SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/15/2017
2:06 PM
My Worship Time Focus: The
Recognition of an Unplayable Debt
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Philemon 19
Message of the
verses: “I, Paul, am writing this
with my own hand, I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me
even your own self as well).”
It
was Paul’s custom to dictate his letters to an amanuensis (a literary or artistic assistant, in
particular one who takes dictation or copies manuscripts.) He would write the ending of some of his
letters to show the people he was writing to that it was actually from him as
they could tell by his own handwriting.
Perhaps Paul writes the end of this letter to Philemon to show that he
really desires for him to forgive Onesimus as this would be more effectual.
What Paul was actually writing is his own personal I. O.
Y. Even though he was in prison he still
would make good on whatever Onesimus had stole from Philemon and he wanted to
make sure that Philemon knew that, another reason to use his own handwriting.
We see at the end of this verse Paul uses a parenthetical
statement stating that Philemon actually owed Paul “even your own self as well.” Paul was wanting to put Onesimus’ account
onto his own account and because Philemon owed Paul then this would square it
all up. However there is a spiritual
meaning to this too and that was restitution as this was an essential part of
forgiveness, and because Onesimus did not have the means to repay Philemon Paul
wanted to care for it.
John MacArthur writes “That principle applies to us as
well. When someone offends us and incurs
a debt, we should remember that we own debts to others. All of us have people in our lives who have
benefited us spiritually in ways we could never repay. We are in debt to them.
“I am in debt to my wife for her friendship, love,
support, wisdom and input into my life.
I owe my children a debt for their kindness, concern, and care for me,
and for responding to the things I have asked of them.
“I am in debt to the many friends who have ministered to
me. I am in debt to my teachers in
college and seminary, and to the many men whose books have instructed me. I owe a debt to my co-workers and co-pastors,
who share the ministry with me. I am
indebted to my congregation for their support, encouragement, and fellowship.
“We who owe so much too so many should be quick to
forgive others who owe us a debt. Having
received so many unplayable spiritual riches from so many who ask nothing in
return, can I not forgive a temporal debt?”
I have to say that I owe much to all the people who have
taken time out of their lives to read my Spiritual Diaries.
7/15/2017
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