Sermon Notes

Please note that these are only notes, not transcripts, and as such are not identical to the recorded sermons. They also contain frequent abbreviations.

Introduction

1. In this short epistle we have the feeling that we are eavesdropping on a private conversation or reading a person’s private letters over his shoulder.

   1. Initially, of course, Paul’s letter to Philemon was private, although it did include his immediate family and household.

   2. But it was never destined to remain private: Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write this letter; and in the good providence of God it became part of Holy Scripture.

   3. As Holy Scripture it is profitable for doctrine, for correction, for reproof and for instruction in righteousness.

2. We have already seen that the way in which Paul begins his letter is crucial to the overall purpose of God in this short epistle, namely to reconcile Onesimus and Philemon.

   1. We noticed that Paul addresses Philemon in words of deep affection, reminding him on God’s love for him, and, by implication, of his obligations to show love in return.

   2. We noticed how Paul commends Ph highly for his love. Ph. we see from the intro, is exactly the kind of person we’d expect to respond positively to Paul’s request.

   3. Now this morning we see how Paul approaches Ph, how he appeals to him, and what he does not do, and does do, to draw out Ph’s love for Paul and ultimately for O.

“PAUL’S APPROACH TO PHILEMON”

I. Not Flaunting His Authority

II. Appealing to Love

III. Drawing Out Philemon’s Affection

1. NOT FLAUNTING HIS AUTHORITY

   1. Paul alludes to his authority in verse 8 but declines to use it.

      1. He describes his authority in these words: “though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee”

         1. Paul had the authority to command Ph to do “that which is convenient.”

            1. The word “convenient” may be a bit misleading to the modern reader. We think of convenient as that which is easy to do, which fits with our schedule, which does not put us out.

            2. But convenient here means “suitable,” “appropriate” or “fitting,” that which Ph ought to do, and really must do. He is under a moral imperative to do it.

            3. And we do not find out what that thing is until verse 12 (“receive him”). Paul calls Ph to receive back Onesimus with favor, love and forgiveness, not to treat him harshly. Paul does not command Ph to release O. from slavery although Ph may very well have taken that step.

         2. Literally, Paul writes (retaining the original word order), “Therefore much in Christ boldness having to command thee.” The word order is important.

            1. Paul is saying that he has the perfect right to command Ph to do his duty.

            2. He has “boldness.” That is he has plainness of speech, confidence and freedom to speak to Ph in Christ’s name and make demands upon Ph.

            3. He has much boldness – the word “much” is emphasized in the original.

         3. And that boldness or authority with which Paul speaks is not Paul’s opinion or some power which he has usurped. It is his authority in Christ.

            1. Paul is an official spokesman of the Lord Jesus Christ, who Himself has all power in heaven and in earth and thus Paul has the greatest possible authority to speak to this matter.

            2. Ph recognizes Paul’s authority as coming from X: Ph is a faithful member of the church, that body which confesses X as Head, and Christ’s Word as Law.

            3. And since Paul is the spokesman of Christ, Paul has in Christ supreme authority so that Ph’s only fitting response as an obedient and submissive Christian must be: “Speak Lord, thy servant heareth.”

      2. All of this means that Paul is an apostle because only apostles could make claims to have such authority. Remember what Jesus said to His apostles, “He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me (Luke 10:16).

         1. The apostles had infallible teaching authority. No minister has such authority today, but the apostle were official spokesmen of Christ, bringers of infallible revelation from heaven.

            1. This is true esp. of the Gospel which the apostles preached. Paul says about the Gospel he preached that he did not receive it from man but directly from Jesus Christ. Every apostle could say that (Gal. 1:11-12).

            2. Apostles were eyewitnesses of X Himself (I Cor. 9:1), directly commissioned by Him & qualified for their work with miracles (II Cor. 12:12).

            3. The apostles were given this infallible teaching authority so that they could be the foundation of the NT church esp. by writing the NT books, all of which were written by the Apostles or close associates of the Apostles (Eph. 2:20).

         2. The apostles had infallible authority to make ordinances for the churches. They determined how churches were organized and governed; they determined how Christians must live in marriage and singlehood, in the relationships of parents and children, master and slave, and the state.

