Introduction
This article will begin a brief series of messages from the letter of Philemon. If you need some help finding Philemon, that may be because it is a short book. It is the shortest work from the Apostle Paul that we have in Scripture. Philemon is situated between Titus and Hebrews. It may be easiest for you to start in Revelation and begin turning back toward the middle. It is easy to flip past Philemon. There are no chapter divisions, and there are only twenty-five verses. Most of you could read the whole thing in just few minutes. There are some Greek names that are not so easy to pronounce, but otherwise this letter is rather simple and straight forward.
This book of Philemon is a personal epistle. Philemon is a personal letter from the Apostle Paul. We must understand that this letter is addressing us through a specific, narrow appeal.
If you have read Philemon, or heard messages from this letter, you may recall that it centers around a run away slave by the name of Onesimus. We will learn more about Onesimus in a few weeks. Our focus this lesson will be the address and greeting in the first three verses.
Philemon 1:1-3
(1) Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer, (2) to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house: (3) Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We will find practical application in this letter of Philemon. Our aim in this study is to see how shared faith shapes our relationships with other believers. As Christians, we have Christ in common with other Christians. Since we have Christ in common, we also have certain expectations of other believers as well as certain obligations to other believers. In this letter, Paul demonstrates how that common belief in the same Savior shapes the way we treat each other.
Let us now see how our text displays a common faith that shapes the relationships of those who are mentioned in it.
As with most New Testament letters, we know right away who wrote it. Right here in verse one, we read that it was Paul who wrote this letter. He also gives us some other important information. He is not a free man. He tells us right away that he is a prisoner. If any of us were to receive a letter from a prisoner today, we might be suspicious. Why is the prisoner in prison? Today, prison is reserved for those who have committed serious crimes. Prisoners are in prison as punishment for what they have done, and to protect citizens from any further crime that prisoner might commit. Paul had been imprisoned by the Roman government. What serious crime should we expect to the be cause of Paul’s imprisonment? What had Paul done? Was he a thief or murderer or a trafficker? No. Perhaps it was a “white-collar” crime like extortion or grand larceny or embezzlement? No, it was not any of those things. Then perhaps Paul had been engaged in terrorist activity or had incited others to violence against the citizenry of Rome, or maybe he had masterminded a plan to assassinate Caesar and overthrow the government? No, and no. Maybe, Paul had failed to pay his taxes? No. The text tells us all we need to know. Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ. Paul’s crime was preaching the gospel! He was guilty of pointing sinners to Christ for salvation. Jerusalem could not allow that. To the Jewish mind, Jesus Christ was a man, therefore He could not be God. Rome could not allow it, because Romans were only allowed to worship Caesar. His crime was speaking against Jewish tradition and Roman culture. Paul was guilty of telling the truth! You may be thinking that sounds ridiculous. Consider for a moment how dangerous the truth is in our day.
Paul was content to be found guilty of preaching the truth of God’s Word. Paul was confident that his dedication to boldly and indiscriminately preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ was the reason for his imprisonment, and he accepted it. Paul knew that God is sovereign. That is to say that God rules over all things. There is no higher authority. No one can cause God to change His mind or bend His will. There is no one can over-rule or overthrow God. Therefore, Paul accepted that he could only be imprisoned if God allowed it. We should see Paul’s imprisonment as a testimony of the effectiveness of the Gospel. That new religion called Christianity was seen as a threatening message by those who were in positions of power. The Gospel had mass appeal, and many were being drawn to Jesus, and the government feared losing control.
If Paul had not been in prison, this letter might never have been written. God places us where He intends for us to be, so that we might carry out His purposes. If Paul had not been under house-arrest in Rome, he may not have been there when Onesimus arrived. Remember, it was Paul who wrote, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love the Lord, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
So, by comparing this letter to other writings that bear the same name, we know that this is the man once know as Saul of Tarsus, who is now known as Paul. He is an Apostle of Jesus Christ, and at this time is a prisoner because of his dedication to Christ and the message of the gospel. He also notes that Timothy is included as one sending greetings. Paul calls Timothy “our brother”. Paul was not biologically related to Timothy. Paul met Timothy on his second missionary journey. We find that in the book of Acts, chapter sixteen. Timothy was the son of a Greek father and Jewish mother. So, when Paul says, “our brother,” he does not mean that in the natural sense. Timothy was a brother in Christ.
