Who He Was

A. A Colossian

1. He was one of you. (4:9)

2. He lived and worked in the city of Colossae.

3. We don’t have all the details of his life… but we do have some remarkable glimpses of this man’s life… and what we know of him is instructive to us still!

B. A Slave of Philemon

1. The book of Philemon was written about this man’s story… and identifies Onesimus as a slave owned by Philemon.

2. As a slave, he was an insignificant nobody.

a. He was nobody special in the eyes of men. He wasn’t royalty. He wasn’t a wealthy land owner.

b. He was a slave… which meant he was just a common worker. (Sort of like you and me!)

3. Slavery in the first century was pretty much an accepted part of society.

a. As much as two thirds of the Roman Empire were slaves (before the first century it was as high as 90%).

b. One Roman General brought back 50,000 conquered soldiers and sold them on the slave-block in Rome.

c. The whole economic system revolved around slavery.

d. It was NOT like the system of slavery in our country which was far crueler than the Roman system… though neither one was desirable.

e. It was not based on race, but more on nationality. Most slaves were either BORN into slavery or they became slaves when their nation was defeated by another nation.

f. Every economic system has its unsavory side… and in the Roman system it was slavery.

4. Onesimus was a slave owned by a wealthy Christian named Philemon who lived in the city of Colossae.

a. The book of Philemon is a letter written by Paul to his friend, Philemon.

b. Philemon was a member of the church at Colossae.

c. Paul knew him by name… Paul knew him by name. They were friends.

d. He was a fellowlaborer with Paul. (Philem. 1)

e. He was dearly loved by Paul. (Philem. 1)

f. Paul knew Philemon to be a man of faith and one who loved the believers. (Philemon 5)

g. Paul considered himself a partner with Philemon (vs. 17)

h. It is likely that Paul led Philemon to the Lord (Philemon 19)

• Philemon “owed Paul his own self.” (life)
• Paul had not been to Colossae, but he did minister for 3 years in nearby Ephesus… and all Asia Minor heard the Word through his ministry.
• There was some other great debt of gratitude that Philemon owed Paul. Some believed Paul saved his life. It is more likely he led him to Christ.

i. Paul expected to come and visit his friend Philemon in the near future. (Philemon 22)

5. Philemon, a friend of the apostle Paul, one who was saved through his ministry, a faithful member of the church in Colossae and fellow-laborer with Paul — had a slave named Onesimus.

a. This is the Onesimus mentioned in Col. 4:9.

b. What a fantastic testimony this man has!

What He Did

A. He Ran Away

1. Philemon 15-16a – Onesimus the slave ran away from his master, Philemon.

2. In those days, the slave-owner normally considered their slave a tool—a piece of property.

3. If the slave ran away, the owner had every right to hunt him down and kill him.

4. Story of Caesar Augustus’ friend, Vedius Pollio – congo ells in tank for disobedient slaves. One tossed in for breaking a crystal cup.

5. A runaway slave expected, if apprehended, to be tortured and die a very painful death.

B. He “Wronged” His Master

1. Philemon 18 – Paul implies that Onesimus stole something of value from his master when he ran away… a common practice of runaway slaves.

2. Onesimus “wronged” Philemon when he left.

a. Wronged = to act unjustly, do wrong, hurt, do damage.

b. Perhaps he vandalized and damaged his property before he left… in one last expression of his hatred for his master… out of frustration.

c. It is more likely that he stole valuable property as he ran away… to be sold for money to pay for his long trip.

3. Paul also implies that he “owes” Philemon… money.

a. He may have stolen money from his master.

b. Or perhaps Paul meant that he stole his master’s time when he should have been working for him.

c. There were various KINDS of slaves. (Indentured servants; some were servants to pay off a debt; etc.)

d. It is possible that Onesimus owed someone a large sum of money and had sold himself into slavery in order to pay off the debt… but decided to RUN before his time was up.

4. The exact details are not filled in for us… but clearly he had wronged Philemon in some way… and was in debt to him.

C. He Escaped to Rome

1. Philemon ran away from his master in Colossae, in Asia Minor.

2. He ended up in Rome.

3. It is likely that he ended up in a Roman prison… where he met up the apostle Paul… who was also imprisoned in Rome at the time.

a. Paul was imprisoned for being a Christian and preaching Christ.

b. Onesimus was likely in prison for breaking the law… perhaps stealing money or food just to keep alive in the strange city.

c. We know he met Paul in prison. It is possible that Onesimus was working there… it is more likely that this runaway thief was arrested and imprisoned for larceny.

d. One way or another – this was the Lord’s doing. His path crossed that of the apostle Paul – missionary to the gentiles!

