The letter to Philemon (Part 8)

The letter from Paul to Philemon reveals a deep truth about the great change that takes place when one encounters Jesus. The runaway slave was totally transformed from a wanderer to a follower of Jesus. This is not specific to Onesimus. The work of Jesus Christ in our lives sparks a circle of transformation. The sinner who comes to faith is renewed and transformed as a new person. All the bad things of their past are totally wiped away. Paul’s appeal to Philemon was obviously heeded to and the result would have been a changed Onesimus activity involved in the things of God. Paul, a man of faith also spoke about his own restoration in the letter. Remember, Paul’s goal had been to restore Onesimus back to Philemon. However, Paul himself was in chains. He was a prisoner in Rome.

And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers. (‭Philemon 1:22)

In Philemon 1:22, Paul writes this: “And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers.” The churches had been praying for the release of Paul and Paul was hopeful that this prayer would be answered. Different Bible scholars believe that Paul was released in Rome and rearrested in around AD 66. He was martyred during his final arrest which was credited to Emperor Nero. Paul’s ministry impacted several lives including that of Philemon and Onesimus. If Paul had the opportunity to visit Colossae again before his death, he would have celebrated the brotherly love between Philemon and Onesimus. The church would have shown gratitude to Paul for restoring to them Onesimus. Other people mentioned in Paul’s letter include Epaphras (a fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus), Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke (‭Philemon 1:23-24). Earlier in Paul’s ministry, Mark had abandoned him and Barnabas (Acts 16:36-41) and this even brought a sharp dispute between Paul and Barnabas. Seeing Mark again with Paul indicates that an attempt was made to restore the relationship.

While Paul enjoyed the company of his fellow workers while he was in Prison, Paul would later write about Demas deserting him because of his love for the world (2 Timothy 4:10). Our walk with the Lord is a journey with different highs and lows. We need to understand that irrespective of how right we live, there will always be others whose actions are likely to cause us pain. Like Paul, we should rather be agents of transformation and restoration. Our desire should be to see the restoration of those who have fallen along the way. We should be ambassadors of Christ who will hold the hands of the lost sheep and restore them to the body of Christ. If you don’t know what to do, just pray!

The letter to Philemon (Part 7)

Have you ever had the opportunity to be discipled by someone else? Have you also tried to disciple others before? Discipling another believer takes time and dedication. However, if both the discipler and the disciple are committed, the end result is a believer equipped with the right tools to stand. Jesus, our role model, used the method of discipleship to train twelve ordinary people. Now, Christianity has become a global movement because of this concentrated effort to train the disciples. One of the qualities of a good disciple is obedience to the teacher. This is very important to ensure maximum growth. Paul and Philemon must have gone through different stages of discipleship. Philemon, after being equipped, went ahead to even host the church services in his house. Although the discipler and disciple relationship is not like servant-master relationship, disciples still demonstrate respect and obedience for their teachers. Paul’s appeal to Philemon reveals a request that was subtly backed by Paul’s own authority over Philemon.

I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask. (‭Philemon 1:20-21)

After Paul had submitted his appeal to Philemon and given different reasons Onesimus should be accepted back, Paul also hints on his ministerial authority over Philemon. Paul wrote that, “I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.” (‭Philemon 1:20-21). In this short letter,  Paul also indicated that he wished to have some benefit from Philemon. What benefit was Paul asking for? Paul as an apostle asked Philemon to refresh Paul’s heart by obeying the request to pardon Onesimus and have him back. Thus, Paul encouraged Philemon to consider obeying the appeal as a way of showing his support and obedience to Paul. Definitely, Philemon would have honoured Paul by obeying the request to forgive Onesimus and to restore him back.

