Tag: Paul

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Epaphras Wrestles in Prayer

The letter to Philemon ends with a list of supporting players who send their greetings and implicitly endorse Paul’s missive of reconciliation.

First up is Epaphras, who by being singled out, stands alone in noteworthy acclaim.  Simply and succinctly, Paul notes that Epaphras is “my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus.”

The Bible only contains two other references to Epaphras, both occurring in Paul’s letter to the church in Colossae.  First, in the opening lines, Paul calls him a “dear fellow servant” and then a “faithful minister.”

Later, in his closing remarks, Paul, again confirming that Epaphras is a servant of Jesus, adds that “He is always wrestling in prayer.”  I’m not really sure what it means to wrestle in prayer, but it is a compelling image. 

I welcome anyone who would wrestle in prayer for me — and I hope to do the same for others.

So, Epaphras is a servant of Jesus, a faithful minister, and a devotee to prayer.  For this, he spends time behind bars.

Doing the right things for Jesus doesn’t necessarily keep us from suffering for him.  In fact, suffering for Jesus, may just be affirmation that what we are doing for him is right.

[Philemon 1:23, Colossians 1:7, and Colossians 4:12]

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Archippus is Encouraged to Complete His Work

Archippus is mentioned twice in the Bible, both times in letters from Paul.  First, in the letter to Philemon, Archippus is one of the addressees and is called “a fellow soldier.”

Then in Paul’s letter to the church in Colossae, he inserts a personal message to Archippus.  Paul says, “See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord.”

Over the years, I have talked to scores of people who enthusiastically share what God has called them to or told them to accomplish.  Sadly, when I run into them later, I learn that they haven’t followed through. 

I find that something distracted them, that they decided their own ideas superseded God’s, or some such other excuse.

When God calls us to a task, we need to complete it.

[Philemon 1:2 and Colossians 4:17]

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Timothy Proved Himself

I earlier stated that Paul is the author of the letter to Philemon.  This is correct, but not exclusively so.  Timothy is also listed in the opening credits.  While we don’t know Timothy’s degree of involvement, the letter does state that it is from Paul and Timothy.

This isn’t an isolated occurrence either.  Check out the opening verse in 2 Corinthians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, and 2 Thessalonians, as well as Philemon. 

In each case, Timothy is listed as a partner in the correspondence.  We don’t know if he was a co-author, a collaborator, or played some other role, but it is clear the letter is also from him.

There are many other references to Timothy in the Bible, including in two letters from Paul to him.  From these we develop a composite picture of Timothy as a disciple, a helper, a co-worker, Paul’s son in the faith, a brother, and a servant. 

We also know that he told others about Jesus and was thrown in jail as a result.

Paul goes on to affirm that Timothy “proved himself.”  While Timothy didn’t need to earn his salvation or do something to garner God’s attention or favor, it is noteworthy that he proved himself in the work he was called to do.

Our challenge as we follow Jesus is to likewise prove ourselves as worthy.

[Philippians 2:22]

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Onesimus, the Useful One

The focus of Paul’s letter to Philemon is Onesimus, the runaway slave.  Ironically, Onesimus means “useful.”

After Onesimus flees, he encounters Jesus through Paul.  Paul mentors Onesimus and the two begin working together.  However, it is not right for Onesimus to remain with Paul — even though what they are doing is important.  To do so would be to defraud Philemon of Onesimus’s labor.

So Paul encourages Onesimus to return to his master, despite the risk it involves.  A recaptured slave could have been punished or imprisoned for an attempted escape.  To facilitate a positive reunion, Paul writes a letter to Philemon, pleading that mercy be accorded Onesimus.

While we don’t explicitly know the outcome of this drama, we can reasonably deduce it.

First, Paul’s petition on Onesimus’s behalf is so powerfully worded that it is hard to image anyone not complying.

Second, in the only other mention of Onesimus in the Bible, Paul announces that he is sending Tychicus and Onesimus to the people of Colossi.

Paul also affirms Onesimus as being faithful and a dear brother.  Since this trip could not have reasonably occurred prior to Onesimus returning to Philemon, it can be safely assumed that Philemon did as Paul requested, allowing Onesimus to return to Paul to work with him on Philemon’s behalf. 

This would put Onesimus in a position to take a trip to Colossi.

At last Onesimus can be useful indeed — to both Paul and Philemon, as well as to the Colossians and to God.  This all happened because he did the right thing, returning to his master despite the risk.

[Colossians 4:7-9]

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Paul the Reconciler

While Philemon is the recipient of the letter that bears his name, Paul is the author.  We know a great deal about Paul, as he is mentioned over 250 times* in the Bible, mostly in the book of Acts, but also in the letters that he wrote, as well as once by Peter. 

Only Jesus is mentioned more frequently.

From these mentions, we know Paul to be a missionary, a church leader, a church planter, a mentor, and a teacher.  In the book of Philemon, we also see him emerge as an influencer to reconcile and restore broken relationships.

Reconciliation was the reason for Paul writing his letter to Philemon.  Paul’s desire was to see Onesimus and Philemon’s estranged relationship made right.

Paul encouraged both of them to the right thing: for Onesimus to return to his master regardless of risk and for Philemon to welcome him back without penalty.

Paul was able to assume this role of reconciler because he had a personal relationship with both parties.  This history gave him a credibility that an outsider would have lacked, allowing him to positively influence them both.

