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The Friendship and Fellowship

Of the Gospel, Part 1
Philemon 1-2
May 15, 2005

Point: gospel creates friendship and fellowship

(partnership) with each other. It is an atmosphere of
grace and mercy in which we live with each other in
acceptation, welcome, forgiveness. And it is an
atmosphere which consequently and automatically
fosters and produces an advancement of the gospel,
especially among the saints. This advancement is
manifested first and foremost in the generosity believers
display towards each other.

When you understand the letter to Philemon it is easy to

perceive the first few verses as sort of a ‘buttering up.’
But Paul is not flattering Philemon here just to get what
he wants. To be sure, Paul definitely wants two things.
He wants Philemon to receive Onesimus back as a
brother in Christ, and he wants Philemon to release
Onesimus so he can go back and serve Paul.

But there is no ‘buttering up,’ going on here. Rather, he

is thanking God for Philemon to Philemon, for the work
that God has done in and through Philemon to others.
And that work of God in and through Philemon is what
becomes the basis for Paul’s appeal regarding
Onesimus.

1. True Believers will Care About the Gospel’s

Application and Advancement

The first thing I want you to notice as we open the letter

to Philemon is that true believers will care about the
gospel’s application and advancement. They will care
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about the fact that it is applied to their own lives’ as well
as to the lives’ of others. Equally as important, they will
care about how, when, where, and why the gospel is
applied. These things will begin to surface as we make
our way through Paul’s introduction in this letter. As we
make our way through the first few verses, it becomes
apparent that Paul sees the gospel not just as a doctrine
to be believed, but as a doctrine that shapes the way we
behave, think, feel, and speak. It affects everything we
do. And because of that, Paul was sure to bring up
gospel-centered encouragements at the outset of his
letter, so as to remind Philemon of that gospel, thereby
laying the foundation for the request Paul will make of
him later.

And Paul also lays another piece of that foundation. Also

true of every believer is that he or she will care about
the advancement of the gospel throughout the rest of
the world. Paul cared about this deeply, as this is why
he is found writing this letter from prison. He is suffering
for the sake of the gospel. Indeed, he was arrested and
imprisoned for trying to advance it throughout the rest
of the world.

In short, Paul wanted Philemon to apply the gospel by

forgiving and accepting Onesimus, his runaway slave,
into his household as a new brother in Jesus Christ. And
Paul wanted Philemon to advance the gospel by sending
Onesimus back to him in prison to help in whatever
ways he had already proven so useful.

A. In verse 1, Paul opens his letter by identifying

himself, which he usually does in almost all of his letters.
But one thing that is different in this letter as compared
to the others is the fact that he made no reference to
himself as “an apostle of Jesus Christ,” as he usually
does. Instead he refers to himself as “a prisoner of
Christ Jesus.” This is for two reasons it seems.
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1. First, he wants Philemon to know where he
is. He is in prison, suffering for the sake of the
gospel. He is writing from house arrest in Rome
where, it appears, he was awaiting word of his
release.

2. Second, Paul’s decision to refer to himself as

a prisoner instead of an apostle is significant
because he wanted to foster in Philemon a
certain sense or attitude based on his
condition in prison. He is writing as a suffering
and imprisoned saint which produces in the heart
and mind a different sense and attitude than it
would otherwise. Philemon’s heart and mind
should go out to Paul in such a condition, and in
remembering that condition, Philemon would have
a very natural inclination to do whatever Paul
asked.

Is this manipulation? Not at all, for manipulation is using

fleshly and many times sinful means of twisting another
person’s emotions to do what we want them to do or
elicit a certain desired response. Manipulation is
motivated by sinfulness and hopes to gain something
that is usually a fleshly desire.

But Paul isn’t motivated by fleshliness in this letter. He

is motivated by the gospel, and more specifically the
forgiveness that freely and abundantly flows from the
gospel. It was that very message which he preached all
over the Roman world, and for which he had been
arrested and imprisoned.

