Our Great High Priest: A Study Of The Book Of Hebrews. Day 4, So Great A Salvation

Today the author of Hebrews is going to warn us not to drift away from the gospel message. We've already learned that in his day there was a growing habit of elevating celestial beings to the level of worship, a thing which is the same as idolatry. To bow the knees in worship to an angel is as bad as bowing the knees to a false god. Today we are told not to deviate from or add to the gospel message because doing so can cause us, and others, to miss out on the free gift of salvation. If we believe and teach that we must do things to "add to" our salvation, we are missing the whole point of what Christ did on the cross for us. The point is that He did something for us that we could never do for ourselves. His sacrifice was perfect and there's nothing we can do to add to it. Relying on our own good works or mixing pagan beliefs with Biblical truths can water down the gospel message to the point that it has no effect on its hearers. Even in our own day there are those who believe there are many ways to God, and teaching a watered-down gospel or teaching salvation by works is only going to add to this false belief. It's going to make people believe that following Jesus is an option instead of what it really is: a life or death choice of the soul.

"We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away." (Hebrews 2:1) The study of God's word is essential to our faith. Although we know the gospel message, we are still to study it so that we can recognize and reject any teaching that contradicts it. Although we are familiar with the stories of the Old Testament, we are to study them as well, for Jesus said of them: "These are the very Scriptures that testify of Me." (John 5:39b) Christ is present in the Old Testament. His blood sacrifice was symbolized by all the sacrifices that came before Him. His advent was foretold by the prophets. We know from the Old Testament that Christ would come from the tribe of Judah, of the line of King David, that He would be born in Bethlehem, that He would be called out of Egypt just as Israel was called out of Egypt. These are predictions that Jesus of Nazareth had no control over, yet He fulfilled them. He couldn't cause Himself to be born from the tribe of Judah and from the line of King David, but His genealogy records prove that these things are so. He couldn't make Himself be born in Bethlehem, which would not have happened if Rome had not conquered Judah and if the Roman government had not decided to take a census in order to tax the people. If the magi had not told the wicked Herod that the king who was foretold had just been born in Bethlehem, Jesus and His family would not have had to flee to Egypt for a time. The fact is that Christ came in exactly the way and in exactly the place the prophets predicted, so the study and the understanding of the Scriptures is vital to accepting that He is who He says He is. And the study of the gospel message is vital in order to keep it from being changed and stripped of the power it has to transform lives.

"For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation?" (Hebrews 2:2-3a) In Chapter 1 we were told that in times past God spoke to us in various ways, but that now He speaks to us through the Son. If the word of God given to man by angels and prophets in the Old Testament was to be believed and obeyed, how much more is the word of the Son to be obeyed? The penalty for violating the Mosaic law was quite harsh in many cases. How much more harsh will the penalty be if we ignore the word given to us directly by God the Son? If we refuse to accept His message, what hope do we have? If we reject His offer of salvation, what sacrifice is there for our sins?

"This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard Him." (Hebrews 2:3b) John the Baptist, an Elijah-type prophet who bridged the gap between the Old Testament and the New Testament, gave his testimony on the identity of Jesus of Nazareth on the day he baptized Him. On that same day, God the Father spoke from heaven, giving His testimony on the identity of Jesus of Nazareth. According to the law of Moses, the testimony of two or three people was all that was needed to establish a thing as truth, so John and the Lord God are two witnesses, which would have been enough. But Jesus Himself testified as to His identity, making Himself the third witness to the truth. The disciples also gave their testimony as to His identity, having witnessed His life, His miracles, His death, and His resurrection. We have all the proof we need. If we reject this proof, we are neglecting the great salvation offered to us. When we stand before God we will be without excuse and without Christ as our Mediator, Defender, and Redeemer.

