Every Spiritual Blessing

Reading:  Ephesians 1:1-14
    
    Paul has barely said “hi” to the Ephesians before he begins to praise God and enumerate what he has done for us.  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places”(Eph 1:3).  God has done wonderful things for believers, but Paul refuses to leave it at that; he wants to detail how God has blessed us.  He “chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.  In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ”(Eph 1:4-5).  God chose us to be a people he would make holy and blameless.  He predestined us to be his adopted children.  We are beneficiaries of his grace.

    Paul expounds further, letting the metaphors fly.  “We have redemption through his blood”(Eph 1:7), emphasizing how Jesus’ sacrifice frees us from our slavery to sin.  We have “the forgiveness of our trespasses”(Eph 1:7), which highlights salvation as eliminating our debts.  God has revealed to us “the mystery of his will”(Eph 1:9) by sending his Spirit, working in us toward his goal “to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth”(Eph 1:10).  We await an inheritance (Eph 1:11), which promises greater life in the future than what we enjoy now.  In the meantime, he has sealed us with the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13) as a guarantee of those blessings we anticipate.   

    We are the objects of God’s love and grace.  He has met our every need and far more.  We now belong.  We have a Father.  We are free and forgiven.  We know God’s will and stand in hope of eternal life.  The Spirit guides us until we receive it.  All of this is God’s gift; we deserve none of it.  What more could we ask for?

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One Thing to Think About: Why do we sometimes struggle believing that God has given us all we need?

One Thing to Pray For:  Deeper gratitude for what God has done for me 
 

Perhaps

Reading:  Philemon 15-25
    
    As Paul appeals to Philemon to receive Onesimus back, he hints at a possibility that Philemon has probably not yet considered.  “For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother”(Phile 15-16).  He wants Philemon to imagine that there was a purpose behind this whole ordeal.  Perhaps God has allowed Onesimus to run away, come to find Paul, accept the gospel, and return to him just for this moment.  Perhaps all these events have been leading to this fork in the road.  With the word “perhaps,” Paul introduces the idea of God’s intervention and a larger meaning to his life.

    This vision is intended to inspire Philemon.  “So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me”(Phile 17).  Paul wants a warm reception for Onesimus and calls on Philemon to remember their own bond as partners (v. 17) and fellow workers (v. 1).  “If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. I, Paul, write this with my own hand:  I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self”(Phile 18-19).  It is a call to forgiveness of debts both physical and emotional just because Paul is asking.  Paul vouches for Onesimus, stating that he will pay whatever debts he has incurred.  And Paul mentions (without mentioning) that Philemon owes Paul “even your own self.”  Paul closes the letter “confident of your obedience”(Philemon 21), certain that Philemon will do the right thing.    

    “Perhaps” is Paul’s way of introducing what we sometimes call “providence”—the involvement of God in the everyday affairs of men.  It combines the question “What if God is behind this?” with the question “What would God want me to do in this situation?”.  This type of thinking leads to faith-based actions, like forgiveness and joy.  It gives us hope and builds faith to see small glimpses of God’s work in our lives.  Perhaps it has all been building to this moment.

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One Thing to Think About: How have I seen God at work in the ordinary events of my life?

One Thing to Pray For:  The vision to see God’s work—and courage to act accordingly
 

Appealing or Commanding

Reading:  Philemon 8-14
    
    Paul inches closer to his purpose in this letter by gently broaching the topic.  He wants Philemon to receive back his slave Onesimus and welcome him as a brother in Christ.  “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—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus—I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment”(Philemon 8-10).  Paul admits that he has the authority and boldness to order Philemon to receive Onesimus, yet he does not want to address him this way.  Instead, he appeals to Philemon.  And what an appeal!  Paul is an “old man” and a “prisoner also for Christ Jesus” and now thinks of himself as Onesimus’ father.  “I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart”(Philemon 12).  Philemon cannot refuse Onesimus without devastating Paul.  

    Paul also describes his conundrum after Onesimus’ conversion.  “I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord”(Philemon 13-14).  Onesimus was useful to Paul, helping him do his apostolic work while limited by his imprisonment.  So he considered just keeping him with him, presuming on Philemon’s kindness.  Yet this would have forced Philemon to do a good thing.  Paul wants to “do nothing without your consent.”  Good works are not good if we have no choice.

