Paul’s Final Appeal to Philemon

Transcript

GR 1133
10/4/98
Paul’s Final Appeal to Philemon
Philemon 18-25
Gil Rugh

We’re going to be in the book of Philemon in your bibles. We’ve come to the conclusion of Paul’s short letter to Philemon. It’s a letter that Paul wrote while he was in prison in Rome. The book of Acts concludes with Paul in a Roman house prison, if you will, under house arrest, perhaps we should say, in Rome. We’re told in Acts, chapter 28, verse 30 that Paul stayed for two years in his own rented quarters. Now he is restricted, he would have a Roman soldier present with him at all times, but in this context, he had liberty and freedom. We’re told there at the end of the book of Acts that he had visitors come and go, with openness and freedom he preached and taught the truth concerning Christ. So, it provided a special opportunity. You can imagine if you were one of those Roman soldiers that was assigned to guard Paul, but here he is an unconvicted Roman citizen. So, he has freedom in the context of having rented his own place while he awaits trial, to preach and teach the truth concerning Christ day after day after day. We see how God used that testimony to impact people who otherwise would not have had the opportunity to hear the message of Christ. It was in this context that Onesimus, a slave who had run away from his master in Colossae, a city in Asia Minor, was brought into contact with the apostle Paul, and he was converted.

Paul wrote several letters while he was in that Roman imprisonment. He wrote the letter to Ephesians, the Colossians, the Philippians, and the letter to Philemon. The letter to Philemon is the smallest and most personal of those letters. Leave a marker in Philemon and turn back if you would, a few pages toward the front of your bible, to the book of Philippians, the book of Philippians, chapter 2. This another of the letters that Paul wrote while a prisoner in Rome, and in chapter 2 of Philippians he talks about the matter of humility and functioning properly as God’s people, and look at verse 3. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself, and do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Then Paul will go on to illustrate this with the life and example of Jesus Christ. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus. Now He humbled himself, became obedient, even to the point of dying on the cross. And I think Paul’s letter to Philemon shows him exemplifying what he has exhorted the Philippians to do in their own lives as well. Let each of you, verse 3, regard one another as more important than himself. Paul is demonstrating the letter to Philemon, his willingness to look out for others, and even hold them up above himself. You know, he is the apostle Paul. The apostles were uniquely gifted and called men who provided leadership and oversight for the church, who gave God’s truth to God’s people. But in the letter to Philemon, Paul takes the time to intercede on behalf of a lowly run away slave, and more than that he offers to assume any debts and obligations that this rebellious slave has incurred through his disobedience. You know you could understand it if Onesimus was doing that for Paul, because we would say well sure this slave would give of himself, because Paul was an important man in the church, but here you have Paul in the highest calling, an apostle, giving of himself on behalf of Onesimus. He’s looking out, not for his own personal interest but for the interest of others.

So as you come over to Philemon you see the short letter is summarized here what it’s about. Verse 10, I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus. Down to verse 17, accept him as you would me, last part of verse 17, accept him as you would me. That’s what this letter of 25 verses as we have it, is about. Paul’s appeal to Philemon to accept Onesimus, a runaway slave who had been converted in Rome under Paul’s ministry. Accept him as you would me. In verse 18 of this letter to Philemon, But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account. That’s a command, charge that to my account, legal terminology, commercial terminology, put it on my bill, charge it to me. Any wrongs, any debts put it on my bill. Paul continues this emphasis in verses 19 and 20, as he draws the heart of the letter to a conclusion. Then he will have some personal words, words of greeting and a closing goodbye and the letter will be concluded.

We broke off after verse 18, but the thought continues down through verse 20. Paul has made his request, accept Onesimus as you would me, asking Philemon to do that. He’s offered to pay Onesimus’s debts so that there are no barriers between Philemon and Onesimus, no reason for Philemon not to accept him back. Then in verse 19 Paul says, I Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it. Paul gives firm assurance that he is serious about this matter of paying the debt, and there’s emphasis here. I, Paul, I will repay it. The emphasis as this was written on the I, I, I, Paul will repay it. I’m writing this with my own hand. In his letter to the Thessalonians in II Thessalonians, Chapter 3, verse 17, don’t turn there, let me just read it to you. Paul wrote and said, I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is a distinguishing mark in every letter. This is the way I write.