If the word of God and the testimony of all these other witnesses aren't enough to convince us, the things Jesus did ought to convince us. "God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will." (Hebrews 2:4) Jesus performed miracles on a scale never seen before. After He ascended to His Father, the Holy Spirit was poured out on believers so that they too performed miracles on a scale never seen before. Although we don't generally see what are called "the signs of the apostles" in our own day, there's no doubt Jesus is still performing miracles. He is transforming hearts and lives, rescuing believers from the bonds of addiction, putting marriages back together, and bringing prodigal children home. I can testify to knowing a large number of people whose lives have been radically changed by Christ. They once were lost in sin and were living according to the desires of their human nature, but now they live to honor and glorify Christ in everything they do. I can give my own testimony, because when I came to Christ I was pulled out of darkness into His glorious light. I'm not who I used to be, and believe me you wouldn't like who I used to be. I am unrecognizable now, spiritually speaking, and no false gospel would have had the power to transform me into a new creature. If Christ isn't who He says He is, He couldn't have done for me what He's done. I can give no greater testimony than this. This is all the proof I need.

Our Great High Priest: A Study Of The Book Of Hebrews. Day 3, His Throne Lasts Forever

In Thursday's study we talked about the problem with placing too much value on angels. The author of Hebrews was dealing with a culture that had a growing interest in all things spiritual, which was leading some of them to regard angels with an attitude of worship. The author explained that Christ is superior to angels in every way and that the angels worship Him. Today he picks up there by reminding us that Christ has been given the highest honors by God the Father and that He has the preeminence over all that has been created.

"But about the Son He says, 'Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set You above Your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.'" (Hebrews 1:8-9) The writer is quoting from Psalm 45, in which God the Father calls the Son "God", making Him equal in authority and power. God is giving the Son a throne that lasts forever, a throne from which He will rule the nations, the throne that God promised to King David would belong to one of his descendants. (2 Samuel 7:16) This is the kingdom that Jacob prophetically foresaw when blessing his sons, saying of the line of his son Judah, "The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until He to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be His.." (Genesis 49:10) The Lord Jesus Christ, a descendant of David, of the royal line of Judah, is that King whose kingdom will never end.

"He also says, 'In the beginning, Lord, You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But You remain the same, and Your years will never end.'" (Hebrews 1:10-12) This quote is from Psalm 102, a psalm which extols the sovereign power of the Lord who created all things. The author of Hebrews has already pointed out earlier in this first chapter that it was through the Son that God created everything that exists. The Son existed before the world was made, the Son came to the earth in the flesh to give His life for us, then He rose from the dead never to die again. He lives forever, and His kingdom endures forever, and though times and seasons may change He never does. As the author will later say in the book of Hebrews, the Lord Jesus Christ is "the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8)

The angels, unlike the Son, are not seated at the right hand of the Father. They are not kings and have received no kingdom. Their job is to serve God and to minister to those who belong to Him, so they are never to be worshiped but are to be considered the servants of God. "To which of the angels did God ever say, 'Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for your feet'? Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?" (Hebrews 1:13-14) King David wrote Psalm 110, the Psalm the author is quoting here. In it David says, "The Lord says to my Lord: 'Sit at My right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.'" (Psalm 110:1) In his day David probably didn't fully understand the concept of the Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Christ had not yet come, and David didn't have a clear picture of how the Lord could speak to the Lord in this manner, but in the psalm he wrote we find God the Father speaking to God the Son. It is only to the Son that the right hand of honor is promised, so worshiping anything or anyone else (like angels) is to commit idolatry. The worship of God the Son is the worship of God Himself, for the Son is God, and God the Father clearly makes this statement in David's psalm. The Lord Jesus Christ is the King of kings, and our allegiance belongs to Him.

Our Great High Priest: A Study Of The Book Of Hebrews. Day 2, Christ Superior To The Angels

In the first century AD a lot of emphasis was being placed on the ministry of angels. Their status in people's minds had become elevated to the point of near-worship. Though angels are superior to human beings (Psalm 8:5), they are not superior to Christ. Though Christ came to earth in the form of a man, He is superior to man because He is God incarnate, and He is superior to the angels because the angels are created beings and He is not. He is God and has always existed as the second person of the Holy Trinity. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1) Since, as the author of Hebrews told us yesterday, nothing was created without Christ, He is the creator also of angels. So angels are not to be worshiped; the Creator is to be worshiped. The author is going to speak today on Christ's superiority to angels in order to correct a false mindset that was prevalent in his day.