    Paul is walking a fine line here.  He wants Philemon to do the right thing, yet he also wants Philemon to choose to do the right thing.  Christians do what is good because we want to please God, emulate Jesus, and bless others.  This means that we belong in an all-volunteer army.  Even when it requires difficult things (like forgiving those who have hurt us) or costly things (like our money and time), we respond to the need because we care, not because we are afraid.  Good works are not good if we have no choice.

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One Thing to Think About: Do I do things for others without being forced to?

One Thing to Pray For:  A heart to do right in all situations
 

How Love Works

Reading:  Philemon 1-7
    
    This deeply personal letter from Paul to Philemon does not tell us a lot about the particular situation that prompts it.  Paul and Philemon know each other, yet now Philemon’s slave Onesimus has come to Paul (perhaps as a runaway?) and obeyed the gospel (Philemon 10).  Paul writes this letter as he sends Onesimus back to Philemon, hopeful that he will receive him as a brother (Philemon 16, 17).

    We gather a sense of Philemon from this first section.  He is “our beloved fellow worker”(Philemon 1) who hosts “the church in your house”(v. 2).  This probably implies that he is a wealthy man who uses his means for spiritual purposes.  Paul prays for him specifically “because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints”(Philemon 5).   Philemon has shown kindness to others and this thrills Paul.  “For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you”(Philemon 7).  The good Philemon has done for other believers has spread joy to them and even given comfort to Paul in his chains (Philemon 9-10).  But there is one more prayer:  “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”(Philemon 6).  As Philemon has shared his goods with others who share his faith, so Paul has hope that one more time he will be willing to “share” the acceptance and love of a brother with Onesimus.

    Philemon shows us that Christian love shows itself in doing for others.  When he has a house, he uses it to the good of his Christian brothers.  We do not know the specifics of what he has done, but Philemon’s love has refreshed the hearts of the saints and been spread abroad.  Philemon’s love is more than mere words.  Love works by taking whatever we have and using it to bless, provide for, and encourage our brothers.  

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One Thing to Think About: What skills, possessions, opportunities, or connections do I have that might bless others?

One Thing to Pray For:  My love for others to “become effective” in real action
 

Please Read Each Other’s Mail

Reading:  Colossians 4:10-18
    
    Paul concludes this letter, written from Roman custody of some sort (Col 4:3), with a surprising number of greetings from brothers.  Tychicus will inform the church of the specifics of Paul’s condition in far more detail than a letter (Col 4:7).  “I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts”(Col 4:8).  Also accompanying the delivery of the letter is Onesimus (Col 4:9), likely the same slave who is the subject of the letter to Philemon.  There are many connections between Colossians and Philemon and it may be that Onesimus helped deliver both letters.

    Aristarchus appears to be another Christian who has run afoul of the authorities (Col 4:10).  John Mark, whom Paul refused to take on his second journey (Acts 15:38), is now present with Paul and spoken of favorably.  Their relationship has mended.  Epaphras, probably the man who helped begin the church in Colosse (Col 1:7), is with Paul and continues to “(struggle) on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God”(Col 4:12).  NT students will recognize some other names here—Luke, Demas, and Archippus—who show themselves to be companions of Paul and concerned about the Colossians.  “And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea”(Col 4:16).  Paul encourages circulation of these letters so that both groups can benefit from the specific instructions given to each group.  

    Paul encourages the churches to read each other’s mail.  This is not so that they can gossip about one another or judge each other, nor is it because the specific problems present in one church are present in all.  The assumption is that everyone can read the particular apostolic teaching to one group—for example, the Colossians’ need to cling to Jesus and not be deceived through philosophy or asceticism—and apply the principle to their own context.  This is still our task.  There is benefit in reading others’ mail, provided that we are humble enough to see our own weaknesses and courageous enough to apply the teaching to ourselves.

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One Thing to Think About: What skills might I need before I can benefit from reading others’ mail?

One Thing to Pray For:  The humility to perceive how Bible teaching applies to me