There is one thing more to notice in “Paul a prisoner of Jesus Christ,” and that is, how his soul was led out into practical fellowship with others in like circumstances.
There is nothing more blessed than the thought that Jesus is able to throw Himself into our individual circumstances: He was in prison with Paul. He could as easily have delivered him out of prison as He had Peter. But He had rather have fellowship with him in prison, and there make him the depository of His deepest thoughts. It was the prison, not the active journeying, to which (instrumentally) we are indebted for the deep revelations of the mind of God in the Epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians. And so it was in a lower degree with Paul and Epaphras—the prison deepened their fellowship one with the other. “There salute thee Epaphras, my fellow-prisoner in Christ Jesus.” And may we not justly conclude that it was such fellowship, both with the Lord Himself and His devoted servant, that led Epaphras into that blessed service for the Church of Colosse; which is mentioned in the Epistle? “Epaphras who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.” If there were deeper fellowship with the Father and the Son, and more real fellowship of the saints, surely there would now be more of the effectual labor of Epaphras; and when did the church ever stand more in need of such laborers?
The next part of the salutation is “Timothy our brother.” Philemon had not fellowship with Paul as a prisoner; but here comes in the link, “our brother” connects him both with Paul and Timothy; and if the Lord of all is not ashamed to call us brethren, how will it delight the soul of His servant to put Himself on this standing, wherein He was one with every saint! That word “fellowship” —what a blessed word it is? All that is common to us one with the other, as one with Him. God delights to communicate, and to share with us that which He communicates; and grace would do the same. But man would always stand on that which is peculiar. It seems to me that the way in which the apostle brings as it were the soul of Philemon into the realizing this fellowship with himself, is exquisitely beautiful.— “For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.” And again, “Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord.” The soul of the apostle delighted in this relationship—which knit him to Timothy, and Timothy and himself to Philemon. It stood upon far higher ground than any natural relationship, for they were only brethren one to the other, because each them was the brother of Jesus. And Jesus had received Onesimus also; and He desired Philemon to own the relationship, even as the apostle so gladly owned it with him—that he would receive him, “not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved.” It seems to me that the soul of the apostle ever sought its repose in this fellowship of brethren, and not in that which distinguished him from them. And is not this the mind of Christ? He is not ashamed to call us brethren. Lord He is, and Master He is; but in those His titles there is no fellowship. But it was the first expression of joy that came from Him after the travail of His soul, when He said, “Go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend onto My Father and your Father, and to My God, and your God.” Here was fellowship: the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ was the God and Father of others. But the soul of the apostle, so deeply taught in fellowship with the Father and the Son, delighted in all he had in common with others, and desired its communication onward through Philemon. Is Philemon his beloved? He would have him receive Onesimus as a brother beloved. The soul of the apostle expanded at the thought of fellowship. Philemon was his fellow-laborer, so were Marcus, Aristarchus, Demos, Lucas (verse 24). How blessedly does grace make us bound over the littleness of our own minds! It owns everything in others that it possibly can. Paul stood in the place of conscious authority, and therefore he does not desire to assert it. But what enlargement of soul is there, in his thus noticing his fellow-prisoner, fellow-laborers, fellow-soldier! After this how fitly is he able to press on Philemon that practical fellowship, which he was thus manifesting—that communicativeness of blessing to others, because God Himself was known as communicating all blessing!