We concluded yesterday with the image in our minds of Christ being seated at the right hand of God. The right hand is the place of highest honor, and no angel has ever sat there, nor will one. That place is for Christ, the Son of God, who fulfilled God's plan of salvation through His own flesh on the cross, and who has earned for Himself the greatest honor of all. When Isaiah foresaw the crucifixion, he heard the voice of God who said that in reward for Christ's work on the cross, "I will give Him a portion among the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong." (Isaiah 53:12a) Because Christ was willing and obedient to perform His essential role in God's plan of salvation, the Apostle Paul says that in return God, "Exalted Him to the the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:8-11) The angels themselves bow their knees to Christ. Instead of bowing our knees to angels, we must follow their example and give all glory and honor to Christ.

We pick up today with the exalted image of Christ seated at the right hand of God, with the writer saying, "So He became as much superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is superior to theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say, 'You are My Son, today I have become Your Father'? Or again, 'I will be His Father, and He will be My Son'? And again, when God brings His firstborn into the world, He says, 'Let all God's angels worship Him.'" (Hebrews 1:5-6) The author quotes Psalm 2:7, 2 Samuel 7:14, 1 Chronicles 17:13, and Deuteronomy 32:43. He is speaking to Jewish Christians and is using Old Testament verses to back up the fact that Christ, as God's Son, has the preeminence over all things and is worthy of all worship. In our own times there are many who consider themselves "spiritual" and who spend a lot of time thinking about supernatural things, but any worship that is not directed toward the only One worthy of worship is not only unspiritual but extremely dangerous to a person's eternal soul. Making angels equal with Christ and maintaining a worshipful attitude toward angels is idolatry.

God didn't speak lofty words about the angels in the way He spoke lofty words about His Son. "In speaking of the angels He says, 'He makes His angels spirits, and His servants flames of fire." (Hebrews 1:7) This quote is from Psalm 104:4. God created the angels to serve Him and, by extension, to serve the humans who serve Him. We are not to make angels the focus of our worship. We are not to spend much time thinking about them. They are going about the business the Lord has assigned to them, Important work has been assigned to us too, so we are to be about the business the Lord has given us, which is to serve Him and to share the gospel of Christ with our fellow man.

Our Great High Priest: A Study Of The Book Of Hebrews. Day 1, The Radiance Of God's Glory

In centuries past the book of Hebrews was generally attributed to the Apostle Paul, but now many mainstream Bible scholars, language experts, and theologians have concluded that there are some major differences between the book of Hebrews and Paul's known writings. Luke has been put forth as a possible candidate for authorship because the literary style and the classical Greek match up quite well with the gospel account Luke wrote and with the book of Acts. Some scholars propose other well-known or even unknown teachers and evangelists of the first century AD as the author of Hebrews.

We may never know definitively who wrote the book of Hebrews, but there are some things we do know. It's author is brilliant with his use of words, is able write in some of the most literary classical Greek that is contained in the entire New Testament, is intimately acquainted with Jewish religious culture, is a Christian, is a friend of Timothy, is writing from Italy, and is writing to the Jewish believers prior to the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple in 70 AD.

The mention of Timothy is important, for it lends some credence to the idea of Pauline authorship. What the author says about Timothy is this: "I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you." (Hebrews 13:23) When addressing Timothy directly Paul often calls him his son, but when referring to Timothy to others he often calls him "our brother". It appears that Timothy has been held in custody, likely for the preaching of the gospel, and has been released. The author of Hebrews hopes to visit Jerusalem with Timothy soon. If this is Paul speaking, he would have to be writing while not a prisoner anywhere himself, for he is free to travel. The mention of Timothy doesn't exclude Luke as a candidate for authorship, since he too was a close friend of Timothy. So were several other major New Testament characters.

