Philemon 16 makes this relationship very clear. Concerning Onesimus Paul says, “No longer as a slave, but above a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, and how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.” Through regeneration Onesimus had become more than a slave and even more than a free man, for he had become a beloved brother. Now Onesimus had a relationship with Philemon “both in the flesh and in the Lord”: in the flesh as a slave and in the Lord as a brother. In the flesh Onesimus was a brother as a slave, and in the Lord he was a slave as a brother. Philemon, therefore, had to receive Onesimus and embrace him in a loving, intimate way. Of course, he was to receive him not in the old man, the old social system, but in Christ and in the new man. Although Onesimus was still Philemon’s slave, in Christ he had become Philemon’s brother. Now, in the new man, Philemon had to receive Onesimus as a brother and one of equal status. Here we see Paul’s recommendation of a brother for acceptance in the new man.

In the book of Philemon there is no mention of the expression “the new man.” But as we examine the situation portrayed in this book, we see that Paul was recommending a brother not to a local church in the city where he was at the time, but to a local church in a remote city. This indicates that Paul’s recommendation took place within the sphere of the new man. As we have already indicated, this can be proved by Colossians 3:11, where we are told that in the new man there is no bond or free. As Paul was writing to Philemon, he may have been thinking something like this: “Onesimus has become a dear brother in the Lord. Now I wish to recommend him, a slave, to a brother who is a free man. I want to help them both realize that as brothers they are equal. One should be received, and the other must be willing to receive him.” This is what I mean in saying that the Epistle to Philemon is an illustration of the equal status of the believers in the new man.

As long as we see that the believers have an equal status in the new man, there will be no problems among us concerning social rank, nationality, or race. We shall have no problems with different peoples. Those who discriminate among people in any way do not practice the proper church life. If we would have the genuine church life, we must receive all the saints regardless of race, nationality, or social rank. It is a fact that in many places believers are not willing to do this. As a result, they cannot have the proper church life.

We should never speak of a church according to race or color-there is no white church, yellow church, black church, or brown church. The church has only one color, and that color is heavenly blue. After you come into the church life, there must not be deep in your being any discrimination between believers on the basis of race or color. As long as such a discrimination exists within you, as far as you are concerned, you are nullifying the church life. The colors which represent the different races have already been nullified by the cross. Now we must be willing to pay the price to have them nullified in the real and genuine church life.

In society distinctions are still made on the basis of color, nationality, or social status. But no such distinctions can exist in the church, in the new man. The old man has been divided by these distinctions. But in the new man distinctions on the basis of color have been nullified. Paul strongly taught this, and we must consider it part of the full knowledge of the truth.

Again and again we have pointed out that in 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus the full knowledge of the truth concerns the content of God’s New Testament economy concerning Christ and the church. If we still make distinctions on the basis of color, race, or nationality, in this matter we are reprobate concerning the truth. We do not hold the full knowledge of the truth.

As a Jew, it was not easy for Paul to say that in the new man there cannot be any Jews. But because this was part of the full knowledge of the truth, he declared it plainly and taught it clearly. According to the full knowledge of the truth, in the universe there is one new man, one Body of Christ, and one church of God. Furthermore, there should be only one local church in a locality. We all need to realize this aspect of the truth.

According to the Lord’s sovereignty, the Epistle to Philemon was written before the Epistles to Timothy and Titus. But in the arrangement of the books in the New Testament, Philemon was placed at the end of this group of four books. These books reveal the practice of God’s New Testament economy, and Philemon shows us a particular aspect of that practice.

In the practice of the economy of God, it is crucial that all social ranks and differences among races and nations are swallowed up. If these ranks and distinctions are allowed to exist in the church life, the new man will be nullified, and the proper church life will be destroyed. How wonderful that in the New Testament there is a little book which tells us about a slave who was brought to the Lord and brought into the church life! If this book had told us that Caesar Nero had been saved, I would not appreciate it as much. But this book tells that a slave, one regarded by the Roman social system as little more than an animal with no legal rights, was saved. Some may think that it was not worthwhile for Paul to even write about him. Others may say that it is sufficient for a slave to be saved and to have the assurance of heaven. Paul, however, exercised great wisdom in writing this Epistle. Never has there been another letter written in this way.

Why did Paul exercise such a loving concern over a slave who had been saved? He did so because he was burdened to illustrate that among all the saints and all the local churches, the believers are equal in the new man. Onesimus and Philemon are a good illustration of this equality. Surely it was sovereign of God that Onesimus was saved in prison through Paul. It was the salvation of Onesimus that afforded Paul the opportunity to give such a marvelous illustration concerning the life of the new man. He could point out that a slave, then in Rome, and his master, far away in Colosse, were equal as believers in the new man.

Paul knew that, for the sake of his conscience, he had to care for Onesimus in a proper way. Paul knew Philemon and his family very well. Perhaps Paul said to himself, “Now Philemon’s slave has been saved through me. What shall I do with him? Shall I send him back to his master? And what shall I say to Philemon about Onesimus?” Actually, this was a very important matter, arranged sovereignly by the Lord. No other illustration could better portray the nullification of the difference of status in the new man. The case of Onesimus and Philemon illustrates to the uttermost that in the new man all the believers have an equal status. Oh, it is crucial that we see this! Praise the Lord for the salvation of Onesimus, and praise the Lord for this illustration of our equal status in the new man!
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