Verses 4, 5, 6. The love and faith of a single saint called forth thanksgiving from the apostle to God. His soul had often other exercises—deep humiliation before God on account of the walk of some; but here it was that which glorified God. That love, and that faith, the apostle ardently desired. to see enlarged; but he had spread this desire before God, before he made mention of it to Philemon, and he so makes mention of it as to bring the soul of Philemon immediately before God. He would have Philemon know the joy that his own soul knew in communicating— “That the communication of thy faith.” It was the faith of Philemon which was to be carried out into exercise; every natural feeling and habit would be opposed to that which would be convenient in the present case. It must be faith working by love, which alone could cause Philemon to receive Onesimus cordially as a brother. And where would faith put Philemon? Surely before God as a lost and ruined sinner, saved solely by His sovereign grace; and if he put Onesimus beside him there, where was the difference? He could only see one equally ruined in himself, and him saved by the same grace. But what depth of truth is conveyed in what follows! “That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.” The faith of Paul reckoned largely on the good thing which was in Philemon in Christ, bemuse he knew that all the fullness of Christ was the property, so to speak of the weakest saint. And he would stir up the faith of Philemon to the acknowledging of the good thing (the same word in the Greek as that translated benefit, ver. 14). Surely Philemon would have acknowledged that in him, that is in his flesh, no good thing dwelt; but Paul addressed him as one in union with Christ, in whom every good thing dwelt, and thus called on him to exhibit “the good thing which was in him in Christ Jesus.” This is our Christian responsibility. We are responsible for exercising the grace which is in Christ Jesus, because we are in union with Him, not for security only, but for fruit-bearing also. The great blessedness of that union will only be fully known in glory; but now our Father is looking for a result from it: “Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit.” Paul would have Philemon thus practically live the life of faith on the Son of God; and whop he felt all natural repugnance to receiving Onesimus back, he would look to Jesus and his oneness with Him to see what the grace of Christ would do in such circumstances, and then draw out of His fullness grace answering to grace. How wisely does the apostle put Philemon upon the sure basis of security, while he is thus loading him on into that act which would require a great exercise of faith! Paul could have no confidence in Philemon as a man—he might sullenly have done the thing requested out of deference to his authority; or Paul, might have asked it as a debt of gratitude to himself (see ver. 19). But he knew how to touch a string which would draw forth willing acquiescence (ver. 14); and in doing this he puts Philemon in remembrance of all his own blessedness as one with Christ. How little do we poor degraded saints reckon on anything more by our being in Christ, than mere sufficiency for salvation! We are afraid to look for any good thing, and what is worse, often use the knowledge we have of the evil, that dwells in us, as a reason for not hooking for any good thing, as though it contradicted the other truth. But in union with Christ we are called upon to acknowledge every good thing in us unto Him, and faith would call it out on the fitting occasion. Such an occasion was now offered to Philemon; and when acted out, the apostle would have praised God, not Philemon, for its exercise. Lord, increase our faith, increase our faith!
What unselfish joy did the soul of the apostle possess! “We have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.” Surely this is the joy of the Lord. It was His joy personally to minister to the saints while here; it is the same joy now to Him to minister to them in heaven, and to supply those gifts by which His nourishing and cherishing love to the church shall be continued. It was the refreshment “of the bowels of the saints” —their inmost affections were engaged to Philemon by witnessing the faith, love, and grace in him. And Paul too was seeking the same refreshment from Philemon for himself; he would draw it forth on the occasion of sending back Onesimus, and, whilst drawing it forth, would at the same time impart all his own heart's affection to Philemon— “thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels.” And is not this the exhibition of, the way of our gracious God? Is there nothing now that refreshes Him in this world which has rejected Him, by casting out His Son, His well-beloved and only Son? Surely it is the bowels of His mercy (Luke 1:7878Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, (Luke 1:78). marg.) which has refreshed us; and it is the answer to this from us, which refreshes Him. “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, bowels of mercies.” It is receiving a little one in the name of Christ, which is the receiving of Himself; and when one such little one is received by us in the nourishing and cherishing love of Christ, then we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ. How constantly do our hearts disallow that God has any fellowship with His saints in their joy! If an apostle could say, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth,” he says it as an expression of the mind of Christ. Oh that the joy of the Lord might ever be the joy of our hearts!
What has God wrought? Well may we say this, when we see the Lord God Almighty, the High and Holy One, so presenting Himself to us as to beseech. “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech by us.” This is the grace of God exhibited in the ministry of His own Son first, and now in the ministry of reconciliation on the sure foundation of complete atonement. And this is the grace Paul would witness unto: he could have commanded, and yet for love's sake he rather besought. He besought for his son Onesimus whom he had begotten in his bonds. Had Philemon listened to the ministry of reconciliation, and received the Son of God into his soul! Now let him, as one reconciled to God Himself, exercise it towards Onesimus. Paul, as the instrument, would say, whom I have begotten in my bonds. But there was something much deeper than that; for every one born of God had been begotten out of the grave of Jesus, the First-begotten from the dead. How must every plea for Onesimus have led the soul of Philemon before God, and made it go over afresh all the detail of God's grace to himself! What a blessed way to teach obedience by bringing all God's love to ourselves before the soul! “Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me;” and what had Philemon been in time past to God? Foolish, disobedient, serving divers lasts and pleasures; but the knowledge of the love of God in his own soul had now made him a useful servant of the Lord and His saints. Surely the leadings of his own soul must have directed Philemon to see what was convenient, and his benefit would be willingly conferred, not of necessity. How blessed the intelligent and willing obedience of the saint, since it springs from the recognition of all the fullness of God's love! God exacts of us nothing, but sets, before us His own ways; and those who are led of the Spirit follow them. There must be a much deeper knowledge of the grace of God, in order to more fruit-bearing unto God. The apostle speaks of the gospel to the Colossians thus, “and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth.” This is what is needed by the saints now, the knowledge of the grace of God in truth.