Something that casts doubt on Pauline authorship is that his customary salutation is not present at the beginning of the letter. But there is no salutation at all, so that portion of the letter could have been lost or it could have been cut out since many scholars believe this long letter was intended to be used as a guidebook for Jewish Christians. The salutation at the beginning and the signature at the end could have been removed so that this writing could be used as a book and not as a letter.

Until the last few years I would have stated without doubt that Paul is the author of the book of Hebrews, but now I'm not so sure. I'd be perfectly happy if its author is Luke, any of the other apostles and teachers, one of the brothers of the Lord, or even an unknown Christian author who is ministering to the Jewish believers. One thing that makes me lean toward Pauline authorship, and something that kind of makes me chuckle, is when the writer says, "Brothers and sisters, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you quite briefly." (Hebrews 13:22) The letter is thirteen chapters long, so it's not what I would consider brief, but someone who is known to be very wordy and long-winded like Paul might think it was brief. (Remember, Paul once preached so long that he put a young man to sleep, the young man fell out an open window and died, Paul raised him back to life, then Paul continued preaching til the next morning. See Acts 20:7-12) But I'm sure Paul isn't the only wordy apostle and teacher who wrote letters to the churches in the first century AD, so even this amusing statement about the "brief" thirteen-chapter letter doesn't prove whether he wrote Hebrews.

Today we're only going to look at the first three verses, but in them the author clearly attributes to the Lord Jesus Christ all the glory and power and authority of God the Father. He tells us that if we want to know what God is really like, all we have to do is look to Christ. The things Christ did and said clearly demonstrate for us the loving personality and the holy character of our Creator.

"In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom also He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for our sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven." (Hebrews 1:1-3) No man has seen God. Even Moses, who dared to ask God to reveal His glory to him, saw Him only from the back because God said, "You cannot see My face, for no one may see Me and live." (Exodus 33:20) Our human bodies are too frail and too unholy to be able to stand meeting God face to face. The glory of His holiness would consume us. But we want to see our Creator, don't we? Moses did too. He didn't feel he could perform the enormous task of leading the people of Israel to the promised land without a glimpse of the Lord's glory. We often feel the same way ourselves, that we can't make it through the hardships of this world without a glimpse of the One who is our Helper. Not only do we want to see God, but God wants to be seen by us, and the only way He can be seen by us is through His Son---the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us. (John 1:14) The indescribable glory of the living God had to be wrapped in a cloak of human flesh so that we could behold His face and live.

The Son, the Word of God, is the One by whom God created all things. I believe that when God said, "Let there be light!", it was in the voice of the Son. The author of Hebrews makes it clear that the Son was involved in every aspect of the creation and that word which He spoke is what is holding all things together to this very day. He has always been, and will always be, in control of everything that exists. Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking we are in control, and we think things are going to fall apart if we aren't able to keep a tight hold on all the circumstances of our lives, but it is the Son who holds all things together.

Though we can't look on God the Father with human eyes, we can view Him through the Son. The Son displayed God's love and mercy in the way He interacted with human beings while He walked the earth. The words the Son spoke prove to us that God is fair and just and will judge those who hurt and exploit others. The actions of the Son---the healing, the casting out of demons, the raising of the dead---assure us that nothing is impossible for God. These miracles are the evidence that everything that exists is subject to Him. The sacrifice of the Son is the ultimate expression of God's love, a love that doesn't want anyone to spend eternity away from Him. The resurrection of the Son is all the proof we need that God accepts His sacrifice on our behalf and that God will accept as righteous all who come to His Son in faith.

Studying the life of the Lord Jesus Christ clearly communicates to us who God is. The Son is the radiance of God's glory, and through Him we are able to learn everything we need to learn about the One who fashioned us with His own hands.

