Running head: THE BOOK OF PHILEMON 1

The Book of Philemon

Carmen Garcia

Fresno Pacific University

The Book of Philemon

There are many life lessons we can learn from the Bible. We can take this God given

word that were written by numerous authors inspired by the spirit of God to teach us morals and

guidance to guide us through our journey here on earth. Although there are many inspirational

leaders within the Bible, I believe we can learn so much from the letters of Paul. The book of

Philemon is about love and forgiveness for our fellow Christian brothers and sisters’,

reconciliation, but most of all I feel it is about doing the right thing in our heart when we find it

very difficult to do.

In the New Testament we will find this short letter Paul wrote to Philemon. Paul not

always being a servant for Jesus is now a part of teaching others how to love and forgive by

helping them think in a different light. Paul’s true name was Saul. Saul was once a Pharisee

condemning and killing followers of Jesus Christ. It was not until he had an encounter on the

road to Damascus with Jesus, that his name changed to Paul. It was on this road he was giving

the job by Christ Jesus to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. (Acts 9)

Within this letter Paul writes, he lets Philemon his friend and coworker know how much

he loves and appreciates all he has done for the fellow Christian brothers and sisters. Paul knows

a love like this can only be demonstrated by having a relationship with Jesus. Within the Bible

God lets His people know that He will give them a new heart and a new spirit, but God does not

stop there He continues to let His people know that He will remove from their bodies the heart of

stone and give them a heart of flesh. He also tells His people that He will put His spirit within

them, and make them follow His Laws and be careful to observe His rules. (Ezekiel 36:26) This

in my opinion is what I believe gave Paul his confidents that Philemon would listen to his letter.

After all Philemon was a coworker with Paul in spreading Jesus to other Gentiles in this time.
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However we need to have the love of Jesus in our hearts to love others, but to speak into others’

lives and ask them to think about things in their lives that need to be changed can be

uncomfortable for both parties in any situation. Still I say this book is about love, because Paul is

also addressing one of Philemon’s slave Onesimus. Paul calls this slave part of his heart; by this

statement Paul is letting Philemon know that Onesimus is now part of the brotherhood of Jesus.

Still in verse 10 Paul lets Philemon know that they met when they were in prison. I believe this is

in a physical prison not a metaphorical prison. I say this because, I think that Onesimus was a

runaway slave in verse 11 Paul writes that Onesimus was once useless but now he is useful to

both of them. I do know back in the historical biblical time people did have slaves and if they ran

away from their masters they would be put to death or be put in jail. Here is the twist; Paul calls

him his son in his heart. This has to bring some feelings of anger. For me I know it would. Paul

was asking Philemon to forgive Onesimus for running away.

The book of Philemon also gives us some insight on how we should forgive others. Here

with in verse 12 Paul writes that he is sending Onesimus back to Philemon. And then in verse 17

Paul says to Philemon if he considers him his partner to welcome back Onesimus the way he

would welcome him back. This would be difficult for anyone to do. I know forgiving is a tough

thing to do for everyone. But as a Christian it is mandated that we forgive as Jesus forgave us.

“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has

forgiving you” (Ephesians 4:32) then again it says “ As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,

clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one

another and, if anyone has complaint against another, forgiving each other; just as the Lord has

forgiven you.” (Colossians 3:12-13) I see this as a command for believers now in this time. In

biblical times I would think it was deeper. So with verse 12 and 17 Paul was asking Philemon to
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forgive Onesimus for running away and to welcome him back into his home but not as a slave

but as a brother in Christ Jesus. Still I believe that Paul was asking Philemon to do the right thing

even though it was going to be hard.

It can be challenging to make and do the right thing when your flesh fights against the

spirit. I feel that Paul was trying to help Philemon in doing what needed to be done by

welcoming back Onesimus into his house verses 8 and 9 say “For this reason, though I am bold

enough in Christ to command you to do your duty, yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis

of love-and I Paul do this as an old man and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus.” I believe

right here Paul was letting Philemon know that he has authority with in the Church. Paul uses

key words like old man and bold enough in Christ. Being involved in a Christian community I

know and understand church lingo and within verse 8 with the way it is written using the

language in “Christ to command you,” this lets me know that Paul has high qualifications, he is

strongly letting Philemon know what he should do with his slave Onesimus. Still to get his point

across Paul uses the word old man. For some reason I do not think he was referring to mean

senior citizen which is a word for this time and age. I feel these words are used to describe an

elder; a person clothed with authority, and entitled to respect and reverence or perhaps a deacon,

a runner, messenger, or servant. Right here Paul was using his authority within the church, but

then Paul changes his command to a request. I think he did this to show a different perspective

and to help Philemon learn how to do the right thing even though it can be difficult to do. The

Bible says in the book of James “Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it,

commits sin.” (4:17) Then again in the book of Romans “Contribute to the needs of the saints;

extend hospitality to strangers.” (12:13) even though Onesimus was not a stranger, he had now

become a saint. I remember when in class I heard this saying “ it doesn’t madder how bad you
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suck at it, if you believe in Jesus, the Bible calls you a saint” (Dave Wainscott) We as followers

of Christ know that there are times when our spirit deep within us knows we should do

something, but our flesh fights us on doing it. If I was Philemon, as I read this letter I would sure

feel an inner-conflict happening. Paul also knows this feeling very well; again in the book of

Romans he writes “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the

very thing I hate.” (7:15) in my opinion Paul was persuading Philemon to make the right choice

and except Onesimus back. This reminds me of a parable that Jesus told in the book of Luke.

Jesus is telling a story to the crowd that were gathered around him about a man who had two

sons. The younger son asked his dad for his part of his inheritance. A few days later this child

packs up and leaves to the big city where he spends all his money. Not having any money he

looks for a job and finds one feeding pigs. He comes to his senses and says to himself he will go

back home and ask his dad to forgive him and to treat him like a slave. Soon after he started back

home, his dad sees him from a far and runs out to him and hugs him, the son asked his dad to

please forgive him but the dad calls one of his slaves and says bring a robe and kill a fatted calf,

let us have a party, for my son was dead but now he is alive; he was once lost but now he is

found, (11-22) the dad was so happy that his son came back home he did not care about what he

had done. In the same way Paul was hoping that Philemon would be happy that Onesimus was

going back home after he had ran away from him. Paul wanted them to reconcile, a change from

enmity to friendship, because that was the right thing to do. I believe that was the main reason

Paul sent Onesimus back.

In closing I believe that the book of Philemon; is about loving and forgiving our Christian

brother’s and sisters’, however one must not just forgive, we need to reunite with them in a

loving and caring way. I feel it needs to be the same way God sent Jesus to reconcile us with
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Him. Still this book teaches us to make the right choice even though it can go against our

emotions and fleshly desire.

My sign is what; I feel the book of Philemon is about. The cross represents the

forgiveness we as believers obtain when we accept Jesus. The heart represents a new heart and

spirit that God has given his followers to guide us in all his commands. The torn and conflicting
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emoji within the heart is how we feel when we are being prompted to follow something within

God’s word that our flesh wants to deny but the spirit of God within us wants to accept. Still all

the questions marks around the cross represent the confusion and uncertainty with in the

struggles of doing what is right and just.