Verse 15. No one knew better than the apostle, that where sin had abounded, grace had superabounded. But yet there seems a holy caution in the Spirit, whilst speaking of these things, lest we should think or speak of sin lightly. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, and delighting as He does, to magnify the grace of God in Christ, He always vindicates God's holy detestation of sin. Alas, how often do we find that familiarity with the doctrines of grace, where there is no deep work in the soul, leads to light thoughts of sin! What holy caution is there in the words, “For perhaps he therefore departed from thee for a season, that thou shouldest receive him forever.”
Onesimus, it is hinted, had wronged Philemon, had robbed or purloined, and then ran away from his master. Could God justify dishonesty and fraud? No; for no unrighteous person shall inherit the kingdom of God. The dishonesty of Onesimus led him to Rome, led him to Paul, led him to hear the gospel; but that did not alter its character the least. It might have brought Onesimus to self-acquaintance; and doubtless it did, to honest confession of what he had done, and thus to real humility; still it would always have stood by Onesimus, so as to prevent his glorying in anything save in the grace of God abounding over all his sin. And thus, whilst most secure in the knowledge of God's love, he would be most humble in himself. The very freeness of God's grace, and the completeness of the purging of the blood of the Lamb, would give the sinner when justified the deepest hatred of sin. But no one whose soul was not habituated to the tracing the ways of God in redemption, would have ventured on such a thought as is here expressed. In the largest view we see man, fallen from God as a creature, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, received back to God forever. We see the prodigal departing from his Father's house for a season, after tasting of the bitterness of his own ways, through the love of the Father, received back forever. Man, as a creature, might depart, and did depart from his standing in blessedness in relation to the Creator. Man, as a servant, was bound by no inseparable tie to God. But he that is born of God is inseparably brought to God, he is received by Him forever. This is the joy of the Father's heart— “thy brother is come, and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.” What a place of blessing for Philemon to be put in, to share the joy of heaven over a repenting sinner, in receiving back Onesimus as a brother! Their relation one to the other, as master and slave, would speedily be dissolved— “the servant abideth not in the house forever;” but brotherhood in Christ is forever. Had not the truth been that in which the soul of the apostle lived, it could never have expressed itself so. His soul dwelt in God, and therefore expressed the ways and the thoughts of God.
But the apostle would have Philemon share with him in his divine fellowship— “have fellowship with us, for truly our fellowship is with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.” The Lord had made Paul the partner of His deepest thoughts. Philemon knew that he had much in common with Paul, like precious faith and the common salvation and all the fullness of Christ. “If you count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself.” He would have Philemon share with him in his joy over Onesimus, even as he shared with him so much in common besides. It is thus the Lord Jesus has fellowship with us, and we with Him, in the person of every saint, and makes each newly converted sinner to be a link of connection to bind Himself and us. If we receive them in His name we receive Him, and we partake of mutual joy. He would have us count Him a partner, and then share His joy with Him. This is practical fellowship. But surely Philemon in the wisdom of the Spirit would have known, whilst his heart was bounding with gratitude to Paul, how to transfer the language of the apostle as to himself, to the Lord Jesus, as true alone in the highest sense of. Him. No one not living in the fullest power of communion with God could so confidently have written as the apostle here. He knew what that meant— “He laid down His life for us we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” He bore all for us; so the servant, treading in the steps of his Master, would put himself under any responsibility that he could.— “If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee aught, put that on mime account.” Is not this the very, language of Christ? Has our brother wronged us, let us look to Christ. He has borne the wrong; how many a heart-burning, how much strife would thus be avoided. God has received him, by setting down the wrong to Christ's account: what blessing would it be to our souls, to see the very wrong done to ourselves, borne by Christ! “I, Paul, have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it: albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides.” Oh, the riches of the grace of our Lord!
