20180422 a body of heroes
•Download as PPTX, PDF•
0 likes•45 views
Paul writes a letter to Philemon appealing to him to accept back Onesimus, Paul's spiritual son who was formerly Philemon's slave. Paul wants Philemon to accept Onesimus not as a slave but as a beloved brother. Paul promises that if Onesimus owes anything, he will repay it himself. He hopes to visit Philemon soon. The letter closes with greetings from fellow prisoners and workers and a blessing of God's grace.
Recommended
More Related Content
What's hot
What's hot (19)
Similar to 20180422 a body of heroes
Similar to 20180422 a body of heroes (20)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
20180422 a body of heroes
- 2. A BODY OF HEROES
- 3. Phm 1:1-3 NASB Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved brother and fellow worker, and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
- 4. Phm 1:4-7 NASB I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints; and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ's sake. For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.
- 5. Phm 1:8- 11 NASB Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper, 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— I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment, who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful
- 6. Phm 1:12-14 NASB I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart, whom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel; but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will.
- 7. Phm 1:15-18 NASB For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. If then you regard me a partner, accept him as you would me. But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything,
- 8. Phm 1:19-22 NASB I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well). Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say. At the same time also prepare me a lodging, for I hope that
- 9. Phm 1:23-25 NASB Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
- 10. A BODY OF HEROES
Editor's Notes
- https://www.sats.edu.za/story-philemon-onesimus-story-time/ https://www.indieskriflig.org.za/index.php/skriflig/article/view/1947/3654 http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christiancrier/2015/11/18/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-book-of-philemon-a-bible-study/ https://www.ancient.eu/article/629/slavery-in-the-roman-world/
- Paul’s letter to Philemon is another of Paul’s prison letters but it is his shortest letter. Some say it is not even a letter but a postcard. This short postcard is however filled with very personal communication from Paul to a close friend, Philemon. Philemon was a well to do Roman citizen from Colossae who likely met Paul during his mission in Ephesus and was there converted to Christianity. Later when Epaphras started a church in Colossae Philemon became a leader in the community that met in his house.
- Philemon became to Paul a source of comfort but also to the church he brought refreshing. Paul uses a very important word here that describes the relationship within a community of faith. He uses the word Koinonia, which refers to those that share something in common. Paul is saying that all of Jesus’ followers are equal partners who share in the gift of God’s grace and love. It is this Koinonia that defines our relationships as believers. Paul prays that Philemon and those meeting in his house would not only be a philosophy but something lived by all. He prays that knowledge will lead to effective faith. In our disciple’s quest this is our journey that knowledge will be lived out effectively.
- Because of Paul’s relationship with Philemon he feels confident to request something very unusual and even hard from him. Like most Roman Patriarch’s Philemon had slaves in his household. According to Mark Cartwright (https://www.ancient.eu/article/629/slavery-in-the-roman-world/) slavery was an ever present feature in the Roman world. One in three people of the population were slaves and one in five across the Roman empire. Edward Gibbon in Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire estimates that the Roman Empire had about 16 million slaves in the middle of the first century. Slavery was not racially based but most slaves came from nations that lost wars against Rome. Everywhere you found these living two legged tools that were a cut below humanity. A slave was not a person but a living tool. Masters had the right of life and death over their slaves. He could punish slaves as he sees fits. Inequality in power, freedom and the control of resources was an accepted part of life and went right back to the mythology of Jupiter overthrowing Saturn. As K.Bradley eloquently puts it, 'freedom...was not a general right but a select privilege' (Potter, 627). Further, it was believed that the freedom of some was only possible because others were enslaved. Slavery, was, therefore, not considered an evil but a necessity by Roman citizens. Philemon had a serious conflict with one of his slaves Onesimus who wronged him in some way. Onesimus ran away to Rome where he hoped like many other run away slaves to disappear into the masses. There he met Paul and also converted to the faith. Witch put Paul in a delicate situation as he writes this very personal letter to Philemon. Onesimus had become close to Paul, he saw him as a son in the faith. To Paul Onesimus was not a slave but a brother. Philemon was also Paul’s brother in the faith. According to Roman hierarchy Paul would be the top while below him Philemon and below him Onesimus but Paul here applies Biblical thinking and sees koinonia. Paul does not use his authority in dealing with this matter but makes a request to a friend. Because of his relationship with Philemon he expected that the latter would want to fulfil his request, he did not want to force Philemon but he invited him to move into a deeper place with God. Discipleship is voluntary. Do you have relationships that can invite you into deeper places.
- Paul sends Onesimus back to Philemon with the letter requesting that Philemon not only forgive Onesimus of the wrong he did and that he ran away but that he also embraces him as a brother. Onesimus had become very helpful to Paul in prison but this issue with Philemon had to be resolved. He wanted Philemon to practice his free will. We always serve God out of free will. Do you note that Paul is wanting Philemon to use his free will to give Philemon freedom.
- Philemon would have every right under Roman law to punish Onesimus, even have him put to death but Paul is asking that he not only forgive Onesimus but invite him back into the household as a social equal. This is way more than kindness this is unheard of! Welcoming back a runaway slave and then freeing him and treating him as a family member. This would completely upset the status quo of the Roman social order. Why would Philemon do this? Paul uses the same word as in verse 6 “koinonia,” here translated partner. He says to Philemon if we share in the freedom we have received in in Christ then let us use that freedom to bring freedom to Onesimus and if he has wronged you or whatever he has owed you put it on my account. This is the very heart of the Gospel message. Reconciliation – Paul shows that the gospel is about reconciliation, as he mentioned in 2Co 5:19 ”namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” Paul acts like Christ by putting himself between Onesimus and Philemon and being prepared to pay the price that there may be reconciliation. Koinonia – Paul also shows the social order of the kingdom, that Paul, Philemon and Onesimus are all equals before God and that they all share the same need for forgiveness. The ground at the foot of the cross is level. They could no longer relate to each other as master and slave but as brothers that share in the freedom in Christ. Col 3:11 “a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.” It is the only letter where Paul does not mention Jesus’ death and resurrection, he does not have to it is put on display through his action
- Through this letter we see that the implications of the gospel are very personal but never private. We are all partners in receiving the grace of God, we all need it and none of us deserve it. We are now part of a new community or a new society or as Paul refers to it in the letter to the Colossians a new humanity. In this new community there is no distinction in terms of value or standing on the base of race, gender, social or economic class but that we are all simply new humans in the Messiah that share together because in God’s merciful healing. Paul was asking Philemon and by extension other Christians to be heroes, to change the status quo. He invited them into the lifestyle of the kingdom, to recognize the heroic thing Jesus did for them and then for all of them to share this by being heroic in their relationships. Are there very personal places that God is inviting you into radical living, is he asking you to forgive and to share with others? Is He inviting you to redefine your relationships? We are a body of heroes that can change the status quo of our society and redefine how people relate to each other in SA by firstly coming into a new koinonia. Like Batanayi Manyika in his thesis on Philemon asks us to think of the relationship between domestic workers and their place in our households and churches. He looks at how hospitality can break down barriers between social groupings. How just sitting around the same table sharing a meal can take us into new spaces.