Season two of Love in Context podcast welcomes you. Get ready for engaging unscripted conversations
with your hosts, Ben and Spencer. Our mission remains unchanged to explore the Bible through
the powerful lens of love. In this new season, we'll embark on a journey together, unearthing
fresh insights and gaining deeper understanding of how we can love God and live out our faith
in practical ways. So let's dive into this season of Love in Context, where love in the
context of the Bible intersect to transform our lives.
We welcome everyone on that note. And I'm not redoing that you have to leave that in.
Yeah, that's fair. That's fair. Today we're in our little book, big message, little book,
big message. And we're going to be talking about file. You know, file Eman or as he likes
to call, call the book Flea Man. Flea Man. Yes. Every time we've been trying to text
back and forth, Siri keeps calling a flea man. So a little, little historical context
on this book. It's a letter Paul is writing when he's in jail. And it's written to a guy
by the name of Fleeman. He's actually in Colossae. And so when Paul had gone through here originally
and they set up the church, Fleeman had responded to the gospel and he was a wealthy person
in this area, opened up his house. He had a church in his house. Like most of the wealthy
aristocrats in that area. Yeah. He also had slaves. Yes. Because you're, you're dealing
with a Roman culture. We were actually going to talk about that a little bit today, but
not quite yet. And the story of this book is that Fleeman has this one slave that works
for him and his name is, depending on how you decide, I'm going to say, uh, uh, uh,
Osimius. Yeah. What do you think? Sure. We'll go with it. Yeah. Um, I've always, I've always
heard on this, like on this mess or something like that. I don't, I don't really fully know.
So he has, he has a every time I read it, I always say ominous, which I know that's
not right. So he has a sleeve name, uh, on this mess and on this mess, we're not really
clear on what happened, but at some point he did something. Uh, maybe he stole from
finally men. Maybe he, uh, like broke the rules of Fleeman, but he does, he actually
fled and he ran away from, uh, colossi and he actually ended up coming and finding Paul
while he was in prison. And through that whole circumstance actually became a follower of
the way and became entrusted by Paul and the people who are working with Paul. And so then
Paul is actually going to write this letter back to finally men on his behalf, uh, to
talk about this. And it's a very small book, but it's actually got a really, really powerful
message about what it means to actually be the church and to administer justice and to
put an equal playing field for everybody in the, yeah. Yeah. So with that, why don't we
just, uh, we'll just jump in. It's, it's, uh, it is literally 25 verses. So that's one
of the things about little book, big messages that none of these books are big. Yeah. Yeah.
This is a letter from Paul, a prisoner for preaching the good news about Jesus Christ
and from our brother, Timothy, I'm writing to Philemon, our beloved coworker and, and
our sister, Afania, Afania, Afana killing it with these names and our fellow soldier.
Oh, Arca pus Arca Arca pus actually is what it looks like. And I'm just not going to lie
to you. If you are, uh, if you're listening to this podcast and you are pregnant with
a child and you've been trying to figure out a name, I'm just going to propose archipelago.
I'm just saying like one of the pastors that like mentored me when I was in church ministry
and he said, if he can't pronounce the name, just go wrong and strong and it works every
time. And sure enough, he would do it all the time. And I was like, oh yeah, nobody
knew. So, uh, I know one, one of our, one of our, uh, good regular, uh, invitees and
also regular listener, uh, pastor Nick, you're preaching with him on a backache and, uh,
he said that name, I think three, 13 different ways during his Sunday sermon. And I could
be like, have backache. If he was like, have a backpack, like, yeah, no bro. All right.
And to the church and to the church that meets in your house, may God, our father and the
Lord Jesus Christ give, give you grace and peace.
Excellent. So I was, I always loved like just right off the bat, Paul, he's like, Paul,
a prisoner of Christ Jesus. Like he's like, I am, I am literally in chains right now in
service of God. He's going to lay it on thick early on in this letter. Yeah. Well, it does
a couple of different things in this clears up a couple of misconceptions about this letter.