Therefore, the object or aim of his letter is not one that

is fleshly either. Just as is manifested and reflected in all
his preaching, he desires to see a completely restored
and reconciled relationship (cross-references on
reconciliation?) between God and man, and between
man and man. And further, he simply wants the gospel
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to go forth, advancing throughout the world. And in this
particular letter, Paul desires to see such restoration and
reconciliation between Philemon and Onesimus, now
that both are believers. And he clearly intimates his
desire for Philemon to send Onesimus back so Onesimus
could continue to be of such great help to Paul. So the
reconciliation and the generosity Paul is requesting here
are two things that very naturally flow from the gospel.

Also in verse 1, Paul refers to Philemon as “our

beloved fellow worker.”

• Paul writes to Philemon. Philemon was a rather

common name in Greek history and literature. It
means “affectionate one or beloved.” He was
probably a Gentile, and he lived in Colosse. It
appears that he was very wealthy, very generous,
and very respectable in the community. According
to verse 19 of this little letter, it appears that
Philemon was a convert of Paul’s, perhaps having
become one while meeting up with Paul in Ephesus
where he had so much influence in the province of
Asia (Acts 19:8-22, 26; 1 Cor. 16:19).

• Notice the first description Paul uses for Philemon

– “beloved.” It is probably a play on words. By
adding the word “beloved” to a name that already
means “beloved one,” Paul is emphasizing just
how “beloved” Philemon really is to him.

• Notice second that Philemon was probably a

minister, elder, or pastor of a particular group of
Colossian believers who met in his house. How do
we know this?

o First, Paul makes reference in verse 3 to the

love he showed to all the saints. This brings
to mind Titus 1:8 in which we read that the
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minister is one given to hospitality and a
lover of good.

o Second, Paul calls Philemon a “fellow

worker,” a Greek phrase used also in 12
other NT texts (Rom 16:3, 9, 21; 1Co 3:9;
2Co 1:24; 8:23; Phil 2:25; 4:3; Col 4:11; 1Th
3:2; Phm 1:24; 3 Jo 1:8) to refer to ministers,
those who labored alongside Paul in various
locations to shepherd the flock of God and
advance the preaching of the gospel. Per
John Gill:

“…for though such are sometimes said to be

labourers and fellow helpers with the
apostle, who assisted in carrying on the
interest of Christ, with their purses, and
prayers, and private conversation; yet as it
is used in this same epistle, of such who
were in the work of the ministry, Phm 24 it
is very probable it is so to be understood
here…”

Per Matthew Henry

“Paul, in the highest degree of ministry, not

only calls Timothy, an evangelist, his
brother, but Philemon, an ordinary pastor,
his dearly beloved fellow-labourer - an
example of humility and condescension, and
of all affectionate regards, even in those
that are highest in the church, towards
others that are labourers in the same
special heavenly calling.”

Now, the reference to Philemon as a “beloved fellow

worker,” is important in this letter for this reason. Paul
was appealing to Philemon as a fellow minister in the
gospel whose care and concern was for the gospel – its
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application in his people’s lives and the advancement in
the rest of the world. Since they both had great interest
in and affections for the lives of others, calling Philemon
a “beloved fellow worker” would reestablish that fact in
Philemon’s mind and on that basis request something of
Philemon that give him opportunity to apply the gospel
to his own life and help Paul advance it throughout the
rest of the world (See Gill).

The description Paul gave Philemon then, was a

reminder of who he, Philemon, was and therefore what
should flow from Paul’s request of him. Listen to what
Chrysostom preached concerning this request.

“If Philemon is a ‘fellow laborer,’ then not

only may he be instructed in such a matter,
but he ought to acknowledge it as a favor.
For Philemon is bringing blessing upon
himself, and he is building up the same
work [i.e., of spreading the gospel and
bringing others to faith]. So that apart from
any request, Paul says, you have another
reason for granting the favor. For if he is
profitable to the gospel and you are anxious
to promote the gospel, then you should be
the one pleading with me, rather than me
with you” (Homilies on Philemon 1, quoted
in ACCS, 9:311).

