Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20071014.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Philemon: A Godly Response To Institutional Evils
Part III: Offering To Bear The Cost For Overcoming An Institutional Evil
(Philemon 18-21)
  1. Introduction
    1. Evil in human institutions is often rooted in decades or even centuries of wrongs that have been committed on all the various sides involved to where emotional and mental baggage associated with them make uprooting the evils that much more difficult for the people so affected.
    2. For this reason, an effective move in overcoming such evils is for an outside, godly discipler graciously to bear the cost in finances, emotional pain or mental stress to overcome the evil, a move that motivates those affected to drop their animosity and follow his lead to stop the evils.
    3. Paul did this in Philemon 18-21, which illustration also powerfully motivates us to follow him in overcoming such evils in institutions in our era (as follows):
  2. Offering To Bear The Cost For Overcoming An Institutional Evil, Philemon 18-21.
    1. Paul's letter to Philemon aimed to get him graciously to take back his runaway slave and new brother in Christ without killing him, the usual discipline for his crime, Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978 ed., p. 1727.
    2. After nurturing a gracious outlook to face the institutional evil (Phm. 1-7), and after making a gracious appeal to receive Onesimus back without harm (Phm. 8-17), Paul went far beyond his call of duty as an apostle to offer to pay for the damages involved in Onesimus' flight from his master, Philemon 18-21:
      1. From Paul's statement in Philemon 19b, we know that though he had not yet seen the believers in the Colossian Church where Philemon's household was located (Col. 2:1; 4:17; Phm. 2), he had either personally led Philemon to Christ or had led the one to Christ who in turn had evangelized Philemon! Thus, Philemon "owed" Paul his own self in relation to his eternal destiny, Philemon 19b.
      2. Also, according to the program of God revealed in 1 Corinthians 9:11, 14, since Philemon's salvation was a result of Paul's witness, Philemon owed Paul financial support, not the other way around!
      3. In addition, Paul was a prisoner at the time (according to Philemon 9-10), and as such was without the material means to pay debts to others, having no income and probably having had what moneys he owned confiscated by the Roman guards or government.
      4. Then, what items or money Onesimus may have stolen from his master, Philemon in his runaway crime were rightfully owed by Onesimus, and were a sensitive issue in the temptation Philemon would have faced to harm Onesimus in revenge for his losses suffered, cf. Philemon 18a.
      5. Thus, for Paul (a) an outsider to the initial wrongdoing of Onesimus, and (b) a prisoner whose payment for the damages by Onesimus would require his working hard to earn money after his incarceration, and (c) to whom Philemon "owed" his own soul by Paul's being the human instrument God had used to get the Gospel to Philemon and (d) who was thus owed regular support by Philemon in accord with God's program in 1 Corinthians 9:11, 14 (e) to offer to pay Philemon for Onesimus' theft of all dues in his runaway crime was (f) to go beyond the call of duty even as an apostle, Phm. 18-19a!
      6. However, Paul not only communicated such a gracious offer, he took the pen out of the hand of the amanuensis who was writing the letter as he dictated it, and wrote with his own hand, Phm. 19a. That hand was possibly bruised from Roman beatings or severely crimped from the prisoner hand stocks in which he was then bound, making Paul's writing the request at verses 18-19 uncomfortable and possibly even very painful way beyond his duty, Phm. 19a; Zon. Pict. Enc. of the Bib., v. Four, p. 870!
      7. Having made this very moving appeal, Paul urged Philemon to encourage him by heeding his appeal to pay Philemon the costs of Onesimus' sin, noting he was confident Philemon would go beyond Paul's request possibly to supply his returning slave new articles he needed! (Philemon 20-21)
Lesson: To motivate Philemon to forgive Onesimus' wrong and so not to execute him, Paul graciously offered to pay the costs Philemon had incurred in Onesimus' flight from him.

Application: If facing evil in human institutions that carries intense emotional and mental "baggage" that those hurt by it can not easily relent or forgive in others, may WE as outsiders offer to bear the costs involved that we can bear in GRACIOUSLY motivating others to stop the ongoing evils!