It's not just Paul. This letter is also from Timothy, correct? From Paul and Timothy. And
it's not written to just find Lehman. It's also written to, uh, it says our sister and
our fellow soldiers. So there's three people listed that is listened to by, by, by Lehman
and the two other people. What are the names again? You go for it. And also to the church
that meets in his house. Right. So let's go on in verse four. It says, I always thank
God when I mentioned you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and your faith toward
the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, all the saints, I pray that your participation
in the faith may become effective through knowing every good thing that is in us for
the glory of Christ, for I have great joy and encouragement from your love because the
hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother. So Paul is, uh, he's, uh, he's
I mean, I don't think he's stating anything that's not true because everything from every
indication a family man is actually a pretty legit nice guy. Um, he has a church meeting
in his house. He's, um, upstanding member of his community. And, uh, and once again,
we're going to talk about slavery in a minute, but, uh, slavery in Rome is not the same as
slavery when we talk trans transatlantic slave trade that had took place in America. Well,
the same thing at all. And you'll see us throughout this letter to Paul's tone is a little different
than in other letters. Yeah. Like his tone is as if he's talking to someone he loves
and respects dearly. Correct. Right. Where like, I'm not saying that he doesn't talk
that way in his letters to other people, but like you contrast that with like, say Galatians
were like pretty quick off the bat. Paul's like, you idiots. Yeah. You foolish Galatians.
Right. Why did you do this? You contrast that with that or you contrast that with first
Corinthians where he's like, okay, maybe don't let him sleep with his stepmom. Right. Right.
Like maybe draw a line there. You know, you contrast that with some of the other things
he's addressing. This letter actually starts off with Paul being like, I am so thankful
for you. I'm so grateful for you. And I appreciate all the good things you do. Yeah. Right. And
in the next verse, he actually, he, because of this relationship, he actually speaks in
this, he says, for this reason, because I know you are a person who is an integrity,
I love you. I've worked with you, all these different things for this reason. Although
I, uh, although I have great boldness in Christ to command you to do for this reason, sorry,
I'm reading this verse eight. Yeah. I'll, although I have great boldness to command
you to do what is right. So even though I have the right to tell you what to do, I appeal
instead on the basis of love. I love that statement. I have every right to tell you
what to do, but I'm actually going to talk to you on a basis of love. Again, it comes
back to he's writing to someone he respects dearly. Right. I, Paul, as an elderly man
and now as a prisoner of Christ Jesus, appeal to you, uh, for my child, whom I fathered
while in chains, on, on, on isomus, but we're just going to pronounce it a lot of different
ways. Just deal with it. Once he was useless to you, but now he is useful to both you and
me. I am sending him a part of myself back to you. Now, one of the things that's interesting
about the name on isomus is that it actually means useful or helpful. And he's like, once
he was useless, but now he is useful. Like there's a little play on words with his actual
name there. Um, I love this, uh, you know, that, uh, he actually calls on a Smith's actually
like his child, like he is literally his child and he's like, and I'm sending him to you
a part of me. Yeah. A part of me. Some bold words and Paul. Yeah. Well, and it speaks
to the church though, too. Like when we send someone out to who we have discipled, who we've
mentored, who, who we've had the privilege of pouring into and we send them elsewhere,
like we are sending a part of who we are. That comes back to this whole idea. Like we
were talking about commissioning, laying on hands that in the litical system, you lay
on hands on the sacrifice to, and you cast your identity onto the sacrifice so that the
blood is drawn near. Yeah. And when we send people out, we commission them, we place our
identity, we place our, our, um, our trust, our, our hope, the things behind them. Right.
And uh, and like, this is just Paul continuing this pattern that we've seen throughout the
Bible is that he's not just sending him with like, Oh, you know, some snacks for the people
that they might like him. He's like, no, no, you're actually going with my actual intention.
Now, interestingly enough, if you actually read the letter to the Colossians, he actually
sends on this CS to the Colossians to explain his letter to them. So, uh, he actually treats
him like an apostle. Yeah. He treats him like somebody who has the authority to interpret
what Paul said, which is a big deal. Yeah. And you see this idea of Paul's respect for
Philemon continue in verse 13, where it says, I wanted to keep him here with me while, uh,
while I am here in chains for preaching the good news. And he would have been, and he
would have helped me on your behalf, but I didn't want to do anything without your consent.
I wanted you to help because you are willing, not because you were forced. Yeah. Right.
