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"I am sending him back..."

Text: Philemon 12

A JAIL SENTENCE

Onesimus must have served a jail sentence. He would soon be released. But what should he do next? This matter was addressed by the Apostle Paul with Philemon his good friend.

“I am sending him back. You therefore receive him,
that is, my own heart.”
Philemon 12

1. A quick review

a) Onesimus was a slave who had run away from his master Philemon.

b) He was jailed for some reason (this was not disclosed).

c) He was now going to be freed after having served his sentence.

2. The options

a) Running away again.

i) If Onesimus had not been saved he might have considered running away again.

But now that he had become a believer in the Lord Jesus he was now a changed man.

ii) The option of running away must be put away.

b) Returning to Philemon.

i) He must have considered what Paul had said to him.

ii) He must return to Philemon.

iii) He must have been aware of the technical-legal problem.

Philemon could have him arrested and even executed!

That was the lot of slaves in those days!

3. “I am sending him back”

a) Onesimus was now Paul’s spiritual son.

b) He would now obey what his spiritual father advised.

c) Paul was going to send him back to Philemon with this letter.

(The translation of this sentence is as if Paul is writing in the Present Tense.

In fact Paul used an Aorist Tense. This is known as an “expistolary aorist”.

It would be in the past tense by the time Philemon received the letter.)

4. “You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart”

a) Paul asked Philemon to receive Onesimus.

b) He was asked to receive him as he would receive Paul’s “own heart”.

i) The word “heart” is imbued with strong affection.

ii) How would Philemon have received Paul?

He was urged to receive Onesimus in the same manner!