A SPOONFUL OF SUGAR

A SPOONFUL OF SUGAR
My Dear Precious Child,
    As Paul was getting older under arrest and in prison, he was intent upon writing letters of instruction and correction to the churches that he had started which met in the houses of the believers.  Paul was intent upon getting the believers ready for what he called the coming of Christ and so he wanted peace between them to be evident.  He wrote a letter to Philemon, to Philemon's sister, to a fellow soldier in Christ and to the other believers in the church which met at the house of Philemon. (Philemon 1-3)
    As was Paul's habit, he started with compliments for the recipients of his letters.  His habit was beneficial to him because following the gracious compliments were always either strict instructions or requests for corrections in behavior.  The compliments made the corrections more able to be received and digested by the believers.  In his letter to Philemon, Paul began by telling him that he always prayed for Philemon and thanked Me for his loyalty.  Then he complimented Philemon by saying that he had heard of the love and faith he had for My Son Jesus Christ and for all of the saints.  Then Paul wrote that he hoped that the faith in Philemon would give to the believers a sense of fellowship that would show to them all the good things that all believers were able to do for Christ Jesus.  Then he complimented Philemon again on his love and how Paul was told about Philemon's putting new hearts into the saints as a revival. (Philemon 4-7)
    After softening the coming blow with compliments, Paul later stated the reason for his letter.  But, being led to offer another compliment, Paul told Philemon that he had no qualms in giving instructions and corrections to him about his duty to people, and he wrote that he felt led to tell Philemon that he was delighted and comforted to know about the love Philemon had for the saints, plus he reminded Philemon that he, Paul, was still a prisoner because of Christ Jesus.  He reminded Philemon that he, Paul, had become a father to him.  Paul commented about his being an old man and that he was still in chains.  Then he got to the real reason for the letter.  He wrote that he was appealing to Philemon for a spiritual child of his whose spiritual father Paul became when he was in prison.  He commented that Philemon knew the man for whom Paul was making the appeal, whose name was Onesimus, the man had known Philemon also previously.  He let Philemon know that the man was formerly of no use to Philemon as a slave in the past but that he would be useful at the present time.  He encouraged Philemon that he was sending Onesimus back to Philemon and that he would surely be of good use to him now.  Paul wrote that he was also sending a part of himself along with the man Onesimus, appealing to Philemon's loyalty to Paul. (Philemon 8-13). 
    In this letter there is a different topic than the usual corrections in the other letters to the churches.  Paul asked Philemon to be accepting of his appeal to welcome Onesimus because of the many times that Philemon had walked and talked with Paul as if with a brother.  Paul said that the younger man he was sending to Paul, the former slave, would be a real asset to him just like he had been to Paul while he was in chains for the Good News he preached.  Paul realized that Onesimus had been acquainted with Philemon in the past, probably as a slave and there might have been some strife in the relationship.  So in this letter there is a different attitude in the topic.  It was an appeal to accept a person who was an acquaintance in the past, known to have been a slave, and maybe there had been a problem between the two of them.
     The attitude in the writing of the letter was that Paul did not want to do anything without the consent of Philemon because it would be a forced kindness from Paul if he did.  He said that he preferred that Philemon's kindness to Oneimus would be spontaneous.  (Philemon 14-15)
    Even though Onesimus had been a slave and knew Philemon in the past, Paul wanted to impress upon Philemon that Onesimus would no longer be a slave to anyone but instead he would be a dear blood-brother in the Lord who was especially dear also to Paul presently and in the past.  Paul asked Philemon to welcome Onesimus into the flock just like they always welcomed Paul.  Paul said that if Onesimus had done anything wrong to Philemon or owed him anything, that Paul would pay him back.  He reminded Philemon that he was writing his letter in his own handwriting, not in conjunction with a scribe who would write for him.  Paul said that Philemon must remember that Paul had been gracious to Philemon and that he, in fact, owed Paul to be kind to Onesimus.  (Philemon 16-19)
    Paul was open about his expectations of Philemon, writing that he was sure that Philemon would be hospitable to Onesimus.  Paul said that he needed a new heart, also, so he was counting on Philemon's kindness to Onesimus to enhance Paul's heart with joy and love.  In fact, Paul wrote to Philemon that not only did he have complete confidence in Philemon, but he knew that he would do even more than was asked of him.(Philemon 20-21)
    Even though Paul was under arrest and in prison, he also asked Philemon to get a place ready for him to stay when he was released.   He wrote that he was hoping to be released soon.  (Philemon 22
   Paul was a gracious man, always building up the confidence of the believers in the churches that he had started.  Paul had a talent for edifying the egos of people as a reflection of My love.  He had written to the believers in the church at Ephesus that they must not allow any corrupt communication to proceed from their mouths but instead to only speak words that build up and edify the hearers, and in doing such they would be extending My grace to others.  Paul had experienced My personal and direct communication with him and he had been the recipient of My loving and edifying words to him.   He knew that it pleased Me for My children to refuse to speak bitter words because they grieve My Holy Spirit just like corrupt communication does.  (Ephesians 4:29-30)
    His letter to Philemon was a letter of recommendation about a former slave, asking that the man be regarded as a brother in Christ.  Paul's praise and character reference of Onesimus surely gained for him, the former slave, the respect and love due a brother in Christ.  Paul knew that loving communication always extends My grace to the hearer of your words.
    Your Father of Forgiveness and Mercy