SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/16/2017
9:48 PM
My Worship Time Focus:
The Possibility of Being a Blessing
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Philemon 20
Message of the
verses: “20 Yes, brother, let me
benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.”
MacArthur writes that “Me’ and ‘my’ are emphatic in the
Greek text. Philemon has been a blessing
to many people (cf. v. 7). Paul now asks
to receive that blessing. ‘Benefit’ is
from oninemi, the verb from which the
name Onesimus derives. Paul is probably
making another word play on his name (cf. v. 11). By forgiving Onesimus, Philemon would ‘benefit’
Paul ‘in the Lord’ by bringing him joy because of his example of obedience and
love to the church.” Remember what we
have written in previous SD’s from this letter when we wrote “you are never any
more like God than when you forgive.”
Let us look at another example of joy from Paul’s letter to the
Philippians 2:2 “make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining
the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.” Paul wanted Philemon to forgive Onesimus so
that he would maintain the unity in the Colossian Church. As you think about that statement if Philemon
chose not to forgive Onesimus then this would be sinful and therefore could harm
the fellowship in the Colossian church, especially since Philemon was a leader
in that church and it met in his house.
Paul tells Philemon that if he did this that it would “refresh” his “heart
in Christ.” Another thing I want to
mention is that Paul is writing this in his own hand writing which should make
it even more special for Philemon. We
can see that if he did not forgive Onesimus then it would also sadden the heart
of Paul who was older now and in prison.
MacArthur concludes: “Believers
should be motivated to forgive by the knowledge that forgiveness brings joy and
blessing to other believers.”
7/16/2017 10:04 PM
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