8Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper, 9yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus …
With Paul’s stated confidence in Philemon, he begins his appeal on behalf of the runaway slave. The apostle’s approach in dealing with people varied according to the circumstances. He would only pull the “apostle” card and speak authoritatively when there was serious doctrinal error. His usual approach can be seen in his explanation to the Thessalonians:
For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness—nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority. (1 Thess. 2:5–6)
However, he was not abdicating his authority as an apostle. So to make sure Philemon understands this, he makes it clear he could “order” him, and in fact he has a right to do so “in Christ,” but chooses rather to “appeal” on the basis of Philemon’s Christlike character and the relationship they share. Paul is confident there is a better way to encourage Philemon to do the right thing, keeping in line with the “fellowship of faith” that he now shares with Onesimus.
Lest anyone think Philemon should have already figured this out, keep in mind this is probably the first time he has had to think through the implications of his Christian faith when it comes to slavery. This letter shows us how the first Christians came to see the wide-ranging, social-economic implications of the faith and how it related to the community of believers.
As all English translations render the statement, Paul writes as one who is “aged.” This doesn’t necessarily mean elderly and feeble, though he may have prematurely aged because of the hardships he endured. He was probably in the range of early fifties to early sixties in age. In the ancient world, age carried a certain respect and along with the reminder that he was imprisoned would add weight to Paul’s appeal, as one who suffered for the gospel.
But his greater leverage in appealing to Philemon is “for love’s sake.” We are reminded of Jesus’s appeal to His disciples: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). By far, the greatest motivator for behavior modification is love.
Lord, because You loved me, I want to love others in the same way.
0 Comments