Philemon#01

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Philemon

September 21, 2015

Philemon#02

January 24, 2010

RETURN TO THE LIST OF LESSONS

PHILEMON
Lesson #01
INTRODUCTION

 

• Introduction:
• The book of Philemon is directly related to the book of Colossians by the fact that they both involve the same people in the same church and written by the same author and delivered at the same time.
• In this book we are going to see how Paul works within the system of slavery and yet undermines it at the same time.
  • It is interesting that the Bible never condemns the system of slavery but provides the principles for personal freedom.
    • This tells us that personal, spiritual freedom is more important than physical freedom.
    • Slavery was a world-wide phenomenon and still exists in some parts of the world today.
      • For that, the message in this book is just as relevant today as it was in Paul’s day.
• It is interesting that with the institution of slavery comes the denial of humanity.
  • In other words, where slavery exists, the slave must legally be made to be something less than human and frequently is considered as property instead of humanity.
    • Man can treat property in any way that he desires without violating one’s conscience with guilt. In this way, man rationalizes his great inhumanity to man.
• The author:

• Paul wrote the book of Philemon at the same time he wrote the book of Colossians. This book and the book of Colossians were written from prison in Rome.
• The date:

• The date of this book is about 60-62 AD
• Written to:

• Paul wrote this letter primarily to a man by the name of Philemon.
  • What do we know about this man?
    • Philemon was a wealthy slave owner that happened to be a strong Christian.
    • Philemon lived in the city of Colosse where he had a church in his home.
    • It is possible that Philemon was a leader in the church in Colosse.
• The letter was also written to Apphia, Philemon’s wife, and Archippus, Philemon’s son, that lived in Colosse.
• The delivery:

• This letter from Paul to Philemon was delivered by the runaway slave, Onesimus, at the same time as the book of Colossians and Ephesians.
• The significance of the delivery will become more apparent in our study of this book.
• Paul’s purpose for this letter:

• Paul wanted to straighten out the relationship between Onesimus, the runaway slave, and his former master, Philemon.
  • Onesimus had robbed his master and then ran away.
    • The name Onesimus means = profitable. He had not been profitable to his master, Philemon.
      • Onesimus was not living up to the potential that God placed in him. Onesimus needed a personal relationship with God in order to fulfill God’s plan for his life.
        • The same thing is true of us today. Every human being has a potential to make something of his life. We can only achieve that potential through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Then the Holy Spirit works out God’s plan in the life of the believer.
• The theme for our study:

• Freedom and Responsibility
  • Jesus Christ sets us free but that does not mean we are free to live the way we want. It means we have a responsibility to God to put our lives and our relationships in order. This is our part in the cooperation with God to realize God’s plan in our lives.
• Love in Action: Living out love in personal relationships.
  • As we read the Bible, we see that God expects us to love other people. Sometimes it is not always easy to put this unconditional type of Christian love into practice. At times love is a great challenge. At other times, unconditional love can be costly.
  • Through it all, it takes faith to put this kind of love into practice.
    • We are going to see these challenges that love makes on the lives of these Christians in Paul’s day.
• Outline for the book of Philemon:

• =1= Greeting (1:1-3)
• =2= Thanksgiving and commendation (1:4-7)
• =3= The purpose of the letter: The appeal (1:8-17)
• =4= The promise (1:18-19)
• =5= The closing appeal (1:20-22)
• =6= The closing salutation (1:23-25)
• Sources for our study:

• Colossians

by Willard C. Peirce

• Understanding the Basic Themes of Colossians, Philemon

by Peter T. O’Brien

• Colossians, a Portrait of Christ

by James T. Draper Jr.

• Halley’s Bible Handbook
• Eerdman’s Handbook of the Bible
• The Layman’s Bible Study Notebook by Irving Jensen
• The Bible Guide

by Andrew Knowles

• The Bible Knowledge Commentary

by John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck

• General Introduction to the Bible

, Revised and Expanded by Norman Geisler and William E. Nix

 

