This little book was/is a slow-motion explosion! Paul understood, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that slavery was not what God had wanted as image bearers of Himself and His rule. Yet the world in which he was born into was so far away from that ideal that to break this evil institution would cause much more devastation than it would heal. Think of it like this, let’s say we ban all gas driven internal combustion engines to clean up the environment. What would happen? Total devastation. We’d as a species descend into barbarity and be driven back into a system where ‘might makes right’ rule of law. Then what? We’d start back up the hill of civilization. Where would that go? Probably back to the internal combustion engine… Therefore, to make major changes to systems it seems as if the Holy Spirit would change the heart of a person/system/world before He strongarms them into holiness. This week let’s look at this amazing letter and how He does this.
Monday – exercising authority/power.
1. Authority That Appeals in Love (vv. 8–9) “Though I am bold enough in Christ to command you… yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you.” Paul could have ordered Philemon, but he chooses appeal. Authority without love breeds bitterness. Appeal gives room for the heart to respond.
Cross Reference: 1 Peter 5:2–3 — shepherds are to lead “not domineering… but being examples to the flock.”
Reflection: Where do I lead with commands when I should lead with love? Am I more interested in getting results or winning hearts?
Prayer: Lord, teach me to lead with love, that my influence would be Christ-shaped, not heavy-handed.
Tuesday – showing the value/outcome of glorifying God to those we want to change.
2. From Useless to Useful (v. 11) “Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.” Paul plays with Onesimus’s name. Once useless, now useful — not because of circumstance, but because of Christ. Grace redefines identities.
Cross Reference: 2 Corinthians 5:17 — “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.”
Reflection: Where do I write people off as “useless”? How does the gospel invite me to see them as new creations, useful for God’s kingdom?
Prayer: Lord, open my eyes to see others as You see them — not by their past, but by their future in Christ.
Wednesday – calling on others to exercise what they know to be right (faith in Jesus = forgiveness of others).
3. Forgiveness as a Lifestyle (vv. 4–7)
“I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective…” Faith grows not in theory but in practice. Forgiveness is rarely one-and-done; it’s often a process, revisited again and again. Jesus’s command to forgive “seventy times seven” (Matt. 18:22) describes a lifestyle, not a tally.
Cross Reference: Matthew 18:21–35 — the parable of the unforgiving servant.
Reflection: Who do I need to forgive again — not because I didn’t mean it last time, but because forgiveness is a journey?
Prayer: Father, help me to forgive as You have forgiven me, over and over again.
Thursday – how to leverage others…by using ours.
4. “Charge It to My Account” (vv. 17–18) “If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.” Paul takes Onesimus’s debt on himself, embodying Christ’s substitution: absorbing the cost so another may go free. This is the gospel in miniature.
Cross Reference: Isaiah 53:6 — “The LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
Reflection: Where can I step in and absorb the cost so reconciliation can happen? Am I willing to spend my “credit” for someone else’s restoration?
Prayer: Jesus, thank You for paying my debt. Make me willing to pay the cost of reconciliation for others.
Friday – iron sharpening iron.
5. Beyond What Is Asked (v. 21) “Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.”
Paul expects Philemon not just to obey but to exceed the request. Grace produces overflow, not bare minimum.
Cross Reference: Matthew 5:41 — “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two.”
Reflection: Do I stop at “what is required,” or does grace move me to go beyond? Where can I practice generous obedience?
Prayer: Lord, make me someone who does more than asked, not for recognition but because grace overflows.
Supplemental studies:
The Bible Project: ‘How to Read the Bible Videos’ – ‘How to Read Biblical Narrative’