According to Paul’s word in verse 16, Onesimus was above a slave, or more than a slave. He was even more than a free man; he was a beloved brother.

There are a number of intimate terms in this Epistle: a beloved brother, the sister (v. 2), the beloved and our fellow-worker (v. 1), our fellow-soldier (v. 2), my fellow-workers (v. 24), my fellow-prisoner (v. 23), and a partner (v. 17). These terms indicate the intimate sentiment in the apostle concerning his relationship with the fellow members in the new man.

The expression “both in the flesh and in the Lord” means in the flesh as a slave and in the Lord as a brother; in the flesh a brother for a slave, and in the Lord a slave for a brother.

The title of this message is “A Slave Reborn to Be a Brother.” Only through the preaching of the gospel could a slave like Onesimus be reborn to be a brother. Paul did not preach the gospel to Onesimus in an ordinary way or in a careless, superficial way. Paul preached the gospel to him while he was a prisoner in Rome. This indicates that no matter what kind of situation Paul was in, he was always exercised to carry on the preaching of the gospel. He says, “Now I want you to know, brothers, that the things concerning me have turned out rather to the advancement of the gospel, so that my bonds have become manifest in Christ in the whole praetorium and to all the rest.” Nero’s royal guard heard Paul preaching the gospel and even saw him preaching the gospel. Philippians 4:22 indicates that certain members of Caesar’s household were saved: “All the saints greet you, and especially those of Caesar’s household.” Now we know from the Epistle to Philemon that the slave Onesimus was saved through Paul.

Paul did not preach the gospel to Onesimus in the way practiced by most Christians today. Paul regarded his gospel preaching as an act of begetting. For this reason, Paul refers to Onesimus as his child begotten in his bonds. Paul’s preaching involved a process of begetting and giving birth to a child. This indicates that in his preaching of the gospel Paul ministered the divine life into others. The eternal life of God imparted into Onesimus caused him to be reborn as Paul’s spiritual child and brother in Christ. When we preach the gospel today, we also must preach in the way of begetting, in the way of imparting Christ as the divine life into those to whom we preach the gospel.

Furthermore, after begetting this child, Paul did not neglect him or leave him as an orphan in the care of others. Because this child was so dear to him, Paul kept him and loved him. He even referred to him as “my very heart.” Mothers often feel this way toward their child. If the child were taken away from them, it would seem as if the mother’s heart had been snatched away. Do you have this kind of feeling concerning one whom you have brought to the Lord? Probably we do not have much of this kind of feeling. However, Paul considered Onesimus not only his child, but also his heart. For Paul to send his child to Philemon meant that he also sent his heart to him. What concern we see here!

There are some parents who do not regard their children in the flesh as their own heart. They may say within themselves, “God has given me this child, and it is my duty to take care of him. In this matter I have no choice.” Often Christians who bring others to the Lord have a similar attitude. In contrast to Paul, they lack a deep parental concern for the one saved through them.

Although Paul had such a loving concern for his child, he realized that he was not the right person to keep him. Because Onesimus was a slave who had escaped from his master, he had to return. It is possible that Onesimus had stolen something from Philemon. Verse 18 may indicate this: “And if he has wronged you in anything or owes anything, charge that to my account.” Onesimus may not merely have pilfered things from Philemon; he may have stolen something precious.

Here we see that Paul’s concern was that the human relationship between Onesimus and Philemon would be rectified. After we have brought a sinner to the Lord, we should first regard him as our spiritual child and then help him to rectify his relationships. For example, if one has wronged his parents, we should help him to be reconciled to his parents. If a wife is wrong with her husband, or a husband with his wife, we should help the wife or husband to restore the proper relationship with the spouse. This is an important principle.

In sending back this escaped slave to his master, Paul, an excellent writer, appealed to Philemon’s love. In verses 5 and 6 Paul says, “Hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and to all the saints, that the fellowship of your faith may become operative in the full knowledge of every good thing which is in us for Christ.” Because in this Epistle Paul is appealing to Philemon’s love, he puts love before faith in verse 5.

Verse 6 is difficult to understand. Here Paul seems to be saying, “When the brothers in different localities learn of what you did in love through faith and have fellowship regarding your faith, your faith will work in them. It will become operative in them in the full knowledge of every good thing which is in us for Christ, because all believers have the same good things within them.” These good things include the divine life, the divine nature, and the divine gifts. A full record of these things is found in the three books of 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus. All these good things in us are for Christ. The fellowship of Philemon’s faith may be likened to a fan with which we fan into flame for Christ all the good things within us (2 Tim. 1:6). When the saints hear what Philemon did in love, the good deposit within them will be stirred up. This is the operation of the faith of a certain saint through the fellowship among the believers.

In the book of Philemon we have an excellent pattern and example of bringing a sinner to the Lord through begetting him with the divine life; regarding him as a child, even as our heart; and helping him to rectify all the human relationships. In the churches in the Lord’s recovery it is our practice to send back the escaped one and the divorced or separated wife or husband. We want to help rectify all human relationships. In doing this, we must have a loving concern and appeal to the love of the other party. Finally, in keeping with Paul’s example in this Epistle, we must help the newly saved one to come into the church life. Paul’s desire was to bring Onesimus into the church life. Having been begotten by Paul, Onesimus was now a slave reborn to be a brother. As the one who had begotten him, Paul bore the responsibility to bring Onesimus into the church life, into the fellowship among the members of the Body.
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