[Biblemat] A) PHILEMON -- FORGIVE YOUR BONDSERVANT.

[J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com]

Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here.  A very good Friday morn-
ing to each and everyone.  May God bless you and yours.  Here is
an article from my files:

PHILEMON -- FORGIVE YOUR BONDSERVANT WHO DID NOT
KEEP HIS WORD.

     Do you remember when a handshake meant someone's
word was their bond?  You knew their promise would be kept!
Keeping one's word doesn't seem to carry much weight in
these present times.  Have you ever caught yourself not quite
telling all the truth to explain why you have failed to keep your word?

     Notice how we lose trust in one another when promises 
are not kept.  It doesn't matter who they are -- if they have not kept their 
word -- we will not call upon them again to do
the job!  It is amazing the excuses that are often given like the dog ate my 
homework, or my computer crashed, or my
car broke down.  How many unfinished promises do you have
on your plate?

     Jesus taught that we should let our "Yes be Yes" and let
our "No be No" (Matt. 5:37)!  Jesus is saying that your word is your bond, 
and that it is equal to making a vow or an oath
(see Jas. 5:12).

     The letter that the apostle Paul wrote to Philemon is about
a bondservant who did not keep his word.  Onesimus was
probably to to Rome by Philemon to do an important errand,
and then was to return home to Colossae.  Onesimus did not
keep his promise, and became a run-away bondservant (Phile. 11,15,18).

     While in Rome Onesimus met Paul and became a Christian
(vs. 10).  Paul sent Onesimus back to Philemon with a letter
tht asked for Onesimus's freedom to serve in the work of the
Lord Jesus Christ (vs. 13; Col. 4:7-9).

     We learn in this letter to Philemon the importance of keep-
ing our word.  Paul had Onesimus return home to Philemon
to make right the wrong he had done to his master.  Philemon
is asked to forgive Onesimus and allow him to serve Paul in
the spread of the gospel.  Philemon is expected to do what
Paul has asked based on his word of faithfulness in his dedi-
cation to Christ (vss. 5,6).  Paul was confident that Onesimus
would return to Philemon, and he was confident that Phile-
mon would do even more than what was asked of him (vs. 21)

     Keeping our word shows we are accountable to God and 
to each other.  Keeping our promises protects our relation-
ship with each other adn with God.  Keeping our vows is a 
godly characteristic that shows we are like our heavenly Fat-
her Who keeps His Word faithfully to us (Heb. 10:23).  --------
Ron Drumm.

     (I never had considered that Philemon had sent Onesimus
to Rome on an errand and he refused to return.  I believe that
he ran away from home and finally ended up in Rome.  No
doubt, if Philemon had sent him to Rome on an errand, he
knowing that Paul was in prison there, would have sent some
gift or message to Paul himself.  Philemon lived in Collosae and Paul had 
visited with him there before.  No doubt Onesi-
mus knew Paul and knew of his incarceration in Rome and he,
being in a bind as a run away slave, decided to find Paul and
talk to him.  Upon finding Paul he was taught the way of the
Lord and obeyed it.  But to make everything right and to repent of wrongs 
previously done, he was told to return to
Philemon and straighten things out with him.  This is the way
I see it.  JWS).   </HTML>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20071116/a746fe19/attachment-0001.html