            1. For example, Paul writes to Timothy that women are not to be officebearers. “I suffer not a woman to teach,” he writes (I Tim. 2:12). Paul’s “I suffer not” is the same as Christ’s “I suffer not.” Then in chapter 3, he sets forth the qualifications of elders and deacons.

            2. Paul begins the same letter with “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ which is our hope,” and then in 2:7, “Whereunto I am ordained a preacher and an apostle (I speak the truth in Christ and lie not), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.”

            3. Then it I Cor. 14:37 Paul writes, “If any man think himself to be a prophet or spiritual let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.”

         3. Moreover, Paul’s (and the other apostles’) authority applied to every congregation, every church and every Christian. Thus Paul had “much boldness in Christ to enjoin.”

            1. To receive a letter from an apostle, therefore, was extremely significant. When such a letter was received it would be read in the worship services as Scripture, I Thess. 5:17.

            2. Paul explicitly says elsewhere that he (and the other apostles) had authority in all the churches. Read I Cor. 7:17; II Col. 11:28.

            3. Paul even had authority to expel sinning members from church: I Cor. 5:3-5; I Tim. 1:20. Certainly, Paul had the authority to command Ph to receive O.

   2. We all know the famous saying, “Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.” But the power that Paul possessed did not corrupt him or the other apostles because it was authority “in Christ.”

      1. Christ gave authority to His apostles; and since the authority was “in Christ” it was not to be used for self-promotion or in a haughty, domineering way, in order to browbeat the sheep of Christ.

         1. Paul knew that he had certain authority as an apostle but that authority was strictly limited and circumscribed by Christ Himself who gave that authority for the good of the church and of every member.

            1. Twice in II Corinthians, for example, Paul reminds the saints that the authority which the apostles have was for edification. II Cor. 10:8; 13:10.

            2. And although Paul had many rights as an apostle, for example the right to be paid for his labors, he worked as a tentmaker so that no disrepute would fall upon the gospel: read I Cor. 9:3-6, 15; II Cor. 11:7-9.

            3. The same thing was true of his labors in Thessalonica where he testifies to his gentle, humble conduct there, I Thess. 2:6-9.

         2. Paul never uses his apostolic authority to gain for himself prestige and honor. The only time Paul insists forcefully upon his apostolic authority is when the gospel itself is at stake.

            1. Paul’s authority is “in Christ:” he has it only for the sake of the glory of Christ; for the good of the churches of X; and in service of the truth of Christ.

            2. Paul understands that he is above all things a servant of Christ, and he, Paul, must give account to Christ how he has used the authority assigned to him.

            3. And we notice that no one today has that kind of authority: no church member, no elder, deacon or minister, no church leader of any kind can say, “I have the authority to teach infallibly, to command all the churches, b/c X has directly commissioned me to rule, and I have seen the risen Lord.” There are no apostles today. Today, apostolic authority resides in the Scriptures.

      2. We can learn from the non-authoritarian approach of Paul here. Today, Christ has given various individuals authority in different spheres. There is especially the sphere of the church and the home.

         1. There have been and still are men who misuse authority. Authority can become like an intoxicating drug to some men.

            1. There are authoritarian officebearers: there are ministers who will brook no questioning of their sermons, who will become indignant should anyone dare suggest that they might be wrong. Some of the more extreme will threaten or browbeat critics with legal action or spiritual repercussions.

            2. Benny Hinn is an example: he has publically cursed his critics by appealing to the text, “Touch not the Lord’s anointed.” He has said that those who criticize him will die as well as their children! He once said he wished God would give him a “Holy Ghost machine gun” so he could blow his critics’ heads off!

            3. He is an extreme example but there are plenty of pastors who have abused authority. These men are not infallible preachers of God’s Word, but even Paul who was did not use authority that way. With teachers today, we follow them only as far as they follow Christ and not one step further.

         2. The same can be true for those who are not officebearers in the church. The same approach applies to husbands and fathers.

            1. Husbands & fathers have authority from Christ to command their wives & children, but they may only command them what Christ commands. Where something is commanded contrary to Christ, the wives & children are not only free to disobey, they must disobey.

            2. But husbands and fathers must not be authoritarian, always laying down the law with an iron fist; they must not browbeat their wives and children into submission; they must not be tyrants in the home.

            3. When husbands and fathers exercise their God-given authority rightly there should be glad obedience from wives and children. And when OBs in the church exercise their God-given authority the response of the members should be loving submission. They recognize in their OBs the good shepherd.

