Philemon 1

While Paul was in a Roman prison, he met a young man named Onesimus, who was a runaway slave. Paul led him to the Lord.

It turns out that this young man had run away from a Christian in Colossae by the name of Philemon. Paul knew Philemon because he had also led him to the Lord.

Under Roman law Onesimus could be executed for running away, but Paul would fight for his life because subsequent to salvation, Onesimus had manifested a servant’s heart under the leadership and ministry of the great Apostle…hence the letter.

Paul knew it was the right thing to do, to send Onesimus back and let his owner, Philemon, make the decision. Paul could have forced him or twisted his arm to let the young man go and serve in the ministry, but he humbly appealed to Philemon.

William Barclay, “Here at the very beginning, Paul lays aside all appeal to authority and makes his appeal to sympathy and to love alone.”

Since God had genuinely worked in the heart of Philemon (v. 5 mentions the evidence of faith and love) he was confident that Philemon would let Onesimus go free, and that he would do so generously so that he could serve alongside Paul in the ministry.

What a beautiful account of the sovereign grace of God, not only then in the first generation of Christianity, but for all of us, in every generation that has followed.