Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction
Imperial Rome in the middle of the first century was one of the most cosmopolitan centers ever recorded in human history.
Its population has been estimated as high as 1.3 million, with more than half of that number as slaves.
These slaves were drawn from throughout the empire, but they were also joined by legionaries recruited from the Roman provinces, as well as traders, travelers, and adventurers of all kinds.
Much like New York in our day, Rome was a great place to be lost among the crowd.
A newcomer in a small town would stand out.
A newcomer in a sea of aliens would not.
That may be why a runaway slave named Onesimus fled there from the city of Colossae.
There is some evidence that Onesimus had also stolen money from his owner before he took flight.
However, he could not flee from the providence of God.
While in Rome, Onesimus met the Apostle Paul, who was a prisoner awaiting judgment.
We do not know how they came into contact, but Onesimus would have known his master, Philemon, owed his conversion to Paul and that Philemon’s home was a gathering place for Christian observances.
Onesimus may have been useless to Philemon, but in Rome, he converted to Christ and became a useful servant to Paul.
Paul would have loved to keep him there, but he could not without the knowledge and consent of Philemon.
Furthermore, Onesimus had a debt to reconcile.
In sending Onesimus back, Paul penned this personal letter to Philemon.
Please open your Bibles to the book of Philemon.
Paul’s Letter to Philemon
Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker, to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier and to the church that meets in your home:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.
I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.
Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.
Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I appeal to you on the basis of love.
I then, as Paul – an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus – I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains.
Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.
I am sending him – who is my very heart – back to you.
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.
But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do will be spontaneous and not forced.
Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back for good – 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 man and as a brother in the Lord.
So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.
If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me.
I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand.
I will pay it back – not to mention that you owe me your very self.
I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.
Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers.
Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings.
And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Exegesis
In this heartfelt plea on behalf of Onesimus, Paul teaches three important points on the nature of forgiveness.
The first point is that forgiveness must be voluntary and come from the heart.
Forgiveness cannot be forced or compelled.
Paul’s letter is personal.
He does not invoke his apostolic authority.
Now, Paul may hedge his bets, somewhat, by reminding Philemon of his debt to Paul, but Paul reaches out to Philemon as a Christian brother.
In verse nine, Paul writes, “I appeal to you on the basis of love.”
In verse 14, Paul reiterates his point by saying, “I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do will be spontaneous and not forced.”
Forgiveness must be sincere.
The second point is that while sin is neither minimized nor belittled, forgiveness means giving up our right to get even.
Paul does not excuse Onesimus’s wrongdoing.
He acknowledges in verse 11 that Onesimus was “useless” to Philemon.
Yet, in verses 18 and 19, Paul desires Philemon to set aside vengeance such that Paul assumes the debt himself.
“If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me.
I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand.
I will pay it back.”
Paul does not stop there, though.
He reminds Philemon that he owes Paul his very self and entreats him for some benefit in the Lord.
Forgiveness means giving up retribution and settling scores.
The third point is that forgiveness means wishing the wrongdoer well.
It may be possible for us to forsake a debt and to turn our backs on the debtor.
Paul, however, writes that the Christian strives for a better outcome.
In verse 16, Paul exhorts Philemon to welcome Onesimus back “no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother.”
Onesimus should be dear to them “both as a man and as a brother in the Lord.”
Forgiveness means loving the sinner as you love yourself.
One might be tempted to believe that Paul is teaching that we should forgive only when the debtor seeks reconciliation, such as the case of Onesimus.
This was not the attitude of Jesus, though, as He was nailed to the cross and forgave those who mocked Him.
This was not the attitude of God who reconciled us, yet while we were still at enmity with Him.
God set no conditions on his forgiving.
God’s grace is free and unmerited, and He expects our forgiveness to be the same.
What amazes me is that, as a runaway slave, Onesimus, out of love and obedience to Christ, is willing to risk possible mutilation or even death in order to reconcile himself to his owner.
Yet, at far less a cost than Onesimus risked, we allow our pride and ego to prevent us from seeking and giving true forgiveness.
Jesus commanded us to forgive.
In Matthew 5:44 Jesus says, “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
Failure to do so is nothing less than disobedience.
Like the Pharisees and their phylacteries and tassels, we proudly put our piety on display with our “What Would Jesus Do” bracelets, coffee mugs, and bumper stickers.
Yet, we spend little time acknowledging our profound debt for “what has Jesus done.”
While we were still His enemies, God reconciled us to Him through Jesus Christ.
Jesus lived the sinless life of perfect obedience on our behalf and endured the punishment that we deserve.
Like Onesimus to Philemon, we were separated from God, but for those of us in Christ, we have been reunited for good.
In Christ, God did not minimize or belittle our sin, but paid the penalty for it.
In Christ, God voluntarily redeemed us.
In Christ, God welcomes us with joy and every spiritual blessing.
As Paul writes in Ephesians 1:3-8,
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will – to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
As recipients of God’s marvelous grace, we are called to rise above retribution and to offer grace to others.
Our forgiveness must be sincere and not forced.
We must surrender the right to get even.
We wish the wrongdoer well.
Finally, forgiveness should lead to reconciliation.
As Paul might say, “I know you have been wronged; I know you grieve.
But, in light of what God has done for us, how can we do less?”
In Ephesians 4:31-32, Paul exhorts us to “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
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