Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20070930.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Philemon: A Godly Response To Institutional Evils
Part I: Nurturing A Gracious Outlook Toward Facing Institutional Evils
(Philemon 1-7)
  1. Introduction
    1. Evils in man's institutions abound in our land: a spending cap law is broken by our state legislative assembly with no resulting punitive action; evolution is taught in our public schools versus Biblical creationism in support of the division between church and state regardless of the many scientific problems with evolution; abortion on demand, first degree murder in God's view, is sanctioned by our Supreme Court, and homosexuality that Scripture condemns is even sanctioned in public schools to young children.
    2. Just how to respond effectively to such institutional evils is a hot issue among Christians; some hold we must make a united Christian statement in the political realm, a view sanctioned by reconstructionists who believe Christians will need to dominate the world before Christ can return to rule it, cf. Renald Showers, "An Evaluation of Christian Reconstructionism," Israel My Glory, April/May, 1991, p. 22.
    3. However, that is not how the Apostle Paul handled evil in the institution of slavery. We thus begin a study of his approach in his Epistle to Philemon for insight in how we are to respond to such evils today:
  2. Nurturing A Gracious Outlook Toward Facing Institutional Evils, Philemon 1-7.
    1. Paul's letter to Philemon aimed to get him graciously to take back his runaway slave and now new brother in Christ without killing him, the usual discipline for such a crime, Ryrie St. Bib., KJV , 1978 ed., p. 1727.
    2. Now, slavery was not itself treated as a social evil in Scripture, but the New Testament condemned abusing one's slave, Eph. 6:5-9; Col. 3:22-4:1; Zond. Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, v. Five, p. 458.
    3. What aggravated the situation for slave owner Philemon were the facts that his runaway slave, Onesimus was both a loathed Phrygian slave and one who had acted in a despicable manner (as follows):
      1. Phrygians like Onesimus were typically viewed by others as being of bad character and cowardly, cf. J. B. Lightfoot, Colossians and Philemon, 1974, p. 312, ftn. No. 2.
      2. Onesimus had acted as a typical vulgar Phrygian slave by not only running away from his master, Philemon, but by apparently stealing from him in the process, Ibid.; Philemon 18-19.
      3. Onesimus had typically fled to Rome, the city where runaway slaves often hid among the masses, making Rome "the natural cesspool for these offscourings of humanity," Ibid., Lightfoot, ftn. No. 4.
    4. So, as the first step in seeking to inhibit Philemon from executing Onesimus who was returning to Philemon at Colossae along with Tychicus (cf. Colossians 4:7-9), Paul nurtured a gracious outlook in Philemon toward equipping him to face and overcome institutional evil by deciding not to kill Onesimus:
      1. Unlike his other New Testament epistles, Paul introduced himself to Philemon as "a prisoner of Jesus Christ", an effort to identify with the ex-runaway slave Onesimus at his social level. Paul apparently sought to elicit Philemon's compassion toward himself before transferring it to Onesimus ! (Phm. 1)
      2. Paul repeatedly used endearing terms of Philemon and his wife Apphia and son Archippus in a clear effort to emphasize the loving brotherhood of the Christian relationships he had with them, Phm. 1-2.
      3. Also, Paul expressed his thanksgiving to God in his many prayers regarding the household of Philemon that he exhibited not only faith toward Christ, but love toward all the saints, Phm. 4-5.
      4. Indeed, Paul reported the good character that was in Philemon (Phm. 6), and expressed his joy over the fact that the "bowels" of fellow believers, or the "innermost feelings or hearts" were typically refreshed by his personal ministry unto them, Phm. 7, Ibid., Ryrie, ftn. to Philemon 7. Recalling and stating this fact would work to impress Philemon not to disappoint Paul as to his typical outstanding love expressions unto other believers in hope that Philemon would be similarly merciful unto Onesimus!
Lesson: To prepare Philemon to overcome the temptation to exercise an institutional evil punishment toward his runaway slave, Onesimus, Paul nurtured a gracious outlook in Philemon before seeking to transfer that outlook to his treatment of his returning runaway slave, Onesimus!

Application: To handle institutional evils today with real blessing, we believers must first seek to foster a gracious attitude in ourselves and others as the way to APPROACH and so HANDLE such evils!