Philemon THE EPISTLE to Philemon was written while Paul was a prisoner. (Verse l.) Philemon was a well-to-do believer of the church at Colosse. (Compare verse 2 with Colossians 4.: 17) Tychicus, the bearer of the Epistle to the Colossians, went accompanied by Onesimus, the principal character mentioned in this letter to Philemon. (Colossians 4: 7-9; Philemon 10) Thus the letter was written about A. D. 63 during Paul’s first imprisonment at Rome. The epistle was written concerning a runaway slave belonging to Philemon. Onesimus, having stolen money from his master, fled to Rome, and there came in contact with Paul. The apostle’s heart went out in pity to the guilty servant, and he won the wretched man to Christ. Paul then counseled the converted fugitive to return to Philemon and live for God in the future. Onesimus himself was made the bearer of the letter to his master. With Christian courtesy and tact, Paul implored Philemon to receive the returning slave as “a brother beloved.” Verse 16. “Paul voluntarily proposed to assume the debt of Onesimus in order that the guilty one might be spared the disgrace of punishment, and might again enjoy the privileges he had forfeited. ‘If thou count me therefore a partner,’ he wrote to Philemon, ‘receive him as myself. If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account; 1 Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it.’ How fitting an illustration of the love of Christ for the repentant sinner! The servant who had defrauded his master had nothing with which to make restitution. The sinner who has robbed God of years of service has no means of canceling the debt. Jesus interposes between the sinner and God, saying, ‘I will pay the debt. Let the sinner be spared: I will suffer in his stead.
Posted on: Sat, 02 Nov 2013 07:44:26 +0000
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