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An Attitude of Gratitude – Philemon 4-7
Summary:
When Paul calls Epaphras his “fellowprisoner” (v.23), that tells us he was in prison — and yet he was thankful! If you’re in the prison of a bad marriage, a bad job, poor health or a bad life in general, do what Paul did. Stop focusing on your difficult circumstances and find something you can be thankful for! Paul was thankful for Philemon, and I’m sure there is someone in your life for whom you can be thankful. Gratitude makes it possible to deal with the worst of circumstances, as Paul demonstrated in this epistle.
But why would Paul say “I thank my God”? I think it was because he dictated his letters (Rom. 16:22) due to his eye trouble (Gal. 4:14,15). I think he dictated Philemon’s epistle to Onesimus, his runaway slave (Phile. 1:10), whom he was sending back to Philemon with this epistle. As he dictated the letter aloud, he was surrounded by other prisoners who cursed their gods for letting them be imprisoned. That’s why Paul said, “I thank my God.” That made him stand out from the crowd, and was a testimony to those other prisoners
And it will make you stand out from the crowd as well. You too are surrounded by people who worship another god, the god they made up in their own mind. You know, the one who exists just to serve us and make us happy! If you wor-ship a god like that, you’ll curse him when you land in jail.
Many Christians worship the God of the Bible, but the God of the Old Testament. You know, the One that told Israel He’d bless them if they were good. If you worship a God like that and still land in jail if you are good, or experience some other difficult circumstances, you might curse Him and leave the faith, as many have done.
Notice Paul made “mention” of Philemon in his prayers (1:4). That word means to refer to something briefly without going into detail (cf. I Sam. 4:17,18). That’s always how Paul prayed for people (Rom. 1:9; Eph. 1:15,16; I Thes. 1:2). You don’t have to drone on and on when you pray for someone (Mt. 6:7; Lu. 20:46,47). You’re not unspiritual if you don’t spend hours in prayer, as some pastors would have you think.
How did Paul hear about Philemon’s faith and love (1:5)? Colosse, where Philemon lived, was 1,200 miles from Rome where Paul was imprisoned. He must have heard it from Onesimus. Would your runaway slave say good things about you?
But now did Onesimus see Philemon’s love and faith? You cant see love or faith, but you can see what they produce — labor for the saints (Heb. 6:10), which amounts to labor for the Lord (Mt. 25:40). History says that Colosse suffered a devastating earthquake just prior to the writing of Philemon’s epistle, and Philemon probably helped the saints with his wealth. He owned more than one guesthouse (1:22) and owned at least one servant, so must have been well to do.
“Communicate” (1:6) means to get a message across to someone (Gal. 2:2). Philemon was trying to communicate his faith to others. But if Paul was praying that the communication of his faith would be effectual, that must mean it hadn’t been effectual. Why not?
Well, it was supposed to be effectual by the acknowledging of all the good things that were in Philemon in Christ (1:6). If Christ is in us (Ro. 8:10), we should acknowledge that by walking worthy of Him (Col. 1:10). If we are sanctified (I Cor. 1:2) we should walk that way (I Thes. 4:4). If we are sinless in God’s sight (I Cor. 5:7) we should purge out sin (v.8). If we are accepted in Christ (Eph. 1:6) we should live in a way that is “acceptable” to Him (Rom. 12:1).
So what was the problem with Philemon? I think he was forgiven (Col. 2:13) but wasn’t walking in forgiveness (Col. 3:13). He was a giving man, but not a forgiving man, and that was keeping him from communicating his faith effectively. People saw he claimed to be forgiven but wasn’t forgiving others, so the gospel he shared had no effect on people. That’s why Paul was praying that the communication of his faith would be effectual. If he forgave the slave Paul was returning, it would begin to be effectual.
And so will yours, if you acknowledge “every” good thing that is in you in Christ, as Paul told Philemon.
Healing Blind Bartimaeus
The Prisoner of Jesus Christ – Philemon 1-3
Summary:
Paul (1:1) is the only Jew in the Bible who began using a Gentile name, to reflect how he was sent to the Gentiles (Acts 22:21; 26:17).
But if you are Jewish and want to get saved, you must be willing to admit that Israel has lost her “favored nation status” with God, and that “the apostle of the Gentiles” (Rom.11:13) is your apostle too. You see, he is the only one who teaches salvation by grace through faith without works (Eph. 2:8,9), the only way to get saved in this dispensation. And if you’re Jewish and you’re already saved, and you like to hear Paul talk about how we’ll be raptured before the Tribulation, you must also be willing to admit that the apostle of the nations is your apostle too, for he’s the only one in the Bible to talk about the pre-trib Rapture.
