Partnership in the Gospel
Pastor Chang Kim
Philemon 1:17-25
17 So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. 18 If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. 19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. 20 Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.
21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. 22 At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you.
23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, 24 and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Introduction:
Deuteronomy means “the law again”. The whole book is the retelling of the law so that the people would not forget, yet with so many reminders, God’s people forgot.
2 Peter 1:15 15 And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.
P v17
17 So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me.
With this one sentence in v17, Paul is bringing the most important point of the whole letter.
Paul here uses the Greek word koinonia, usually translated fellowship, but translated “partner” here.
Every sinner, all sinners, who have turned away from their sin and trust in Christ as their Savior should always without any reason be received, welcomed.
Matthew 6:14-15 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Forgiveness is an essential mark for Christians. It is non-negotiable.
We are to remember, the Church is not full of saints, but the church is full of sinners, sinners who have been forgiven and received into God’s family.
P vv17-20
18 If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. 19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. 20 Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.
Jesus paid the full price for our sin on the cross. He died in our place, He became our substitute.
1 Timothy 1:13-15 13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
Forgiveness is not easy, it is hard, but worth it, for we have been forgiven of a great debt.
Matthew 18:23-35
23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
P vv21-25
21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. 22 At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you. 23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, 24 and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
As Philemon had to prepare for Paul’s coming, we must prepare for the Lord’s coming.
Is there anything in our lives that we don’t want Christ to see? Any junk in our lives that we need to get rid of? Any mess we need to clean up?
Philemon eventually would become the pastor of Colossae.
Onesimus eventually became the pastor of Ephesus a couple of decades later.
Paul, the peacemaker, would also lose his life for the gospel being beheaded and executed during his last Roman imprisonment by the order of the Roman emperor Nero.
Conclusion: Onesimus is a reminder of God’s offer of forgiveness. Philemon is a reminder of one who extended forgiveness. Paul is a reminder of one who encouraged forgiveness
Discussion Questions
Why does Paul remind Philemon of their partnership in the gospel?
Why is forgiveness an essential mark for Christians? What sin do you believe to be unforgivable?
How had Christ paid for your sins?
How can we prepare ourselves for Christ’s coming?