Whom He Became

A. A Brother

1. Philemon 10 –?“I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds.”

a. This expression indicates that Onesimus was led to saving faith in Christ through Paul.

b. He was “begotten” – a term meaning “born.” He was born again while in prison…

2. Somehow, someway, while in prison, the paths of Paul and Onesimus providentially crossed…

a. It is not hard to imagine how this runaway slave—a thief—ended up in prison in Rome. (Thieves often end up in jail!)

b. What a marvelous story of divine Providence in the circumstances!
• Of all the cities to run to, Onesimus ran to Rome… perhaps thinking he could disappear in this massive city of perhaps 4 million people.
• Of all the prisons in Rome, he ended up right in jail where the apostle Paul was.
• And Paul just happened to be a friend of Philemon, the master from whom he ran away back in Colossae!

c. At first Onesimus (probably quite superstitious—as were most men of his day) thought this was a bad omen!
• He may have been a little afraid of Paul at first. (You know my master? Did the gods arrange this meeting? Are you going to turn me in? Am I doomed?)
• Think of the timing, the logistics, statistical likelihood of this meeting occurring… but nothing is too hard for the Lord. He is Lord of ALL!
• God put His hand on Onesimus. God was drawing this man to Himself…
• Thus the Lord arranged things such that Onesimus came in contact with the gospel of God’s grace.
• That’s what God does in OUR lives as well…

B. A Faithful and Beloved Brother

1. Onesimus proved himself to be a faithful brother to Paul.

2. Evidently, after he was saved, Onesimus stayed in Rome a while and ministered to Paul’s needs… along with Tychicus.

3. But when Paul was ready to send Tychicus back to Ephesus and Colossae, he decided to send Onesimus too.

4. They both realized that as a slave, he needed to be returned to his legal master… to make restitution.

5. Paul led Onesimus to Christ and had seen real evidence of a changed life…

a. He trusted Onesimus. He was a FAITHFUL brother and proved himself to be faithful and reliable… honest.

b. This was quite a change for a thief! Now he was honest… and Paul entrusted him with this great mission.

C. A Servant of Paul

1. Paul sent this man on an extremely important mission along with Tychicus: to deliver three inspired New Testament epistles! (Col. 4:8-9)

a. Interestingly, one of the other letters Onesimus delivered for Paul contained the following words: Eph. 4:22-24; 28

b. Onesimus stole, but Paul trusted that he had put off that old man and was a new creature — one who stole no more!

c. He proved himself to be faithful… a reliable servant for God and Paul.

d. Some time must have elapsed between his conversion and when Paul sent him on this mission of delivering inspired epistles.

e. Paul also sent Onesimus with Tychicus to let the Colossians and others know how Paul was doing… and to deliver the epistles.

2. Onesimus was saved… and right away, he began serving the Lord.

a. His past did not hold him back from serving Christ.

b. He was no longer that old man he used to be… old things had passed away.

c. He had a new life now… and that new life was yielded to the Lord and used of God.

d. He had been a servant of men. Now He was a servant of God.

3. Notice Paul’s attitude toward this man.

a. Onesimus had been a lowly slave… an unprofitable slave…
• He wronged his master. He was a troublemaker.
• He was a thief…
• He was a fugitive from the law…
• And in Rome he was an illegal alien and quite likely a criminal there too.

b. BUT—he got saved! He was gloriously saved! That changed everything!
• He was no longer the kind of man he used to be.
• His sins were forgiven… nailed to the cross…
• He was now a son of God…
• But Paul did not hold his past life against him.
• That’s what he WAS… but no longer.
• NOW he is a believer… a Christian… a faithful and beloved brother in the Lord!

c. Col.4:9 – “who is one of YOU.” And how did Paul describe the “you”… the Colossians?
• Col. 1:2 – saints and faithful brethren in Christ
• 1:13 – delivered form the power of darkness…
• 1:14 – redeemed through the blood of Christ and forgiven!
• 1:21-22 – he had been an enemy and alienated by wicked works, but now is reconciled and will be presented before God holy and unblamable and unreprovable!
• Risen with Christ and seated in heavenly places!
• He is one of YOU! He now posses the exact same POSITION in Christ as YOU!
• Don’t you dare look down on him for his criminal past… a runaway slave… a thief… a convicted criminal. He is now one of YOU!

d. Now he was profitable to both Paul and Philemon.

e. Now he was a new creature in Christ. Old things had passed away. (II Cor. 5:17)

f. Consider the Corinthians (I Cor. 6:9-11)

g. God does not hold a person’s past life against him when he becomes a Christian… and neither should we!

h. Rom. 3:22-23 – From God’s perspective there is no difference in sinners.
• Whether you were a thief and drunk — or you were saved at the ripe old age of six in Sunday school… there is no difference between sinners from God’s perspective.
• ALL come infinitely short of His glory!
• ALL need to be saved… and nothing less than the blood of Christ will suffice to save anyone (Al Capone or Shirley Temple!)
• And God saves ALL who come to Him in faith.
• And God makes all who come NEW creatures in Christ!

