A personal letter that tests the gospel's social implications.

In Christ, a slave and a master become brothers.

Reconciliation moves from theory to a house, church doorstep,

this is Seat Go Create.

You are listening to read the New Testament in 90 days, 27

books in order in context.

We're walking through the New Testament, the way it was written, so you can

hear it the way the first churches did.

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Today's stop is Phi Lehman.

We sort of referenced it in Colossians, the last episode.

This is the shortest of Paul's letters.

I think they sort of relate a little bit.

Seems as if it may have been written around the same time.

And it's interesting.

It's one of the most revolutionary because of the message that it carries.

And we'll talk more about that here.

Some key facts.

This is Paul with Timothy.

We believe Timothy was with him.

This was when Paul was in prison in Rome.

This was written in AD 60, so this is about the third letter, I

believe, if I'm counting correctly.

That was written in, uh, 60 ad. And fascinating.

Just kind of a sidebar here, I was kinda looking at our list before I

hit record, and we've already done two books or letters that were written

at the same timeframe or close to the same timeframe from Paul and.

It's interesting as we look and project out, 18 of the 27 New Testament

books were written over the next eight years in our timeframe of the

first century, between 60 and 68 ish.

Two thirds of the New Testament was written during this incredible time.

You know, for those of us that live in the 19 hundreds or the two thousands,

we talk about the turbulent sixties in the United States and the world.

Well, lemme tell you what, they were, nothing compared to the sixties.

Of the first century when all of these things were going on building up to the

destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, and 18 of the letters that we now

read in our New Testament we believe were written during that timeframe,

Keep that in mind as we're reading here.

The audience here, this is very interesting.

Paul specifically wrote this to Philemon and he had a house church in Colossae.

and I'm sure that the others in the church listened in on this letter, especially

after it was possibly read privately.

I tried to imagine this, you know, and we'll talk more about

the setting in just a moment.

But anyway, again, we're trying to put ourselves in the

audience of the context of.

These letters and these epistles.

So keep that in mind here.

in the setting, again, we're 30 years post-resurrection.

Paul is still in prison.

Tikis and Onesimus carry this letter alongside Colossians.

That's why I believe it sort of relates to Colossians.

They were carrying both of these, so it had the letter to

the Colossians in this bundle.

That they were carrying.

And then it also had what I consider to be somewhat of a

private message for Philemon.

we now get to read these as part of our New Testament in Rome.

Let's set the stage here.

Historical context in Rome, Nero is still on the throne.

Paul is under house arrest, as we've said in Jerusalem.

That's the temple is still intact.

Daily sacrifices are going on.

It's 10 years before the destruction.

Philemon.

Let's give a little background here.

He is a wealthy believer in Colossae.

We know from what Paul says, he's generous, faithful, known for

refreshing the hearts of the saints the church meets in his home.

Paul brought him to faith.

He's going to remind him of that in this letter.

Onus was his slave.

He ran away maybe after stealing.

We're not sure there's some implications there.

Maybe he was just seeking freedom.

He disappeared into the crowds of Rome and somehow.

Encountered Paul who was under house arrest.

Paul shared the gospel onus believed now he's returning, not because the law

requires it, but because the gospel does.

Here's the tension, and I want us to feel this as we read this letter

from Paul to Philemon Roman Law.

Allows brutal punishment for runaways beating, branding even.

Execution within the law.

Philemon has every right to do those things.

He's got the legal right on his side, but Paul is asking him to receive onus,

not as a fugitive, but as a brother.

Why now?

Wrongs need to be made, right?

Relationships need to be reconciled.

That's why that word reconciliation to me, I love pairing it with the reconciliation

that we learned about in Colossians that arrived with this letter, or they

were transported with this letter.

I think it's so cool.

in Colossians it's big picture restoration, and here in Philemon

it's narrow relationship between two people, reconciliation, powerful stuff.

Paul sends a emus back with a letter pleading his case, not commanding it, not

demanding it, but appealing on the basis.

Of love.

It is defining relationships in God's kingdom and it's different

than Rome and even in the old.

Covenant.

Here's what you're gonna encounter.

Philemon is brief and personal.

The gospel meets social hierarchy.

You're gonna hear about partnership in the gospel.

Paul addresses Philemon as a fellow worker, beloved partner.

Sist has been transformed.

He says He's formally useless.

Now he's useful.

Kind of a word, play on his name as we understand it.

It's an appeal, not a command.

I could order you, Paul says, but I appeal to you on the basis of love.

He is now a brother.

Not a bond servant.

I'm not sure that we fully grasp that word bond servant in our current culture.

He is no longer a slave, but more than a slave.

He is a beloved brother.

Receive him as you would receive me.

Paul Stakes, his own relation on onus.

Welcome.

The categories haven't legally changed, but in Christ,

something deeper has brotherhood.

Alright, so here's what you're gonna do.

This is a short letter, but read it in that context.

Read it in one setting and consider that.

Personal relationship restoration that Paul is attempting to get

across in this powerful stuff.

What's next?

After this, we're gonna jump to Philippians, another letter from

jail and one that is filled.

With Joy, what happens when hope isn't tied to circumstances?

Okay.

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if you're watching this on YouTube or listening on your podcast platforms,

you could find it easily on the website and in lots of places.

Lots of good stuff there.

So let's.

Let's try to do something a little bit unique here.

Let's do all that we can to put ourselves in Philemon's shoes here.

So picture this, It is AD 60.

Your Philemon, the church meets in your home.

You are known for your love and faith.

A messenger has arrived from Paul and with him, a face you

didn't expect to see again.

Onus your slave, the one who ran away under Roman law.

You have every right to punish him, but in his hand is a letter from Paul,

and Paul is asking you to receive him, not as a fugitive, but as a brother.

Now, let's read.