In 1 Samuel 15:22, Samuel the prophet expected Saul to obey his words by waiting for Samuel’s arrival Before the sacrifices were made. Unfortunately, out of fear, Saul disobeyed Samuel and offered the sacrifices on behalf of Samuel. What was Samuel’s response to a disobedient king? Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” This action of Saul denied him and his family the opportunity to have an established kingdom. Both Onesimus and Philemon understood the consequences of disobedience. Onesimus almost lost his place in Philemon’s house because he failed to submit under the authority of Philemon. He fled to Rome where he encountered Paul. Many times, people disobey because of the desire to please themselves and to follow popular trends. We are made in the image and likeness of God and as such we should not find it hard to obey authority. The father of disobedience still remains Lucifer. Don’t be his adopted child. God delights in our obedience than in our sacrifices!

The letter to Philemon (Part 2)

Some of the distinctive features that should be synonymous to all believers is love for God’s people, faith in the Lord Jesus, intercession for one another among many others. Believers have the perfect model when it comes to loving one another. We have freely received the love of God. Our transgressions, which were many, were all forgiven because of God’s love. Therefore, being agents of love, should be something the church encourages all believers to aspire for.  Further, you cannot claim to love the Lord Jesus if you do not have faith in Him. Thus, being a believer implies that you have placed your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This faith is visible in your way of life and extends to the people who are in your life. To add to these, because of the love we have for one another and our faith in God, it should be easy for us to pray for one another.

I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. ‭(Philemon 1:4-5)

In Paul’s letter to Philemon, he mentioned that he always thanked  God as he remembered Philemon in his prayers. Paul does this because he heard about Philemon’s love for all God’s holy people and his faith in the Lord Jesus (Philemon 1:4-5).  Philemon seemed to be the kind of believer who was worthy to learn from. He loved the church and the people in the church. His faith in the Lord Jesus would have been so obvious as he even opened his house to host the church services. He is more likely to have contributed to both the  spiritual and logistical development of the church. His family would have been an active part of the church. Yet, in all his godliness and goodness, his slave decided to run away from him. As the letter does not indicate the time frame at which Onesimus, the slave of Philemon took off, we cannot postulate that Onesimus encountered Jesus in the house of Philemon. The departure of Onesimus might have caused Philemon pain. In those days, slaves were owned by their masters as possessions. They could only leave under certain conditions. Yet, Onesimus left without a trace.

Being a godly and kind person doesn’t mean you are free from being hurt by the people around you. There is a possibility that  those you love and care for, including family members,  friends,  employees and neighbours could hurt you when you least expect it. However, we also need to understand we do many of the things we do because we are compelled by the love of Christ. You can be a modern day Philemon who has sacrificed so much but receives no reward. Do not lose heart. God is still working for your good.

The letter to Philemon

The apostle Paul (also known as Saul) wrote the greater part of the New Testament Bible. His Letters were addressed to churches, communities, individuals, among many others. One individual recipient of Paul’s letter is a man named Philemon. This letter was an appeal letter written to ask Philemon to consider forgiving his runaway slave. Paul wrote this letter out of love for the Master and the slave, who were both believers. In this short introduction, we shall  consider a few lessons from this letter and how we can apply these lessons in managing conflicts within and outside the church.

Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker (‭Philemon 1:1)

Who was Philemon? He was a wealthy Colossian who was also a believer. Philemon also hosted the church in his home and that accounts for why Paul’s letter addressed the church that meets in Philemon’s home (Philemon 1:2). Philemon seemed to have worked together with a woman named Apphia and another man called Archippus (Philemon1:2). Thus, working as a team wasn’t new to Philemon. In his letter, Paul addressed Philemon as “our dear friend and fellow worker” (‭Philemon 1:1). Paul on the other hand was still serving a prison term in Rome as at the time he wrote this letter. The apostle Paul, who was in chains for the gospel, didn’t relent in interceding for another person who had become a family in Rome.

In this short letter from Paul, we are reminded of the need to make room for each other and how to restore relationships within the church. It is obvious that Paul’s appeal was accepted by Philemon. In subsequent posts, we shall consider the details of the appeal and Paul’s advice to Philemon. We need to understand that irrespective of our spiritual maturity, there would always be the need to resolve issues within the church. Be always willing and ready to be an agent of peace.