If you, like Paul, are in relationship with two estranged people, should your role be to encourage them to pursue reconciliation?  If you’re not sure, talk to God about it.  He may have put you in that position for this very reason.

*The name Paul occurs a total of 239 times: 183 in Acts; 55 in his letters, and once in 2 Peter 3:15. Additionally, his original name, Saul, is mentioned 29 times, all in Acts.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Philemon’s Dilemma

In the story surrounding Paul’s letter to Philemon, there are three central characters: Paul, Philemon, and Onesimus.  Since the letter is written to Philemon, let’s talk about him first.

Despite having a letter written to him, Philemon is only mentioned by name once in the Bible.  It is in the book that bears his name.

Paul calls Philemon a “dear friend“ and a“fellow worker” (v1).  The church also meets in his house (v2).  This doesn’t mean that Philemon is the leader of the church but merely implies that he has the biggest house, thereby providing the most room for people to meet.

By virtue of owning the biggest house, it is likely that Philemon is also wealthy.  Additionally, Paul notes the Philemon loves others (v5) and is an encourager (v7).

Philemon also has a slave.  However, we need to be careful not to vilify Philemon for this.  Historians tell us that unlike forced enslavement today, much of the slavery 2,000 years ago was voluntary.

Desperate people would voluntarily opt for slavery as a means of survival, either to pay off an insurmountable debt or to avoid starvation.  Taking on a voluntary slave could therefore even be seen as an act of mercy.

Though we don’t know the exact circumstances between Philemon and Onesimus, what we do know is that Onesimus ran away, leaving Philemon without his services.

Philemon was wronged.  Will he seek retaliation or give forgiveness?  Will he pursue justice or offer mercy?

Before these questions are answered, however, we must first look at Paul’s role and Onesimus’s response, which will be in the next two posts.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Philemon and His Friends

The short, often overlooked book of Philemon is tucked towards the end of the New Testament, nestled between letters to Titus and to the Hebrews.

Philemon is a letter written by Paul to his friend Philemon about a man of mutual interest, Onesimus.

The short version is that Onesimus is a slave who runs away from his master, Philemon.  Onesimus meets Paul, who tells him about Jesus, mentors him, and encourages him to do the right thing by returning to his master.

To help facilitate the reunion, Paul jots a quick note to Philemon, which has been preserved for us in the Bible.

In addition to Paul, Philemon, and Onesimus, there are eight other names mentioned in this brief correspondence: Timothy, Apphia, Archippus, Epaphras, Aristarchus, Mark, Demas, and Luke.  For each there is a story to be told and insight to be gained.

Of course, Jesus is also rightly mentioned in Paul’s letter to Philemon, a total of six times.  Jesus is actually the central character in this story, for it all revolves around him.

Is Jesus the central character in your story, does your life all revolve around him?

[Philemon]

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Blessed are the Meek

Do you aspire to be meek?  Not likely.  Who would?

When I think of meek, I think of spineless, compliant, and easily imposed upon.

While that is a correct understanding of what it is to be meek, it is also the secondary definition for the word.

The first definition for meek is patient, humble, gentle, and long-suffering.

Even with that perspective, meekness is not a trait that many in our world today desire.

Consider, however, that Moses, the great leader of ancient Israel, was characterized as being meek.  Even more so, Jesus himself claimed to be meek.  Plus, Paul taught that we should all be meek.

Given that Moses and Jesus were meek, and Paul taught it, perhaps we need to give this trait some serious consideration.

After all, Jesus promised that the meek will inherit the earth.

[See Numbers 12:3, Matthew 11:29, Colossians 3:12, and Matthew 5:5.]

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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The Error of the Sadducees

In The Error of the Sadducees and Pharisees, it was noted that the Sadducees’ error was taking away from the Bible, dismissing or ignoring certain sections. 

Paul notes that the Sadducees did not believe in resurrection, angels, and spirits, even though all are addressed in the Old Testament.

In order to challenge or trick Jesus, the Sadducees smugly present him with a hypothetical situation.  Jesus pointedly tells them they are in error because they do not know the Bible.  He then corrects their errant thinking, amazing the crowd and silencing his critics.

Few followers of Jesus would admit to ignoring parts of the Bible or dismissing sections as irrelevant, but it is actually a common occurrence. 

When we read the Bible, it is naturally all too easy to focus on the parts we like and understand, while quickly skimming or even skipping the confusing and confounding passages.  As a result, our understanding of God is diminished in the process.

It is the error of the Sadducees.

[See Acts 23:8 and Mark 12:18-27, also in Luke 20:27-40 and Matthew 22:23-33.]

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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The Error of Edom

The short book of Obadiah is a stinging rebuke to the nation of Edom, not for what they overtly did, but for what they did indirectly: for a failure to act, for smug attitudes, and for capitalizing on the wrong actions of others.

Even though they did not directly do wrong, the outcome is quite clear: “As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head.”

A few centuries later, Paul teaches the same lesson: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.”

Hosea phrases this in the positive: “Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love”

However, Jesus said it best: “Do not judge, and you will not be judged.  Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you…For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

More succinctly, in what we call the Golden Rule, Jesus also said: “Do to others what you would have them do to you.”

Yes, good words to live by.

[See Obadiah 1:11-15, Galatians 6:7, Hosea 10:12, Luke 6:37-39, and Matthew 7:12.]

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.