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Last updated 11.35pm Saturday 15 August 2026 (BAF).
Sunday 16 August 2026
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Philemon (Part One)
Philemon is:
· A letter from Paul written to a man called Philmon who lives in Colossae (in modern day Turkey)
· The letter is delivered by Tychicus who accompanies a man called Onesimus
· A second letter us written by Paul at the same time – Epistle to the Colossians – responding to false teaching in the church established under the ministry of Epaphras (Colossians 1:5-7) and is also delivered by Tychicus
· Paul writes this letter from Rome whilst under house arrest around 60-62AD – Acts 28:16 – after his appearance before Felix, Festus (Roman governors) and Herod Agrippa II and Bernice in Caesarea – Acts 25-26
· After Paul appeals to Caesar (Acts 25:10-11) he is sent to Rome – a journey that should take a month, but ends up taking six months and includes a 14-day storm and being shipwrecked in Malta – Acts 27:1-28:10
· Paul sends four ‘Prison Letters’ – Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon
· A picture of the gospel at work
Why does Paul write this letter?
Deeply relational and personal letter – 12 people named in just 25 verses. It reveals Paul’s heart for:
· The Gospel
· The fruit of the Gospel increasingly evident in the life of the believer
Three main characters:
Paul – ‘an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ’ (9)
Philemon –
· A believer who came to faith because of the three year-long ministry of Paul in Ephesus (Acts 19; Philemon 19)
· Appears to be wealthy – owns at least one slave (in the Roman Empire slaves outnumbered citizens – could be highly qualified and significant jobs!)
· The host of the church at Colossae (2)
· A leader in the church at Colossae with a reputation for ‘love and faith toward … Lord Jesus and all the saints’ (5)
· A great encouragement to Paul: ‘For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you’ (7)
Onesimus –
· A slave who was formerly owned by Philemon
· His name means useful – a common name for slaves
· For reasons that are not stated he has run away from Colossae – ‘formally he was useless to you’ (11)
· By God’s providence he encounters Paul’s ministry in Rome and becomes a Christian – ‘I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment’ (10)
This letter is written by Paul to appeal to Philemon to ‘receive/welcome’ Onesimus – to forgive him. Paul appeals based on both Philemon and Onesimus being ‘beloved brothers’ in Christ. On this matter the only status that is important is that which is theirs in Christ. Paul is not addressing the question of their being master and slave!
The major theme in Paul’s letter is clearly FORGIVENESS and RESTORATION.
Paul is not asking Philemon to forgive out of a sense of obligation offered reluctantly. Paul is asking Philemon to exercise the privilege of giving forgiveness and to do so joyously. The source of this joy being the forgiveness received from Christ – a natural response to our own great sin being forgiven, all of it, by the Father who sent his Son who willingly took on all our sin and received the punishment that was rightly ours, so that we might be forgiven. Why would we hold back from forgiving another?
It is important to observe that Paul could have insisted that Philemon forgive Onesimus (8-9), he could have made it a matter of church discipline! But instead, he appeals to Philemon relationally:
· Their relationship through which Philemon came to know Christ
· Philemon’s reputation for loving ALL the saints (5)
Ultimately, the choice is Philemon’s to make.
The dominant factor in this letter is LOVE. We observe love at work throughout the epistle:
· God’s love through his Son (the Gospel) – each man is wonderfully saved and transformed
· Paul’s love for both these men who have responded to the gospel through his ministry – ‘a beloved brother’ (16)
· Philemon’s love for all the saints in the struggling at Colossae which Paul confidently hopes will be extended to include Onesimus
We don’t know what happens next, this is not the point of Paul’s letter for every generation that would read it after Philemon. The point for us is Paul’s appeal that the fruit of the gospel would be evident in the life of every believer.
Monday 27 July 2026
Jim Harries - End July News
Jim reports on the IAMS (International Association of Mission Studies) conference in South Africa in his latest news. This was attended by about 250 delegates from around the world. Jim also compares church services in South Africa with those of Kenya.
Tuesday 7 July 2026
Latest Starfish Malawi News
The Latest Starfish Malawi news can be found on-line here.
Mark and Andrea Hotchkins' June prayer letter
Tuesday 30 June 2026
Jim Harries - End June News
In his latest news, Jim has come to the end of his time in the UK. While here - as well as spending as much time as he can with his mum - he has still been doing his 'African' work - preparing for activities in Africa over the next couple of months.
Jim's hosts while in the UK worship at Living Word Church, Fareham. Jim was able to have a meeting with their Pastor, Rev Chris Wickland - aka The Vexed Vicar. Jim contrasts issues affecting Christians in the UK with the global context.
Sunday 31 May 2026
Mark and Andrea Hotchkins' May prayer letter
Sunday 12 April 2026
The Marriage of Tom Ibbott and Poppy McCarthy
Yesterday, Saturday 11 April 2026 1pm