You know, Paul had a problem, it’ll come out in our study of Galatians that we’re going to undertake here shortly. People circulated letters and claimed that Paul had wrote them when he hadn’t. He was not the writer, they were forgeries. So, Paul made a practice of signing with his own hand a few greetings and his name. Usually with his letters he used the secretary, dictated the letters, and then at the end he would take the pen and write a few words of closing and his name. So, people could recognize the handwriting and know that’s from Paul. This is genuine. Now here Paul gives that added significance, when he says I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. It may be the whole letter he wrote it on this occasion, which would be unusual or it maybe he’s picked up the pen and now he is putting his signature to it. I am now writing this with my own hand, like we sign a contract. Here’s the contract, now I sign my name. I will pay the debts. I will make good any wrongs. I, Paul, now am writing this with my own hand. The guarantee is firm and sure.

Now we’ve seen in this letter, if you’ve been here for the study of the letter, that there’s a balance in this letter. Paul does not issue commands to Philemon, as he might as an apostle, but he is urging him and encouraging him to do what is the right and proper thing in regard to Onesimus. But legally Philemon, as the master, had the right to severely and harshly punish Onesimus, a runaway slave. We’ve seen that Philemon is a godly man, but you know sometimes even godly people have blind spots, and sometimes our judgment is clouded, particularly when we have been wronged or offended by someone. It’s hard for me to think clearly. I get so taken up with how I was wronged and you know, we can say, well, you know, I’m glad that that person has come to know the Lord, I’m glad they’re sorry, but there are still consequences for what they’ve done. And that is true and sometimes those consequences have to be carried out. But what Paul is telling Philemon in this situation, you can choose, as a godly man, to be loving and forgiving and to cancel the consequences.

Now Paul adds a little bit of pressure here. He has just signed off on taking full responsibility for any debts that Onesimus as incurred to Philemon. But then he says, note the parentheses at the end of verse 19, lest I should mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well. The apostle Paul has subtle and not so subtle ways to bring pressure to bear. He had led Philemon to the Lord at an earlier occasion, and now he signs off and says, I will, if you desire, pay all the debts of Onesimus, but let me remind you, you owe me far more than you will ever be able to pay, because there is the possibility here, that Philemon will demand payment. Philemon has shown godly character. We saw that in the letter. But Philemon is also a successful person. He has slaves. He evidently is doing fairly well and sometimes even believers in that position can become demanding and somewhat unyielding. I mean if that was not a possibility with Philemon, Paul could have just told Onesimus, look, you go on back to your master, Philemon, tell him that you got converted in Rome and you’re sorry for what you’ve done, and I’m sure Philemon will understand and restore you.

Well Paul thinks that it’s a serious enough matter that he has taken the time to write a personal letter to Philemon and he has also labored in this letter to not give commands to Philemon, but to bring the pressure to bear on Philemon to do what is the right and proper thing to do, and here is another example. He doesn’t say you have to forgive Onesimus. He says if there is no other way, I will pay his debts, but let me remind you, you are indebted to me in a way that you will never be able to repay. This principle that Paul mentions here, he mentions in other places.

Back up to the book of Romans, the letter to the Romans, chapter 15. Move through the gospels, Acts, Romans, chapter 15. Look at verse 26. Paul has been making a collection among believers in other places to take to Jerusalem. Because of persecution and trials, the church there is in poverty, believing Jews are suffering greatly. Paul says in verse 26,
For Macedonia and Achaia, two providences in Greece, so churches in Greece, have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. Yes, they were pleased to do so, they wanted to do it, but note this, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them in their material things. There is a principle there. Believers in churches like Corinth, Philippi, so on, in Greece, had heard the gospel, how? Well, the church began in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost in Acts, chapter 2 and believing Jews were spread from there to different places in the world. So, these Gentiles in Greece had heard the gospel from these Jews sent out from Jerusalem, Paul being an example. They had come to know the Lord. They had reaped great spiritual benefit and blessing from the Jews. Well then, it’s to be expected. They will help them materially. That principle, when you have benefited spiritually, it’s expected that you will help materially.