Summary of Verse One

So, then, in summary, by referring to his own

imprisonment for the sake of the gospel, Paul hoped to
elicit a certain desire or attitude within Philemon’s heart
of mutuality in love for the gospel’s advancement. In so
doing, perhaps Philemon would send Onesimus back to
Paul for this purpose.
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And by referring to Philemon’s beloved heart and
actions, as well as his labors in ministry, Paul hopes to
elicit a certain desire or attitude within Philemon’s heart
of love for the gospel’s application to his own heart, with
respect to his runaway slave. In so doing, Philemon
would forgive Onesimus and welcome him into complete
and total reconciliation and acceptation because they
were now brothers in Christ.

B. Continuing in verse 2, we see others whom Paul

greets (a man, a woman and a body of believers), each
of whom are also specially described, as was Philemon,
in order to apply and advance the gospel. All of these
persons have been united with him in friendship and
fellowship created by the gospel of Christ.

1. He greets Apphia, “our sister,” as well as

Archippus, “our fellow soldier.” He further greets “the
church in your house,” speaking of the local assembly
meeting in Philemon’s house.
The first of these three is, “Apphia our sister.” The
description Paul uses of her points toward the familial
bond that Jesus Christ had created between she and Paul
in the gospel. Jesus taught us in the gospels that those
who hear His word and obey it are His real family
members (reference?). There is and should be an
intimate bond between such spiritual family members,
more so than there ever is between biological family
members.

But outside of the larger spiritual imagery used here, the

fact is that Apphia was probably Philemon’s wife, for it
makes the most sense since he name her second, right
after Philemon. If we stop and consider for a moment
why he included her name, it will help us understand
how Paul hopes to apply and advance the gospel.

Consider first that Paul doesn’t just include names for

the heck of it, nor does he include them to flatter special
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people within certain churches by whom he hopes to
gain at some point in the future. In other words, he
doesn’t mention names just to make deposits into
people’s trust banks so he can make a withdrawal later
on. Remember, every word is inspired by the Spirit,
which means even the persons Paul greets have a
purpose just like the other words do.

I believe that Paul includes Apphia’s name here, again

not to flatter her or make her feel special, but to appeal
to her as well on what he is about to ask. Think of it this
way: what person in a household can make or break the
head of the household? That’s right, the wife. So in
writing to her too, Paul was hoping to engage her along
with her husband to receive, forgive and welcome
Onesimus back into their household. Otherwise, who
knows but that she might stand in the way of it,
becoming a great hindrance to the reconciliation process
(see Gill). Because they are one flesh, their actions and
thoughts on the matter of Onesimus should be one as
well.

See then how the gospel is applied and advanced. The

gospel has saved both Philemon and his wife Apphia.
And it teaches both of them to forgive and welcome the
offender. Further, it teaches that since both are one,
and since the husband is the pastor of the house church
there, she should have as great an interest in the
advancement of the gospel, using Onesimus, as her
husband would.

2. The second person Paul says ‘hello’ to is,

“Archippus our fellow soldier.” He may have been
Philemon’s son. The description Paul used of him points
toward the bond of warfare that exists between he and
Paul. Paul was a soldier of Christ, suffering for his
warfare for the sake of the gospel (cf. 1 Cor. 9:7; 2 Cor.
10:4; 1 Tim. 1:18). This is the phrase Paul used of
Epaphroditus in Philippians 2:25. And he identifies
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Archippus as such a soldier also, and in so doing, points
to that particular and special bond between them. To be
sure, all believers are soldiers of Christ, but Paul
identifies Archippus by this name purposefully in order
to point out the specific character of his life and ministry.

He is referred to in Colossians 4:17 with a special word

from Paul that means nothing to us today, but meant
something specific for Archippus. There Paul wrote to
him, “And say to Archippus, ‘Be sure to carry out the
work the Lord gave you.’” It is cryptic to us but clear to
Archippus. Whatever it is, we know that it is a special
work of ministry to which the Lord had called him. It was
probably a teaching ministry, since the Greek word for
“ministry” in Colossians 4:17 is used without a
determining genitive and commonly refers to a function
or office of biblical instruction (see Acts 6:4).

