What Is The Message of The Book of Philemon?
Posted December 27, 2002
Paul points out to Philemon: …perhaps he [Onesimus, Philemon's
rebellious, runaway servant] departed for a season, that you [Philemon]
should receive him forever; not now as a servant [a slave, a nepios,
an infant that "differs nothing from a slave" (Gal 4:1)] but above a
servant, a brother [a fellow huios, a full brother in Christ]
beloved…
(vs 16).
Onesimus had left Philemon in rebellion. He was a slave both literally and figuratively. But the Spirit drew (dragged) him to Christ, and by becoming Christ's slave, he found true liberty. He was a free man regardless of what Philemon did, because in Christ he was Philemon's fellow 'huios'. They were now brothers in Christ.
Did being "delivered from the law" (Rom 7:6) make Onesimus a
lawless man? On the contrary, the carnal mind is enmity against
God: for it is not subject to the LAW OF GOD ["love is the fulfilling
of the law" - Romans 13:10] neither indeed can be
(Rom 8:7). Being
then made free from sin [those are biblical words] ye became the
servants of righteousness
(Rom 6:18).
He that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's
freeman: likewise also he that is called being free is Christ's servant
(1Co 7:21).
Yours in Christ,
Mike Vinson