Turn over a few pages into the book of 1 Corinthians, chapter 9. Questions had been raised about finances, even Paul’s own conduct in this area. Note verse 11 of 1 Corinthians 9, If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we should reap material things from you? See the same principle. If we gave you spiritual truth, led you to the Lord, built you up in him, well then, is it too much to expect that you would support us and give to us material things. Now that’s the principle that Paul was using with Philemon, back in Philemon, verse 19. I mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well. I led you to the Lord. I was the instrument that God in His grace used to bring you the gospel and lead you to Christ. That means you have a debt to me that could never be paid. You have reaped overwhelming spiritual benefit. Now how, if you have any spiritual understanding of that, could you, Philemon, charge me for these debts that I will assume responsibility for.

You note, Paul doesn’t say you have to do this. He says think this through, Philemon. But the very fact he mentions it, I think, gives us some insight into the kind of character Philemon was, not minimizing his godly character that Paul has set forth. Paul also realizes he could be a man that could become, harsh may be too strong, but a man of conviction that sometime might stand when he should yield. So, Paul is encouraging him here to be sure that you sort through this and see it clearly.

Now verse 20 Paul picks up, Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord. There’s a warmth. He calls him a brother. He had done this at the end of verse 7, brother. You know when you pulled position on someone. I led you to the Lord. You can never pay me back that debt. So be careful about charging me. Well, you know you almost, sort of pulled rank on that person. Well now Paul again softens it. You’re a brother in Christ.
I’m not better than you. I’m not more important than you, even though you’re indebted to me. That’s a spiritual matter because of God’s grace. So, you are a brother in Christ,
indeed brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord. So, again, Paul’s approach is a brother in Christ. Let me benefit from you in the Lord. Remember we talked about earlier in the letter how Paul works. He puts himself between Philemon and Onesimus.
You know, when somebody has wronged you and hurt you and maybe damaged you financially, even as a godly person it can be difficult to get beyond that. You say, I want God’s grace to give me a forgiving spirit, to treat them as I should. But you know, every time I see them, it’s just hard to get over that. Well, you know what Paul does? He says I’ll step in between. Philemon, I want you to do something for me. He doesn’t say let Onesimus benefit from you in the Lord, refresh Onesimus’s heart in Christ. He says, what? Let me benefit from you. You owe to me even your own self. Well, pay back part of that debt. Let me benefit from you. Let me profit from you. Refresh my soul, refresh my heart in Christ. The benefit, the profit would be the encouragement and joy and satisfaction Paul would receive in knowing that Onesimus had been welcomed back. That would encourage him regarding Onesimus. That would encourage him regarding Philemon. Refresh my heart in Christ.

Now back in verse 7 Paul had written, I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, Philemon’s demonstration of love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother. Now in verse 20 he picks up similar terminology, brother, refresh my heart, your demonstration of love has refreshed the hearts of the saints, and that was a blessing to me. It brought me joy and comfort as I saw your love demonstrated in refreshing the hearts of the saints. Now I am asking you demonstrate that love again in this situation. Show love, undeserved as it may be because Onesimus has done wrong. You note, there is no defense of Onesimus’s actions anywhere in this letter. Paul doesn’t attempt to minimize the wrongs that were done. He doesn’t try to say, you know, it wasn’t that bad. He leaves that go. Rather he approaches it on the other side. And here do this to me, encourage my heart, refresh my spirit, let me profit from you, the one that you are greatly indebted to.