My view on this is that if, in fact, Archippus was

Philemon’s son, then he was in co-leadership with his
father Philemon in the particular group of believers who
met at Philemon’s house in Colosse. And if not a co-
pastor, then at least a deacon, probably much like Phillip
or Stephen. And if not Philemon’s son, then perhaps
only fulfilling a temporary mission in Colosse as directed
by the Apostle Paul. What mission would that be?
Perhaps taking over Epaphras’ duties. You see,
Epaphras, who was with Paul in Rome, serving him while
he was in prison, is the one who founded the church at
Colosse, according to Colossians 1:7,8, and is in verse 13
still spoken of as the one responsible for the church. So
it may very well be that while Epaphras was in Rome
helping Paul, Archippus, whether son of Philemon or not,
was asked to take his place for a while.

3. The third group Paul makes mention of in his

greeting is, “the church in your house.” This phrase
points toward either (a) all the believers who were
meeting in Philemon’s house in the city of Colosse, or (b)
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all the believers in Philemon’s personal family. On the
first option, to be sure, there were several other house
churches in Colosse, and Paul’s letter to the Colossians
was a letter that was intended to be circulated among all
those other local assemblies.

But this particular letter to Philemon carried a special

greeting to either the local church meeting in Philemon’s
house, or else Philemon’s personal family. (Either way it
is remarkable what kind of testimony, influence,
reputation and leadership Philemon must have
displayed, because as late as the fifth century,
Theodoret stated that Philemon’s house was still
identifiable.)

Such identifying characteristics, then, as “sister,”

“soldier,” and “church,” all produced and fostered much
encouragement to those whom he called by those
names. Apphia was encouraged to be a part of God’s
family with Paul, her brother in Jesus Christ. Archippus
was encouraged to continue waging war for the sake of
the gospel, enduring even tougher battles than before.
And the church in Philemon’s house was encouraged in
two ways.

a. First, they were encouraged that God had

especially chosen them from before the foundation of
the world to be His sons and daughters, providing them
with comfort and security in the midst of such
persecuting times, especially with Paul being in prison.

b. Second, they were further encouraged with a

special greeting by the apostle Paul which would have
had the added effect of (a) bolstering their affection for
Paul as their spiritual father and church planter, and (b)
bolstering their affection for Philemon to whom the letter
was written (who is referred especially as being a source
of refreshment for the saints in his house church), as
well as Apphia and Archippus who are mentioned by
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name, presumably pointing to special qualities in their
lives of godly church leadership.

Application: The Application and Advancement of

the Gospel Depends upon Believers Serving One
Another

Now least you ask yourselves what in the world all of this
has to do with our main point, I don’t want you to miss it.
If anything, this speculation on history shows us in the
very least that the advancement of the gospel
depends upon believers applying the gospel to
their own lives by doing whatever they must do to
serve one another. The advancement of the
gospel doesn’t depend on us. It does, however,
depend upon us serving one another. And that’s
what’s going on here, even if we get the history wrong
on some points.

We do know Epaphras was the founder of the church in

Colosse. Yet we also know in the letter to Philemon that
he is in Rome helping Paul while in prison. So this
founding pastor of the church leaves his church to serve
an apostle hundreds of miles away in another city.

But Epaphras can only go and serve Paul in this way

because another named Archippus has determined to
step up and serve Epaphras by taking his place as
pastor, or at least as a church leader of some sort.

But Archippus can only rise to serve the church in

Colosse as a leader because people like Philemon and
Apphia, as well as the rest of the church body, are
serving him by identifying, recognizing and affirming his
gifts in this area of leadership.

And the church body can only identify, recognize and

affirm his gifts in leadership because they are serving
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one another in love, as we read of in verse 7 – they were
all refreshed.

But all of them were only refreshed because Philemon

was serving them through his generosity and love for
them. So the advancement of the gospel in Rome was
happening through Paul because believers were serving
him and were serving each other.

Further, if Philemon was in fact an elder or leader in the

church, then Archippus could have only assumed
pastoral leadership of the church in Philemon’s home if
Philemon was generous enough to open his home up for
the believers to gather there, and if Philemon,
presumably, gave the necessary monies to finance his
work, and possibly even Epaphras’.

And, if Archippus was really Philemon’s son, then the

father is serving son through the generosity of home and
finances so that the son can serve the father, thereby
both serving the rest of the body of Christ.

That’s how the gospel works itself in us and out

through us to the rest of the world. Everybody
serving everybody so that the gospel can go out
to everybody else.