GOD REVEALED – A New Testament Journey (PART 6)Sample

Philemon – The Avatar

One of the shortest letters, Philemon remains one of the most powerful. At a first glance, it appears to be an appeal to a Christian slave owner, Philemon, to accept his runaway slave, Onesimus, who encountered Paul in prison. In the modern view, it is an appeal to a senior pastor, Philemon, of the Colossian church in his home, and to the church to accept his previously useless slave Onesimus in the role of leader.

Onesimus’s name means profitable or useful.

The story reflects God’s power to restore a useless person into useful ministry in His Church [7]. History reveals that Onesimus did indeed become an apostle, a bishop, and one of the top next-generation leaders in that century. I see the letter as birth and grooming a leader by leaders – the culminating pastoral epistle. While Timothy and Titus, Paul’s “true” sons, were long established and trained in the ministry, this new “begotten” son, Onesimus, appears to be launched.

These, then, were key next-generation leaders:
- Timothy, a Jew
- Titus, a Greek
- Onesimus, a slave

There are many players involved in the grooming of a great leader.

Paul’s Role

Paul brings out the best in Onesimus by:
- Perceiving his hidden value (10, 11)
- Priming into visible value (12, 16) – when Paul says he is “sending his very heart,” he implies the heart of a leader.
- Paying his debts and cancelling the past (18, 19)
- Persuading the church to accept him (1, 2) – as they would accept Paul himself, a man of God, a leader

Church’s Role

The church obviously had to partner with Paul in utilizing the new leader (17).

Onesimus’s Role

It must not have been a cake walk for Onesimus to return. But he perseveres. He dons the leader’s garb, slips into his new shoes and never turns back.
Onesimus the slave was no more.
Onesimus the son was born.

The Jesus Analogy

The same story continues today.

Perception – Jesus sees our worth.
Priming – Jesus prepares us.
Paying debts – Jesus has cancelled our past.
Persuasion – Jesus creates acceptance.
Partnership of church – Jesus will use us to reach spiritual heights we will never otherwise know.

What about us? Are we confident enough in Christ to be the amazing person he wants us to be? Are we running away from our past rather than facing it and overcoming it? Or are we persevering to the end like Onesimus does?