The servant dare not undertake more than the Lord has done and surely it was in the knowledge of the ways of his Lord, that he used each language as this. If anything is due to us from a brother, let us not exact it. He has written it with His own hand, He will repay. “Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather be defrauded?” No one is a Loser by foregoing anything for the Lord's sake; although we owe ourselves to Him, and all that we have, yet He is so gracious as to undertake to repay any loss we put up with for His name's sake. What a double obligation of grace was Philemon thus laid under a debtor to the grace of the Lord—a debtor to the grace of the servant: surely this must have constrained him to cheerful acquiescence. How assuredly must Paul have reckoned on Philemon having the mind of Christ! And his desire was to call it into practical exercise. We too ought to reckon more, on this mind in one another, and thus “to consider one another” to call it out. Onesimus was not his own, he was his master's; Philemon was not his own, he was Paul's, he was Christ's. But the Lord, and His servant who knew His ways, would not exact compliance on that principle: what a lesson was thus taught to Philemon. It is the Lord's joy, when He might claim everything, for “we are not our own,” so to give us to stand in grace, as to do that which is well-pleasing to Him. Paul had now put Philemon on his standing in grace, and then he adds, “Yea, brother, let me have joy at thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord.” How joy in the Lord, unless the Lord was a sharer of the joy? He delights to see the fruit of His own grace, and therefore exacts nothing. Paul too would have his most inward affections refreshed, even as the bowels of the saints had been refreshed by the faith and love of Philemon. Well would it be for us, if we thought more of the inmost affections of Jesus; and then we should easily learn that which would he refreshing unto Him. It is wonderful indeed, that anything should refresh Him; but even from this polluted world, there is in the love of the saints an odor of a sweet smell—a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God (Phil. 4:1818But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God. (Philippians 4:18)).
God knows what is in man; and He knows what that new nature is which He has imparted, it is His own nature. God can and does reckon largely on it, although He can put no confidence at all in the flesh: yea, He has set it aside, He has judged it. God expects obedience in the Spirit: it can and will obey God, and so judged the apostle. “Having confidence in thy obedience, I wrote unto thee knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say.” The God of all grace has done more for us than ever we could have asked; and He puts us in the place of showing grace, when He might have required all as Lord. The obedience of the saint cannot be circumscribed by literal enactment as that of a slave, for who would set bonds to love? who would say to a child, this is all my heart expects from you? We are “accepted in the beloved” — “sanctified unto obedience;” but grace would lead beyond mere satisfying the actual demand made upon us in any given circumstances. The apostle told Philemon what was convenient, but then leaves his soul to be exercised before the Lord, so as to carry his obedience beyond that which might satisfy the actual call made on it, into the exhibition of the true grace of the Lord. This is the way of the Lord: He does not deal with us as servants, but leaves room for the exercise of grace. There would be no refreshment to Him, in seeing an unwilling obedience being rendered to a positive command; but He does delight to see the fruit of union with Himself manifested whilst we are here. Every day affords the occasion for thus manifesting this grace. And what is the church, but the school where it is learned? And what our miserable daily failures, but that we instead of seeking to exhibit the mind of Christ, are standing each one upon the ground of some right we have, which we will not allow to be interfered with? There can be no ground more wrongly assumed, than that the church is a voluntary association, dependent on man's will. Every believer is of and in the church, and it is disobedience on his part, if he fails to show this.
But it is a great mistake to suppose that church fellowship is a relief from individual responsibility, or a substitute for personal fellowship with the Lord Himself; it is the sphere where the grace learned in personal fellowship with the Lord Jesus is to be brought into exercise. The grace of the Lord Jesus Himself is learned in its manifold exercise in His own wayward family. The grace which Paul learned, by the transforming power of fellowship with Christ, was carried out in his care for all the churches. And when he saw his son in the faith, sinking under the pressure of much evil in the church, he says to him, “Thou, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” What we need is not so much knowledge, as the transforming power of fellowship with Jesus (2 Cor. 3:1818But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:18)). Nothing can be put in the place of this. God will allow no flesh to glory in His presence; but he that glorieth shall glory only in the Lord. And the training and discipline of the soul now is to know this practically, learning, painfully learning, the absence of all that is good in ourselves, and happily learning the fullness of Christ, which is needed by every one of us. And God, in His wisdom, brings each one of us into those circumstances wherein the fullness which He knows to be in us in Christ shall be called forth. Surely His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts than our thoughts. Blessed school indeed, though we are the most inapt of scholars, to be brought as Moses inside the very glory to learn His ways, whilst those who are outside can see no farther than His acts! “But we all with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
(Concluded from page 126.)