Like you have this where Paul's where Paul say, like, I understand there is a situation
between you and him. We're both followers of Jesus now. And so I don't want to do something
behind your back. Right. Right. Like, I don't want you to do this and have you look back
on me and be like, Hey, come on, man. Like it comes, it comes back to this idea of like
we as brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to be talking to each other and have respect
to love and dignity for one another. So that when we do move in a direction that we're
not doing in a way that's harming each other. Yeah. And it's interesting. He actually says,
I want you to be able to do this of your own free will. Yeah. Uh, you know who doesn't
get to operate in their own free will very often slaves slaves. Yeah. And, uh, kind of
taking this point is like, I'm not going to make a slave of you. Yeah. I'm going to ask
you out of your compassion and love to actually do this of your own free will. Yeah. And moving
on in verse 15, it says, it seems you lost in this mist for a little while so that you
could have him back forever. Like that verse right there, like it's an echo to me, it's
the, it's an echo of the gospel, right? Yeah. Where it's lost for a little while. So that
when you returned, you are there forever. Like there, um, and anybody who's following
Jesus would see that. Right. Especially, especially when you, you tie it with 19 where he says,
mm hmm. No longer as a slave. Yep. But more than a slave. Yeah. As a dearly loved brother.
Yeah. He is no, yeah. He is no longer slave to you. He is more than a slave for his beloved
brother, especially to me. Now he will mean much more to you, both as a man and a brother
in the Lord. So if you consider me as your partner, welcome him, welcome him as you welcomed
me. Uh, if he has wronged you in any ways, uh, or owes you anything and he gets a verse
19. And I love this cause it's like all caps and it's I, Paul, write this in my own hand.
I will repay it. Which that right there, like the gospel is the gospel. Yeah. It's also
a little comical cause he's in prison. Yeah. Right. Right. There's, there's that, that
too is like, I will repay it. And I won't mention that you owe me your very soul. Hmm.
There is, there is this, um, there's some connection with the teaching of Jesus on the
parable of the unmerciful servant. Yeah. Right. Where this guy racks up a bill that's astronomical.
Yeah. And he, and the master calls in the debts and he owns like a sum that is like
some ridiculous sum and be like us wrecking up a bill, like $450 million. Mm hmm. Like
it's a lot of money. I'm not sure how you do that. Except the master forgets the debt.
He closes the book, but then the servant goes and finds somebody owes him like 10 bucks
and he's like, Hey, you gotta pay me everything you own. And he's like, Oh man, I'm so sorry.
And he's like, Nope, you're going to prison until you pay me everything you owe me. Right.
And then the, the, the parable actually closes with this idea that God says, uh, the master
says you're going to go into a prison and you're going to stay there until you're willing
to give that what you've received. Like there's this, in this invitation that there is this
lock to a door that you have the key to. You have to pour out mercy in order for your mercy
to be received. And, uh, and I think we've talked about the before on the podcast, but
then you have this same idea where Paul is coming in there. He says, I am, uh, um, sorry,
I gotta find it again. If he's wronged you in any way, or he owes you anything, charge
it to my account. I Paul write this with my own hand. I'll repay it. Not to mention that
you owe me even your own self. I'm going to pay it even though you owe me everything because
that's what love does. It is extravagant in its sacrifice. Yeah.
We get into verse 20 and there's verse 20 through 22. There's some really, really powerful
things happening here. Yes, my brother, please do me this favor for the Lord's sake. Give
me this encouragement in Christ. So pause, pause right there for a second. Do me this
favor. Give me this encouragement. Like the encouragement we get for helping restore people
onto one another is huge because we get to see the work of God at display. Right. It's
not just, it's not just the returning to the Lord, which is the big part, but it's also
we get to be encouraged by that. Yeah. Right. Right. I've heard some, I've heard some people
speculate that Paul in this time was actually going through a moment of discouragement in
his life, which I was like, that's a pretty far speculation, but I can see where they
get the tie in of like he needs needs that encouragement too. Right. Like the apostle
Paul needs to see that encouragement happen. And then he goes on says, I can't, I am confident
as I write this letter to you that you will do what I ask even more. You'll do what I
ask even more. Right. Well, and there's this, and it's cause like he's asking, actually
let's, let's finish out the letter here real quick. Meanwhile, also prepare a guest room
for me even though I'm in jail for, I hope that through your prayers, I will be restored
to you. So do even more also pray for me because I'm tired of being in jail. Right. Epiphras,
my fellow prisoner in crisis is greets you. And so do Mark Aristocas and Deimos and Luke,
my coworkers, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. By the way, Epiphras
is also the guy who originally was one of the early church people in Colossus. Colossi.
