Do you see every circumstance of your life as an opportunity to be a witness for the gospel? Throughout your lifetime, you will have many opportunities to serve Christ as a witness for the gospel. There will be times in your life when it is easy to serve the gospel, especially when everything in your life is running smoothly and when your relationships with others are sound. But there will be times in your life when serving the gospel seems like a difficult task.
How can you serve Christ as an effective witness for the gospel during the difficult times? What will enable you to see every circumstance of your life as an opportunity to serve the gospel? In his letter to Philemon, Paul gives us insight into how we can continue to serve Christ as effective witnesses for the gospel even in the face of adversity.
Before we read this letter, there is some important background information we need to consider. First of all, as we read we are going to encounter the names of various people. For our purposes this morning, we are going to focus on three people in particular: The first person is Paul, the author of the letter. The second person is the man for whom the letter is written, whose name, of course, was Philemon. And the third person was a runaway slave named Onesimus. Paul wrote this letter in an effort to return Onesimus back to Philemon, because the slave Onesimus ran away from his master Philemon, who happens to be the leader of the church in Colossae, the same church for whom Paul’s letter to the Colossians was written. We know that Philemon was the leader of the church in Colossae because toward the end of his letter to the Colossians, Paul sends a greeting to a man named Archippus, who was a member of the Colossian church. In v. 2 of his letter to Philemon, Paul again mentions Archippus, and he writes that Archippus was a key member of the church of which Philemon was the leader. Again, Philemon is the leader of the church at Colossae and the owner of the slave Onesimus. Now, considering what we believe as Christians there seems to be a conflict of interest here: How could Philemon, a follower of Jesus Christ and no less the leader of the church at Colossae, be a slave-owner? When we study this letter, It is important that we view slavery in the context of the culture of which Paul was a part. For us, slavery is repulsive. The thought of forcing someone to work under our authority against their will is totally unacceptable. However, in Paul’s society, slavery was acceptable and it was very common; it was estimated that slaves made up between 70% to 80% of the Roman Empire. It is important that we view slavery in the context of the culture of which Paul was a part because, in this letter, Paul does not condemn slavery, nor does he encourage Philemon to free Onesimus upon his return, which may be unsettling to us considering what we believe about slavery.
Also, as we read this letter we will notice that Paul will often make references about imprisonment; in fact, Paul introduces himself as a “prisoner of Christ Jesus” in verse 1, which is very significant because this is the only letter Paul wrote where he introduced himself in such a way. In no other letter did Paul introduce himself as a prisoner of Christ Jesus, which would lead us to believe that the concept of imprisonment is an important underlining theme throughout the letter. Therefore, the concept of imprisonment will be an important underlying theme throughout our study of this letter this morning.
Let’s read Paul’s letter to Philemon.
An important question we need to consider is: Why did Paul write this letter from the perspective of a prisoner? Wouldn’t this letter have carried more weight had Paul began by introducing himself as an “apostle of Christ Jesus” as he had in some of his other letters by writing from the position of an authority? Wouldn’t that have made Philemon sit up straight and pay attention to what Paul was writing? Paul wrote this letter from the perspective of a prisoner because, at the time he wrote this letter, Paul was a prisoner. Paul was imprisoned for his efforts in preaching the gospel message, that those who put their faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ will receive the forgiveness of sin and the promise of eternal life. Paul wrote this letter from the perspective of a “prisoner of Christ Jesus”, with emphasis on the word “prisoner”, because Paul understood what it was like to be imprisoned. As a physical prisoner of the Roman Empire, Paul was denied the freedoms and rights normally enjoyed by Roman citizens.
But, as we read this letter, didn’t you get a sense that Paul wrote this letter from a prospective that was totally the opposite of that of a physical prisoner? On one hand Paul wrote this letter from the perspective of a physical prisoner who had no freedom and no hope, but he also wrote this letter from the perspective of a “prisoner of Christ Jesus”, with emphasis on “Christ Jesus”, that is, a prisoner who had freedom and liberty beyond comprehension because of his relationship with Jesus Christ. As a prisoner of Christ Jesus, Paul was completely sold out for the cause of Christ and he continued to preach the gospel in spite of his physical imprisonment. And we know that is true because the slave Onesimus, after running away from his master Philemon, somehow came into contact with Paul while he was imprisoned in Rome. And as a result of that contact, Onesimus became a believer in Jesus Christ.
