Philemon is a book that tragically often escapes our close examination. What do we find when we study this beautiful letter between the apostle Paul and his beloved friend Philemon?
Obedience through Love Trumps Compulsion by Command
One key theme that is repeated three times in Paul’s letter to Philemon is the idea that obedience by compulsion and command is inferior to obedience by choice due to love. “Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you- “(v.8-9). Paul had the authority to have simply commanded Philemon to receive Onesimus back, but rather than that Paul invokes love here. This can fall strangely on ears accustomed to hearing only “here’s the command, now obey it or else.”
This is not to say that one shouldn’t obey commands given by authority, whether it be parental, governmental, or divine in nature. The scriptures clearly and repeatedly indicate that obedience to God’s commands is an absolute necessity (Cf. Deut. 26.16-17; John 3.36), and this would also include those to whom God’s authority has been given, such as elders (Hebrews 13.17), parents (Colossians 3.20) and the government (Romans 13.1-7).
However, merely complying to commands is not the form of obedience that God’s people have been called to. Paul alludes to that here in Philemon v.8-9, and again in v.14: “but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord.” Again Paul expresses an aversion to forcing Philemon to receive Onesimus! This can cause us to scratch our heads in confusion, until we see what has been there on the page the entire time: LOVE.
Remember: the greatest commandment in the Old Law was not “You shall OBEY the LORD your God with all your heart….”, but rather “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deuteronomy 6.5)!!!
Does this imply that we can love God without following His commandments? Of course not. What it does imply is that if our obedience to God’s commands is not done out of love for Him and His people, then they are displeasing to Him in every way! Consider Jesus’ message to the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2.1-7. There Jesus does not fault the Ephesians in their works, nor their “toil and patient endurance”, or their testing and rejection of false apostles.
However, Jesus calls them to repent for what can be a confusing reason: They have “abandoned the love” they had at first! If this church would not return to their “first love” their lampstand would be removed!!!
When we LOVE God, our obedience to Him goes far and above where obedience by compulsion alone will go. In Philemon, note just how many times Paul references the love between himself and Philemon before getting to the reason for the letter!!! “To Philemon our beloved fellow worker (v.1) …because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints (v.5) …I have derived much joy and comfort from your love (v.7) …yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you (v.9)”.
Furthermore, note how Paul describes what he feels certain Philemon will do once Onesimus arrives back to him: “Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.” (v.21). This begs an important question: How could Paul be confident that Philemon would do “even more” that he asked him to do? If Philemon was simply to be concerned as to whether or not he sufficiently “checked the box” of having received Onesimus back, why would Paul be confident Philemon would go above and beyond? Simple: Philemon would not be obeying out of compulsion, but out of love.
This book begs us to question our own motives, does it not?
Do we serve God from compulsion, or from love?
Do you suppose He knows the difference?
There are more important lessons like this one included in the tiny book of Philemon. In the time you took to read this very article, you could have read through Philemon nearly three times (in the ESV, Philemon is only 460 words)!
What golden nuggets of scriptural truth are you leaving unmined in smaller books such as these??? Find your Bible, get out your pencils and notebooks, and start digging!
Kyle Sanders
Kyle has been preaching since 2016 in Chiefland, Florida and Clinton, Mississippi before coming to work with the Jamestown church of Christ in 2021. Before preaching, he spent several years as a high school mathematics teacher in Indiana, Kentucky, and Florida. Kyle is a teacher at heart and brings his love of studying and interacting with students into his preaching and teaching efforts. He and his wife, a native Hoosier, have been blessed with five children, two dogs, a full house and zero leftovers.