Colossus is a X-Men. Colossi is an area. So he has this, he has this conversation and
he says, he's like, Philemon, here's the deal. I understand you were wronged in the past,
but he's also your brother. Yeah. And you need to have your love supersede what you think
is right. Yes. Right. It has to supersede what you think is justice. And so if you have
the injustice to you, like you, I actually want you to treat him like a brother. So I
want you to bring him home, but not as your slave. I want you to bring him home as your
brother. Yeah. You guys are now co-laborers in the kingdom. Yeah. All right. So the big,
we're going to kind of just toss a stone across it because I think that we actually, it would
be better for us to devote a full episode to it. But the slavery of the Roman culture
and the Israelite culture is not the same as slavery of what we dealt with America over
the last 500 years. And I'm just using the area, right? Not obviously the country because
of the number of years. Yeah. Because we've talked about this in the past in Torah is
that if you were struggling in economic times, you could sell yourself into slavery, but
for the purpose of coming out of economic difficulty or somebody had a lot of resources,
they could take care of you. A lot of times it was voluntary or it was like somebody came
in and they conquered and they, and they had a forced servitude, but Israel itself had
rules that said every seven years you have to free them. And then every 50 years, everybody
has to go free. That's the year of Jubilee. Now there's no indication that the Israelites
were really good at following that, but they did have the rules. Yeah. Additionally, when
you're talking about pursuing justice in Deuteronomy, if you actually look in the rules, it says
that if you actually have a slave that escapes from another country and they come to your
country, you need to let them live as free people there. Don't return them. Yeah. So
God has always been about the abolition of subrogation of people. And I want to just
go ahead and knock that right out of the park because I think that we tend to read this
through our own experience as a nation and not actually as God redeeming all people and
freeing all people. Yeah. Right. In fact, it is, we quoted from Galatians earlier, God
actually Paul says in Christ, there is not neither June or Greek, male nor female freed
or slave. Yeah. But we're all one, which is the point that he's actually getting back
to Flaman is, is that he's no longer your servant. He's your brother. Yeah. Absolutely.
And how do we treat our brothers? Exactly. We welcome them. Yeah. And it's, it's a, it
is a, if you take out the, the quote unquote, if you call it a hot button issue, I don't
think it's really that hot button when you actually interpret flamen correctly. But if
you take out that and you just have this idea of if you are wronged as a Christian by somebody
and then they recognize the other ways they're, they're met by God, they, whatever it is,
they're not going to be able to forgive you. So what is your response to that? Is your
response going to be to love them or to welcome them back into the family to, to as the father
does when he sees the son a long way off, he runs out to them. Yeah. Right. To put the
gospel on display. Yeah. There's actually like some really interesting ideas. If you
want to, if you are a person who really focuses on penal substitutionary atonement, those
where one person steps in on behalf of another, Paul does this for a, a, an isomis. He steps,
he says, if you have a debt, I'll step in and I'll pay it. Don't hold it against him.
You can hold it against me, but FYI, you owe me everything. Yeah. So yeah, it's a cool
book. It is. And like the biggest takeaway that I have from this book is just treat your
brothers well, like treat your brothers and sisters in Christ. Well, like you're not going
to agree with every single one of them on every topic. Yeah. Right. We've, we've disagreed
plenty. We actually had one episode where someone was like, I really liked it when you
have been arguing and on the podcast. And I was like, and we were like, we were arguing
clearly, clearly they've never actually heard us argue. I was like, I'm pretty sure we like
disagreed, but, but if I couldn't get along with people I disagree with, man, I wouldn't
get along with anybody. And so like there's going to be brothers and sisters you disagree
with. And the reality is, is we still have to welcome them in. Right. I think there's
also this invitation. Like I think sometimes like, okay, well, Philemon is like, he opens
up his church, his house for the church. He is wealthy. He's got all the, you know, these
different things, but you don't have special basis with God based on your wealth or your
achievement or any of these things. Yeah. And I think sometimes we struggle with that
because we're like, uh, I was, remember we were talking with pastor Nick once and he's
like, you know, people think, Oh, my friend is sick. And so I got to get the pastor to
go pray with him because their prayers are better. Well, no, God wants to work through
you to do things like your pastor is meant to equip you. Like that's his job. Yeah. And
uh, I was like, but the invitation is actually for us to all be involved in your pastor is
not, um, more sanctified than you. Yeah. He's just called you something different. And so
we work together. We're all in the same playing field when it comes to pursuing God and we
all do it together for each other, with each other, bearing with each other. Yeah. And
as much as we can not keeping a record of wrongs. That's what we got for you guys. Yeah.
Short book. Great book. Uh, next week, I think we're going to be getting into second John.
Yeah. So much fun till next time.
And that's a wrap for today's episode of love and context. We hope you enjoyed this engaging
conversation and gain valuable insights into the powerful message of love within the Bible.
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