The seven deacons in charge of food distribution

Every organisation is susceptible to internal conflict if compliant, quarrels and disputes are not managed and dealt with in a timely and well-organized manner. No matter how minute a complaint, a quarrel or a dispute is, if left unhandled, it has the likelihood to become a big albatross around the organisation’s neck. No wonder most organisations have specialized departments that focus on human resources and public relations. It is important that the internal temperature of the organisation is well-controlled so that it affects the public image of the organisation. Dealing with issues that hinder the growth and development of a group is therefore necessary for the overall well-being of the group. The early church had an exponential growth that attracted people of all backgrounds. As the church became more diverse, their needs also became diverse. A complaint arose in the church concerning food distribution. Let’s see how this was handled.

Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them ‭(Acts 6:3)

According to Acts 6:1, “In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.” First, the complaints arose as a result of church growth. The diverse congregation demanded diverse attention. The Hellenistic Jews had an issue: their widows were not ignored in the daily food distribution. This complaint was raised specifically against the Hebraic Jews. First we need to understand that the Hellenistic Jews were made up of Jews who spoke Greek and adopted to some extent, the Greek way of life. The Hebraic Jews were traditionally Hebrew speaking Jews. Important to note is that Greek was a dominant language and culture during the time of the New Testament. In this complaint, we see cultural neglect and discrimination. This matter, if not dealt with, could have jeopardized the growth and development of the church. The apostles understood this and they immediately put measures in place to resolve the issue. What was the apostles’ resolution?

First, the apostles understood that if they do not delegate the responsibility of food distribution, it might affect their ministry. They knew that although sharing food is good, they as apostles would be more productive if they were committed to their own call. In Acts 6:2,  the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.” After identifying this, the second step was to create a separate department for food distribution. This department had specific requirements for the workers. In Acts 6:3, the apostles made this suggestion: “Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them.” To qualify as a food distributor, the appointee should be known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. This credential is important as Spirit-filled and wise distributors are likely to know and understand the needs of all the different people groups in the church. One might wonder why food distributors needed to be anointed and wise. In the house of God, nothing is mundane. Even food distribution is a ministry that requires specific attention.

The suggestion of the apostles was accepted in good faith. Their proposal pleased the whole group and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism (Acts 6:5). Those chosen were presented to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them (Acts 6:6). What was the result? The word of God spread and the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith. ‭(Acts 6:7).

When we respond to internal conflicts in a timely manner, it results in safe conduct and peace within an organisation. Don’t ignore any complaint, show concern, try as much as possible to resolve issues and don’t allow any internal complaints to become an external disaster. Fix your backyard before it gets too busy to control.

Euodia and Syntyche: Dealing with conflicting church members

Paul’s missionary work in Philippi was borne out of a bigger trip to Macedonia. Paul had been hindered by the Spirit of Jesus from entering Bithynia. But in the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” After Paul had seen the vision, he and his team concluded that God had called them to preach the gospel to the people in Macedonia so they got ready at once to leave for Macedonia (Acts 16:9‭-‬10). As part of the trip, they traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia and they stayed there several days (Acts 16:12). It was in Philippi that they found a group of women including Lydia outside the city gate to the river. These women obviously loved God but needed to be guided on the right path. Later when was in prison in Rome, the Philippian church sent a contribution through a church member known as Epaphroditus to take care of Paul’s needs (Philippians 2:25). The letter to the Philippians church was sent through Epaphroditus. In the last part of Paul’s pastoral letter, he mentioned the names of two women, Euodia and Syntyche.

I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. (Philippians 4:2)

Who are Euodia and Syntyche? These women were members of the Philippian church and obviously part of the early members who were part of the riverside prayer team (Acts 16). Paul referred to them as women who have contended at his side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of his co-workers, whose names are in the book of life (Philippians 4:3). However, even though Euodia and Syntyche were saved and Paul himself knew that very well, these women had an open issue which was reported to Paul far away in Rome. We are not privy to the nature of their brawl and disagreement. However, it seemed so obvious that the whole church seemed to be aware of it. Paul wrote that, “I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.” (Philippians 4:2). Whatever the issue was had probably brought a sharp disagreement between the two women. They were in the same church but they were not on good terms. Paul, seeing the danger of misunderstanding probably based on his own experience with Barnabas (see Acts 15:39), pleaded with the Philippian church to help bring Euodia and Syntyche together. Paul wrote that, “I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.” (Philippians 4:3).