The Apostle Paul's Letter To Philemon. Day 3, Family Members In Christ

Paul concludes his letter to Philemon today by saying he is confident that he will do the right thing. The conversion of Onesimus is so real and the work he's doing is so beneficial to Paul's ministry that he hates to send him back to his master, but it's the right thing to do. He urges Philemon to treat Onesimus not as a slave but as a brother in Christ, which is what he is.

"I am sending him---who is my very heart---back to you. I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary." (Philemon 1:12-14) Philemon himself is a Christian, and Paul appeals to him from this standpoint, saying, "Having Onesimus helping me is, by extension, like having you here helping me. I know you would give me assistance if you could, and Onesimus has done this in your place. I am not a free man and I need friends like him who can bring me supplies and letters and who can deliver letters for me and do things in the Christian community that I can't do myself."

In reading these words Philemon's heart will be softened by thinking about how Paul, his brother in Christ, is suffering. Philemon has a great deal of respect for Paul and will find it difficult to hold a grudge against Onesimus who has been saved under Paul's preaching and who has been ministering to Paul in prison. Under Roman law Philemon could have Onesimus executed for running away, but clearly he's not that kind of man, because Paul doesn't seem to even consider the possibility that Philemon will be so harsh. We know this because Paul expects Philemon to accept Onesimus back into the household, for Paul will instruct him how to treat him once he's back in the household.

"Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever---no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord." (Philemon 1:15-16) Paul asks Philemon to look on the bright side. Although it was wrong of Onesimus to run away, the Lord took a bad situation and made something good out of it. For whatever reason, Onesimus never converted to Christianity while living in the household of Philemon, even though a church meets in Philemon's house. Perhaps the only thing Onesimus could think about in those days was being a free man and doing what he wanted to do, so he paid no attention to Christian doctrine while in Colossae. But Christ met him in Rome and freed him from slavery to sin, and now that he's made things right with his heavenly Master he is ready to make things right with his earthly master. He is going to be a great deal of help to Philemon now, so Philemon should look at the matter from this viewpoint, not from the viewpoint of how inconvenienced and unhappy Onesimus formerly made him.

Paul now makes it impossible for Philemon to be bitter toward Onesimus. He asks Philemon to treat Onesimus as he would treat Paul himself. "So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back---not to mention that you owe me your very self. I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask." (Philemon 1:17-21) Paul's words indicate that Philemon is one of his converts. We can't help but think fondly of the preachers under whose preaching we came to Christ, can we? I came to Christ through the radio preaching of Dr. Charles Stanley and to this day I listen to his program and think fondly of him and have a lot of respect for him. If Dr. Charles Stanley told me how I am to treat a brother or sister in Christ, you can be sure I'd take his words to heart, and Paul knows Philemon will take his words to heart. Philemon and Onesimus are now family members in Christ, and their relationship is forever changed because of this.

"And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers. Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit." (Philemon 1:22-25) Paul hoped to be set free. If so, he planned to visit Philemon. Philemon would want Paul to witness the Christian friendship between himself and Onesimus, so I have no doubt he was obedient to all of Paul's instructions. I don't think Philemon was a harsh man, at least not since he came to Christ, and I think that although he has a right to be angry with Onesimus he will instead extend forgiveness and friendship to him.

Tomorrow we are going to begin our study of the book of Hebrews and I'm very excited about it because I've never done an in-depth study of this book before. I know not everyone has been a big fan of Paul's letters because the number of followers of the blog has dropped quite a bit while we've gone through Paul's letters, but whether or not Paul is the author of Hebrews (most scholars think he was, others think he wasn't), this study is going to be a completely different experience for us. The book of Hebrews is written to Jewish Christians and it presents Christ as the high priest, something which the Jewish readers would have readily understood and something which will teach those of us who are Gentiles something new and beautiful about our Lord.

