Henry: Welcome To Immerse: The Daily Bible Reading Experience.
Day 33
Immersed in Philemon
the believers in the city of Colossi in modern day Turkey.
First heard about Jesus from a man named EPIs.
Sometime during the years that Paul was based in Ephesus, he sent his associate
Epi Forst to Colossi about a hundred miles east to share the good news there and in
the nearby cities of Leo Deia and Olis.
Many in Colossi became followers of Jesus.
When they later learned that Paul was a prisoner, presumably in Rome, they
sent EPIs to help Paul on their behalf.
He would make sure that Paul was being properly cared for in
prison, bringing money and supplies from the church in Colossi.
During this time, Paul wrote the letters we know as Colossians and Ephesians.
He sent ticket Aus and Animus to deliver those letters to their
recipients in the province of Asia.
Paul gave them one more letter to deliver, addressed to a man named Philemon, a
leader among the believers in Colossi.
Paul calls him his brother and beloved coworker, noting that the believers
gathered to worship in his home.
Philemon once had a slave who had betrayed his trust by running
away, likely stealing money.
In the process that slave was animus one of the men delivering Paul's letters.
In this letter, Paul asks Philemon to forgive this slave.
Welcome him as a brother in Christ and set him free.
Onesimus is returning to Colossi as one of Paul's representatives.
The runaway is about to see his owner again, face to face.
In his letter to Philemon, Paul explains that he has become a
father in the faith to Onesimus.
Just as EPIs was helping Paul on behalf of the Colossians.
Paul wants to keep animus with him on behalf of Philemon, but
given their history, Paul knows that he can't presume anything.
So he sends animus back to Colossi with tick AKIs to seek
reconciliation with Philemon.
Paul uses a variety of strategies to persuade Philemon community encouragement.
Paul addresses the letter to the whole church there.
Sympathy.
He mentions five times that he's in prison authority.
I could demand it.
Personal debt.
You owe me your very soul.
And most significantly, I.
The creation of one new unified family in the Messiah.
Even so, Paul is making a pretty audacious request.
Philemon has the authority under Roman law to punish ESUs severely runaway Slaves
were routinely killed by crucifixion, but Paul asks him to grant ESUs freedom and
to welcome him as a man and as a brother in the Lord effectively as an equal.
Notice that Paul is mirroring what Christ has done for us.
He is not merely encouraging reconciliation between Philemon and ESUs.
He is embodying that reconciliation himself by putting himself
between them and volunteering to pay any debt that OSUs owes.
Paul is doing exactly what he asks of Philemon put into action the
generosity that comes from your faith.
The foundation for everything Paul writes in this short letter, is the
radical new unity made possible by Christ, the new world that has been born
through the death and resurrection of the Messiah directly challenges the old
way of life in the present evil age.
In the Messiah's new family, love cuts across the old boundaries
between people, Jew and Greek, slave and free male and female.
We all are now one in Christ.
The letter to the Lehman,
this letter is from Paul, a prisoner for preaching the good news about Christ
Jesus and from our brother Timothy.
I am writing to Philemon our beloved coworker and to our sister Phi and to
our fellow soldier Arch Kius, and to the church that meets in your house,
may God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, to give you grace and peace.
I always thank my God when I pray for you, Philemon, because I keep hearing
about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God's people.
And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your
faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ.
Your love has given me much joy and comfort.
My brother, for your kindness, has often refreshed the hearts of God's people.
That is why I am boldly asking a favor of you.
I could demand it in the name of Christ because it is the
right thing for you to do.
But because of our love, I prefer simply to ask you, consider this as a request
from me, Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus.
I appeal to you to show kindness to my child, ESUs.
I became his father in the faith while here in prison.
ESUs hasn't been of much use to you in the past, but now he
is very useful to both of us.
I am sending him back to you, and with him comes my own heart.
I wanted to keep him here with me while I am in these chains for
preaching the good news that he would've helped me on your behalf.
But I didn't want to do anything without your consent.
I wanted you to help because you are willing, not because you were forced.
I seems you lost ESUs for a little while so that you could have him back forever.
He is no longer like a slave to you.
He is more than a slave for, he is a beloved brother, especially to me.
Now he will mean much more to you both as a man and as a brother in the Lord.
So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.
If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me.
I Paul write this with my own hand.
I will repay it and I won't mention that you owe me your very soul.
Yes, my brother.
Please do me this favor for the Lord's sake.
Give me this encouragement in Christ.
I am confident as I write this letter that you will do what I ask and even more.
One more thing.
Please prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that
God will answer your prayers.
And let me return to you soon.
EPIs, my fellow prisoner in Christ, Jesus sends you his greetings.
So do Mark Aris, Starke, Demas, and Luke, my coworkers.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
This concludes today's Immer reading experience.
Thank you for joining us.