also understand that he lived in the city of Colosse, which was near the much bigger Roman city of Ephesus—just up the valley from there.

And this Philemon is probably wealthy, for Paul passes on greetings “to the church in your home” (v 2). In the early days, churches would gather wherever was convenient, whether in a meeting-hall, or in a home from someone in the congregation. Philemon’s house was large enough for this; later on, Paul even asks that he might stay in his guest room, should he be released from jail.

Philemon was likely also a leader in Colosse—Paul calls him a “fellow worker” in the gospel, and those opening words show that Paul expected him to share this letter with the whole church. We know that’s what happened with more of his letters, that they’d be read aloud to the congregations. From a very early time, Paul’s letters were received as Scripture.

What about the third brother in this letter, Onesimus? He’s not mentioned until later. And we don’t find out much about him, except he’s a slave, one bound to a life of service. Now, we should realize that slavery was very widespread in the Roman Empire, far more than it ever was in the U.S. during the 18th and 19th centuries. Slaves probably made up about one third of the Empire’s total population.

But unlike in North America or Europe, Roman slavery wasn’t based on one race of people being considered inferior or subhuman. People would enter a life of slavery in different ways. Some were born into it, slaves because their parents were slaves. Some children were enslaved after being abandoned or sold. Some people gave themselves up for slavery because they couldn’t pay their debt. Others had to become slaves as punishment for some crime, while some were soldiers or citizens who’d been captured in war.

Though so numerous, slaves were right at the bottom of the ladder. They had no rights under law, and they were property in every sense of the word. Slaves could be bought, sold, inherited or traded. And slaves could be treated as their master willed. There could be brutal punishments, even for the smallest offense. Slaves who ran away from their masters were often crucified, just to discourage others from doing the same. Now, by the time of Paul, it’s true that slavery was beginning to change. People realized that slaves who had better conditions and more freedoms were also more productive.