4. A Servant of Philemon Once Again

a. Paul sent Onesimus back to Philemon to be his slave… (Col. 4:8-9 – whom I have sent…
• Philem.11 – Now Onesimus would be PROFITABLE to his master once again… as a working slave… and as a brother in Christ.
• After getting a taste of freedom in his journey to Rome, it would have been a hard pill to swallow to return to his life as a slave… but he did the right thing.
• He went back to willingly serve as a slave to Philemon.
• But going back to a life of slavery didn’t matter so much to him now. He was SAVED!
» He had an entirely different perspective on life now!
» He realized that in Christ he was FREE!
» I Cor. 7:22 – For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman.
» Onesimus was so thrilled about his new POSITION in Christ that his earthly CONDITION paled in contrast! (We should learn this lesson ourselves!)
» It didn’t matter so much if he was poor on earth, he was rich in Christ.
» It didn’t matter so much if he was a slave on earth; in Christ there was neither bond nor free.
» It didn’t matter so much if his earthly master mistreated him. He had a Master in heaven who loved him and died for him… and was interceding in heaven for him… and was coming again for him!
» None of those earthly things had the same impact on him any more. He was SAVED and thankful!
» The Christian today can also experience this joy. No miserable earthly condition can rob us of our JOY in the Lord… IF we dwell upon our glorious position in Christ! Saved! Saved! Saved!

b. Christ CHANGED this man!
• He never would have returned to his master apart from becoming a Christian.
• But when Onesimus got saved, his life CHANGED.
• That’s what OUGHT to happen when a person gets saved. They become a NEW creature.
• Old things OUGHT to pass away.
• Too often we see folks today who claim they have received Christ and their lives are no different than they were before. There is no evidence of life… no fruit of salvation…
• In the BIBLE, when people got saved, EVERYTHING changed!
• I love to see it when someone gets SAVED SAVED SAVED! And there is no question about it! That is tremendous!
• And years go by and they are STILL in love with the Lord! Still serving Him!

c. Consider Paul… when he got saved, his life turned around completely!
• I Tim. 1:12-16a – Paul’s conversion was a PATTERN of what salvation ought to be!
• Onesimus is another wonderful example of a transformed life—a new life in Christ.
• Has YOUR life changed since you came to Christ?
• Is it obvious and evident that you are a Christian?

d. Onesimus was sent back to his master according to the flesh.
• Now that he was saved, he realized what he had done to Philemon.
• He wronged him and stole from him.
• He returns now to make things right.
• God forgives our sins… but sometimes there are earthly consequences to our sins that need to be resolved according to the laws on earth.
• He stole and needed to make restitution.
• If a fugitive from the law gets saved, he needs to turn himself in… and this is what Onesimus did.
• He was owned by Philemon and as a Christian realized he had to return to his master and take whatever punishment was coming.
• When a person comes to Christ, he is forgiven all his sins.
• However, he may have to make things right with men… he may have some apologies to make… some debts to pay to men.

e. Slavery was ingrained in Roman society.
• The Bible does not directly deal with social issues, but with moral and spiritual truths.
• However, there is a hint in this story that Paul EXPECTED Philemon to not only receive Onesimus but to release him from slavery too!
• Philemon 16 – “receive him not now as a servant (slave) but above a servant, a brother beloved.”
• Philemon 21 – Paul had confidence that Philemon would obey the exhortation to receive him back… and Paul was confident he would do MORE than Paul exhorted!” (release from slavery?)

