Philemon

 

Philemon

While a prisoner in Rome, Paul met Onesimus, a runaway slave who belonged to Philemon, a friend Paul had led to Christ. Paul won Onesimus to Christ and sent him back to his master in Colosse.

Paul had a lot of good to say about Philemon. He was a beloved friend, a man of faith and love, a refreshing Christian, a praying man, a man who obeyed God’s will.

According to Roman law, Onesimus could have been executed for his crimes. But he had become a brother of Christ, and Philemon had to forgive him and take him back.

Forgiveness is the true test of the power of the gospel. It’s also the story behind the Apostle Paul’s letter to Philemon.

Paul depended on Philemon’s spiritual maturity to respond in forgiveness and acceptance. As God brings people to faith, it reminds us that the gospel is all about second chances. It fleshes out a vivid lesson in forgiving deep wrongs.

This book illustrates the truth that God will go to great lengths to set any captive free, especially in our slavery to sin. We are all running from God. We have a debt we cannot pay on our own, a debt to death, not to dollars. But God, in His infinite grace, sent His Son, Jesus to be our Savior, to pay all we owe, and to set us free. If God has forgiven you, shouldn’t you extend that same forgiveness to others?

We cannot claim to have experienced God’s love and forgiveness if we refuse to forgive others. Christian forgiveness knows no boundaries.

Please read the Book listed so that you can understand the word of God to its fullness. This study comes from The Jeremiah Study Bible, The Bible for Hope, The King James Bible and the Nelson’s Quick Reference Bible Commentary

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