Verse 2l, Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you. Now again Paul hasn’t commanded him to do anything, hasn’t commanded him. He has encouraged him and challenged him and pressured him, but he hasn’t commanded him. He has given some commands, charge that to my account for example, but the obedience is that obedience to God’s will. He’s confident that Philemon will do what God would have him do. And I know that you will do even more than what I say. I have full confidence in you Philemon. I’ve given you reminders and challenges but I know in your heart your desire to be obedient to God, you’re going to do even more than I ask. Some have taken this to mean that Philemon will set Onesimus free or Philemon will send Onesimus back to minister to Paul further in Rome. I don’t think so. Paul is going to say in a moment he plans to be in Colossae shortly, so there would be no reason for Onesimus to make the long trip back to Rome, and I don’t think there’s anything in the letter that would imply that Onesimus needs to be set free as a slave. I think what he’s talking about here is that Philemon, in the way that he does what Paul has encouraged him to do, he’s going to do more than that. There’s going to be a willingness in his heart, a desire to show love and warmth and welcome to Onesimus. Similar to when you might ask someone to do something. They say all right, I’ll do it, and they do it, but you know they’re doing it grudgingly, you know they’re doing it but their heart’s not in it. And there are times when you have asked someone to do something and then gone beyond what you ask. You say, I never dreamed they would do that. That’s what Paul is talking about here, that in the whole attitude and spirit of it, there won’t be any dragging of his feet on Philemon’s part. It won’t be Onesimus will have his time with Philemon, he’ll go back and say, well, he didn’t punish me, but I know he didn’t like it. That won’t be there.

When it’s all said and done, Onesimus is going to say Philemon just loves me like I was a brother, you’d think I had never done anything wrong. He was so warm and happy to see me. That’s the kind of thing, Paul, I think, has in mind when he says I know you will do even more than what I say. Your whole heart will be in it. You just won’t go through the motions.

Verse 22. You know again I think Paul may subtly bring some pressure here, although that’s not as before and at the same time, at the same time as what? At the same time as you’re being obedient to the Lord and doing more than I asked you to do, while you’re welcoming Onesimus with such warmth, beginning a place ready for me, because I’m on my way. I’m sure that would encourage Philemon and give him something to look forward to, when I will be able to see Paul. But it’s also pressure. You know it’s like when you call your kids on the phone, they’re a little older and old enough to be left alone, and you give them some instructions. I want you to clean your room, I want you to put the dishes away and while you’re doing that, I’ll get home before you’re done. Well, that brings a little bit of pressure, doesn’t it? They better get on it because you’re on your way. That’s different if you call them up and tell them to do certain things and say I probably won’t be home for six or seven hours, but you get that done. Well, you know what’s going to happen. They’re going to try to figure out how long six or seven hours and then they may do it. Well it’s that kind of pressure here. I’m on my way, so while you’re doing that be getting my place ready. So just don’t concentrate on Onesimus in welcoming him back, as important as that is, but while you’re doing that you also have to get a place ready for me, because I’m on my way. I hope to be there shortly.

And note this last statement in verse 22. I hope that through your prayers I shall be given to you. You stop and reflect on this. It is a great statement. Two truths are presented here, and they’re brought together. I shall be given to you, the last statement of verse 22 first. I hope that I shall be given to you. Passive voice. This is the divine passive again. God at work in His providence. Remember the providence of God is God’s sovereign working in controlling all that takes place in His creation so that His purposes are accomplished. Now here Paul speaks of I shall be given to you. The word to be given here has the word grace in it. Charis is the first part of the word, the Greek word for grace is Charis. I shall be graciously given to you. The idea that God is going to graciously, in His grace, give Paul to Philemon. In other words, bring Paul to Philemon, so he will be able to stay with him for a time.

We saw this providence of God earlier in the letter, regarding Onesimus, back in verse 15. Perhaps he was for this reason separated from you, parted from you. Passive voice indicating Philemon think that perhaps it was the hand of God working to bring about that separation so that Onesimus might get saved. Now here the hand of God at work so I shall be graciously given to you, released from prison, and able to come to you. I hope that through your prayers I shall be given to you. Through the prayers of God’s people, God would sovereignly work to bring about His plan in releasing Paul and bringing him to Colossae. And so here you see the impact of the prayers of God’s people in their effectiveness in bringing about the purposes and plans of God.

