ONESIMUS BECOMES A USEFUL MAN

Passage: Philemon 1:1-11

Key verse: 11

NIV

1 Paul, a prisoner(A) of Christ Jesus, and Timothy(B) our brother,(C)

To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker(D)— 2 also to Apphia our sister and Archippus(E) our fellow soldier(F)—and to the church that meets in your home:(G)

3 Grace and peace to you[a] from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.(H)

Thanksgiving and Prayer

4 I always thank my God(I) as I remember you in my prayers,(J) 5 because I hear about your love for all his holy people(K) and your faith in the Lord Jesus.(L) 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,(M) because you, brother, have refreshed(N) the hearts of the Lord’s people.

Paul’s Plea for Onesimus

8 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(O) on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner(P) of Christ Jesus— 10 that I appeal to you for my son(Q) Onesimus,[b](R) who became my son while I was in chains.(S) 11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.

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Footnotes
  1. Philemon 1:3 The Greek is plural; also in verses 22 and 25; elsewhere in this letter “you” is singular.
  2. Philemon 1:10 Onesimus means useful.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Greeting

1 Paul, (A)a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and (B)Timothy our brother,

To Philemon our beloved fellow worker 2 and Apphia our sister and (C)Archippus our (D)fellow soldier, and (E)the church in your house:

3 (F)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philemon's Love and Faith

4 (G)I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I (H)hear of your love and (I)of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, 6 and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full (J)knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.[a] 7 For I have derived much joy and (K)comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints (L)have been refreshed through you.

Paul's Plea for Onesimus

8 Accordingly, (M)though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do (N)what is required, 9 yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now (O)a prisoner also for Christ Jesus— 10 I appeal to you for (P)my child, (Q)Onesimus,[b] (R)whose father I became in my imprisonment. 11 (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.)

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Footnotes
  1. Philemon 1:6 Or for Christ's service
  2. Philemon 1:10 Onesimus means useful (see verse 11) or beneficial (see verse 20)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

INTRODUCTION TO PHILEMON

Paul wrote four letters during his first imprisonment in Rome, around 6

AD: Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians and Philemon. The man Philemon, to whom this letter was addressed, was a leader in the church of Colosse. This church was the fruit of Paul's ministry in the hall of Tyrannus in Ephesus, for it was through his two+ year ministry there that Epaphras was converted and sent out to pioneer Colosse.

Paul sent this letter, along with Colossians, by Onesimus and Tychicus. Onesimus, whose name means 'useful', had been a slave in the home of Philemon, but he had run away. In Rome, he met Paul--and he met Jesus. What must he do? The enslavement of one human being by another is surely against God's law of love. But Christianity is not so much concerned about changing the structures of society as about changing men who live within the structures of all kinds of societies. Paul sent Onesimus back to his master. Paul did not attack the institution of slavery; rather, he challenged Philemon to welcome his runaway slave (who could have received a death sentence) as a brother. When Jesus rules the heart of a person, he cannot continue doing something that displeases God.

1. You have refreshed the saints

Paul wrote this letter to Philemon and his wife, leaders in the church in Colosse. The church met in their home, and they were known for their faith, love and generosity. Paul prayed that he might be active in sharing his faith. The purpose of this letter, however, concerned a man named Onesimus. Onesimus was a runaway slave from the household of Philemon.

2. A useless man becomes useful (8-14)

'Onesimus' means 'useful.' But Onesimus had been worse than useless to Philemon. Perhaps he had stolen something and run away. Perhaps he was rebellious at being a slave and was searching for freedom. He met Paul, a truly free man in chains. Then he met Jesus and discovered what real freedom is. He became a useful man. Paul called him, 'my son.' He was a spiritual son, born to Paul when he was in chains.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the grace of Jesus, which made this useless sinner a useful child of God.

One Word: A useless man made useful