Philemon-Philemon 8-11-Paul's Appeal to Philemon
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday March 24, 2013
Philemon: Philemon 8-11-Paul’s Appeal to Philemon
Lesson # 6
Please turn in your Bibles to Philemon 8.
Philemon 1 From Paul, a prisoner owned by Christ, who is Jesus, along with Timothy, our spiritual brother, to Philemon, who is our dear friend and co-worker 2 as well as to Apphia, our spiritual sister and in addition, Archippus, our fellow-soldier, also, the church, which is in your private home. 3 Grace to all of you as well as peace from God our Father as well as the Lord, who is Jesus, who is the Christ. 4 I continue making it a habit of giving thanks to my God always as I myself continue to make it a habit of remembering you during my prayers 5 because I continue to regularly hear about your divine-love as well as your faithfulness, which you continue to regularly demonstrate toward the Lord who is Jesus, which is for the benefit of each and every one of the saints. 6 I make it a habit to pray that the fellowship produced by your faith would cause itself to be manifested as effective because of an experiential knowledge, which produces every type of divine good of intrinsic quality and character, which is in all of us on behalf of Christ. 7 Indeed, I have experienced much joy as well as encouragement because of your divine-love in the sense that the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, spiritual brother. (My translation)
Philemon 8 Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper. (NASB95)
This verse serves as a transition from Paul’s statements in verses 4-7, which are known to be true in regards to another truth communicated in verses 8-11, namely that Onesimus was now useful to both Paul and Philemon now that his runaway slave has become a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ through Paul’s ministry.
It denotes that the inference or conclusion Paul will present in verses 8-11 is self-evident, namely Philemon must accept Onesimus back as his spiritual brother on the basis of God’s love requires it.
This statement indicates that even though Paul was confident he could order Philemon to accept Onesimus on the basis of the apostolic authority delegated to him by the Lord Jesus, Paul instead is choosing to appeal to Philemon to accept his runaway slave on the basis of God’s love.
“Confidence” is the accusative feminine singular form of the noun parrēsia (παρρησία), which denotes Paul’s consciousness of his apostolic authority and power to order Philemon to accept Onesimus without any suggestion of conceit or arrogance on Paul’s part.
“In Christ” indicates that Paul’s great confidence to order Philemon to accept Onesimus back as his spiritual brother rather than as a runaway slave was based upon the apostolic authority given to him by Christ Himself.
“What is proper” refers to Philemon operating in God’s love toward Onesimus and receiving his runaway slave back as a spiritual brother rather than punishing him as his runaway slave.
Philemon 8 Therefore, even though I possess great confidence because of my authority from Christ to command what is appropriate and obligatory for you. (My translation)
Paul is telling Philemon that because of Philemon’s love and faithfulness and that Onesimus was now useful to both Paul and Philemon as a result of becoming a Christian, he was appealing to Philemon on behalf of Onesimus that he would accept the latter even though he was a runaway slave.
He wants Philemon’s motivation to accept Onesimus back as his spiritual brother to be based upon God’s love rather than ordering him to do his duty as a Christian.
The apostle refused to exercise his apostolic authority in the matter but rather chose to appeal to Philemon on the basis of God’s love in Christ Jesus.
It would be appropriate for Philemon to accept Onesimus back as a spiritual brother rather than punishing him as his runaway slave because both were the recipients of God’s love.
Philemon 9 yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus. (NASB95)
“Yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you” indicates that Paul is asking Philemon earnestly to receive Onesimus as his spiritual brother rather than punishing him as his runaway slave since Christian love obligates him to do so.
Paul is making his appeal to Philemon to do this because Christian love requires him to forgive Onesimus and accept him as a spiritual brother rather than punishing him as his runaway slave.
“Since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus” implies that Paul’s appeal to Philemon to accept Onesimus was true in spite of the fact that he was Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus and that he could by this authority order him to do this.
The participle form of the verb eimi (εἰμί), “since I am” can be interpreted either as a concessive or causal participle.
The former implies that Paul’s appeal to Philemon to accept Onesimus was true in spite of the fact that he was Paul an apostle of the Christ who is Jesus and that he could by this authority order him to do this.
The latter indicates the cause or reason or basis of the action of the finite verb and would indicate that Paul is appealing to Philemon to accept Onesimus as a spiritual brother rather than punishing him as his runaway slave “because” he is the one who is identified as Paul, implying his authority as an apostle.
The context indicates that the participle should be interpreted as a concessive participle since Paul has already told Philemon that he would rather appeal to him to accept Onesimus on the basis of Christian love rather than exercising his authority as an apostle and ordering him to do so.
“The aged” is the noun presbutēs (πρεσβύτης), which can mean either “old man” (Luke 1:18; Titus 2:2) or “ambassador, envoy” (2 Maccabees 11:34; 2 Chronicles 32:31; 1 Maccabees 14;22; 15:17) or it can mean “elder” referring to a person’s authority over a particular group of people (Isaiah 9:14; Numbers 10:31; Tobit 12:4).
If the word means “old man,” this would mean that Paul is describing himself as an old man in the sense that he was forty years of age or older.
However, if the word means “ambassador,” it would indicate that Paul is describing himself as an “ambassador” of Christ.
If the word means “elder” referring to Paul’s authority as an apostle of Christ, it would suit the context the best since then it would parallel the prepositional ἐν Χριστῷ, “because of the authority from Christ” which appears in verse 8.