Listen to what Paul wrote to the Philippians from the same imprisonment, Philippians 1:19. For I know that this shall turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. You note that, the prayers of God’s people being effective in bringing about the deliverance of the apostle Paul from prison. And there is a balance there and two dimensions that I cannot bring together in a nice, tight package. God works in His providence and His purposes and plans are always accomplished, and my prayers are effective and bring about the purposes of God in the accomplishing of His work. Well look, if God’s going to do it, he’ll do it with or without my prayers, is that not right? Well, God’s plans will never be frustrated, that’s his divine providence. But my prayers are effective in the working of God’s providence, yes. Oh, I don’t know how that can all work out? I don’t either, but I know it’s true, and part of that is accomplished as we as God’s people are moved by the Spirit of God to beseech and pray to God for things, that He intends to accomplish by the answering of our prayers.

Now Paul doesn’t say this is a settled thing. Back in verse 15 he talked about perhaps this was what God was doing. Verse 22 he says I hope that this will happen. You know I’m not guaranteed that every time I pray or ask for something it will be done the way I have asked. Sometimes God is teaching me in my prayers to learn to trust Him, even when I have been so convinced that this is the best and right thing, this has to be the will of God. Then I experience the frustration and disappointment of it not working the way I had it so planned. So I realize that sometimes God is molding and shaping and developing me to learn to trust Him and realize He is God, I am not. He knows all and I do not. But I also realize, as James, Chapter 5, verse 16 says, the effective prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much. That God would use the prayers of His people to bring about the release of Paul from prison and the effective ministry of his travels in these various cities.

This whole area is an area you and I need to really reflect upon as God’s people. I really believe that there is no area of our Christian life so difficult as our prayer life. When you think about it the living God encourages me, invites me, commands me to come to Him in prayer, to talk with Him. We’re told you have not because you ask not. He promises to do whatever we ask in accordance with His will. You would think we would be a people who have a hard time getting anything else done because we want to spend so much of our time talking to our heavenly Father, wouldn’t you? When in reality it’s usually just the opposite. We just have a hard time fitting in any real serious time when we talk things over with God. Well, my day is so busy. But in reality, that means I’ve got an awful lot to talk to my heavenly Father about, doesn’t it? So many things I have to set before Him, so much to tell Him, so many burdens to ask Him and on we go. I hope that through your prayers I shall be given to you. I love the balance of the divine providence and the human responsibility of prayer, and the effectiveness of prayer in the accomplishing of God’s plan. That’s why there’s nothing so important you can do for me as pray for me. Nothing we can do so important for one another as pray for one another and that’s why you find on another occasion Paul saying, brethren, pray for us.

Well really the letter is done and really the heart of the letter concluded in verse 20. Now Paul is making some comments about his plans in verses 20 and 21. Now in verses 23 and 24 he gives some words of greeting from men who are with him, that the people in Colossae and particularly here Philemon might know. These men were all mentioned in the concluding remarks of the letter to the Colossians. There were other names mentioned there, but Paul selects out these particular men, probably those that Philemon knew well and would enjoy having a word of greeting from. We looked at these men a little more fully at the end of Colossians, so we’re not going to go into detail on them again but let me just summarize some basics about each one of them.

Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you. Epaphras was the founder of the church at Colossae. In Colossians, Chapter 1, verse 7 we’re told that Epaphras was the one who brought the gospel to that city. Now Philemon was saved under Paul’s minister. Perhaps he travel to Ephesus, another city of this region, when Paul was there. But Paul himself had never visited Colossae. But Epaphras had brought the gospel to Colossae. Perhaps he had served as the pastor of that church, because we’re told in Colossians, chapter 4, verses 12 and 13 that Epaphras had a special burden for the Colossians and for the people of that region. He prayed earnestly for them and so on, so he’s a very godly man. Here he is identified as a fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus. We’re not quite sure of what this means, because in Colossians, Aristarchus is identified as a fellow prisoner. Aristarchus is mentioned in verse 24. Epaphras there is not called a fellow prisoner, Aristarchus is.