We need to understand that when we come to Christ, our inner man is renewed but that does not take away our feelings and emotions. This means that on a daily basis, we are likely to face some of the challenges that cause disagreement. However, we must be intentional in our pursuit of Christlikeness. How we handle the people and things that cause us to be angry should be done in God’s wisdom. The church might never be free of disagreement and conflicts while Christ tarries, but, we should desire to be peacemakers. In His famous sermon on the Mountain, Jesus stated that “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9). Jesus admonished his hearers and in extension all believers to be peacemakers. Thus, whenever there is no peace, we should bring peace to the situation. Paul does not leave Euodia and Syntyche to resolve their own issues. He called upon the church to assist in bringing the women together. The church should be a beacon of peace for members in disagreement. We should not allow disagreeing church members to fix their own issues. They might never resolve it without the help of the church.

Paul’s pastoral letter to the churches in Rome has profound truths. He wrote that,
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.” (Romans 12:14‭-‬19).

We should be intentional to live at peace with all men as far as it depends on us. Which means that even if we are wronged, we could still initiate peace with our offenders. Euodia and Syntyche are in most churches today. Men and women who sit and listen to the same preacher in the same church but still hold a grudge against each other. Be an agent of peace in your church. Don’t initiate strife, initiate peace.

Chloe: Serving the Lord with your household

In Joshua 24:15, as Joshua neared the end of his life, he gave the people of Israel his final words. One of the major themes of this final charge is “serving the Lord”. Joshua put before the people the Lord and the gods their ancestors served beyond the Euphrates. He said, “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15a). Serving the Lord together with his household was Joshua’s stand. I believe for most believers, this would be the preferred stand, “serving the Lord with our household”. But, it doesn’t always happen.  We should be intentional to stand in the gap for the members in our household to come to faith. One woman in Corinth who served the Lord with her household was Chloe. In fact, they did not just serve the Lord together,  they were also interested in bringing peace into the church.

Chloe was a family person and a member of the Corinthian church. She was not just concerned with her salvation but that of her household and the entire church. Chloe was mentioned in the letter to the Corinthian church in relation to a report she and her household made to Paul. The church in Corinth was divided over leaders. According to Paul, the church was divided over  Paul, Apollos, Cephas (Peter) and Christ:
“What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.” (1 Corinthians 1:12)
This was a divided church that needed immediate pastoral attention. The issue bothered Chloe and her household and they immediately contacted Paul to resolve the issue.  It is fair to say that Chloe and her household might have tried to resolve divisions in the church but it didn’t work and as such, reporting to the Apostle was a means to get the issue resolved.

My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. (1 Corinthians 1:11)

When Paul addressed the issue,  he didn’t  conceal the names of those who reported the issue to him; “My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.” (1 Corinthians 1:11). These petty quarrels had the tendency to wreck the church. Imagine all members in the church divided over leaders. No one will follow instructions coming from any other person other than their preferred leaders. The church will not be able to do anything together if they are all divided over authority. The report from Chloe’s household was properly handled by Paul as he spent time expounding on why the church should not be divided over leaders. Paul told the church in Corinth this:
“Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.” (1 Corinthians 3:1‭-‬9)

The explanation Paul gave is still relevant for handling church conflicts over leaders. Imagine Chloe and her household had not done the needful, the church would have been destroyed with such petty quarrels. Imagine if Chloe’s household had not supported the decision to report the incident to Paul, the matter would have escalated. Serving the Lord with our household is important for both our family and the church. There are many “Chloes” in the body of Christ. People dedicated to serving the Lord with their families.