Why did Paul call himself a prisoner “of Jesus Christ” (1:1)? The Jews were the ones who falsely accused him to the Romans and got him arrested (Acts 21:27-32). But Paul explains elsewhere that he was in prison for preaching the gospel to the Gentiles (II Tim. 2:8,9), so he calls himself a prisoner of Jesus Christ (1:1) for the Gentiles (Eph. 3:1). God allowed him to be taken prisoner in Rome in the royal palace (Phil. 1:13) so some of the royals would get saved (Phil. 4:22) and their influence could go out over the Roman roads to the world.
“Philemon” (1:2) was probably wealthy, for Paul asked him to get “a lodging” ready for him (1:22), which sounds like he had more than one guest house. And we know he had a slave, for this epistles is about how he ran away. Rich men aren’t always willing to be “fellowlabourers” (1:2) in the Lord’s work, but Philemon was!
“Aphia” (1:2) is a feminine name, probably Philemon’s wife. Wives in those days were to “guide the house” (I Tim. 5:14), which included the slaves, so Paul includes her in the conversation about Philemon’s runaway slave.
“Archippus” (1:2) is a masculine name, probably their son.
I think he might have been pastor of the church that met in Philemon’s home (1:2) because Paul mentions a home church right before telling Archippus to fulfill his ministry (Col. 4:15-17). And since Paul mentions his epistles in between those two verses, it would seem that the way Archippus was neglecting his ministry was by neglecting Paul’s epistles.
Churches were in homes in those days, and can be today, but they don’t have to be. The Corinthians met in a “place” that was separate from their “houses” (I Cor. 11:20-22).
With this mention of a church in Philemon’s home, we get a glimpse of what Onesimus ran away from. Slaves were no doubt required to attend church, so he heard the gospel but never trusted Christ. If your kids didn’t get saved, sometimes they need to hear it from someone else, like he did. Or get knocked around by life first, as he did. You see, if Paul led him to the Lord in prison (1:10), that must mean Onesimus must have gotten a job feeding prisoners to have gotten close to Paul. Most of them probably cursed him, making him miss ministering to a godly family, and opening his heart to the kind words of the gospel Paul spoke.
Paul opened all his epistles with “grace” and “peace” (1:3). Some say they were Paul’s way of saying hello to the Greeks who greeted one another with “grace,” and the Jews who greeted one another with “shalom” as they do today. But that can’t be, for Paul also opens his epistles to individuals like Timothy, Titus and Philemon this way! It was actually an official proclamation of his message.
And it was a message that was new with Paul. The words “grace” and “peace” never appear in one verse before Paul. That’s because it is talking about peace with God, and the only way to get that before Paul was by righteousness (Ps. 72:3; Isa. 32:17). Righteousness always has to come before peace with God (Heb. 7:1,2). And I’m talking 100% righteousness.
And the only way to get 100% righteousness in the dispensation of grace is by grace (Romans 5:17).
Healing of the Ten Lepers
How Paul Made Decisions – Titus 3:12-15
Video of this sermon is also available on YouTube: How Paul Made Decisions – Titus 3:12-15
Summary:
Paul had to decide whether to replace Titus with Tychicus or Artemas (3:12). Since he is our pattern for living in the dispensation of grace, he is our pattern for making decisions.
Christians shouldn’t decide things like the king of Babylon did. He sacrificed an animal to please his god, thinking that his god would be so pleased he’d tell him what to decide to do by the shape or color of the liver (Ezek. 21:20,21). You wouldn’t do that, but it is just as superstitious to make decisions based on horoscopes and fortune tellers, etc.
Abraham’s servant struck a deal with God to get Him to show him which wife to choose for Isaac (Gen. 24:14), and God honored this method of deciding things (v.15). But that’s because He had a specific wife in mind for Isaac. But a woman living in the dispensation of grace is “at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord” (I Cor. 7:39).
Other Christians put out a fleece to make decisions (Judges 6:36-38). But Gideon wasn’t trying to decide what to do. He knew God wanted him to save Israel, He told him so. He wanted a sign to confirm it. But God’s not giving such signs today, for “the Jews require a sign” (I Cor. 1:22), and God isn’t dealing with the nation of Israel any more.
Some other Christians listen for “a still small voice” (I Ki. 19:12). But that verse comes right after Elijah called fire down from heaven in a stupendous display in the previous chapter. After he was discouraged that the display didn’t make Ahab turn to God, God showed him an earthquake and a fire, and told him that God isn’t in powerful things like that, but in his still small voice. God’s power is always in His Word, no matter how small the voice that speaks it. So listening for voices is no way to help you make a decision!
Still other Christians pray about their decisions and look for a feeling of peace to confirm that they made the right call (Col. 3:15). But Jonah made a bad decision, yet had such peace about it he could sleep in a raging storm (Jonah 1:4,5). No, Paul was telling the Colossians to forgive others as God forgave them (Col. 3:13-15), by making peace with them that He never takes away. That’s the peace he wants to rule your heart when you have a dispute with someone. Forgive them and make peace with them, a peace you’ll never take away.