Now in the letter to Philemon, Epaphras is called the fellow prisoner but Aristarchus is not. Strange if these men were actual literal prisoners as Paul was. More probably they are sharing Paul’s trials during this imprisonment. Perhaps they have committed to remain with him during this extended time, more probably and perhaps most probably he’s simply identifying him as a prisoner in Christ. Paul was fond of this kind of terminology, military terminology, war time terminology. Epaphras is one who is a captive of Jesus Christ, even as I am. He sends his greeting. And if Epaphras had served as the pastor of this city, why that would even be all the more significant.

In verse 24 Mark is mentioned and Mark appears a number of times in the New Testament. He is the one who wrote the gospel that bears his name, the gospel of Mark,
Matthew, Mark. Mark was the writer, the human penman of that gospel. He first appears in the book of Acts, chapter 12, verse 12 and there we are told that his Jewish name was John, his Roman name was Mark. There he’s referred to as John Mark. That wasn’t a first and last name as we have today, but he had two names, a name he would have been known by among the Jewish community, a name he would have been known by among the Roman community. But we sometimes put them together and he’s called John Mark, same man. He joined Paul and Barnabas on the first missionary journey you remember. It did not go well. In Acts, Chapter 13, verse 13 it got to be too much for Mark and he bailed out and left. Now you can understand that. You know, to travel with Paul was not an easy task. You just were getting ready for the next trouble spot, the next beating, the next imprisonment. It got to be too much for Mark and he left.

Paul and Barnabas completed the journey, but when it came time for the second missionary journey Barnabas, who was Mark’s cousin Colossians tells us, wanted to take Mark along, give him a second change. Paul said no way. He bailed out the first time, he’s not coming the second time. The division between Paul and Barnabas was so great they split. Paul went one way; Barnabas went the other. Barnabas took Mark, Paul took Silas, took a new traveling companion. You know it’s a great blessing to realize Mark was restored and became a very useful servant of Christ and in Paul’s last letter incidentally, 2 Timothy, chapter 4, verse 11 he asks that Mark be brought to him because he is useful to me for service. That’s encouraging isn’t it? You know your failures don’t have to control the rest of your life.

Now some have said, well, Paul was wrong, Barnabas was right. I believe that God used both Paul and Barnabas to develop Mark into a useful servant. Paul never apologizes in any of the records we have to Mark. You know Mark, I made a mistake. Could have been in Timothy, that would have been a good place, you know. I was wrong about Mark when I wouldn’t let him come. Bring him to me now, he’s a useful servant. There’s never any apology. I believe that Paul’s decision was the right one there and that disciplining and chastening that Mark experienced helped develop his character and mold him into an effective servant. You realize Paul was not taking people with him on his missionary journeys that he might nurse and care for. He was going out to the front of the battle in these areas. He needed those with him who could stand the heat of the battle. He couldn’t be taking time to always look around and see will he make it. I have to carry him through this. He needed someone like Silas who could go with him and when they got beat at Philippi, be in prison with him and sing songs to the glory of the Lord in a Philippian jail. Couldn’t have somebody there crying he wanted to go home. So I believe that God used Paul’s firmness here to cause Mark to see in the service of the Lord there has to be discipline and stamina and stick-to-itiveness. But he also used Barnabas who was willing to take Mark under his wing and Barnabas’ travels probably did not stir up the kind of difficulty and turmoil that Paul’s did.

But however, the details worked out, we praise God when all said and done Mark is a useful servant. Here he is with Paul in a prison in Rome. He had grown, he had matured, he was a useful servant. And an encouragement for you and your failures, me and my failures, but also in our dealing with other. You know sometimes you hear people talk about someone, you know, who has failed in a way and you get the idea they could never be used of the Lord again. That’s not so. God is gracious. That doesn’t excuse our failures, but it does remind us that God knows we are but dust and we ought to be ready and willing to welcome others back into the ministry and service.

