"Yet for love's sake..."
Recently I was once again asked to fill-in for my chaplain who's been out on medical leave...
I taught on the apostle Paul's letter to a man by the name of Philemon. I told the men that I believe this to be the most heartwarming letter in the New Testament. And because it is short, it is often overlooked by Paul's lengthier letters such as Romans and Hebrews. But bigger is not always better.
Philemon, I told the class, is actually a prison story. It's about a runaway slave who was apparently arrested in the city of Rome, and about several hundred miles from where his owner lived. But while in prison, who does Onesimus run into, the legendary apostle himself. Paul, at some point, leads Onesimus to faith in Christ. He then begins to disciple the new convert. "Imagine getting discipled by the apostle Paul himself?" I said.
Onesimus, as a wanted man, was facing deportation back to his owner. He was also facing severe punishment. A slave who escaped was, when apprehended, severely beaten and sometimes even killed as a deterrent to other slaves not to runaway. Very sad, I said, but that was how it was in bible times.
Knowing that Onesimus was facing punishment, Paul had a letter written to Philemon, Onesimus' owner, asking to spare what was probably going to be a severe beating. Paul offered to pay Onesimus' debt. This, I told the men, is exactly Christ did for us. He willingly took our sins upon Himself, and He paid for our sins with His own blood, thus canceling our debt.
I said that Christ gives us an example that we must forgive those who've wronged as well. We read in Mark's account, where Jesus was instructing His disciples to forgive those who transgress against us, or else the Lord will not forgive us (Mark 11:25-26).
I believe we found many parts to this short letter that we never realized before, and that includes me. Here are the themes that Paul's letter covered:
Forgiveness - Mercy - Compassion - Kindness - Generosity - Restoration - Brotherly Love, and more.
I ended by reminding my fellow prisoners that this story took place in a prison. That God is still doing many wonderful things behind these walls. Christ paid the price for each of us so that the punishment we deserve for our sins and crimes is hereby bypassed. What a blessing!
D. B.
I taught on the apostle Paul's letter to a man by the name of Philemon. I told the men that I believe this to be the most heartwarming letter in the New Testament. And because it is short, it is often overlooked by Paul's lengthier letters such as Romans and Hebrews. But bigger is not always better.
Philemon, I told the class, is actually a prison story. It's about a runaway slave who was apparently arrested in the city of Rome, and about several hundred miles from where his owner lived. But while in prison, who does Onesimus run into, the legendary apostle himself. Paul, at some point, leads Onesimus to faith in Christ. He then begins to disciple the new convert. "Imagine getting discipled by the apostle Paul himself?" I said.
Onesimus, as a wanted man, was facing deportation back to his owner. He was also facing severe punishment. A slave who escaped was, when apprehended, severely beaten and sometimes even killed as a deterrent to other slaves not to runaway. Very sad, I said, but that was how it was in bible times.
Knowing that Onesimus was facing punishment, Paul had a letter written to Philemon, Onesimus' owner, asking to spare what was probably going to be a severe beating. Paul offered to pay Onesimus' debt. This, I told the men, is exactly Christ did for us. He willingly took our sins upon Himself, and He paid for our sins with His own blood, thus canceling our debt.
I said that Christ gives us an example that we must forgive those who've wronged as well. We read in Mark's account, where Jesus was instructing His disciples to forgive those who transgress against us, or else the Lord will not forgive us (Mark 11:25-26).
I believe we found many parts to this short letter that we never realized before, and that includes me. Here are the themes that Paul's letter covered:
Forgiveness - Mercy - Compassion - Kindness - Generosity - Restoration - Brotherly Love, and more.
I ended by reminding my fellow prisoners that this story took place in a prison. That God is still doing many wonderful things behind these walls. Christ paid the price for each of us so that the punishment we deserve for our sins and crimes is hereby bypassed. What a blessing!
D. B.
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