The Apostle Paul's Letter To Philemon. Day 2, An Appeal Based On Love/Pursued By Christ

Paul is asking Philemon to receive Onesimus back into his household. He will say that he has apostolic authority to order Philemon to do the right thing, but instead he prefers to make the appeal based on love. We will also take a look at how Christ pursued Onesimus, who fled the household of one Christian man only to end up hearing the gospel from another Christian man.

Paul is writing this letter while a prisoner in Rome. "Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker---also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier---and to the church that meets in your home: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." (Philemon 1:1-3) Paul is a brilliant writer. His salutation sets the stage for what he's about to ask, for in it he includes subtle references to his suffering for the gospel, to his and Timothy's authority in the church, and to the fact that Philemon is his and Timothy's brother in Christ. Philemon is going to feel both compassion and respect while he reads the words of Paul.

Many scholars believer that Apphia is Philemon's believing wife and that Archippus is Philemon's believing grown son. We know they are believers because Paul refers to Apphia as "our sister" and to Archippus as "our fellow soldier". We also learn that a church meets in Philemon's home, so he is a man who actively works for the kingdom of Christ. Paul is saying, "Remember who you are. You are saved by the Lord Jesus Christ. God has forgiven you in Christ and has made you into a new man. In your dealings with Onesimus, you must keep in mind that you too made serious mistakes before you knew Christ, and you must remember that just as God had mercy on you, you need to have mercy on Onesimus who is now your brother in Christ."

"I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your love for all His holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord's people." (Philemon 1:4-7) Paul is sincere in these compliments to Philemon. He isn't "buttering him up" in order to ask a favor of him. This man really is a devout Christian who loves others in the way Christ commands us to love others. Because Philemon has the love of Christ in his heart for his fellow man, Paul feels confident he can count on him to do the right thing in regard to the situation with Onesimus.

"Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul---an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus---that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me." (Philemon 1:8-11) Paul mentions his advancing age and his status as a prisoner in order to stir up Philemon's sympathy. He's saying something like, "Do an old man a favor. Cheer up a man who is in chains for the gospel."

We don't know how or why Onesimus, the runaway slave, ended up in Rome in close proximity to Paul. But there's no doubt he came to faith in Christ under the preaching of Paul. If he had not, Paul wouldn't be calling him the son he begat while a prisoner. Paul refers to other young men like Timothy and Titus as his sons because they too converted under his preaching. None of these men are his biological sons, but they are his spiritual sons because he has taken on the role of father figure in their lives.

There were various reasons why a person might become a slave in ancient times. Sometimes these were people whose territories were conquered by the Roman Empire, and the Romans took many of the people captive in order to use them for manual or domestic labor. A person might become another person's servant for a period of time in order to work off a debt he couldn't pay. In other cases people even sold their children into slavery to pay off debts, so Onesimus could have been a victim of this practice. And still others were born into slavery because their parents or grandparents had been taken captive. We don't know why Onesimus was a slave or how he ended up in the household of Philemon. All we know is that he was once a man who was "useless" to his master. He refused to perform his duties and instead ran away, and some scholars think he probably stole from Philemon to fund his passage to Rome, for Rome was about 1276 miles from the city of Colossae from which Onesimus fled.

Since Philemon has been in Christ long enough to have a church in his home, it is widely believed that he was probably already a Christian before Onesimus ran away. So it's ironic that Onesimus fled the household of a Christian man and went to pagan Rome only to somehow find himself visiting the dwelling of another Christian man. This is a beautiful illustration of the way Christ lovingly pursues us! Perhaps it wasn't Philemon or slavery that Onesimus was really running from; perhaps he was actually running from Christ. Yet when he arrived in Rome, Christ was already there ahead of him waiting for him.

