Let me...

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.”(Philemon 1:17-18 ESV)

Onesimus, a slave to Philemon, had fled from his master. However, in a remarkable turn of events, the imprisoned Onesimus found solace in the teachings of Paul, who was also incarcerated at the time. This transformation, from a runaway slave to a child of God, is a testament to the power of the gospel, a key theme in the Epistle to Philemon.

Paul, in a selfless act, is willing to risk his friendship while pleading with Philemon to spare Onesimus's life. Just as Christ was made sin for Paul, Paul is asking that Philemon impute the welcome held for Paul to Onesimus, now a brother in Christ. This selflessness is a powerful testament to the gospel.

Paul, acting as a mediator, strives to further a reconciliation between Onesimus and Philemon by offering to pay whatever is owed to Philemon by the actions of Onesimus. This act of forgiveness and reconciliation mirrors Christ's payment for our sins and underscores their importance in the gospel message. We look for Christ in the Old Testament, as the gospel is everywhere. But sometimes, when we read the New Testament, we miss the gospel being modeled right before our very eyes.

Paul, always preached Christ and Him crucified. We are used to reading the words of Paul and his teachings about Jesus. It is why I love reading this Apostle's words so much. But Philemon is different. It is not to a church. It is not about what not to do and what Christ has done. It is a letter to a friend, a brother, asking this brother to forgive a debt owed or to charge this debt to Paul. He is asking Philemon to model Christ, and while Paul was Philemon's elder, Paul did not command Philemon to do anything. He appealed to the love of Christ in Philemon to “do the right thing.”

As we read further into this epistle, we realize that not only Onesimus, but Philemon as well owed his Christianity to the preaching of Paul. Do you model the gospel in this way? Have you paid a debt someone owed another? At the grocery store when someone was short, at the gas station when someone had run out of gas with no money, or on the train when someone had no ticket. Have you modeled the gospel? If you have not tried it, you should. One kind act of the gospel opens the door of salvation for another. It is a chance to not only model the gospel but to speak it to one who may not know Christ.

Grace and Peace!