“Charge That to My Account!”

"So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account." Philemon 1:17-18 (ESV)

Philemon is one of the four “Prison Epistles” that Paul wrote from his house arrest while in Rome around 60-62 AD. Paul restates some basic doctrines, like salvation is based on what God has done for us, not what we have done on our own. Salvation is a gift from God, because of His Grace, and is granted to any and all (Jew or Gentile) who will accept His gift through simple faith. Paul then uses the second half of his letters to apply his doctrinal teachings practically to believers (orthopraxy), explaining how they should live their lives to bring honor and glory to their Savior.

Remember Paul’s exhortation to “put off or lay aside” the old self and all of the sin we were involved in and to “put on” the new self free from sin's power. Paul talked about the mystery of God’s will, that we have been sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, that while we were dead in our sins, God showed His love toward us and sent His Son to save us. Paul covers the practical application of our Salvation in the relationships of husbands and wives, between children and parents, between masters and slaves, and between other believers. Paul explained the gifts that God gave to the church, like Apostles, prophets, evangelists, and Pastor-Teachers, “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ,” which is exactly what he was doing in this letter to Philemon.

The overview of the book is that while Paul was under house arrest in Rome, he met Onesimus, a runaway slave from the region of Colossae. Onesimus's owner was Philemon, a prominent member of the Church in Colossae, whom Paul had led to the Lord several years ago while Paul was Pastoring the newly formed church in Ephesus.

Also, having led Onesimus to the Lord while under house arrest and finding out that Onesimus was an escaped slave owned by Paul’s friend Philemon, Paul decided to send Onesimus back to Philemon. As an escaped slave and possible thief, Onesimus had broken Roman Law, and if arrested, would have faced severe consequences and possibly death. Onesimus was “guilty under the Roman law”; remember that as you read through this letter. Philemon was apparently reasonably well off; it seems he owned a house large enough for the local church to meet in, and he owned at least one slave. Philemon was a follower of Jesus, personally knew the apostle Paul, and owed Paul much for being the one who shared the Gospel of God’s grace with him.

Now look ahead and see what I think is the main theme of this book: forgiveness. In many places throughout Paul’s letters, he teaches that because God has forgiven us, we should forgive others. Not that we forgive others to be forgiven, but because we have been forgiven, through God’s grace, we should extend that same type of forgiveness to others who have wronged us.

In verses 17-18, Paul tells Philemon, “If then you regard me a partner, accept him (Onesimus) as you would me. But if he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.” (emphasis mine). Seeing this as a picture of what Christ has done for me really changed the way I read and understand this twenty-five-verse letter. Hopefully, I’ll never read it the same again. In this short personal letter to a dear friend of Paul, he so eloquently reminds him that just like Jesus tells His Father, if Jerry has done anything against you, if he has wronged you in any way, put that to My account.” Knowing full well what Jerry has done deserves death and to be separated from the Father for eternity. Knowing that my sentence is death, Jesus says, “Father, put that on my account.” Praise God that he did.

In his Bible Study Bible on page 1556, Dr. Chuck Swindoll states, “A third comparison is that grace allowed the right of appeal. God provided a clause allowing us the right to appeal. In Onesimus’s day, Roman law provided that a fugitive slave could have an associate or family member of the slave owner advocate for them by pleading their case to the owner. If the owner were willing, the fugitive slave would be allowed back into service. Paul acted as an advocate for Onesimus. Christ has become that Advocate for us before God, our rightful master. Like Paul did for Onesimus (Phil. 1:18), Christ has said to the Father for us, ‘They have wronged you. Charge it to Me.” … Thus He, as our substitute, paid the price for us. As a result, our Master - our original owner, the almighty God – has now accepted us back.”

That is what the book of Philemon is all about: forgiveness.

“Charge that to my account!”

"Living in Grace is not about what I can do, but about what Jesus has already done!"