The Letter to Philemon is a short letter. Paul was succinct and direct in his brotherly exhortation to Philemon.
Paul opened by identifying himself as a prisoner for Christ, and he identified Philemon as a fellow worker in the Lord, one who provided space in his home for the gathering of the church in his city. Paul’s purpose in writing was that he wanted Philemon to accept and restore Onesimus, a runaway slave who had belonged to his estate.
A couple of components balance out the letter: 1) Paul’s strong friendship with Philemon, and 2) his desire to help his new son in the faith, Onesimus.
Slavery in the first century of the Roman world was common since the government accepted and promoted the practice. As we might expect, some slaves took the opportunity to run from their masters. Onesimus had run away, and the penalty for doing so would have been severe. No doubt Onesimus was aware of this. But he agreed with Paul to return to his master as one of the people delivering Paul’s Letter to the Colossians (Col. 4:9).
Paul’s prayer for Philemon at the beginning of his personal letter stressed the love and generosity that Philemon habitually showed to the people of God and how this had been a joy and comfort for Paul during his imprisonment (vv. 4-7). Accordingly, Paul would request later in the letter that he show that same love to Onesimus, their new brother in Christ.
Tips for Teaching This Week’s Session of The Gospel Project for Adults
Every week for Volume 4: From Captivity to the Wilderness, Ken Braddy, Lifeway’s director of Sunday School, will offer guidance to help leaders prepare to lead and teach each session of The Gospel Project for Adults.
Podcast (adultsleadertraining): Play in new window | Download
Tips for Teaching This Week’s Session of The Gospel Project for Students
Every week, student ministry leaders offer guidance to help leaders prepare to lead and teach each session of The Gospel Project for Students. Listen in as he shares:
- The main point of the session
- Any challenges and opportunities for additional discussion that may arise during this session
- Encouragements for leaders
Podcast (studentsleadertraining): Play in new window | Download
A Final Reminder
Don’t forget, you can find tools to help you prepare and lead the discussion in the Additional Resources for this volume. We hope these are a blessing to you as you walk through this session together.
*This week’s leader devotional is written by Jonathan Hayashi. It is adapted from the daily devotions for Unit 35, Session 3 from The Gospel Project for Adults’ Daily Discipleship Guide.