Now, when you consider the circumstances surrounding Paul’s life at the time he wrote this letter, you’ve got to wonder: What motivated Paul to want continue preaching the gospel while he was imprisoned? Wasn’t being a prisoner discouraging? After all, the reason why he was imprisoned was because he had been preaching the gospel. Why would he want to continue doing that, and risk further punishment? What about the consequences of your life? Do you see the hardships and the burdens of your life as hindrances to your service for the gospel, or do you see those situations as opportunities that will allow you to serve Christ as an effective witness for the gospel? Paul was able to continue preaching the gospel in spite of his imprisonment because, as a prisoner of Christ Jesus, Paul recognized that God had a purpose for his life that extended far beyond the four walls of his imprisonment in Rome. Paul recognized that as a prisoner of Christ Jesus, God had a plan for his life, and that plan was to go out into all the world and to preach the gospel. And that plan included preaching the gospel runaway slave, who may have never come to believe in Jesus Christ had Paul not been imprisoned. And not only Onesimus, but we read in the book of Acts that other people came to believe in Jesus Christ as a result of Paul’s ministry while he was imprisoned in Rome. Turn to Acts, chapter 28. At this point in the book of Acts, Luke gives us an excellent picture of what Paul’s ministry was like while he was imprisoned in Rome. Some of the local Jewish leaders had heard about the gospel message Paul had been preaching, and they were curious about it, so they decided to visit Paul so that they could hear the gospel message for themselves. As we read this short passage beginning with verse 21, try to picture in your mind this scene, because when you think about the circumstances surrounding Paul’s life, this scene is incredible.
Here we have Paul. He is being held under house arrest. There is a guard outside of the door of the house where he is imprisoned so he can’t leave. But people can come to see him. And we read in Acts that many people came to visit Paul so that they could hear the gospel message he had been preaching. And they were there all day, from morning until evening. And the whole scene is unbelievable. Here’s Paul, who was imprisoned for preaching the gospel. What’s he doing? He’s preaching the gospel! Paul was motivated to continue preaching the gospel in spite of his imprisonment because of a choice he made. Paul could have chosen to become a prisoner of his own circumstances in life by brooding about his imprisonment and refusing to talk to anyone about Jesus Christ. He could have chosen to spend his time by keeping a tally on the wall, marking off the days of his confinement wondering why God had allowed him to be imprisoned simply because he had been obedient to God by preaching the gospel. Instead, Paul chose to live his life as a prisoner of Christ Jesus, who saw his imprisonment as an opportunity to serve the gospel.
How can you serve the gospel in the same way? How can you possibly serve the gospel with your whole heart in the face of personal tragedy and discouragement? Sure, it worked for Paul, but he was an apostle. We would expect him to respond to adversity in such a way. And, don’t take this personally, but I don’t see any apostles in here. Even though none of us are apostles, God has made it possible for each one of us to serve as effective witnesses for the gospel even in the face of the hardships and the trials of life because, just like Paul, you became a prisoner of Christ Jesus when you put your faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As a prisoner of Christ Jesus, God has given you a new purpose for your life and that purpose is to go out into all the world and to be a witness of the gospel message. And there is nothing in this world, not even the trials and the burdens of life, that can change God’s purpose for your life. Now, compare that purpose for your life to the purpose you had for your life before you accepted Jesus Christ as your savior. Before you put your faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the purpose for your life was self-centered, and you were imprisoned by your own desire for personal gain and pleasure. And when the winds of adversity came, whether through illness or financial difficulty, those hardships greatly affected your purpose for life and the goals you set out to accomplish in your life were ruined. But as a prisoner of Christ Jesus, your life makes a difference for eternity. And you can be sure that just as God allowed the runaway slave Onesimus to cross the path of Paul, God will do the same thing in your life. Every day, even as you face the trials and the hardship of life, God brings people into your life, people who have never heard the gospel message that Jesus Christ can save them from their sin, people you never would have otherwise met had it not been for some circumstance that brought them into your life. You see, the circumstances of life never change God’s purpose for your life; what changes is the people God is able to bring into your life as a result of those circumstances.
You have a choice to make regarding the circumstances of your life. You can choose to become imprisoned by the trials and the hardships of life. And when you choose to become imprisoned by the circumstances of life, your service for the gospel will certainly be hindered. Or you can choose to respond to the burdens of life as a prisoner of Christ Jesus who sees every circumstance of life as an opportunity to serve Christ as an effective witness for the gospel. How can you not respond to the circumstances of life as a prisoner of Christ Jesus? Yes, even the trials and the hardships of life.
In his letter, Paul wrote that Onesimus was a great help to him and that he was instrumental in Paul’s ministry while he was in Rome. Nevertheless, Paul decides to send Onesimus back to Philemon with this letter explaining Onesimus’ situation to him. It is interesting to note that Paul was simply fulfilling Roman law by writing this letter; there was an advocacy clause in Roman law which stated that a runaway slave could be returned to his master as long as a Roman citizen advocated on behalf of the slave by writing a letter in an effort to plead the slave’s case before his master.
In his letter, Paul does not tell us why Onesimus ran away. However, in verse 18, Paul does give us some insight into the relationship between Onesimus and Philemon when he wrote: “If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me”, which would suggest that Onesimus may have stolen money from Philemon. That being the case, not only was Onesimus a runaway slave, he was also a thief, which would have greatly compounded the situation.