Aristarchus was a companion of Paul in the book of Acts, Acts, chapter 19 in particular. In Acts 19:29 they couldn’t get a hold of Paul. Paul had stirred a riot in Ephesus. You know this preaching, you know, that doesn’t make any waves would be foreign to Paul.
And as a result of the presentation of Christ the city of Ephesus was in a turmoil. They’re all rushing into the theater. They didn’t find Paul, so they grab on to his traveling companion, Aristarchus, a friend of Paul, and drag him into the theater. Well you know, when you’ve got a mob of thousands of people who are worked up into a frenzy you can imagine what Aristarchus thought as he is dragged into the theater. It’s probably the end, they’ll send pieces of me out of here. Well you get some idea of the character of this man. And here he is with Paul. Does he think this is too tough, this is too hard. No. Here he is in Rome with Paul. So good testimony to this man, and he is a traveling companion with Paul, and he did make the journey to Rome with Paul, in the closing chapters of the book of Acts.

Demas, not every story is a success story. Demas was mentioned at the end of the book of Colossians, the letter to the Colossians. Here he is with Paul. He is a fellow worker. You note these are identified as fellow workers. But in Paul’s last letter, written in his final Roman imprisonment sometime later in 2 Timothy, chapter 4, verse 10 Paul writes concerning Demas. Demas has deserted me, having loved this present world. He’s gone to Thessalonica. Demas was one of those who did not finish well. Remarkable, here he is a fellow worker of the apostle Paul, mentioned as a companion with Paul while he’s a prisoner in Rome. But the last chapter hasn’t been written. Demas is not going to make it. He will not finish well. I’m not saying he wasn’t saved. I’m saying the allurements of the world, having loved this present world, he deserted me. Remember when John wrote in his first epistle, love not the world, neither the things in the world. You know you let your eyes get fixed on the world and pretty soon Christianity becomes too costly, too costly in the loss of friends, too costly in the loss of good jobs, too costly in the loss of the kind of income you could have. You begin to think I can serve the Lord, I can be a Christian but I don’t have to do it in this context where it’s costing me so much. Whatever was entailed Paul puts it bluntly. He deserted me, having loved this present world. We don’t know any more about it. The scripture closes on that note and forever in scripture. Demas is identified, not by having been a companion of the apostle Paul, not having been a fellow worker with Paul, but the one who deserted, who loved the world and abandoned the ministry. Sad testimony. Like I say we know nothing more because the last letter that mentions him is 2 Timothy and it’s on that note.

One other fellow worker that is mentioned here and that is Luke and Luke was also mentioned in Colossians. He’s mentioned in II Timothy, Chapter 4, verse 11, the only times he’s mentioned, but he’s an outstanding person. He wrote the gospel of Luke. He wrote the book of Acts. He’s Paul’s traveling companion through much of the last part of the book of Acts, in what we call the “we” sections, where Luke the writer uses we, indicating he was with Paul when he wrote these portions of the New Testament. And he is established in the book of Acts as one of Paul’s closest, most intimate companions. Luke is a Gentile, not a Jew, Colossians 4:11 so identifies him. You know Luke is also
identified in Colossians as the beloved physician. He was a medical doctor. Medical doctors in New Testament time were upper middle class and upper class people. I mention that because we saw Demas. He was a man who loved this present world and abandoned Paul. Luke is a man who is with him to the end. When you get to II Timothy, chapter 4, verse 11 Luke will be there. That’s Paul’s final imprisonment. He’s with him in the book of Acts. Here’s a man who was willing to give up what the world had to offer, living the good life, if you will, being an upper middle class or upper class person with respectability, good income, comfortable life. But he puts it all aside, devotes himself to the service of Jesus Christ, being a fellow worker of the apostle Paul. You appreciate Luke and that willingness. Could have been a lot of reasons he could have given to have avoided that kind of life. What a comfort it had to be with Paul, as we noted in Colossians, here Paul had his own personal physician to travel with him. Had to be a help when he needed nursed after a beating or a stoning or extended time in prison. Luke was there. No wonder Paul called him the beloved physician in Colossians, chapter 4. Now these are fellow workers, those joined with me. These are my friends.

