WEBVTT NOTE This file was generated by Descript 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.870 Henry: Welcome To Immerse: The Daily Bible Reading Experience. 00:00:02.978 --> 00:00:03.748 Day 33 00:00:04.204 --> 00:00:05.924 Immersed in Philemon 00:00:08.824 --> 00:00:12.784 the believers in the city of Colossi in modern day Turkey. 00:00:13.264 --> 00:00:15.724 First heard about Jesus from a man named EPIs. 00:00:16.819 --> 00:00:21.829 Sometime during the years that Paul was based in Ephesus, he sent his associate 00:00:21.829 --> 00:00:27.379 Epi Forst to Colossi about a hundred miles east to share the good news there and in 00:00:27.379 --> 00:00:30.349 the nearby cities of Leo Deia and Olis. 00:00:31.069 --> 00:00:33.949 Many in Colossi became followers of Jesus. 00:00:34.849 --> 00:00:39.409 When they later learned that Paul was a prisoner, presumably in Rome, they 00:00:39.409 --> 00:00:41.719 sent EPIs to help Paul on their behalf. 00:00:42.769 --> 00:00:45.589 He would make sure that Paul was being properly cared for in 00:00:45.589 --> 00:00:49.189 prison, bringing money and supplies from the church in Colossi. 00:00:50.389 --> 00:00:54.889 During this time, Paul wrote the letters we know as Colossians and Ephesians. 00:00:55.609 --> 00:00:59.209 He sent ticket Aus and Animus to deliver those letters to their 00:00:59.214 --> 00:01:01.099 recipients in the province of Asia. 00:01:02.209 --> 00:01:07.039 Paul gave them one more letter to deliver, addressed to a man named Philemon, a 00:01:07.039 --> 00:01:08.689 leader among the believers in Colossi. 00:01:09.784 --> 00:01:15.184 Paul calls him his brother and beloved coworker, noting that the believers 00:01:15.184 --> 00:01:16.924 gathered to worship in his home. 00:01:18.194 --> 00:01:21.214 Philemon once had a slave who had betrayed his trust by running 00:01:21.219 --> 00:01:23.194 away, likely stealing money. 00:01:23.194 --> 00:01:29.074 In the process that slave was animus one of the men delivering Paul's letters. 00:01:30.094 --> 00:01:33.814 In this letter, Paul asks Philemon to forgive this slave. 00:01:34.054 --> 00:01:37.714 Welcome him as a brother in Christ and set him free. 00:01:38.479 --> 00:01:42.499 Onesimus is returning to Colossi as one of Paul's representatives. 00:01:43.009 --> 00:01:46.549 The runaway is about to see his owner again, face to face. 00:01:47.749 --> 00:01:52.009 In his letter to Philemon, Paul explains that he has become a 00:01:52.014 --> 00:01:54.199 father in the faith to Onesimus. 00:01:54.709 --> 00:01:58.189 Just as EPIs was helping Paul on behalf of the Colossians. 00:01:58.579 --> 00:02:03.589 Paul wants to keep animus with him on behalf of Philemon, but 00:02:03.589 --> 00:02:06.349 given their history, Paul knows that he can't presume anything. 00:02:07.099 --> 00:02:11.179 So he sends animus back to Colossi with tick AKIs to seek 00:02:11.184 --> 00:02:12.909 reconciliation with Philemon. 00:02:13.759 --> 00:02:18.889 Paul uses a variety of strategies to persuade Philemon community encouragement. 00:02:19.219 --> 00:02:21.469 Paul addresses the letter to the whole church there. 00:02:22.099 --> 00:02:22.939 Sympathy. 00:02:23.329 --> 00:02:27.049 He mentions five times that he's in prison authority. 00:02:27.559 --> 00:02:28.939 I could demand it. 00:02:29.449 --> 00:02:30.349 Personal debt. 00:02:30.859 --> 00:02:32.549 You owe me your very soul. 00:02:33.539 --> 00:02:35.439 And most significantly, I. 00:02:35.614 --> 00:02:39.244 The creation of one new unified family in the Messiah. 00:02:40.354 --> 00:02:44.104 Even so, Paul is making a pretty audacious request. 00:02:44.784 --> 00:02:50.614 Philemon has the authority under Roman law to punish ESUs severely runaway Slaves 00:02:50.619 --> 00:02:56.614 were routinely killed by crucifixion, but Paul asks him to grant ESUs freedom and 00:02:56.619 --> 00:03:01.924 to welcome him as a man and as a brother in the Lord effectively as an equal. 00:03:02.794 --> 00:03:06.274 Notice that Paul is mirroring what Christ has done for us. 00:03:07.114 --> 00:03:11.314 He is not merely encouraging reconciliation between Philemon and ESUs. 00:03:11.914 --> 00:03:16.504 He is embodying that reconciliation himself by putting himself 00:03:16.504 --> 00:03:20.044 between them and volunteering to pay any debt that OSUs owes. 00:03:20.494 --> 00:03:25.354 Paul is doing exactly what he asks of Philemon put into action the 00:03:25.354 --> 00:03:27.544 generosity that comes from your faith. 