As he wrote this letter, Paul must have thought about how Philemon would respond to Onesimus’ return because, just as Paul could have chosen to become imprisoned by his own circumstances in life, Philemon could have chosen to become a prisoner as well. Unlike Paul, Philemon’s imprisonment would not have been the result of being held under house arrest. Rather, Philemon could have chosen to become imprisoned by his own anger and resentment that resulted from the loss of a runaway slave and the theft of money. And you’ve got to think that the credibility of a high-profile person such as Philemon must have been in question throughout the city of Colossae. And you can imagine some of the things the Colossians were saying about him: “Some church leader, that Philemon! How can he possibly run a church out of his home when he can’t even control his own slaves.”
Philemon would have a choice to make upon Onesimus’ return. Philemon could have responded to Onesimus’ return as a prisoner of his own emotions and anger by severely punishing Onesimus; in fact, according to Roman law, Philemon had the right to kill Onesimus had he indeed stolen money from him.
Does Philemon’s choice seem familiar to you? Have there been times in your life when you could have chosen to become imprisoned by your own anger and emotions that resulted from disagreements with others and from broken relationships? You have a choice to make regarding the relationships in your life. You can choose to become a prisoner of the anger and resentment that results from conflict with others and broken relationships. If you choose to become a prisoner of the circumstances surrounding your relationships, you will certainly be hindered in your service for the gospel. Or, you can choose to respond to every relationship in your life as a prisoner of Christ Jesus who sees every relationship as an opportunity to serve the gospel of Jesus Christ. As a prisoner of Christ Jesus, you recognize that God has a purpose for your life, and that purpose is to go out into all the world and to be a witness of the gospel, and there is nothing in this world, not even broken relationships, that can ever change God’s purpose for your life. As a prisoner of Christ Jesus, your life makes a difference for eternity. Before you came to accept Jesus Christ as your savior, you saw relationships in your life, whether personal, business, or casual relationships with acquaintances, as a means of accomplishing your own personal gain. And when those relationships went bad, the anger and the resentment that resulted was detrimental to your purpose for living. But as a prisoner of Christ Jesus, God, through his grace, made it possible for you to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. You have a friend who has taken you by the hand and has made you a member of the family of God. And there is nothing you could have done to deserve that kind of grace; in fact, quite the opposite. Before you put your faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, you were dead in your transgressions and sin, alienated from God, and destined to spend eternity in hell. But God, through his marvelous, infinite and matchless grace made it possible for you, even you, to become a member of the family of God. How can you not respond to the relationships in your life as a prisoner of Christ Jesus? Yes, even those relationships that you have with people who have done you wrong.
And what about the slave Onesimus? Don’t you think there must have been some doubt in his mind as to whether he should return to Philemon? Why did he run away? Had he been mistreated by Philemon? Had he felt unappreciated as a slave in Philemon’s household? Whatever the case may be, just as Paul and Philemon could have chosen to become prisoners of the circumstances surrounding their lives, so could have Onesimus. Onesimus could have chosen to become imprisoned by his own lowly position in life, that of a slave. As a prisoner of his own circumstances, Onesimus could have grudgingly provided service to a master he no longer wanted to serve.
How do you view your job or position in this world? You have a choice to make regarding your position in life. You can choose to become imprisoned by what you perceive to be as a dead-end job or a position in life that is meaningless by the world’s standards. And when you make that choice, you will certainly be hindered in your service for the gospel. Or you can choose to see the circumstances that surround your daily existence as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. As a prisoner of Christ Jesus you recognize that God has a purpose for your life, and that purpose allows you to see every circumstance surrounding your position in life as an opportunity to serve the gospel. Before you came to accept Jesus Christ as your savior, the purpose for your life was self-centered, and you saw your job and the position you hold in this world as a means toward your own personal gain. And when you lost your job, or when other people were recognized for their accomplishments instead of you, the goals that you had for your life were never the same again. But as a prisoner of Christ Jesus, you recognize that nothing in this world, not even the circumstances surrounding your position in this world, can change God’s purpose for your life. And you can wake up every day knowing that you have the opportunity to glorify a God who made it possible for you to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. And no matter what position you hold in this world, by God’s standards it is the most position you can hold in this world, even as you carry out the most menial of tasks, because you have the opportunity to use your position in life to honor the most humble and gracious servant this world has ever known. How can you not carry out your position in life as a prisoner of Christ Jesus? Yes, even a position in life as lowly as that of a slave.
Throughout your lifetime, you will have many opportunities to serve Christ as an effective witness for the gospel. Will you see every circumstance of life as an opportunity to serve the gospel? What about you? Are you living your life as a prisoner? Or are you living your life as a prisoner of Christ Jesus?
