The martyrdom of Paul from a 1914 stained glass
If the middle section of Paul’s letter to Philemon gave us some ideas on how we should interact with others in the church, the final verses give us a few words on faith. I went with my grandfather to a tent revival when I was younger and I remember this story the evangelist told about faith:
A young child was playing with a ball when it rolled under his parents bed. He was still at the age where he thought monsters lived under beds, so he frantically yelled for his mother to come and retrieve the ball for him. His mother, seeing a teaching moment, told him that he didn’t have to be afraid. Jesus, she said, was everywhere. Even in dark in scary places like under the bed, so there was no reason for the boy to fear. Satisfied she had calmed her child’s apprehension and taken an opportunity to lead him one step closer to Jesus, she began to leave the bedroom. But as she did, she heard the boy whispering “Jesus, if you’re under there, can you roll that ball out to me?”[1]
When Paul wrote Philemon, he was facing some monsters of his own. He was in jail, writing while literally in chains. If he was in Rome at the time, he was certainly aware of the wider persecution of Christians. In the broader context, as I’ve read Paul’s writings in the Bible, there is always a sense that Paul knew he would one day be murdered because he was a Christian[2]. Despite this, Paul seemed to always have accepted fate….his faith allowed him to persevere even when he knew death was waiting for him. The Letter to Philemon says three things about faith that I think we should all remember in our own lives.
1. We should have faith because God can use bad events to our own benefit & His glory (v 15&16)
Here at FCC we just finished a great series of sermons on this very topic[3]. Onesimus’s flight from Philemon was obviously a negative thing, but in the process he gave his life to Christ and was baptized. He went from a fugitive slave to a Christian brother and began to serve God’s kingdom[4]. As we mentioned earlier, it is very possible that Onesimus became an important leader in the early church. The temporary friction that took place was eventually replaced by an eternal bond between the two men, which leads us to the second thing we should remember-
2. We should have faith in a fellowship of grace (v 17)
If we take a long view of relationships with our fellow Christians, it should radically change how we interact with one another. When we understand that all of us are sinners in need of forgiveness, and that we have entered into an eternal brotherhood with other believers, we recognize that our interactions should be guided by love and grace. Paul mentions as much in verses 18 and 19. If we accept our own need for grace, the practical application in our lives is extending grace to others. We smooth over the cracks that can form in relationships because God has already done this for us.
3. We should have faith communally because it is powerful (v 22)
Notice Paul, despite being in prison at the time, asks Philemon to prepare a room for him.
One of the favorite quotes used by my favorite pastor
In the previous verse Paul has strong confidence that not only will Philemon do what he asks, but will go far beyond that. Regardless of if Paul actually DID return to their community[5], he know that their prayers were a powerful thing and an acknowledgement that it was only through God’s power and providence that he would be freed. The early church knew how communal faith looked:
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.[6]
I really enjoyed taking time to study Philemon in the way it deserved and I hope those reading have taken something away from this. It really is amazing how God speaks to our lives through His Word- we just have to be willing to listen. We hope you are having a great week, and if there is anything you need or anything we can do, please reach out to us.
Always remember that God is waiting for us
[1] The Bible has so many wonderful stories about having faith in difficult times. I think it is always reassuring to read about Abraham & Isaac (Genesis 22.1-19), Peter walking on water (Matthew 14.22-33), Daniel and the Lion’s Den (Daniel 6.16-23), Moses & the Israelites (Exodus 14.10-21), etc.
[2] One of the early church leaders, Eusebius, recorded that Paul was beheaded by the Roman Emperor Nero around 67 AD. Certainly by this point, Paul had faced many difficulties as he spread the gospel (see 2 Corinthians 11.24-26). Also see Acts 21.10-14, 2 Timothy 4.6 and Philippians 2.17
[3] If you missed it, this is the first in the series and I cannot recommend all of these sermons on the life of Joseph enough https://youtu.be/9eQ-U9UF8YQ?si=P0MIlGEhoSdhYkml Also, see this blog: https://www.fccgrayson.com/post/trusting-god-s-plan
[4] v 11
[5] If Paul was in prison at Ephesus, it was very possible he did return. Similarly, if Onesimus later become a leader of the early church, it is not unreasonable to assume that Philemon did go above and beyond what Paul was asking
[6] Acts 2:42–47
I love these illustrations and memes