Survey of Philemon

1
(No Transcript)
2
A SURVEY OF THE BOOK
OF
PHILEMON
Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy
our brother, unto our
dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer, Philem 1
PHILEMON
3
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS OF THE BOOK OF PHILEMON

• THIS LETTER WAS WRITTEN TO AN INDIVIDUAL BY THE
  NAME OF PHILEMON
• THE NAME PHILEMON MEANS WHO KISSES OR
  AFFECTIONATE
• APPHIA MEANING PRODUCTIVE OR FRUITFUL SHE WAS
  PROBABLY THE WIFE OF PHILEMON. ARCHIPPUS MEANING
  A MASTER OF HORSES WAS PROBABLY HIS SON.
• THE LETTER OF PHILEMON WAS WRITTEN OUT OF PAULS
  FIRST IMPRISONMENT AND BELONGS WITH EPHESIANS,
  PHILLIPPIANS AND COLOSSIANS.
• THIS GROUP OF FOUR ARE KNOWN AS PRISON EPISTLES.

4
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS FROM THE BOOK OF PHILEMON 2
6. THE BOOK OF PHILEMON WAS THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN
WRITTEN AT THE SAME TIME AS COLOSSIANS WITH
ONESIMUS AS PAULS REPRESENTATIVE 47-9. 7. THE
BOOK WAS WRITTEN AROUND A.D. 60 8. THE AUTHOR OF
THE BOOK IS CLEARLY PAUL VS. 1,9,19. 9. THE BOOK
DEALS WITH A PERSONAL PROBLEM BETWEEN PHILEMON (A
MASTER) AND ONESUMUS (A SLAVE) 10. THE BOOK IS
PERSONAL IN CHARACTER. 11. A KEY VERSE IN THE
BOOK IS VERSE SIXTEEN 12. A KEY WORD IN THE BOOK
IS THE WORD RECEIVE WHICH OCCURS THREE TIMES
(12, 15, 17).
5
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS FROM THE BOOK OF PHILEMON 3
13. THE BOOK CONTAINS 25 VERSES 14. THE PURPOSE
OF THE BOOK IS TWO FOLD A. TO GIVE THANKS FOR
PHILEMONS FAITH AND LOVE 4-7 B. TO APPEAL TO
PHILEMON TO FORGIVE AND RECEIVE BACK ONESIMUS
8-21 15. A KEY CONCEPT IN THE BOOK IS
FORGIVENESS
6
A BRIEF OUTLINE OF THE BOOK

• GREETINGS 1-3
• PAULS APPEAL FOR ONESIMUS4-22
• A. THE APPEAL APPROACHED 4-7
• B. THE APPEAL DETAILED8-16
• C. THE APPEAL SUPPORTED 17-22
• III. CLOSING 23-25

7
BACKGROUND AND OCCASION OF WRITING
THIS EPISTLE SHOULD BE STUDIED IN LIGHT OF ROMAN
SLAVERY. IT HAS BEEN ESTIMATED THAT ONE THIRD OF
THE ROMAN EMPIRE WAS MADE UP OF SLAVES. MEN AND
WOMEN WERE BOUGHT AND SOLD AS POSSESSIONS RATHER
THAN HUMAN BEINGS. A SLAVE WAS USUALLY DEALT WITH
AS THE MASTER SAW FIT. SLAVES WERE ACQUIRED BY
WAR, BIRTH AND POVERTY. THE BOOK OF PHILEMON WAS
WRITTEN IN VIEW OF THIS BACK GROUND. A SLAVE OF
PHILEMON, ONESIMUS BY NAME HAD RUN AWAY FROM HIS
MASTER AND FROM VERSE 18, HE HAD STOLEN FROM
PHILEMON TO MAKE HIS JOURNEY TO ROME. WHILE IN
ROME HE WAS CONVERTED BY PAUL V.10. PAUL WRITES
THIS SHORT EPISTLE TO ENCOURAGE PHILEMON TO
RECEIVE ONESIMUS BACK INTO HIS GOOD GRACES, BUT
NOT AS A SLAVE BUT AS A BROTHER.
8
LESSONS TO BE LEARNED FROM THE BOOK OF PHILEMON

• THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING GRATEFUL AND PRAYERFUL
  FOR ONE ANOTHER AS BRETHREN 14
• WE LEARN THE HUMILITY OF PAUL, AS AN APOSTLE HE
  TOOK THE TIME TO BRING ABOUT RECONCILIATION
  BETWEEN A SLAVE AND HIS MASTER.
• WE LEARN ABOUT THE RICHES OF GODS GRACE IN
  SAVING A VILE SINNER 110 (1 TIM. 115)
• WE LEARN THAT WHAT SOMETIMES SEEMS TO BE A
  SERIOUS INFRACTION, GOD CAN TURN INTO A BLESSING
  115-16
• WE LEARN THAT WHEN ONE IS CONVERTED, HE STILL HAS
  OBLIGATIONS TO THE LAW AND WHEN NECESSARY
  RESTITUTION MUST BE MADE 118-19 (ALSO LUKE
  196-9)

9
LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE BOOK OF PHILEMON 2
6. WE SHOULD EXPECT BRETHREN WHEN THEY KNOW TO DO
WHAT IS RIGHT TO DO IT 120-21 7. WE LEARN ABOUT
THE BROTHERHOOD IN CHRIST, THAT IN CHRIST THERE
IS NO CLASS DISTINCTION 116 (GAL. 328-29) 8. WE
LEARN THE NEED FOR OLDER CHRISTIANS TO STAND IN
BEHALF FOR YOUNGER CHRISTIANS (ALSO ACTS
926-28) 9. WE LEARN TO BE JOYFUL OVER THE GOOD
THAT OTHER CHRISTIANS DO 17 10. WE LEARN THAT
BECOMING A CHRISTIAN MAKES ONE VERY USEFUL TO
HUMANITY AND THE CAUSE OF CHRIST 111