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Philemon 1:18-19
18 If [de][ei] he hath wronged [adikeo]
thee [se], or [e] oweth [opheilo] thee ought [tis], put [ellogeo] that [touto] on [ellogeo] mine account [emoi];
19 I [ego] Paul [Paulos] have written [grapho] it
with mine own [emos] hand [cheir], I [ego] will repay [apotino] it: albeit [hina me] I do [lego] not [hina me] say [lego] to thee [soi] how [hoti] thou owest [prosopheilo]
unto me [moi] even [kai] thine own self [seautou]
besides [prosopheilo].KJV-Interlinear
18 But if he has wronged you in
any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account; 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand,
I will repay it (lest I should mention to you that you owe to me even your own
self as well). NASB
The doctrine of imputation
is a very real and legitimate spiritual principle.When one person has incurred a debt, and
another assumes the obligation for that debt, then the first is released from
any further obligation.The creditor has
no further recourse against the former debtor.
Imitating that which
Christ has done for us all on the Cross, Paul approaches Philemon with a proposal.That he Paul assume any and all obligations that
Onesimus has incurred toward Philemon.
With full knowledge of
what Onesimus has done and we, again, read between the lines, Paul knows full
well the details of Onesimus wrongs against his master.
We are not given the
details, because they are not even relevant.Suffice to say that Onesimus has done a wrong, or wrongs against
Philemon, and now through Paul, has acknowledged his actions in full to Paul,
and Onesimus wants the set the record straight once and for all.
As for Philemon, a debt
is owed to him.Whether one person pays
it or another, should make no difference.No creditor can honestly expect to collect double for what is owed, nor
do they have any right to expect more than is owed.
God gave man life.Man sinned, and as such incurred a debt for
sin and death.This is a debt that man
cannot possibly pay, because the magnitude of it is so great.We can safely assume that Onesimus had such a
debt, and as a slave with no resources or means, could not possibly repay his
obligation.
Onesimus was trapped in
his debt forever, just as humanity is trapped in its debt to sin and death
forever.
Luckily, both Onesimus
and humanity have a benefactor willing to pay off their debts.Paul for Onesimus, in the temporal sense of
the obligation, and Christ for humanity in the spiritual sense.
By signing this letter
and stating as such, Paul offers a written guaranty for his offer to Philemon.
Now, Philemon probably
knows that Paul has no or very little resources.Philemon probably knows of Pauls present
situation, and he probably knows that anyone going before Nero, was not likely
to come out of it alive.
But at the same time,
Philemon knows that Paul was receiving donations and support from folks all
over the region.And whether Paul was
going to offer to pay the obligation out of those proceeds, or not, was really
irrelevant.
What is relevant is
whether Philemon was going to accept the offer.If he did, then Onesimus was free of his obligations, and Paul was
bound.And by accepting this obligation,
did not make Paul guilty of the wrongs, only obligated to pay them.And by implication, we can assume that he did
pay them.
Philemon could deal
with Paul in the manner in which Paul reminds him in the second verse of this
passage.
Paul taught the gospel and
as a result brought a lot of people to Christ and their salvation.Their alternative was the Lake of Fire.
So in a sense, Paul had
become a father like figure with respect to their new birth.It is the father who begets new children,
with doctrine acting as the mother force, as it were.
Without life a person
is not a person, they are nothing.With life
then they have every opportunity to live forever in great happiness.That difference between the two, nothing
verses eternity, is an infinite difference.And as such anyone who is saved, is in debt to their father
communicator, if you are able to follow this idea.
Likewise, once born, a
person has to grow up.That takes yet
another parent figure to raise up and teach the child.This instructor becomes the parent figure for
those who stick it out and grow up in their spiritual lives.
In that way, again,
they are deeply in debt to their instructor, for without him or her, they would
not have gained the advantages of spiritual maturity, which again are
infinitely greater than the blessings of spiritual immaturity.
Therefore, Pauls efforts in bringing the gospel and doctrine to those
who heard him become the basis for their indebtedness to him.Anything that he may owe Philemon (Onesimus
debt) is far less than that which Philemon owes Paul.
In our lifetime, we
will all cross paths with many sources of spiritual truth.From the radio, from the television, from our
own readings, from the internet, from friends and family and so forth.In a sense we owe a great deal to all
believers because of the environment that they have provided (courtesy of the
grace of God), which has contributed to our spiritual state.
Whether there is one
who contributes more, or not, is not really relevant.
All of our gratitude is
owing to Christ for His phenomenal work and provision, in that we as slaves to
sin and death, have no other alternative.
In recognizing this
obligation, we should voluntarily support each other as mentioned the other day
in our study some through prayer, some through money, some through whatever
means is available to each of us.
It is God who
ultimately raises up those who will actually assume this obligation.We certainly know that there will be those
who will convince themselves that they are excused from it, to their detriment.
If you look around, you
will see that the world is slipping ever so slowly into trouble.Back in 1929, it took three years for the
nation to hit bottom and there it remained for an entire decade, until WW-II,
before relief came along.
Mans plans will never
work.Mans money will never work.The crux of our problem is not economics, but
disobedience toward Gods mandates.For
it is God who makes prosperity and poverty.It is God who provides the means for you to fulfill your obligations, as
He did for Paul and Onesimus.
Jesus Christ controls
history, not man.But you still have
your responsibilities and obligations in life.
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End Of Lesson
Study to show thyself approved (mature) unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (studying/discerning), the Word of truth.
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