The book of Philemon was written by Paul while he was in his first Roman imprisonment. This is the fourth letter of the four prison epistles written by him. It was sent to Philemon with Tychicus and Onesimus. We will discuss more about who these men were as we get further along in today’s message.
Philemon was a minister in the city of Colossae and the owner of the home in which some of the believers met for church (v2). That would mean that the book of Colossians would have been read to the church meeting in his home along with other churches throughout the city. Paul appears to have prior relationship with Philemon. So much so that Paul refers to him as his “beloved brother” and “fellow laborer.” Even throughout the letter you can see there is a mutual respect between the two men. I encourage you to read the book of Philemon for yourself
Let’s get to Paul’s prayer for Philemon:
Philemon 1:4-7
NKJV
“4 I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, 5 hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, 6 that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. 7 For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.”
What was Paul praying for? Let’s break down verse 6 to find the answer.
v6 - “that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.”
1.
The sharing
of your faith - Paul knew that
Philemon was sharing his faith. There was an expectation that he was sharing
his faith with others. He was communicating his faith, not only by his life but
also by his words.
The word “sharing” here is the word “Koinōnia” in greek. This is the same word
for fellowship in the Bible. In fellowship there is a sharing or to have in
common. It also involves participation. In the same way, the sharing of our
faith involves us participating.
There is an expectation God has for us as believers who are saved by grace to
participate in sharing our faith with others. Those who do not know Jesus are
on a wide path headed straight to destruction. It is our responsibility to
share our faith with others.
2.
May become
effective - While there is an
expectation for us to share our faith as believers, there is also greater
effectiveness. Paul’s prayer was that Philemon’s witness would become even more
effective than what it was. I don’t think Paul was saying that Philemon’s witness
was ineffective. I believe he is saying that there is a way for his witness to
be even more effective. How? …
3.
By the
acknowledgement of every good thing - Paul’s prayer was that the
sharing of Philemon’s faith would grow in its effectiveness by the
acknowledgement of every good thing… To acknowledge something is to recognize
something; it is to be in agreement with and in support of; it means to uphold.
In other words, it is to know something and to believe it. What does he want
Philemon to recognize?….every good thing that was in him being “in Christ.”
Ephesians 1:3 - “Blessed be the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every
spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.”
2 Peter 1:3 - “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to
life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to[c] his own glory and excellence…”
The only way for Philemon to know and recognize these things that were in him
due to his being “in Christ” was that if he would be spiritually minded (Romans
8:6 - “For to
be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life
and peace.”) Paul’s
hope was that Philemon would be able to have the spiritual awareness to step
out of his flesh thinking cap and to put on his spiritual thinking cap. Paul
was sure that doing so would make his witness for Christ more effective.
In order to grow in our effectiveness as a witness for Christ, we too must be
aware of all the good things that are in us through Christ. We cannot do so if
we are only putting on our fleshly thinking cap. We must allow the Holy Spirit
to direct our thinking. Then, through the word of God, the Holy Spirit will
begin to reveal and remind us of all that we have available to us, in Christ.
4. Which is in you in Christ Jesus - It is important to know that we are “in Christ.” And in Christ, we have good things that are available to us through the Holy Spirit. We do not have to beg for these things, we only have to read them. Every good thing that is in us is written down in the word of God. When Jesus was tempted by the devil, He responded with, “it is written…” All the good things that we have in Christ are written down for us in the word of God for us to discover.
What was the purpose of Paul’s prayer?
Ultimately, there was an expectation for Philemon to share his faith with those who did not know Christ. However, that was not the main purpose of Paul writing to him. Paul’s hope was that Philemon would share his faith with someone that he knew all too well; Onesimus.
Paul shared this prayer in his letter to Philemon because he was sending Onesimus back to Philemon. This man had no doubt wronged Philemon. Onesimus was a bondservant (slave) of Philemon, meaning that he owed him a debt. Yet, somehow Onesimus ran away from Philemon and fled to Rome. Many scholars believe that Onesimus could have stolen from him as well.
Philemon 1:10-18
NIV
“10 I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. 11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me. 12 I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. 13 I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. 14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary. 15 Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— 16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord. 17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me.”
Reading this, one would imagine that there would have been some animosity when Onesimus and Tychicus showed up with this letter in hand. No doubt Philemon had a reason to be angry and most likely was ready to punish Onesimus.
Paul shared this prayer because he was about to make an enormous request of him. He was going to ask him: 1.) to forgive Onesimus, and 2.) to accept him as a brother (not as a slave). He was going to ask Philemon to forgive Onesimus of all that he had done to wrong him and to erase the debt that was owed by him. He was asking him to share his faith with his brother. Paul was asking him for a show of faith.
It is necessary for us to share our faith with those who do not know Christ. However, it is necessary for us to share our faith with believers as well. Specifically when they have wronged us, offended us, hurt us, etc. There are times when it is necessary for us to “show our faith.” To show others the same faith that Christ showed us.
The request that Paul was making of Philemon was not for his own personal gain, but for the cause of Christ. It ultimately was to honor Christ and to continue to push his kingdom forward. There are times where we are required to “show our faith” to others. It may require us to lay down our pride, to lay down our offense, and give it to the Lord. I do not imagine that this was easy for Philemon, and I do not think Paul imagined it would be easy either. It may not be easy for you either, but ultimately let it be for the cause of Christ.
Takeaways
When the time arises:
Realize that God has blessed you with every spiritual blessing
I.
Share
your faith
When the time arises, be willing to share your faith with others. Realize and
acknowledge all that Christ has done for you and all that He has made available
to you. Scripture tells us that it will enhance our witness for Christ.
II.
Show
your faith
When the time
arises, be willing to show your faith. Show that Christ has forgiven you. Show
that Christ has redeemed you. Show that you can forgive like Christ forgave
you. Show that you can show grace like Christ showed you grace. Show that you
can humble yourself like Christ humbled Himself. Show what true faith looks
like. Genuine faith is shown when it is being tested.
Philemon ultimately would have been an example worth following or he would have
been an example of what not to do.
