THE POINT. v.11 Time past. Paul's appeal was to the love Philemon had for him, and for his sake, he wanted him to take Onesimus back. Private and domestic problems should be kept as close as possible to those directly involved. By the time Philemon reached this point in the letter, he may have been moved to tears for this man he loved in Christ, who had been instrumental in leading him to the Lord for salvation. Now, to his surprise, he learns about another "son in the faith" with whom he was acquainted - Onesimus. God has His own way of working in different places with various people to achieve results that far exceed mere coincidence. Introducing elements into the home that belong in the church creates confusion. Similarly, bringing things into the church that are intended for home expands what should and could remain small. Paul made his appeal based on his position as an elder brother in Christ and the fact that he was a prisoner of Christ Jesus. Profitable. The use of the words "unprofitable" and "profitable" is a play on the name Onesimus, which means "profitable or helpful." The apostle points out that Onesimus had changed since God saved him. He was a different man than he had been before salvation. No longer was he an unprofitable runaway slave who may have stolen money or goods from his master. He had been profitable to Philemon before, and now he served as a profitable minister to Paul. Therefore, Paul's action was to send him back to his master in accordance with Roman law. Tychicus probably presented the letter to Philemon and paved the way for the action Paul wanted Philemon to take.
Conversion is genuine when we observe changed attitudes and actions. When a divisive issue arises in a business, assembly, or family, we must seek ways to foster reconciliation, restitution, and restore fellowship as gracefully as possible. There is strength in the gentleness and grace that come from life experiences. Courtesy and politeness are essential in the approach of an effective intercessor who truly has the best interests of others at heart.
Even in meetings of elders or workers with differing opinions, consideration must be given to those who have the right to express their thoughts on a matter. This does not mean that one is ignored by their peers; rather, it indicates that their point of view has been respectfully acknowledged, even if it is not acted upon.
Reflecting on how God saved us is significant in nurturing a vital relationship with the Lord. By staying mindful of God's grace toward us before we came to repentance and faith in Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit and the word of God, we are inspired to thank God for loving us even when we didn’t love Him. We come to recognize how God's grace actively influences our daily lives as believers, compelling us to dedicate ourselves to Him as those identified as His children in this world of sin.
The first Passover was a defining moment for the Jews, and it still is today for Jewish people worldwide. Thousands of slaves became a nation overnight. Through that small nation, the world's nations have been spiritually blessed by the message of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
A covenant is established when a person acts in faith in God's words, and believers become “children of God by faith in Jesus Christ.” Our spiritual riches far exceed anything we can imagine. “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered the heart of man the things that God has prepared for them that love Him.” God’s plans for the nations and the people of the world are that they will be blessed. Even though sin reigns in the world today and in the mortal bodies of human beings, blessings come now to us through Christ, and nations will ultimately find peace through Him. It is now our privilege to be servants of Jesus Christ. To serve God is a personal choice we make when we become aware of how much we owe Him. “Gladly, let us render to Him all we are and have.” Being a servant means being subject to another person and obeying that authority. Our Lord has called us to serve those around us. He said, “I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done unto you… If you know these things, happy are you if you do them.” A servant of the Lord is to respond to His directives as a slave would to his master. In this paragraph of the letter, Paul refers to himself as the one making the appeal, acting as a mediator, and his qualifications for this role are that he is "Paul the aged, and now a prisoner of Jesus Christ." Second, he provides a description of the one for whom his request is being made - in this case, Onesimus. Third, he explains his actions by giving an overview of the matter at hand and describing the solution. Lastly, he gives an overview of how God has guided him in this matter. We learn from him that his attitude was to persuade people rather than use his authority. He understood the character of Philemon, to whom he was writing the letter. He recognized Philemon's love and acceptance of him. He also knew his authority as an apostle gave him the right to speak to him with "boldness"- frankness and no hesitation for fear of offending him. However, he realized that in this case, "boldness" in Christ was the basis of his appeal, and "for love's sake," he appealed to Philemon's love and grace.