• Background for our study:
• This letter deals strongly with slavery. For that we need to understand slavery in the cultures of the Bible.
• Slavery in the Old Testament:
  • Read Deu 15:16-18
  • Read Deu 23:15-16
• Slavery in Paul’s day:
  • Almost 1/3 of the population of the Roman Empire was considered to be slaves living mostly in the larger cities.
  • The Roman Empire relied heavily on slavery for its economic base.
  • The household played a significant part in the economy and slaves were central to the function of households.
  • As a result there were no movements to abolish slavery in Paul’s day.
• How did people become slaves?
  • Many people were captured in warfare and became slaves to the Roman army.
  • Some people were kidnapped by pirates.
  • Many people were born into slavery.
  • Some people sold themselves into slavery for economic reasons:
    • It gave them a better integration into Roman society.
    • It gave them a more secure financial existence.
  • Unwanted children were raised as slaves.
    • These were orphaned and abandoned children..
    • These were children sold into slavery by the parents because of an inability to care for the children.
  • Slaves were of any race and sex.
• Legal status of slaves:
  • In the Roman Empire, slaves were treated as property, not persons.
  • Slaves had no right to contract into marriage.
  • Slaves had no right to inherit.
  • Slaves had no right to represent themselves at court.
  • Slaves were often more severely punished than free men for the same crime.
  • Slaves were protected by law from extreme cruelty by their masters.
  • Slaves could own property including the ownership of other slaves.
  • The slave’s social status varied depending on the social standing of their owners.
  • Some slaves were well-educated and some were administrators with executive, decision-making powers. (Joseph and Daniel in the Bible are good examples.)
  • Slavery was never meant to be a permanent position.
    • In the Jewish system slaves were supposed to be set free every seven years.
    • In the Roman system slaves were usually set free by the age of 30.
      • Whole households of slaves were often set free at the death of the owner.
  • A slave could work to buy his own freedom.
• Runaway slaves:
  • Runaway slaves would either join groups of robbers, try to flee abroad, attempted to disappear into the culture and the work force of a large city, or they found refuge in temples.
  • In the times of the New Testament, runaway slaves were often crucified by their masters when caught and returned.
• God in His Word raises the institution of slavery to new heights of protection.
  • Scripture and slavery:
    • Read Col 3:22
    • Read Eph 6:5-9
  • Relationships between master and slave:
    • Read 1Cor 7:20-24
    • Read 1Tim 6:1-2
    • Read 1Pet 2:18-21
• The slave that became a Christian:
  • Because the Bible teaches us that all men are created equal in God’s sight:
    • …slaves are human beings and not property.
    • …slaves have an eternal soul worth saving in Jesus Christ.
    • …slaves are equally acceptable to God through Jesus Christ as any free man.
  • The slave, Onesimus, became a Christian.
    • What is the significance?
      • His new status as a Christian means that he is to live according to his new identity in Jesus Christ.
      • His new identity as a member of the family of God is more fundamental than any social or legal status.
      • He has a new owner, Jesus Christ, that has priority over his slave owner in power and authority but does not nullify the slave owner’s legal claim.
• Slavery in the 19th century differed in the following areas:
  • It was not temporary. All hope of one’s personal freedom in life was forever removed.
  • A slave in the 19th century was never able to redeem himself.
  • Slavery was racially motivated along with economics so as to control large numbers of ethnic peoples.
  • Slaves were always distinguishable by race;, by clothing, and by language.
  • Slaves were always at the bottom of the social and economic ladder.
• The Bible and slavery in the 19th century
  • During the times when the black slave trade was economically flourishing, the Gospel of Jesus Christ made a difference in finally ending the black slave trade. It is best understood through the story of a famous hymn, Amazing Grace, written by John Newton.
    • On John Newton’s tombstone is written these words, “John Newton, clerk, once an infidel and Libertine, a servant of slavers in Africa, was, by the rich mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the Faith he had long labored to destroy.”
      • At the age of eleven John Newton left school and went to work on his father’s ship to begin his life as a seaman. His early years were characterized by sins of all kinds, drunkenness, and rebellion. After working on several ships and on the west coast of Africa collecting slaves for sale to visiting traders, he eventually became the owner of his own slave ship. Capturing, selling and transporting slaves to the West Indies and America became a vicious way of life.
      • On March 10, 1748 during a very stormy voyage back to England, when it seemed that the sea would claim his ship and all aboard, John Newton began to read a Christian book, “Imitation of Christ” by Thomas Kempis. This experience changed his life, but he did not give up the slave trade. Instead he tried to justify his work by seeking to improve conditions on slave ships and by holding worship services for the crews.
      • Finally unable to live with his conscience and the conviction of the Holy Spirit, he gave up his ship and became a preacher and a strong crusader against slavery for the rest of his life.
      • God called him to the ministry and he became a pastor writing many hymns for the church with the Christian man that wrote the book that changed his life.
    • The hymn Amazing Grace comes from the heart of this converted slave trader. The year of his death in 1807 was the same year that the English Parliament legally abolished slavery throughout the British Empire.

HOMEWORK
PHILEMON 1
The is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teaher forcorrection.

• Preparation for Philemon 1
• Read Philemon1:1-25
  • Which of Paul’s personality traits are evident in his management of the situation?

• What does verse 17 teach about degrees of forgiveness? In other words, how does true forgiveness manifest itself in the life of an offended person?
• Memory Verse: Philemon 1:18