2. APPEALING TO LOVE

   1. Why does Paul not appeal to his authority as an apostle? Because he does not need to. Notice how Paul begins verse 8, “Wherefore though I might be … yet I rather.”

      1. Based on what Paul has written before Paul refrains from using his authority, and instead appeals to Ph on the basis of love.

         1. Paul takes this approach because of who Ph is, and because of the relationship that Paul enjoys with Ph, a beloved and generous brother.

            1. Remember how Paul has just praised Ph for his generous, charitable deeds of love toward all saints, that Ph is well known for his readiness to relieve the distresses of others.

            2. If someone has shown good Christian character in the past, it is right and proper to expect even more from them. That’s is Paul’s prayer in v. 6.

         2. On the other hand, from the disobedient we expect little. Disobedient people need the threat of law; they have to be coerced and they have to be curbed.

            1. Paul says that in I Tim. 1:9, “The law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient …”

            2. Calvin said that in preaching he had two voices, one to gather the sheep; the other to drive away wolves. With Ph. Paul used the former voice because Ph was a sheep. He could be gently led, he did not need to be driven forcefully.

            3. From Philemon Paul expects great things: he is a beloved brother; his past actions have proved it. And this determines Paul’s approach.

      2. Thus, says Paul, “I could command.” “Yet for love’s sake I rather beseech thee.”

         1. That verb “beseech” is one of the Apostle Paul’s favorites.

            1. The word is translated “encourage,” “exhort,” “urge,” “beseech,” or “beg.”

            2. This word captures the idea of seriousness or urgency. This is not an academic, abstract discussion in which Paul has no personal interest. The welfare of O. is at stake; the peace of the church is at stake; the spiritual health of Ph is at stake; and the glory of God is at stake.

            3. The apostle does not think it below his dignity to beseech; could you imagine the likes of Benny Hinn beseeching?

         2. This approach of the Apostle Paul will make a profound impression upon Ph. Imagine his emotion as he reads these words penned by Paul.

            1. Paul the Apostle takes time to write a personal letter to Ph. And the subject is so serious that Paul beseeches Ph to do that which is right.

            2. And, as we shall see, this is coming from an old man suffering in prison.

            3. What could Paul possibly desire so much that he would address Ph this way? You can see how this is all leading up to his important request concerning O.

   2. The basis of Paul’s appeal is love (“for love’s sake”). Look how often the word “love” or “beloved” is used in this short epistle. Both Philemon (v. 1) and Apphia (v. 2) are called beloved; Paul speaks of Ph’s love in verses 5 and 7; and O. is called beloved in v. 16. It should be no surprise that Paul would appeal to love. To what else would he appeal when writing to a Christian of the character of Ph?

      1. Ph is loved by God in J. Christ. We have seen that before but we must repeat it.

         1. As Christians we can never hear enough about the love of God for us.

            1. Would a husband say, “I think I tell my wife too often that I love her. I think I’ll stop that for a while. Maybe I’ll mention it in a few years from now.”

            2. Or would a father think, “My children are told too often that I love them. I will hide my love. It is better for them that they do not know that I love them.”

            3. God wants His children to know that He loves them. He tells them every week, “Beloved …” He tells them every day. He confirms it in the preaching and sacraments, There must be no doubt.

         2. We must not become afraid of speaking about the love of God b/c of the prostitution of God’s love by many. That would be a terrible overreaction.

            1. The church needs to hear often that God loves us with a sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love. The church needs to be reminded that God elected us in love; that the reason for the cross was love; that the reason for regeneration, calling, justification, sanctification and glorification is love.

            2. And the Christian needs to know too that he or she is loved personally by God. Without that personal confidence there can be no joy in the Christian life, and the Christian life becomes impossible.

            3. And that assurance comes only by faith: it is not that God loves everybody and therefore I know He loves me; it is not that I have confidence that I am good enough. It is simply this: I have faith, and I know that God only works faith in and gives faith to His elect, those He loves. Therefore I know that He loves me. Only with that knowledge could Ph. even begin to do the good works described in this letter and only on the basis of love could Paul hope to persuade him to take that compassionate step with O.