Now he concludes. Grace, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, God’s enabling providing grace. He had mentioned this in verse 3. Grace to you and peace from God. You know we are saved by grace and we live by grace. Paul desires that God’s grace be provided for Philemon and for those with him in every situation and every circumstance.

I wrote down one word that stood out to me in each of these closing verses. Just let me mention them to you. Paul covers a variety of things as he closed out this letter. Verse 19 he talked about obligations. Any obligations of Onesimus, I’ll take responsibility for. Remember, Philemon, you’re obligated to me in a way you can never repay. Need to put that all in perspective, material obligations, spiritual obligations and be sure I see them in their proper perspective and balance. He talked about blessings in verse 20. Let me benefit from you in the Lord, refresh my heart. The blessings that God brings to our lives as God’s people function as they should in love. You know Paul is not the direct recipient of what Philemon will do. Onesimus is the direct recipient, but you don’t know that from Paul. The benefit and blessings that Onesimus will get if Philemon treats him right, Paul takes that personally. I mean that’s just like you did it to me directly and I’ll be spiritually refreshed, and you will be paying me in the doing of that. What a beautiful attitude. Not looking for what it will do for me. Do it for Onesimus and boy, that’ll just be like it was done to me, blessings. Obedience, verse 21, having confidence in your obedience. In our lives as God’s people will characterize by a willing and ready obedience to what God would have us do.

God’s providence in verse 22, I shall be given to you. The reminder that even in our trials, even in our difficulties, you know, easy for me to talk about God’s providence, his sovereign hand at work when I’m healthy, the circumstances of life are going well. I appreciate Paul is writing this in prison, and he sees God’s hand will determine it. But I am hoping I will be graciously given to you in God’s providence. The prayer of God’s people, that our prayers are effective in the accomplishing of God’s purposes. Oh, that we would be more passionate and diligent and faithful in those prayers for one another.

Verses 23 and 24, friends, friends. These are with Paul. You know a friend that is made for adversity stands with you in the trials and the difficulty. You know, these are my fellow workers. What impresses me is that Paul’s friends are his fellow workers. Always amazes me if people had developed such strong friendship with people on such superficial levels. What do you have in common, what binds you together? No doubt what made these friends so important to Paul, they were his fellow workers, fellow prisoners. Friends, what a blessing they are in the ministry of the word. And quite frankly, my life is so busy and so full, my friends become my fellow workers. Those are the ones I spend time with. That’s what I devote my life to. That’s why your old friends fall off when you come to know the Lord and grow in Him, because I’m joined with those of one mind and one heart in one work, friends.

And finally grace, that enabling provision of God for our walk in every area of our service.

You know, the letter is concluded and we wonder. I wonder what happens. Well, I think the very fact we have this letter as part of our scripture would indicate that Philemon responded as Paul desired and continued to be a source of great blessing and encouragement to Paul, Onesimus and others. You know, if he wasn’t going to do what Paul requested this letter would of probably never seen the light of day, would have just said rip it up, get it out of here. But praise the Lord, I would take it the evidence is that Philemon preserved it, shared it with others, was glad to bear testimony to the way God used this in his life to help him do the right thing at the right time. And this very personal, not so doctrinal letter has been preserved by the Holy Spirit, so that you and I might benefit personally from it, to learn how in our own lives we should personally walk and function and demonstrate love and be a blessing for the honor and glory of the God who loved us and died for us. Let’s pray together.

Thank you Lord, for the richness of this brief, personal word from Paul. Thank you Lord, for the reminders that are there of our obligations and the blessings that you bring to our lives, of the necessity of obedience, of your divine providence controlling all, of the importance of our prayers in the accomplishing of your plans. Thank you for our fellow workers who are our friends, who are with us through difficulty and trial and blessings. Thank you for your grace that sustains us and enables us and works your purposes in preparing us for the eternal fellowship of the glory of your presence. We praise you in Christ who is our Savior’s name. Amen.