00:03:28.564 --> 00:03:32.434 The foundation for everything Paul writes in this short letter, is the 00:03:32.434 --> 00:03:37.864 radical new unity made possible by Christ, the new world that has been born 00:03:37.864 --> 00:03:42.304 through the death and resurrection of the Messiah directly challenges the old 00:03:42.304 --> 00:03:44.164 way of life in the present evil age. 00:03:45.454 --> 00:03:49.294 In the Messiah's new family, love cuts across the old boundaries 00:03:49.294 --> 00:03:54.724 between people, Jew and Greek, slave and free male and female. 00:03:55.444 --> 00:03:58.384 We all are now one in Christ. 00:04:03.754 --> 00:04:05.014 The letter to the Lehman, 00:04:07.684 --> 00:04:11.764 this letter is from Paul, a prisoner for preaching the good news about Christ 00:04:11.764 --> 00:04:13.984 Jesus and from our brother Timothy. 00:04:15.574 --> 00:04:21.004 I am writing to Philemon our beloved coworker and to our sister Phi and to 00:04:21.004 --> 00:04:24.664 our fellow soldier Arch Kius, and to the church that meets in your house, 00:04:26.254 --> 00:04:31.084 may God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, to give you grace and peace. 00:04:31.474 --> 00:04:37.474 I always thank my God when I pray for you, Philemon, because I keep hearing 00:04:37.474 --> 00:04:41.824 about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God's people. 00:04:42.649 --> 00:04:46.459 And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your 00:04:46.459 --> 00:04:51.199 faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ. 00:04:52.159 --> 00:04:54.679 Your love has given me much joy and comfort. 00:04:54.709 --> 00:04:59.119 My brother, for your kindness, has often refreshed the hearts of God's people. 00:05:01.009 --> 00:05:03.619 That is why I am boldly asking a favor of you. 00:05:04.579 --> 00:05:06.919 I could demand it in the name of Christ because it is the 00:05:06.924 --> 00:05:08.089 right thing for you to do. 00:05:08.644 --> 00:05:14.074 But because of our love, I prefer simply to ask you, consider this as a request 00:05:14.074 --> 00:05:19.204 from me, Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus. 00:05:20.344 --> 00:05:23.854 I appeal to you to show kindness to my child, ESUs. 00:05:24.634 --> 00:05:27.214 I became his father in the faith while here in prison. 00:05:27.754 --> 00:05:31.114 ESUs hasn't been of much use to you in the past, but now he 00:05:31.114 --> 00:05:32.854 is very useful to both of us. 00:05:33.544 --> 00:05:37.204 I am sending him back to you, and with him comes my own heart. 00:05:38.149 --> 00:05:41.509 I wanted to keep him here with me while I am in these chains for 00:05:41.509 --> 00:05:45.049 preaching the good news that he would've helped me on your behalf. 00:05:45.829 --> 00:05:48.079 But I didn't want to do anything without your consent. 00:05:48.979 --> 00:05:52.789 I wanted you to help because you are willing, not because you were forced. 00:05:53.749 --> 00:05:58.069 I seems you lost ESUs for a little while so that you could have him back forever. 00:05:58.879 --> 00:06:00.799 He is no longer like a slave to you. 00:06:01.369 --> 00:06:05.599 He is more than a slave for, he is a beloved brother, especially to me. 00:06:06.244 --> 00:06:10.804 Now he will mean much more to you both as a man and as a brother in the Lord. 00:06:12.034 --> 00:06:16.564 So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 00:06:17.344 --> 00:06:21.694 If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me. 00:06:22.154 --> 00:06:24.874 I Paul write this with my own hand. 00:06:25.354 --> 00:06:29.764 I will repay it and I won't mention that you owe me your very soul. 00:06:30.454 --> 00:06:31.444 Yes, my brother. 00:06:31.834 --> 00:06:34.174 Please do me this favor for the Lord's sake. 00:06:34.594 --> 00:06:36.664 Give me this encouragement in Christ. 00:06:37.894 --> 00:06:41.944 I am confident as I write this letter that you will do what I ask and even more. 00:06:42.694 --> 00:06:43.294 One more thing. 00:06:43.894 --> 00:06:46.894 Please prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that 00:06:46.894 --> 00:06:48.514 God will answer your prayers. 00:06:48.754 --> 00:06:50.584 And let me return to you soon. 00:06:52.824 --> 00:06:56.884 EPIs, my fellow prisoner in Christ, Jesus sends you his greetings. 00:06:57.424 --> 00:07:02.284 So do Mark Aris, Starke, Demas, and Luke, my coworkers. 00:07:03.679 --> 00:07:07.279 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. 00:07:08.749 --> 00:07:11.599 This concludes today's Immer reading experience. 00:07:11.719 --> 00:07:12.739 Thank you for joining us.