Day 450: Philemon- The Family Of God-Redeemed!

1 Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our beloved fellow worker 2 and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philemon's Love and Faith
4 I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, 6 and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. 7 For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.
Paul's Plea for Onesimus
8 Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, 9 yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus— 10 I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. 11 (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) 12 I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. 13 I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, 14 but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. 15 For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, 16 no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
17 So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. 18 If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. 19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. 20 Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.
21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. 22 At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you.
Final Greetings
23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, 24 and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Meditation
God redeems people into His family, a renewed people whose relationships put on display the mystery of the Gospel (Ephesians 3:1-6). Redeemed relationships supersede ethnic, socio-economic, political, and generational distinctions.
 
We are one in Christ.
 
Paul was a prisoner, an old man (9) writing to the church in Philemon’s house (1-3). Onesimus was a runaway whom Paul commands to return. Redeemed relationships have at least five features:
 
1-Relationship happens in God’s providence. Onesimus came to Paul and was received by Paul, an apostle welcoming a fugitive. We are given opportunities to see the Lord work through relationships He providentially provides.

​2-Relationship happens in community and in partnership. This short letter reveals deep fellowship through the church (6), from the heart (10, 12), to refresh the heart (20), and under authority (14, 21).
 
3-Redeemed relationships restore what has been broken. Through beautiful play on words we see the power of the gospel transforming the useless to someone useful, a slave who became a son and a bondservant who became a brother (11, 16).
 
4-Redeemed relationships are gospel shaped. Paul uses his capital for the welfare and future of Onesimus declaring that if he had wronged Philemon in anyway then he should “…charge it to my account.” (18) Redeemed relationships practically reflect how Christ loves the Church.
 
5-The ultimate goal is multiplying disciples of Jesus. Paul the apostle commands the church to “receive (Onesimus) as you would receive me” (17). Followers of Jesus welcome others in the name of Jesus and obey the grace of Jesus to make more followers of Jesus.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What redeemed relationships are reflected in your life? This is to ask, what relationships do you have through the church that make no sense to the world outside of unity in Christ?
 
-“We are all one in Christ” writes Paul to the Churches in Colossae and Galatia. How can you celebrate the unity of the Body of Christ through embracing relationship in God’s redeemed family? Be specific.
 
Key Verse
9 yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus— 10 I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. 

Check out THE WEEK'S LINKS!