Episode Eighty-Six
Letter to Philemon
from Paul in Rome, Autumn 60 AD
carried on foot to Colosse
by Tychicus and Onesimus
Some time before Paul made it to Rome, three churches were born in cities near Ephesus: Colosse, Hieropolis, and Laodicea. Paul had never seen these churches, but he knew Epaphras--their founder--from his three-year period of ministry in Ephesus.
This man, Epaphras (short for Epaphroditus), came all the way to Rome to see Paul,to ask him to help the three churches. When Epaphras left Colosse, a slave named Onesimus ran away from his owner and went with Epaphras to Rome.
In Rome, Epaphras believed in Christ. Before Onesimus and Epaphras left Rome to go home, Paul was moved to write a letter on Epaphras’ behalf to his owner, a brother in the church in Colosse, named Philemon.
The name Onesimus means “profitable” or “useful”.
~~~!~~!~~~
From Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother.
To Philemon, our beloved brother and fellow worker,
To our sister Apphia,
To Archippus, our fellow soldier,
To the church in your house,
Grace to you, and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
I thank my God and always mention you in my prayers, because I hear about the love and faith you have for the Lord Jesus and for all the saints. I pray that the fellowship of your faith might start to work into a full knowledge of everything that is good in you for Christ Jesus. We have great joy and comfort in your love, brother, because you have refreshed the hearts of the saints.
So even though I have enough boldness in Christ to order you to do what is right, instead, for love’s sake, I appeal to you myself. I, Paul the aged, now in prison for Jesus Christ, I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who I fathered while in prison, who used to be "no profit" for you, but now he is "profit" to you and me both! I have sent him back to you. So accept him.
He is my own heart, and I wished to keep him for myself, so that he could minister to me on your behalf while I’m here in chains for the gospel. But I didn't want to do anything without your consent, so that your good deed might be voluntary, and not required. Maybe this is why he left you for a while, so that you could have him back forever, no longer as a slave but higher than a slave--a beloved brother--especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord!
So, if you think of me as a partner, then accept him the same as you would me. But if he hurt you, or owes anything, put that on my account. I, Paul, wrote this with my hand. I will pay it back. I won't mention to you that you owe me even yourself, by the way.
Yes, brother, let me have "profit" from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in the Lord. Since I have confidence in your obedience, I already wrote this to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.
While you're at it, set up a guest room for me, too, because I hope that, through your prayers, I will be given to you.
Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings, and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is with your spirit! Amen.
from Paul in Rome, Autumn 60 AD
carried on foot to Colosse
by Tychicus and Onesimus
Some time before Paul made it to Rome, three churches were born in cities near Ephesus: Colosse, Hieropolis, and Laodicea. Paul had never seen these churches, but he knew Epaphras--their founder--from his three-year period of ministry in Ephesus.
This man, Epaphras (short for Epaphroditus), came all the way to Rome to see Paul,to ask him to help the three churches. When Epaphras left Colosse, a slave named Onesimus ran away from his owner and went with Epaphras to Rome.
In Rome, Epaphras believed in Christ. Before Onesimus and Epaphras left Rome to go home, Paul was moved to write a letter on Epaphras’ behalf to his owner, a brother in the church in Colosse, named Philemon.
The name Onesimus means “profitable” or “useful”.
~~~!~~!~~~
From Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother.
To Philemon, our beloved brother and fellow worker,
To our sister Apphia,
To Archippus, our fellow soldier,
To the church in your house,
Grace to you, and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
I thank my God and always mention you in my prayers, because I hear about the love and faith you have for the Lord Jesus and for all the saints. I pray that the fellowship of your faith might start to work into a full knowledge of everything that is good in you for Christ Jesus. We have great joy and comfort in your love, brother, because you have refreshed the hearts of the saints.
So even though I have enough boldness in Christ to order you to do what is right, instead, for love’s sake, I appeal to you myself. I, Paul the aged, now in prison for Jesus Christ, I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who I fathered while in prison, who used to be "no profit" for you, but now he is "profit" to you and me both! I have sent him back to you. So accept him.
He is my own heart, and I wished to keep him for myself, so that he could minister to me on your behalf while I’m here in chains for the gospel. But I didn't want to do anything without your consent, so that your good deed might be voluntary, and not required. Maybe this is why he left you for a while, so that you could have him back forever, no longer as a slave but higher than a slave--a beloved brother--especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord!
So, if you think of me as a partner, then accept him the same as you would me. But if he hurt you, or owes anything, put that on my account. I, Paul, wrote this with my hand. I will pay it back. I won't mention to you that you owe me even yourself, by the way.
Yes, brother, let me have "profit" from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in the Lord. Since I have confidence in your obedience, I already wrote this to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.
While you're at it, set up a guest room for me, too, because I hope that, through your prayers, I will be given to you.
Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings, and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is with your spirit! Amen.