Paul begins his INTERCESSION on behalf of Onesimus by
informing Philemon of his RIGHT to do so based upon his God bestowed APOSTOLIC OFFICE (Philemon 8)
However, for LOVE'S SAKE he appealed to Philemon NOT AS
AN APOSTLE, BUT AS AN ELDER "and NOW also a PRISONER of Jesus Christ" (Philemon 9)
"CHARITY (LOVE) VAUNTETH NOT itself, is NOT PUFFED
UP" (I Corinthians 13:4)
"KNOWLEDGE PUFFETH UP, BUT CHARITY (LOVE) EDIFIETH
(BUILDETH UP)" (I Corinthians 8:1)
Paul encouraged the Philippians in having "LOWLINESS
OF MIND", i.e. to have "the MIND OF CHRIST" which PUTS OTHERS BEFORE SELF (Philippians 2:3-5)
and, thus, reminded the Thessalonians of his GENTLENESS in his AFFECTIONS toward them as "a NURSE CHERISHETH
HER CHILDREN" (I Thessalonians 2:7-8)
Paul tells Philemon of the CONVERSION of Onesimus, "whom
I have BEGOTTEN IN MY BONDS" (Philemon 10)
God used Paul's IMPRISONMENT as the means for BOTH the
REVELATION OF HIS GRACE (Ephesians 3:1-2) and the DEMONSTRATION OF ITS POWER (II Timothy 1:8-9)
Paul acknowledges to Philemon that Onesimus as an UNBELIEVER
was an UNPROFITABLE slave, BUT NOW as a BELIEVER - Onesimus was a PROFITABLE minister to Paul and is able to be
so to Philemon as well (Philemon 11)
Paul exhorts Philemon to receive Onesimus in the same
manner as he would receive Paul's "own BOWELS (AFFECTIONS)" (Philemon 12)
Paul spoke of his GREAT LONGING for the Philippians as
that of "the BOWELS (AFFECTIONS) of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:8)
Paul said that he would have kept kept Onesimus with him
that "he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel, but WITHOUT THY MIND WOULD I DO NOTHING"
(Philemon 13-14)
Paul exhorted the Romans "to be of the SAME MIND
one toward another" (Romans 12:16)
Paul entreated the Corinthians to be "joined together
in the SAME MIND and in the SAME JUDGMENT" (I Corinthians 1:10)
Paul exhorted the Philippians to help two women who were
at odds with each other to be "of the SAME MIND in the Lord" (Philippians 4:2-3)
Paul intimates God's design by saying that Onesimus "PERHAPS
... DEPARTED FOR A SEASON" in order that Philemon "SHOULDEST RECEIVE HIM FOREVER" (Philemon 15)
As REDEEMED SINNERS, Paul tells us - "for YE WERE
sometimes DARKNESS, BUT NOW ARE YE LIGHT in the Lord" (Ephesians 5:8) for it is "the Father, which hath MADE US MEET (FIT) to be PARTAKERS
of the inheritance of the SAINTS in LIGHT" (Colossians 1:12)
Paul exhorts Philemon to NOW RECEIVE Onesimus, NOT AS
A SERVANT, BUT AS A BROTHER (Philemon 16)
"IN CHRIST JESUS", "there is NEITHER BOND
NOR FREE" (Galatians 3:28)
"For he that is CALLED in the Lord being A SERVANT,
is the LORD'S FREEMAN ..." (I Corinthians 7:22)
"... likewise also, he that is CALLED, being FREE,
is CHRISTS' SERVANT" (I Corinthians 7:22)
Paul entreats Philemon that if he "counts (echoes)"
Paul as a "PARTNER (PARTAKER)", i.e. a SHARER of FELLOWSHIP, then Philemon should receive Onesimus as
he would receive Paul (Philemon 17)
This is a request in the same vein as the Lord enjoins
all His people to "RECEIVE ye one another, AS CHRIST also RECEIVED us TO THE GLORY OF GOD" (Romans 15:7)
Christ RECEIVED us UNCONDITIONALLY, i.e. "FREELY
(WITHOUT CAUSE)" (Romans 3:24) "WHILE we were YET SINNERS" (Romans 5:8)
Paul tells Philemon that if Onesimus has wronged him in
any way concerning any UNPAID DEBT - to "put that on MY ACCOUNT" (Philemon 18)
This is a MARVELLOUS DEMONSTRATION of the VERY ESSENCE
OF THE GOSPEL concerning what Christ assumed for the sinner (II Corinthians 5:20-21)
Paul exhorts each believer to be "followers of God"
by walking "in LOVE AS CHRIST HATH LOVED us", i.e. SACRIFICIALLY (Ephesians 5:1-2)
Paul presses the urgency of his request concerning Onesimus
by saying that "I Paul have WRITTEN it with MY OWN HAND" and that Paul would repay Onesimus' debt even
though Philemon owes Paul a FAR GREATER DEBT, i.e "THINE OWN SELF" (Philemon 19)
There is NO GREATER DEBT than the SHARING OF THE GOSPEL
(Romans 1:14-15) for IT ALONE offers "the GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE" (Romans 6:23)
to ALL that "have SINNED and COME SHORT of the GLORY OF GOD" (Romans 3:23)