The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Philemon 1:4-12, “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.

7 For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.

8 Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper,

9 yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you– since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus–

10 I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment,

11 who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me.

12 I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart…”

One of the aged ministers, with whom I had the privilege of affiliation, pointed out to me the clear and pungent psychology wrapped carefully in the Apostle’s letter to Philemon. Onesimus belonged to Philemon. He was Philemon’s slave. Difficulties between Philemon and Onesimus were such that Onesimus ultimately escaped and fled away.

In the Providence of God, Onesimus encountered the Apostle Paul and was converted to faith in Jesus Christ. Slavery, in its simplest definition is: “one being owned by another human being.” It was certainly not an acceptable factor of Paul; however, it was necessary that Onesimus return to Philemon, albeit as a “Christian slave.”

In what may be the most masterful communication in Biblical history, Paul acknowledges his own willful slavery to Jesus Christ, while simultaneously suggesting that Philemon adopt that same position with regard to Onesimus, for Philemon himself is a slave, but only to Christ.

How wonderful if we were all self-recognized as slaves to the LORD Jesus Christ!

Heartily in Christ,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

We will never know that Christ is all we need,

Until He becomes all that we have. – Corrie ten Boo