5. AN ILLUSTRATION OF SALVATION.

Three Characters:

a. Onesimus: a sinner (us)

b. Philemon: a master in a faraway land (Father)

c. Paul: an advocate for the guilty (Christ)

1. Onesimus the sinner:

a. He was a thief… a lawbreaker… a runaway from his master.
• We too are sinners… lawbreakers… wronged his master… a lost sheep…
• He stole from his master and owed a debt he could not repay.
• All have sinned…
• We too are lawbreakers… aliens from God

b. Onesimus had a debt he could never pay.
• Philemon 17-18 – “IF” – first class condition – assumed true

c. Onesimus awaited death if captured. His master had that right legally.
• We too stand condemned before our Master in heaven.
• We too will perish on our own.
• If you are not saved, the wrath of God abides upon you now… and eternal condemnation… (John 3:36)

2. Providence:

a. God’s sovereign providence saw to it that during his wanderings, Onesimus came in contact with the gospel of grace.

b. God arranged all the circumstances to bring this about.

c. God drew Onesimus to the message and Onesimus believed and was saved!

d. It is no accident that you are here today hearing God’s Word. Providence has arranged it all!

3. He repents and returns to his master.

a. Upon believing he was sent back to his master.

b. He went WILLINGLY! (Paul could not FORCE him…)

4. He has an advocate before his master.

a. Paul urges Philemon to receive Onesimus (Philemon 12)

b. Paul pleads his case before Philemon in the letter.

c. Paul is on the side of Onesimus (of God be for us…)

d. Christ is our advocate in heaven. He intercedes on our behalf. (Heb. 7:25)

e. I John 2:1-2 – Christ is our advocate with respect to our sins.

5. Imputation:

a. Paul agreed to pay the debt of Onesimus (Philemon 17-18)

b. Onesimus thus stood debt FREE!

c. On that basis, Philemon could receive him back.

d. He was to be received AS Paul. (Philemon 12, 17)
• Paul was a close friend of Philemon.
• To receive Onesimus back as Paul was quite a statement!
• We are received by God AS Christ Himself!
• Eph. 1:6 – we are accepted IN the Beloved!
• Because we are robed in HIS righteousness. (Rom. 3:22)
• Isa. 53:6 – our sins were laid on Him. (imputed)
• He became sin for us! (II Cor. 5:21)
• His righteousness is put on our account! (Rom. 3:22)
• This is truly amazing grace!

6. Martin Luther said, “All of us are Onesimuses!”

a. What he meant by that was that Onesimus is a perfect illustration of every sinner who gets saved.

b. He was a slave who became a brother in Christ. He was a slave who was set free in Christ.

c. That’s what the gospel does to men today too… “And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”

d. Isn’t it great to be saved? Set free? Knowing that your sins are forgiven? Knowing that there is a place reserved in heaven for you? You CAN know all this if you trust in Christ as Onesimus did… and countless other Onesimuses have done over the centuries!

e. Martin Luther was right. “All of us (who are born again) are Onesimuses!”
• This pictures the fact that the Father receives us AS He receives His own Son… because we are IN Christ and robed in His righteousness! The Father sees us sinners AS He sees His own Beloved Son! We are “accepted IN the Beloved!” What grace!
• What Paul did for Onesimus, Christ has done for us!
• Yes, as Christians, we are all Onesimuses!
• When a man, woman, or child puts their faith in Christ today, God takes all of our sins… the debt of sin we could never pay on our own… and puts it ALL on Christ’s account. He became SIN for us. All our sins were laid on Him… and He paid the debt of sin in full.

GOSPEL:

· The work has already been DONE. There is nothing left for us to do… but to BELIEVE it… receive it by faith.
· You and I are like that runaway slave… law breakers… guilty… and worthy of death.
· We have a debt of sin we owe to God that we could never repay… if we lived 100 lives.
· Jesus Christ offers to be YOUR advocate…
· He paid the penalty of YOUR sins in full…
· All we like sheep have gone astray—and the Lord hath laid on HIM the iniquity of us all.
· And like Onesimus, in the midst of our wandering, God in His grace and providence brings us into contact with the glorious gospel of God’s grace… that we might be SAVED!
· But unless we REPENT… change our mind… turn to God in genuine, humble, childlike faith… we will perish.
· But IF we come to God in faith, He will receive us… AS He receives his own Son, Jesus Christ!
· Christ has agreed to pay the penalty of our sins… and set us FREE from bondage to sin…
· He offers us as a GIFT of grace eternal life…
· And all this can be YOURS… by faith.
· Come unto Me all ye that labor and I will give you REST.
· All that come to Me I will in no wise cast out.
· God doesn’t see any difference in sinners… ALL are infinitely short of His glory…
· But that gap has been bridged by Jesus Christ…
· God has done everything He could to provide salvation for YOU and for me.
· Now it is up to us… to RESPOND in faith… to come to Christ by receiving Him through faith.
· Won’t you come to Him today and be saved?
· To reject God’s offer of grace is to be condemned to eternity in the lake of fire.