God sees us as adult sons (Gal. 4:4-6), and expects us to make adult decisions on our own. Paul “determined” to winter in Nicopolis (3:12) after weighing all of the determining factors That’s what adult sons do! Barnabas “determined” to take Mark along on a trip, but Paul “thought not good” to take him (Acts 15:36-38). Both made their decisions based on their previous experience with Mark (Barnabas as his uncle [Col. 4:10]), another thing adult sons do! Paul made the decision to replace Mark with Timothy because he came recommended by men he trusted (Acts 16:1-3), and we should make adult decisions based on recommendations as well.
Good counsel from our brethren in the Lord also helps make decisions (Acts 19:30), and even from savvy unbelievers (v. 31) for “the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light” (Lu. 16:8). If after all that you still don’t know what to decide, take a “wait and see” attitude as Paul did (Phil. 2:19-23 cf. I Cor. 16:6).
“Zenas” (Tit. 3:13) wasn’t a lawyer of the law of Moses, but a lawyer of civil law in Rome. Paul was in and out of prison so much he needed one! It’s okay to hire a lawyer in this dispensation, but not in the Tribulation (Mt. 10:19). Paul picked Apollos to be with Titus in Crete for he was “mighty” in the Old Testament (Acts 18:24), and there were legalizers pressing the Law in Crete (Tit. 1:10).
“Let nothing be wanting unto them” (3:13) means to take care of their financial and material needs. God’s people usually did that for ministers, a good work, but Paul says “let our’s also” (our ministers) learn to provide for their own good works that they “be not unfruitful” in good works for the necessary uses of providing for their own necessities.
Some Christians you can only love “in the faith” (3:15), but with God’s “grace” it can be done. He loves and accepts us by His grace, and expects us to do the same for others.
Delivering a Woman Bound By Satan
Things to Avoid Like the Plague! – Titus 3:9-11
Summary:
The “foolish questions” Paul is warning Titus about are questions about the Law. You know that because he mentions the law in this verse (v.9) and because of the context. Everyone knows we should maintain good works (v.8), but some in Crete were saying to get believers to do good works that you have to put them under the Law. So they constantly affirmed the Law! Paul says grace (v.7) should be constantly affirmed.
But when grace believers affirm grace, those who teach the Law always question it. We know their questions are “foolish” because that’s what Paul called the Galatians (twice!) who had gone back to the Law (Gal. 3:1-5). Fools are people who don’t obey God (I Sam. 13:13; Mt. 7:24-26; Gal. 3:1), and when you return to the law you’re not obeying the truth (3:1)
“Genealogies” (3:9) were part of the Law, so Paul said to avoid them too. They were needed in time past to determine who could serve God (Neh. 7:64), but you don’t have to be a Levite today to serve God, so genealogies are not needed!
Those who were teaching the Law were causing “contentions,” which should also be avoided (v.9). Those contentions were caused by pride (Pr. 13:10), Jewish pride in the Law (Rom. 2:17,18). This was a problem in Ephesus too (II Tim. 2:14), and the answer in both cities was “rightly dividing the word” (II Tim. 2:15) and realizing we’re not under the law (Rom. 6:15). So strivings about the law are “unprofitable” when it comes to maintaining good works (Tit. 3:9).
The Law used to profit the Jews who were under it, for God blessed them with health and wealth if they were good. Wouldn’t you maintain good works knowing you’d be rewarded like that? Of course, God is not doing that today, but if you think He is, the Law will become unprofitable to you because you’ll think God is letting you down! That’ll make you quit doing good works, or at least discourage you.
Paul says the Law is “vain,” which connects it to idolatry (I Sam. 12:21; Isa. 44:9 cf. Ps. 115:4,5; Jer. 16:19,20). Paul uses the word vain because the Jews had made a god out of the Law. If you think that can’t happen to something God gave, see II Kings 18:1-4.
People still worship the Law today, insisting we are under it, and they are stubborn about it. So Paul says to admonish them twice, then reject them (3:10). Heretics teach heresy, which is a doctrine contrary to established doctrine that has been accepted by God’s people. The Jews accused Paul of it, but he believed their established doctrine of the Law (Acts 24:14). He just taught that Gentiles weren’t under it! But for grace believers to return to the Law was heresy, and Paul says to reject heretics after two admonitions.
Admonitions are primarily the pastor’s job (I Thes. 5:12,13), but all grace believers know we’re not under the Law and so can admonish heretics (Rom. 15:14).
