Tag Archives: Book of Philemon

Daily Bible Study

December 16, 2024 Bible Study — Characteristics for Which All Believers Should Strive

Leave a comment

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Titus and Philemon

In Paul’s letter to Titus while Titus was on Crete, he gave a description of the characteristics a man must have to be considered for a leadership position in the Church.  A few years ago I realized that when we pay attention to this passage we focus on how to interpret applying this passage to selecting leaders in the Church and not enough on the fact that all followers of Christ should strive to have these characteristics (to the degree to which they apply to that individual).  We should all strive to be blameless.  Those of us who are married should be faithful to our spouse.  Those who have children should strive to raise them to be believers and so that they are not seen as wild and disobedient.  We should not be violent or quick-tempered.  We should be self-controlled and disciplined, upright and hospitable.  Again, while we should not appoint anyone who does not have these characteristics to leadership positions in the Church, more importantly, we should strive to have those characteristics in our own lives.

When Paul wrote to Philemon about Onesimus, who was legally a slave to Philemon who had run away, he writes that he was sending him back because Philemon had legal claim to Onesimus.  Paul does not outright tell Philemon that he should free Onesimus, nor does he in any way write that slavery is wrong.  However, he does tell Philemon that he should welcome Onesimus back, not as a slave, but as a brother in Christ.  It seems to me that Paul was telling Philemon that he was not obligated as a follower of Christ to give Onesimus, now a fellow follower of Christ, his freedom, but that doing so would be the better thing to do.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

December 16, 2023 Bible Study — All Things Are Pure to the Pure, so Seek to Be Pure

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Titus and Philemon

Paul here gives Titus advice on the qualities to be sought in those chosen as leaders of the Church, and that advice is very similar to that which he gave to Timothy.  Paul tells us that those chosen for leadership positions must be blameless.  They must not be overbearing, nor quick-tempered, nor violent, nor given to dishonest gain.  On the other hand, they must be hospitable, self-controlled, upright, and disciplined.  I find it interesting that on both the “must not” list and the “must” list Paul lists two things which are almost synonyms for each other.  He says that they must not be either quick-tempered or violent, and that they must be both self-controlled and disciplined.  Not only are these things synonymous with the other one listed on the same list, they are also almost exactly opposite of the two on the other list.  I think this gives us a good idea about how important these characteristics are in a leader.  I think we can see why Paul thought they were so important in some of his other instructions to Titus.  He tells Titus to encourage others by sound doctrine while refuting those who oppose sound doctrine.  Further Paul tells Titus, and us, that he, and we, should act so as to embarrass those who oppose Christ because they have nothing bad to say about us.  Every time I read the qualifications which Paul lays out for a leadership position in the Church I am struck that each of us should strive to exemplify those qualities.

In the second passage I am looking at today, Paul writes to Philemon on behalf of Onesimus, who was, apparently, a slave who ran away from Philemon, his master.  Paul seems to suggest to Philemon that he should give Onesimus his freedom, without using his authority as an Apostle to order it.  Paul also tells Philemon to bill him for any losses Onesimus may have caused him by running away, and perhaps before running away.  I get a hint that Onesimus may have run away from Philemon because he had done something which cost Philemon a lot of money and feared Philemon’s retribution.  Whatever the cause of expense to which Paul refers, he reminds Philemon, and us, of the importance of forgiving those who wronged us.  While Paul reminds Philemon of how Philemon owes him, I think he intends that reminder to remind each of us how much we owe God.  Our debt to God is much greater than any debt which our fellow humans may owe us.  Whatever good we have done them, and whatever harm they have done us, is but a smidgen against the great good which God has done for us.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

December 16, 2022 Bible Study — Avoid Foolish Arguments And Those Who Make Them

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Titus and Philemon

In his letter to Titus, Paul reiterates a point which he made in several of the letters which we read before this.  Since we have been saved from living lives of malice, hatred, and sin by God’s grace we should devote ourselves to doing good.  Paul emphasizes that doing good does not save us, does not reconcile us with God.  Rather, those who have been saved do good in response to God’s grace.  So, we should be subject to the rulers and government authorities where we live.  We should slander no one and be peaceable and considerate, gentle towards everyone, always prepared to do good.  We should avoid foolish controversies, arguments and quarrels.  In fact, we should warn those who insist on making divisive arguments twice and then no longer engage with them on any level.  I believe Paul is telling us to deal with those who insist on repeatedly bringing up divisive topics the same way he told the Corinthians to deal with the man who was sleeping with his stepmother.  It seems to me that much that has gone wrong in the modern Church results from a failure to follow Paul’s command here.

When Paul writes to Philemon he begins by praising Philemon’s love of his fellow Believers.  Paul then writes a character reference for Onesimus, a slave who ran away from Philemon.  It seems likely from what Paul writes that, when he ran away from Philemon, Onesimus had either stolen something, or damaged some of Philemon’s property.  Paul asks Philemon to forgive Onesimus his debts to Philemon and welcome him back as a brother in Christ.  While Paul sends Onesimus back to being a slave to Philemon, he indirectly reminds Philemon of what he had written, and almost certainly preached, about how masters should treat their slaves.   In fact, this letter to Philemon seems intended to remind Philemon of Jesus’ parable of the unforgiving servant.  What Paul writes to Philemon about how he should treat Onesimus is essentially the inverse of how the unforgiving servant treated his fellow servants.  Paul indirectly reminds Philemon that while Onesimus may be his slave, both Philemon and Onesimus were servants to God.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

December 16, 2019 Bible Study –Everything Is Pure To Those Who Are Pure

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Titus and Philemon

In his letter to Titus, Paul reiterates the instructions concerning the qualifications for Church leadership which he wrote to Timothy.  We spend a lot of time discussing what these instructions mean for who we should select as pastors and leaders.  However, I do not think we spend enough time talking about Paul writing that a candidate for Church leadership should enjoy having guests in his home.  I don’t want to spend any time talking about what that means, I think that is obvious.  I just want us to bring focus to that requirement from Paul’s list.  I especially want us to think about it in light of the fact that I have always felt that all believers should strive to meet the qualifications needed to be selected for Church leadership, not that they should strive to be Church leaders necessarily, just to qualify to be Church leaders.

I am not going to write anything explicitly about Philemon today, but I think that Paul’s letter to Philemon contains reference to the theme he mentions at the end of his letter to Titus.  Paul wrote to Titus that to the pure, everything is pure, but to the corrupt nothing is pure.  I do not remember the exact situation, but I remember an instance where my Dad made me aware that a person I trusted was dishonest and not worthy of trust.  My Dad pointed out how the person always saw the worst in others, was always sure that others were lying to them and trying to cheat them.  As best I remember, my Dad had done business with this person and I asked him why he would have done that if he did not trust him.  He told me that we should always give people the benefit of the doubt.  This passage from Titus was one of two he referenced when discussing such things.  The other was Matthew 10:16, where Jesus told his disciples to be as shrewd as snakes, but as innocent as doves.