The two of them had faith in Christ in common. Timothy was a protege of Paul. They traveled together for a while, and Timothy eventually became the pastor of the church in Ephesus. If you are reading in the King James Version, you find Timothy called Timotheus in Acts, chapter sixteen, and Colossians, chapter one. This is the same Timothy in our text. He is the same Timothy that is addressed by Paul in two personal letters in the New Testament. Timotheus is simply the original Greek version of the name Timothy. Notice also that Paul speaks for more than himself. He says “our brother” not “my brother”. If Paul had said “my” we would understand that he was speaking only for himself. Since Paul has used the plural “our” then it stands to reason that he is speaking of a shared relationship. Paul and Timothy are brothers in Christ in common with those to whom this letter is addressed.
Earlier, we stated that this is a personal letter. To be clear, personal letters are addressed to specific people. This letter is addressed to Philemon. Paul shows a familiarity with Philemon as he describes him beloved friend and fellow laborer. Those are two different descriptions. Philemon is beloved of Paul. They share a common faith in Christ, and Paul has implied that by calling Timothy “our brother,” but now he leaves no room for doubt. Paul loved Philemon. He held him in high esteem, and he had great admiration for him. They were friends, they were brothers in Christ, and Paul loved him. That describes some of our relationships, does it not? Paul also called Philemon a fellow laborer. Philemon was engaged in ministry. He was working together with Paul for a common cause, that being the gospel of Christ. They were brothers in Christ, they loved each other, and they were working together in ministry. Verse one gives us plenty of information to help us understand this letter.
We must not overlook the fact that Philemon is not the only person addressed in this letter. The second verse mentions other people. To the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:
This is the only mention of Apphia. Some modern translations say, “our beloved sister Apphia.” That is an assumption made by the translators. Apphia is a woman’s name. While it is possible that Apphia and Philemon were siblings, most scholars assume that Apphia was Philemon’s wife because of the context of the rest of this verse. We can draw the some of the same conclusions about her as we did about Philemon. She was a believer. They shared a common faith in Christ, and Paul’s love for Apphia was the same as his love of Philemon.
The other named individual is Archippus. He is mentioned in one other verse in Scripture. We find that in another of Paul’s letters. Colossians, chapter four, verse seventeen, And say to Archippus, “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.” This verse supports what we read in the letter to Philemon, where Paul refers to Archippus as our fellow soldier. Paul is being somewhat poetic here. Fellow soldier and fellow laborer are synonymous. Archippus had ministry in common with Philemon and Paul and Timothy. Paul may have chosen the word soldier as a word of recognition for the boldness Archippus had shown in ministry. However, given the verse from Colossians, it seems likely that Paul was encouraging Archippus to charge forward in preaching the gospel while surrounded by a hostile, Pagan culture. We do not have these details in the text, but some have suggested that Archippus is the adult son of Philemon and Apphia.
Before we go any further in our text, there are a few things we should note: Paul and Timothy are the senders of greetings in this letter and Colossians. Archippus and Onesimus are both mentioned in both letters of Philemon and Colossians. Most Bible scholars agreed that both of these letters were sent by the same messenger. And there may have been another letter that is not in our Bibles.
It is mentioned in the fourth chapter of Colossian letter, verse sixteen Now when this epistle is read among you, see that it is read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you likewise read the epistle from Laodicea. No one knows what happened to that letter to the Laodiceans, but both of them were to be read by both churches. This letter to Philemon was personal, and intended for him and his household, and the church that met in his house. That is what the remainder of verse two says, “and to the church in your house:” There are at least two possibilities for us. There was more than one church in Colossae, but at least one met in Philemon’s house. Or, this letter, which was separate from the letter to the Colossians, was not intended to be read in Laodicea. There is a third plausible but perhaps less likely possibility, and that is that Paul considered of all of Philemon’s family to be a church. Adam Clarke suggests that Archippus was the pastor of the church that met in Philemon’s house. Other historians have commonly held to the idea that Philemon was a leader of a church in Colossae because it is mentioned that the church was in his house. It was common in the first few centuries that local churches met in homes. According to Dr. William Hendriksen, the oldest purpose-built church meeting house dates to some time around the year 232.