The Lord Jesus Christ pursued me as relentlessly as He pursued Onesimus. I wasn't trying to "find" Christ; I was running the other way. Yet at every turn, there He was. I couldn't outrun Him. I couldn't hide from Him. I painted myself deeper and deeper into a corner until there was nowhere to turn except to Him. And in that moment, as the psalmist David said, "He reached down from on high and took hold of me." (Psalm 18:16a)

Our passage today reminds me of a song about the relentless pursuit of Christ, so in closing I'll post a link to it below.
God Of All My Days

The Apostle Paul's Letter To Philemon. Day 1, Showing Mercy To The Repentant

We begin our study of the very short letter of Paul to Philemon today. The purpose of this letter is to ask Philemon, on the basis of Christian love, to accept his runaway slave Onesimus back into his household in an attitude of compassion and mercy. Some scholars debate whether Onesmius was a slave but speculate that he was a paid servant of Philemon who fled the household because he stole from him. Either way, we will learn from this letter that Onesimus became a Christian while away from his master. His master Philemon is also a Christian. This is why Paul can appeal to him on the basis of Christian love, for although the worldly relationship between Philemon and Onesimus is that of master and slave (or master and servant), the spiritual relationship between the two men is equal, for they are now brothers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

We saw Onesimus mentioned once before in Colossians 4:9 when Paul told the Colossians he was sending Onesimus along with Tychicus to tell them how Paul is doing and to encourage them in the faith. He referred to Onesimus as "our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you". This likely indicates that Onesimus was originally from Colossae, although Paul could rightly call him "one of you" even if he wasn't, for as their brother in Christ he is a family member to the believers of Colossae.

A man named Onesimus succeeded Timothy as bishop of Ephesus. No one can say for certain whether this is the same Onesimus as the one in Paul's letter, but many scholars think it's likely because of his close association with Paul and Timothy. If so, his change in circumstances displays the indescribable mercy of a God who can take an unfaithful and dishonest man and turn him into a man faithful and honest enough to lead a large and growing church. All through the Bible we see God taking men and women who were once "nobodies" and making them into "somebodies". God is still in that business today, so keep in mind that your past doesn't disqualify you to be effective workers for the kingdom of God. In Christ we are new creatures. God doesn't dwell on the past and neither should we.

Because God, through Christ, forgives us and doesn't keep flinging our past in our faces, Philemon should take the same attitude in regard to Onesimus. Whatever wrong Onesimus did to Philemon, it was done while he was still a lost sinner. It was done while we was still the old unregenerated man. If God has granted him forgiveness, Philemon ought to follow God's example. As Paul instructed the believers of Ephesus, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32)

During my forty-nine years on this earth I've had several very hurtful things done to me by other people. I know you have too. But I bet if you stop and think about it, some of the worst hurts and betrayals you've experienced were perpetrated on you by people who were lost in sin. It's possible for our brothers and sisters in Christ to let us down badly, and shame on them if they do it on purpose, but in my own life the worst letdowns have come from people who were not in Christ. Some of them still aren't in Christ and I don't know whether they feel any guilt about their wrongdoing. I feel comfortable leaving the matter between them and the God who will judge all things. Some who hurt me have come to Christ since then and are proving by the way they now live that they are new creatures. This is the case with Paul's friend Onesimus. He did some bad things when he was the "old man". But now he's a new man and he wants to go back to Philemon's household and make things right with him. Philemon could take the attitude that he will never trust Onesimus again, but Paul will make it clear in this letter that Philemon would be in the wrong if he refuses to forgive this man.

By making this clear to Philemon, Paul makes it clear to us as well. We have no right to hold onto an unforgiving spirit. If a person has wronged us and they don't care that they wronged us, we are still commanded to let go of the matter and give it to God, for He has told us it is His responsibility (not ours) to avenge us. (Deuteronomy 32:35, Romans 12:19) God wants us to be free to walk in the joy of Christ, unencumbered by bitterness. If we have no firm ground to stand on in clinging to unforgiveness toward an unbeliever who has wronged us, then we certainly have no excuse for holding a grudge against someone who is a believer and who is deeply sorry for their sins. We have no spiritual right to refuse to forgive them and we have no moral right either, considering that we were once lost sinners ourselves and most certainly did or said things that hurt other people. We like to be forgiven, don't we? Then on what basis can we refuse to grant forgiveness to others?