As we, the local church, are experiencing the challenges of isolation from one another, and from our formal gatherings, it is worth taking a closer look at the letters of Paul to the churches. The longing of Paul to be reunited with his brothers and sisters in Christ is a common theme throughout his epistles. Whether he is separated from the body of Christ by distance, or by chains, his desire for both continued and renewed fellowship continues to be displayed and our desires likewise should reflect these same longings.
Philemon 1-7
Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our beloved fellow worker and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.
Paul writes this letter, once again, as a prisoner, bound to and for Christ. Paul does not linger on his own current situation, as a literal prisoner in Rome, but instead turns the attention to his bondage for Christ. While he does share that he hopes for release, he does not dwell on his captivity, counting it as sorrow, but instead continually speaks of the joy he has in his circumstance because of God’s grace that is shown to him. He greets the recipients of this letter with a longing that they too would be partakers in this same grace and peace that is only found in the Father, through the Lord Jesus.
He writes to Philemon and his fellow believers Apphia and Archippus, as well as to the believers of the church that meet with them. The message that he has for them is chiefly regarding Onesimus, a slave of Philemon’s who had run from him in Colossae, likely having stolen from him, and of Paul’s desire to see Philemon receive him back as a new found brother in Christ. We don’t know the details of how Onesimus came across Paul in Rome, it is possible that he too was imprisoned for a time alongside Paul and in so doing heard the gospel and was transformed. Regardless of the details, we do know Onesimus too became a servant of Christ, and a boon to Paul while he was imprisoned. Yet Paul’s desire was to see him return to Philemon, both that Onesimus could repent for his wrongdoing, and that Philemon could receive him back, and rejoice, in a new brother in Christ.
Paul, as in many of his letters, shares of the joy he has in hearing of the growing faith of the fellow believers that are far off. His reaction to these reports is not to shower Philemon and his companions with praise, though he does indeed encourage them. He shares details of what he has heard, of their love and faith that they have towards Christ, and the love for all the saints. But he doesn’t claim that these acts are of their own good will, instead, he gives thanks to God because of them. Rightly ascribing to God the glory for the change he is working in them.
Verse 6 is one that is interpreted a number of different ways by different commentators, but in context what seems to be the most consistent with Paul’s message in this letter would be to render the Greek word “koinonia” here as “fellowship of your faith”, though some translations do use “sharing of your faith”. This distinction is important, in this letter, Paul is pressing for reconciliation and so here he shares his prayer that through their common fellowship in the faith that their faith would continue to grow, increasing their knowledge of every good thing that is in them, and us, once again - for Christ’s sake - not their own.
Finally, he shares of the comfort and joy, he himself has received from Philemon’s love. Paul has this joy because he has seen the saints refreshed by Philemon’s love. This love that Philemon has, is a joy to Paul because it is a sure sign of his genuine faith. As John says in 1 John 4:20 “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.”
Paul’s message to Philemon should ring so true to us today in our current circumstance. He does not languish in sorrow in his captivity, rather he rejoices in the opportunity to fulfill his service to Christ in the situation God has graciously given him. He is not bitter that he is restrained, but instead rejoices to see God’s glory proclaimed through the lives of his fellow believers, and this rejoicing has its full effect in leading him to worship and give thanks to God. He encourages them to not be satisfied with the joy they now have, but instead that their fellowship with one another, and even those removed physically, would instead take them further up and further in towards experiencing fullness of joy in Christ. He also encourages them, sharing of the comfort he has taken in hearing of the outworking of their faith, in loving service to one another. Let us, likewise, encourage, exhort, pray and give thanks for God’s faithful and continuing work in our fellow believers. Let us eagerly desire to be active participants in bestowing God’s grace and peace to one another.