The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Philemon 1:3-6, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers,

5 because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints;

6 and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ’s sake”

Philemon is an important member of the Christian House Church. This letter from the Apostle Paul indicates that there are several members of the church but speaks of Philemon as a primary member. Paul notes that his own prayers are often offered on behalf of Philemon himself—prayers that mention Philemon’s faithful labor for the LORD Jesus.

Having cited his confidence in Philemon, along with his faithful service, Paul moves on to the heart of his prayerful message and thanks Philemon for his care and concern for Onesimus, Paul’s brother in Christ. It is at this point that Paul inserts his love for and confidence in Onesimus.

Paul then appeals to Philemon to receive Onesimus and to treat him as a brother. Paul notes, too, that he possesses the authority in the LORD to compel Philemon to do as he directed; nevertheless, he will simply trust Philemon to do what he knows to be the will of the LORD.

It is doubted by some that the Apostle Paul personally wrote this letter. Doubters, however, often arise when the contents of a letter speak to things that call one’s own lack of discipline into question. Titus was Paul’s initial salutation; however, as the letter’s recipient shows. Further, it was Titus who had accompanied Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem at the conclusion of their first missionary journey.

The Cretans are said to have been “a turbulent race…neither peaceable among themselves nor patient of foreign dominions.” Undoubtedly, Paul would have known their temperament, as he placed Titus in their midst for giving them spiritual instruction. Nevertheless, Paul issued some spiritual instructions for the church: It was to be an orderly church; 2) it was to be a sound-in-the-faith church; and 3) it was to be a practical church.

There is no doubt that the church today needs what Paul found lacking in the Cretan Church. May we trust the LORD to help the church we serve today to be what He wanted in Crete. Paul’s ideal for the church was orderly organization, soundness in faith and morals, and practical works of piety and philanthropy. For the Christian worker, he wanted “love of order and method, a healthy, living orthodoxy coupled with sober minds and chastened speech.”

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

Gene

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

“We will never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom