Sermon Tone Analysis

Overall tone of the sermon

This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
0.15UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.12UNLIKELY
Fear
0.12UNLIKELY
Joy
0.64LIKELY
Sadness
0.52LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.57LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.24UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.89LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.77LIKELY
Extraversion
0.11UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.83LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.69LIKELY

Tone of specific sentences

Tones
Emotion
Anger
Disgust
Fear
Joy
Sadness
Language
Analytical
Confident
Tentative
Social Tendencies
Openness
Conscientiousness
Extraversion
Agreeableness
Emotional Range
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Philemon #2
Interceding For Me
Continuing with our story; if you remember, Paul is in house arrest in Rome.
He is chained to a guard 24 hours a day switching off every 6 hours with a new guard.
He had preached in Ephesus and spent a long time there founding churches and leading many to Christ.
That resulted in the Gospel being spread throughout the region and this included Colossae in Phrygia.
One of the founders of that church was the recipient of our letter, Philemon.
We learned last week that he led a life worth emulating.
As a saint, a follower of Christ, he showed his faithfulness through strong faith, love for the saints, and openly sharing his faith.
But we also learned something else about Philemon, he was a man who had slaves as part of his household.
Let’s spend just a minute talking about slavery in the Roman world.
I told you last week that 1 in 3 people in Italy were slaves.
I also told you that the Romans brought back conquered people and made them slaves.
A majority of them were European.
Slaves in the Roman world were considered the least of all in society.
They were nothing more than chattel.
The slave in Roman society had no rights and no inherent worth.
Though hailed as the birthplace of Democracy, one of the states of Greece, Attica, which was home to Athens, some have written that there were 4 slaves for every ONE citizen.
Most slaves worked in groups in fields, mines, or factories.
Wealthy landowners in Italy were known to hold thousands upon thousands of slaves that could be willed to their heirs.
Yet slaves had NO rights.
They were not even allowed the simple act of marriage.
If the owner was predisposed, he may allow some to cohabitate, but not marriage.
The slave was completely under the control of his Master who could dispose of him as he wished.
According to Lightfoot, for the least offense, he could be scourged, mutilated, crucified, or thrown to wild beasts.
To give an idea of the severity, history tells us that a Roman Senator named, Penanius Secundus, was killed by one of his slaves in anger or jealousy.
Because of this act by ONE of his slaves, EVERY slave in Secundus’ household was legally condemned to die.
So, 400 slaves, human beings, were sentenced to die.
Surprisingly, the local population rose up to save them causing Senate deliberation.
One Senator, speaking in favor of the punishment, argued that because of the vast number of slaves from varied countries, the only possible way of control was with FEAR.
The rest of the Senators agreed and the 400 slaves were executed for the action of one.
My point in sharing this is to show you the society and cultural norm to which Philemon was a part.
Slavery was a part of society that Lightfoot observes “to prohibit slavery was to tear society into shreds.”
He goes on to say, “nothing marks the divine character of the Gospel more than its perfect freedom from any appeal to the spirit of political revolution.
It belongs to all time: and therefore, instead of attacking special abuses, it lays down universal principles which shall undermine the evil.”
But the Gospel IS concerned with the Salvation and Radical Transformation of ONE LIFE.
That life, transformed, multiplied by another transformed, then WILL transform Society.
So it is into this world that we have Philemon and Onesimus.
Now we have to surmise from scripture, but let me paint an authentic picture of what most likely went down to bring about this letter.
Onesimus was sold into Philemon’s household as a slave.
Some believe he may have been the son of nobility whose father was deposed and killed.
Philemon became owner of Onesimus before he ever met Paul, heard the Gospel, and received Christ.
I’m sure he became a better man, and thus a better master, but there was still the matter of slave and Master.
Onesimus must have shown himself faithful because he gained access to Philemon’s funds.
Perhaps he ran the household of Philemon.
But being the property of another is never an enviable state no matter the goodness of the master.
Paul had encouraged those in both stations
(CSB)
21 Were you called while a slave?
Don’t let it concern you.
But if you can become free, by all means take the opportunity.
22 For he who is called by the Lord as a slave is the Lord’s freedman.
Likewise he who is called as a free man is Christ’s slave.
23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of people.
24 Brothers and sisters, each person is to remain with God in the situation in which he was called.
But Onesimus, though I’m sure he heard the gospel, had not received it.
So, somewhere, somehow, he planned his escape.
He stole money from Philemon and he ran off.
If you are going to run away as a slave, where will you be safest?
Where can you get lost, if not Metropolis Rome?
A city of nearly a million.
It was a city with 400,000 slaves, by some estimates.
But the slaves for the most part looked just like everyone else.
He could get lost there.
And so there he went.
But God knew where Onesimus was and God had a plan.
How he came to Paul, we are left to wonder.
Did he stumble down his street and hear Paul preaching or teaching from his house of detention?
Did he, perhaps, begin to feel guilty for what he had done, hear that Paul was there and seek him out?
I do not know, but it is reasonable to imagine that as a trusted slave he would have accompanied Philemon to Ephesus.
He had probably heard Paul preach the gospel but had not yet received it himself.
Yet in the providence of God, he now had found Paul.
He had heard the Gospel, the Holy Spirit had drawn him, and he had embraced Christ as Lord through the ministry of Paul in Rome.
He was then discipled by Paul and became a voluntary servant to him and to God through him.
Eventually though, Onesimus knew that he needed to make things right with Philemon.
But I’ve already told you how slavers were treated for offenses.
He was rightfully afraid of how Philemon would respond.
So, now you see the point for this letter.
Paul knew Philemon.
He knew the faithful saint that he had become and with proper instruction how he would respond.
So, Paul wrote this letter to his friend on behalf of another friend.
Let’s read the first half of the part of the letter regarding Onesimus.
READ
What a beautiful letter, how masterful it is.
Paul is so gentle and persuasive at the same time.
But there is a deep well here from which we can drink refreshing spiritual water.
Now remember what had happened.
He was a slave, he fled from his Master.
He was guilty of many offenses.
He had been chosen by Philemon and he had once been useful.
Onesimus most likely had a different birth name but as was common for slaves, he had been given the name Onesimus which meant “useful”.
Common servant names like Chresmus or Chrestus also meant “useful”.
Onesiphorus meant “profit bringer” and Sympohorus meant “suitable”.
So Onesimus was so useful that he was that he was named “useful”.
But in this act he had become worthless or useless to Philemon.
He had betrayed him.
But IN CHRIST, he was now SOMEBODY.
Now, I want you to listen again and see the majesty of this letter.
Paul wasn’t just talking about this human relationship, though it was important.
Paul was reminding him what Jesus had done for us?
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9