      2. Paul appeals to Ph. also on the basis of the love which Ph & Paul have for one another as members of church; but this is not a different love! The love which we have for one another comes from the love which God has for us. This loving relationship will includes O. who is just converted.

         1. Christian love is, of course, a fruit of God’s love for us in Christ. A man will do for love what he will not do for duty, and Paul, of course, knows that.

            1. A man who loves his wife will put up with hardship and inconvenience where he will not put up with it in the case of a stranger.

            2. A mother who loves her child will go without sleep, food and the luxuries of life where she will not sacrifice herself for a stranger.

            3. And a Christian will put himself or herself out because he or she loves the brethren, the fellow saints of the body of Christ.

         2. Effectively, Paul is saying, “Ph., if you love Christ, and I know you do; and if you love me, and I know you do; and if you love the saints, and I know you do because you have shown that you do; then, please Ph., do what I am going to ask you to do. Forgive and receive O.

            1. That is motivation pleasing to God. Work done w/o love is worthless.

            2. Remember I Cor. 13:2-3, “If I have not charity, I am nothing … if I have not charity … it profiteth me nothing.”

            3. Big-hearted, generous Ph. will surely respond in the way of love, and so must we, even when the task we are asked to perform is unpleasant, awkward or inconvenient. And we will, when we have the love of God in our hearts.

            4. Paul writes, for example, in II Cor. 5:14, “For the love of Christ constraineth us …”

3. DRAWING OUT PHILEMON’S AFFECTION

   1. In appealing to love the Apostle draws out Ph’s affection both for Paul (in v. 9) and later for O (in v. 10). The response to an appeal depends greatly on how a person presents himself.

      1. This is very different from manipulation or emotional blackmail.

         1. We all know what manipulation is like: it has been said that a woman can twist a man around her little finger by pretending to cry. Such behaviour is nothing but an ungodly psychological trick to gain a personal advantage.

         2. One who manipulates tries to tug on a person’s heart strings in order to get sympathy and then usually money or some other advantage from another. But Paul does not manipulate, threaten or deceive Ph. His affectionate words to Ph are inspired by the Holy Spirit for Ph’s own good.

         3. Besides, Paul does not need to manipulate Ph. It is not necessary where love rules in the heart. Paul is simply drawing out of Ph’s heart the love which is already there, not manufacturing a false pity.

      2. Paul draws out Ph’s affection in the way in which he describes himself as an old man (“the aged”) and a man suffering for the gospel (“prisoner of Jesus Christ”)

         1. Paul describes himself in simple but striking words. He does not embellish the description, become overly emotional, but simply states facts, facts which contrast Paul’s situation with Ph’s.

         2. Paul does not threaten divine retribution if Ph refuses his request; nor does he make empty, exaggerated promises of blessing. All of that would be ungodly manipulation and cruel mishandling of the sheep.

   2. Paul’s situation in v. 9 is that of an old man who is now suffering for the gospel. This is a humble, factual description which adds dignity and weight to his request.

      1. First, Paul is “being such an one as Paul the aged.”

         1. As Paul writes to Ph, he has a long, eventful life in the service of X behind him: we first meet Paul as a young man at the martyrdom of Stephen (by Jewish reckoning a “young man” was 30); later Paul is converted on the Damascus Rd.

         2. Then Paul spends three years learning the Gospel directly from Christ in the Arabian desert (Gal. 1:18); and 14 years later he is at the Jerusalem Council (Gal. 2:1). In those intervening years Paul went on his first Missionary Journey.

         3. After the Jerusalem Council Paul went on two missionary journeys: he spent 1.5 years in Corinth; and 2 years in Ephesus, and then he was arrested in Jerusalem.

      2. His imprisonment (for the sake of Jesus Christ) began in Jerusalem.

         1. After some time in custody there, where he was mistreated and almost killed by the Jews, he was transferred to Caesarea where he spent 2 years in custody; then he was months transported to Rome during which time he was shipwrecked. And finally he spends two whole years in prison in Rome. Most reckon Paul to have been about 60 years old: a ministry of almost 30 years.

         2. And now as an old man, a battle-worn soldier of Christ, Paul has a request, not for himself, but for a poor, defenseless slave, with no rights and no legal standing. Will Philemon hear Paul’s plea for him? Will Philemon listen for the sake of Paul whom he loves? We pick it up at verse 10 next time.