Now that we know who wrote this letter, and to whom the letter was written, let us take few moments and examine the greeting. Verse three of the text is as follows: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sometimes, you may hear me read something similar as a benediction to close our worship gatherings. Benediction does not mean closing prayer, although some call a closing prayer a benediction. Benediction comes from Latin, and it means good speech, or good spoken words. In our text, Paul is extending good words in writing to Philemon, Apphia, Archippus, and to the church that meets in Philemon’s house, from Paul and Timothy. This is a wonderful greeting. Few greetings carry such weight. This greeting is absolutely consistent with everything that Paul has written thus far. This is greeting Christians ought to use to greet each other. It is found all thirteen letters of the Apostle Paul.
Romans 1:7
To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:3
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:2
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Galatians 1:3
Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,
Ephesians 1:2
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:2
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:2
To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 1:1
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 1:2
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Timothy 1:2
To Timothy, a true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
2 Timothy 1:2
To Timothy, a beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Titus 1:4
To Titus, a true son in our common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.
You may have noticed that Timothy and Titus are also greeted with mercy. Those three letters are pastoral letters. Those three letters are from an Apostle to pastors. I do not know of any pastor, myself included, who does not appreciate the blessing of mercy.
So, we are not surprised to find the same greeting employed in the writings of the same man. This is more than just a courtesy. It is more than simple consistency, although we must remark that he does use this greeting consistently. It is a greeting of blessing. What does he mean?
Grace is favor that we have not earned. It is favor that we do not deserve. Grace is pure goodness towards us. Grace is a gift that says more about the one giving that goodness than it does about us as those who receive that goodness.
In the letter to the Ephesians, Paul tells us plainly that it is by grace that we have received salvation. We have not done anything to earn it, and we certainly do not deserve it, but God Who has loved us with an everlasting love has been gracious to us and has provided salvation for us. There are no strings attached. There is no expiration date. There is not an if/then clause. It is not a contract. It is an undeserved, unmerited, unearned favor. Believers have been made the beneficiaries of the eternal covenant grace, and it has been sealed by the blood of Christ. In this greeting, Paul is drawing our attention to who we are and why. Imagine reading this letter for the first time. Imagine you are Philemon. Your dear friend and brother in Christ has been imprisoned for preaching the truth of God’s Word. That same Word that you heard from him has been a blessing to you. That Word that you heard from him was accompanied by a divine work of the Holy Spirit who revived you from spiritual deadness and gave you new life Christ. That gospel message is the reason why you have hope, and it is the reason why your friend is in chains. And the one who is imprisoned greets you with a reminder of the grace of God. My beloved brother, we have this faith in common because we both have received the grace of God Who sent Christ to save us. We have only read the third verse of this letter. Tell me now, if this was addressed to you, what request from the Apostle Paul would you deny him?
Paul is not wishing this upon Philemon. He is not praying that God would bless Philemon with divine grace and peace. He is reminding Philemon that he has received God’s grace and that peace between God and man has been established by the God-Man Jesus Christ. God’s Word tells us that we are sinners. That is what we are. God is Holy, and Righteous, and Good. We are not. We are not anywhere near Holy, or Righteous, or good. God has every reason to be hostile towards us, because we are by nature hostile toward Him. We are separated from God because of sin. The only thing our sin deserves is death. We cannot undo what we have done. We cannot remake ourselves into anything except what we already are. The divide between Holy God and sinful man is an infinite span. And in our spiritually dead state, we have no idea how helpless we are. We cannot make peace with God, because we have no acceptable peace offering. Our best is not good enough. Our best is filthy rags. Peace can only be realized when the hostilities have been settled. Peace means we are not at odds because we have no reason to be at odds.
Philemon :1-3
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
That greeting is more than a reminder. It is an assurance of salvation. How?
Ephesians 2:13-16
(13) But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (14) For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, (15) having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, (16) and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.
It is an undeserved gift. He did that for us, because He loved us, and not because of anything we have done or could do. And the result is peace.
Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
God has graced us with the gift of salvation because the sacrifice of Christ has settled the debt we owe for our sins against God, and His blood so sufficiently satisfied God’s wrath that He remembers our sin no more.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Fellow laborer and brother in Christ, we have this faith in common because we have this salvation in common given to us God. We are bound together in common work by a common love and for a common cause. Our shared faith shapes our relationships. Are we loving each other as we should?