In verse 8, the concessive clause indicates that Paul was telling Philemon that even though he had great confidence because of his authority given to him by Christ to order him to accept Onesimus back as his spiritual brother, he appealed to him on the basis of love instead.
Now, in verse 9, the concessive clause parallels the concessive clause in verse 8.
It indicates that even though he was the one who is identified as Paul, “the elder,” Paul appealed to Philemon on behalf of Onesimus rather than ordered him to accept Onesimus as his spiritual brother.
Furthermore, the longer form of presbutēs, which is presbuteros is often used by Paul in his letters to describe those with the spiritual gift of pastor-teacher (Romans 12:8; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Acts 15:2, 4, 6, 22, 23; 20:17; 21:18; 1 Timothy 5:17, 19; Titus 1:5; James 5:14; 1 Peter 5:1; 2 John 1; 3 John 1).
So it would appear that presbutēs in Philemon 9 means “elder” referring to Paul’s apostolic and pastoral authority over the church.
Philemon 9 I rather appeal to you on the basis of this divine-love, even though I am the one who is identified as Paul, an elder as well as now in fact, a prisoner, owned by the Christ, who is Jesus. (My translation)
The prepositional phrase διὰ τὴν ἀγάπην, “on the basis of this divine-love” is in the emphatic position of the sentence emphasizing with Philemon that he is obligated to exercise love toward Onesimus by forgiving him and accepting him as a spiritual brother.
Interestingly, Paul’s mild and gentle approach to Philemon in the matter of Onesimus is suggesting to Philemon that he approach Onesimus in the same manner.
Just as Paul refrained from exercising his right as an apostle to order Philemon to accept Onesimus back as a spiritual brother rather than punishing him as his runaway slave, so Philemon was to refrain from exercising his right under Roman law to punish Onesimus.
Philemon 10 I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment. (NASB95)
“I appeal to you for my child Onesimus” describes Onesimus as Paul’s spiritual child emphasizing the spiritual relationship that Paul had with Philemon’s runaway slave and denotes spiritual paternity meaning that Onesimus got saved through Paul’s ministry.
“Whom I have begotten in my imprisonment” means that Paul became the spiritual father of Onesimus as a result of the latter exercising faith in the gospel, which the former communicated to him while during the former’s first Roman imprisonment.
The proper name Onēsimos means “useful” or “helpful” and was a common name for slaves in the first century in the Roman Empire and is employed by Paul as a play on words in verse 11.
Onesimus is mentioned in Colossians 4:9 as being a citizen of Colossae and in fact, he accompanied Tychicus in bearing Paul’s letter to the church at Colossae.
Philemon 10 I appeal to you on behalf of my spiritual child whom I became the spiritual father of during my imprisonment Onesimus. (My translation)
The apostle Paul identifies his purpose for writing Philemon, namely, to appeal to him on behalf of his runaway slave Onesimus who he describes as his spiritual child because he communicated the gospel to him and Onesimus responded in faith.
Interestingly, Paul does not use the name Onesimus until the end of the verse.
This is deliberate of course since Paul wanted to first establish the fact that Onesimus was now a believer and now a fellow Christian of his and Philemon.
The apostle is being tactful since this was probably the first time that Philemon had heard anything about Onesimus since he ran away.
Thus, by first describing Onesimus as his spiritual child who he became the spiritual father of during his Roman imprisonment, the apostle Paul was softening the blow for Philemon since it was probably the first time he had heard about him since he ran away.
Paul was also taking away any justification for Philemon being angry toward Onesimus as a result of reading this epistle.
Furthermore, by describing Onesimus first as his spiritual child, Paul was telling Philemon that his runaway slave was now his spiritual brother.
The implication is that Philemon is obligated to forgive Onesimus and accept him back with open arms and in fact, Paul had Onesimus deliver this letter personally to Philemon.
Onesimus is no longer a piece of property but the spiritual child of Paul who he has great affection for.
Philemon 11 who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. (NASB95)
“Who formerly was useless to you” reveals that prior to his conversion Onesimus did not benefit his master Philemon but after his conversion he was a benefit not only to Philemon but also Paul.
“And to me” is emphasizing with Philemon that Onesimus was now useful to Paul, which is indicated by Paul’s statement in verse 13 in which he tells Philemon that he wished to keep Onesimus with him to minister to him during his imprisonment.
Thus, Paul is subtly telling Philemon, he would like to have Onesimus serve him in Rome rather than Philemon.
Philemon 11 The one who was formerly characterized as useless, of no benefit to you but now for your benefit and especially for my benefit, is characterized as useful. (My translation)
In this verse, the apostle Paul is using a play on words to emphasize with Philemon this dramatic change in his runaway slave.
The once unprofitable slave had now become profitable because Onesimus was now serving a greater master, the Lord Jesus Christ.
By becoming a Christian, slaves were to obey their masters, doing their work as unto the Lord (Ephesians 6:6-9; Colossians 3:22-24), which would result in making Onesimus profitable to Philemon, not to mention the Lord Jesus Christ.
Prior to his conversion, Onesimus was legally the slave of Philemon, however after his conversion he had become a slave of the Lord Jesus Christ and he must give an account of his service like all Christians, at the Bema Seat Evaluation of the church, which immediately follows the rapture, i.e the resurrection of the church.
At his conversion, the Spirit permanently indwelt Onesimus, providing the runaway slave with a spiritual gift in order that he might have the capacity to be a profitable servant of the Lord Jesus Christ as well as Philemon and the rest of the body of Christ including Paul.