But remember, admonitions should be gentle (II Thes. 3:14, 15), and one of the gentlest ways we admonish one another is in the hymns we sing (Col. 3:16).
Heretics must be rejected after two admonitions because if they don’t show any inkling of being open to the truth, you are wasting the time you should be redeeming (Eph. 5:16).
“Subverted” (3:12) means to turn something upside down. They accused Paul of turning the world upside down (Acts 17:6), but he was not subverting anyone. And once his doctrine of grace was established, to teach contrary to what he taught was subversive! When Paul started preaching grace to Gentiles, some Jews didn’t like it and raised a fuss, so the apostles met with Paul at the Jerusalem council (Acts 15). They recognize Paul’s gospel and so wrote to the Gentiles to say they hadn’t authorized the “subverting” that those Jews were trying to cause in the Gentiles (Acts 15:24).
Paul says those who teach the Law to those under grace “sinneth” and condemn themselves with their words (3:11). They won’t admit that they condemn themselves with their words, but anyone who knows grace will know the Law when they hear it. Do you?
Healing of a Man Born Blind
The Shedding of God’s Grace – Titus 3:6-8
Summary:
When Paul says something was “shed” on us (3:6), he means the grace of God exhibited in the kindness and love He showed (v.4) in saving us by His mercy and grace (v.5). We know this because about the only other time Paul used the word shed was to say that “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost” (Rom. 5:5). God the Father planned our salvation, God the Son accomplished it on the cross, and God the Holy Ghost sheds God’s love on us and “renew”s us (Tit. 3:5) when we believe the gospel.
When the Spirit renewed you, He made you a new man (Col. 3:10a). But as you live your life and sin and fail to serve God as you should, you fall back into living like your old man. When that happens, you must renew yourself “in knowledge” (Col. 3:10b), a knowledge of God’s rightly divided Word, until you reflect “the image of Him that created him”—Christ, the maker of your new man.
When Paul says God shed His love on us “abundantly,” that’s the adverb form of the verb abound. “Abound” means overflowing (Phil. 4:18), and just as the Philippians met all Paul’s needs and then some, God’s grace meets all our spiritual needs and then some!
To be “justified” (Tit. 3:7) means to be made just. The word “just” speaks of exactness, as when God insisted His people use “just” weights when buying and selling (Lev. 19:35,36). In the same way, God demands that we have exactly no sins to let us into heaven. That’s a problem since we’re not sinless, and so cannot be just with God (Job 25:4-6; Ps. 143:1,2). But God the Father’s “righteous servant” Jesus Christ justifies us when we come to know Him (Isa. 53:11).
Paul says that God justifies us, “that being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs” (Tit. 3:7). We’d all like to be Bill Gates’ heir, but only his children are his heirs. But “we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God” (Rom. 8:17). But what do we inherit from God?
Well, in the beginning God created two things, heaven and earth, which worked out nice because He has two heirs, Israel and the Body of Christ. God promised the father of Israel he’d inherit the earth (Rom. 4:13), specifically the kingdom of heaven on earth (James 1:1 cf. 2:5), from which they will rule the earth as kings in the kingdom (Rev. 5:9, 10)
But God also owns the kingdom of heaven in heaven, the one we can’t go to without being “changed” because it is beyond the stars (I Cor. 15:50-52). That’s our inheritance, but that’s not the best part of our inheritance! The best part of Israel’s inheritance is that Abraham and his seed will have to live forever to possess the earth forever (Gen. 13:15), and the best part of our inheritance is that we’ll have to live forever to possess ours! That’s why Paul says we are heirs “according to the hope of eternal life” (Tit. 3:7).
Now if you’re not saved and are thinking that it is too good to be true that we can have eternal life by grace and not by any works of righteousness of our own (Tit. 3:5), Paul knew you’d think that, so says that it is “a faithful saying” (Tit. 3:8). That means you can depend on it, unlike the “faithless” apostles upon whom the man with the demon-possessed son could not depend (Mark 9:17-19). It was also a faithful saying that Christ came to save sinners (I Tim. 1:15), and with this faithful saying here in Titus 3:9, we learn how He planned to save them—by grace without works.
That’s why Paul says these things should be “affirmed,” a word that is the opposite of deny (Lu. 22:56-59; Acts 12:13-15; 25:18,19). Paul knew that many would deny salvation by grace so he says to affirm it “constantly.”
The reason it should be affirmed constantly is “that” they which have believed might be careful to maintain good works (Eph. 3:8). The way to get believers to do good works is to constantly remind them that they are saved without good works. Grace puts you on spot, saying, “God did this for you, what will you do for Him?” We should be “careful” to maintain good works (Tit. 3:8), or full of care about it. Paul says this is “profitable”—and he knew about profit and loss (Gal. 1:14 cf. Phil. 3:7). He lived for eternity. Do you?
