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PHILEMON KJV WEB Ph, 1-25 (252h) Trinity >> You shall put no other gods before Me >> Worship God >> Worship God for who He is >> Worship God for being God – Philemon is a single-chapter letter, often forgotten and by-passed. Few know its significance or why it was included in the New Testament. If it were only for historical purposes, it would be well enough, but Philemon offers much more than that. It plays a role to enhance the whole of Scripture and gives us a wonderful perspective from heaven about our relationship with God. We wonder sometimes what God really thinks of us. Is He mad at us? Is He tired of us? We all have doubts, but the answer to these questions is a resounding ‘NO!’ The book of Philemon is meant as an analogy where Christ represents the Father, Paul represents Jesus, Onesimus represents the Holy Spirit and Philemon represents the Church. Note that the letter is addressed to Philemon, yet it is about Onesimus, meaning that it is a message to the Church about the Holy Spirit. For further review, read 2Cor 12-20,21, where Paul is speaking for Christ about His ambivalence regarding His second coming. See also: Jesus sends the Holy Spirit; Ph, 4-25; 123i Ph-1 (101k) Thy kingdom come >> Ambitious to promote the Kingdom of God >> Building up the body of Christ -- These verses go with verses 21 (216f) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> God’s will over man >> Compelled by the Spirit >> God forces His bond-servants to do His will -- This verse goes with verse 13 Ph, 4-25 (123i) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Love >> Spiritual affection >> Being in love with the body of Christ >> Emotional situations – The Lord does not want to do anything to us without our consent, “that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will” (v14). This is the exact relationship we have with the Holy Spirit. He never forces us to do anything but wants our goodness to be voluntary, for if we don't freely offer our service to Him, then He doesn’t want it, Paul echoing this in verse 16, “no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother.” Slave is in reference to Paul's statement in Rom 6-18, "Having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness." Jesus appeals to us as a brother, and He loves us as a Father. He longs for our fellowship and seeks to befriend us. We are partners with the Holy Spirit as fellow workers in the things of God. This is the kind of relationship we will have with God in eternity. In every way, our relationship with Him makes the whole purpose of this life an opportunity to practice our faith in preparation to receive a Kingdom that will endure forever. He has left us among the heathen to save as many souls as possible and to embed His godly principles in us through the hardships of life. Then we will know that godliness means something to us. See also: Jesus sends the Holy Spirit; Ph, 8-22; 68e Ph, 4-22 (95h) Thy kingdom come >> Attitude >> Having an obedient attitude >> Ready to do God’s will Ph, 4-10 (87l) Thy kingdom come >> Obedience >> Minister to people through obedience -- These verses go with verse 21 Ph, 4-6 (83e) Thy kingdom come >> Intercession >> Jesus stands in the gap >> He prays for us (142k) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> Having a reputation for knowing God >> known as being intimate with God – Paul speaks with the greatest spiritual affection of all his letters that found their way into the cannon of authoritative works. He was bubbling with the love of Christ for Philemon and especially for Onesimus, being clearly proud of Philemon because of his love and devotion to the saints in his willingness to refresh their hearts in the comfort of his faith. This bespeaks of the godly emotions that Paul had for all his helpers in spreading the gospel. Although he had the authority to command them (v8), he rather implored them with the graciousness of Christ. It was obvious by his letter the love he had for Philemon, as a friend and as a brother in the faith and fellow worker in Christ. They both anticipated heaven, and over the course of eternity they would no doubt bump into each other and continue sharing their spirit, just as they did in this life. Philemon was in Paul’s prayers as were many others whom he mentioned by name, asking the Lord for His spiritual blessings, that He would continually give the increase to their longing zeal, that they might produce a lifetime of good works to the praise of His glory, which would become their bountiful gift on the day of Christ, with the Lord turning their offering into the treasures of heaven beginning at the resurrection of the righteous, appended to their spiritual bodies. Ph-4,5 (208fa) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Personal relationship >> Being the friend of God >> Relationship with God through obedience >> We resemble Him through faith Ph-5 (125b) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Faith and love >> Faith toward God and love toward man KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Ph, 6-17 (139a) Temple >> Building the temple (with hands) >> Encouragement >> Our brothers encourage us in our adversity -- These verses go with verses 20&21 Ph, 6-8 (127i) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Goodness >> Rewards for doing good >> Doing good teaches you about the truth Ph-6,7 (130g) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> Committed to caring for the needs of the body >> Caring for spiritual needs -- These verses go with verse 22 Ph-6 (233h) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the glory of God >> Seek His glory without wavering >> Seek His glory by faith (246j) Kingdom of God >> Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm >> Demonstration of God’s kingdom >> God demonstrates His glory >> Outward demonstration of an inward work Ph, 7-22 (131a) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> Interdependent on each other to do the will of God Ph, 7-10 (119e) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Freedom >> Fences of freedom >> Freedom in Christ -- These verses go with verses 14-16 Ph-7 (74a) Thy kingdom come >> The heart >> God wants you to bless your brother from the heart (125d) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Joy >> Joy is the result of investing in the kingdom >> Investing in a life of service (131d) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> Brother depends on you >> To help build the temple (228d) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> God working in you >> Comforted >> We are comforted in the presence of God >> God comforts us in His company Ph, 8-22 (68e) Authority >> Jesus delegates the Holy Spirit to us >> Sent from heaven – Paul said that through Onesimus he would rather appeal to the brethren instead of commanding them, having begotten Onesimus in his imprisonment. This is symbolic of the fact that Jesus made a way to send the Holy Spirit through the covenant He made in His own blood. Jesus’ cross made the Holy Spirit available to empower us to do His will, whereas the Old Testament made no such promises. Only the leaders of Israel, Kings and prophets, were eligible for this anointing, but the common man was exempt, but now in the new covenant all God’s people are welcome to the Holy Spirit. P aul said of Onesimus, “I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart” (v12); this is iconic to Jesus speaking about sending the Holy Spirit, who said in Jn 14,16-18, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” Paul was coming to the brethren in Onesimus just as Jesus came to us in the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are intrinsically the same, so for Christ to send the Holy Spirit was to send His very heart. See also: Jesus sends the Holy Spirit; Ph,9-22; 225f Ph, 8-10 (72f) Authority >> Transferring authority >> Receiving the delegated authority of men Ph-8 (122h) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Confidence in yourself as you die to sin >> Confidence in the Church through your ministry -- This verse goes with verse 21 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Ph,9-22 (225f) Kingdom of God >> Illustrating the kingdom >> Parables >> Parables about wealth >> Parables about a father and his sons – Following is an interpretation to Paul’s letter to Philemon. We will assign Paul the role of Christ, give Onesimus the role of the Holy Spirit, and give Philemon the role of the Church. Verse 11 says Onesimus ( the Holy Spirit), " who formally was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me," suggests that Onesimus interceded between Paul and Philemon. This is allegorical to the Holy Spirit interceding between Christ and the Church, as Christ intercedes with the Father. Through role-playing, we see the significance of this letter, which was all about Onesimus, the young man whom Paul, “the aged,” had converted to the faith while in prison. Onesimus was probably younger than both Philemon and Timothy, who were young themselves, Onesimus’ youth elucidating his role as a servant both to Paul and to Philemon. Paul referred to Onesimus as a son, showing Christ's greater authority over the Holy Spirit. Christ is currently estranged from the Church, as Paul imprisoned was estranged from Philemon, the Holy Spirit being free to intercede between them, Onesimus traveling back and forth from Paul and Philemon. He was a servant of Paul in his imprisonment, who though he needed Onesimus, yet gave him to Philemon, analogous to Christ giving the Holy Spirit to the Church. In essence, Paul was saying, 'Onesimus can minister better to me when he is with you, because then he will be more useful to God.' The analogy of Paul’s confinement was reminiscent to Jesus’ first coming in the flesh, comparing it to a jail sentence in light of His former life in heaven. Jesus’ relationship with the Father while in the flesh was that of a slave. He had to force His flesh to obey the will of God as He gave His life for the Church, so in verse 10 Paul said he had begotten Onesimus in his imprisonment, signifying that Jesus had begotten the ministry of the Holy Spirit through the cross. See also: Jesus sends the Holy Spirit; Ph, 10-22; 61c Ph-9 (216g) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> God’s will over man >> Compelled by the Spirit >> God forces us by His love – Paul said, ‘I could command you, but for love’s sake I rather appeal to you.’ His appeal was urgent as a command, but because of Paul’s love, and the love of Onesimus and Philemon, he made request, knowing they were motivated by the love of God. We too are motivated by love, being more compliant than the soldier who places his body in harm’s way on command. Jesus went to the cross in love for His Father, and His Spirit now dwell in us, who compels us to lay down our lives for the brethren. We have an upward call of God that is far greater than any calling of the military. The world may 'forget our work and the love we have shown His name, in ministering and still ministering to the saints' (Heb 6-10), but the lord will never forget what services we rendered and our proven faith. He first loved us by demonstration of the cross, and then gave His Spirit to us, and now we who have fallen in love with Him. Once He has our heart, He requests our sacrifice for love's sake that others may be saved. God loves the world; Jesus died for us; He desires everyone to know and love Him and to be released from Satan’s grip and from the sentence of eternal damnation, and the only way He is willing to communicate that is through love. He is willing to sacrifice us for them, who have eternal life. Nothing can happen to us; we are indestructible. Our bodies will grow old and die, but our spirit united with Christ will never die. He wants that for everyone, and He is ready to use us to make it happen. (240f) Kingdom of God >> Opposition toward the Kingdom of God >> Hindering the kingdom >> Natural disadvantage >> Natural disadvantage of the flesh >> Limitations of the flesh – One disadvantage of the flesh is that we get old. The opportunity to minister declines and eventually ends, but before that happened to Paul, he racked up a host of rewards for the services he rendered to Christ throughout his Christian life. Age also has an advantage in that we will eventually die and enter a new life with Christ in heaven, a much better life than we have today. In some ways Paul was happy to go to heaven, but in other ways he regretted getting old and losing the ability to get around, his mind not as sharp, everything beginning to fail. Paul felt as much imprisoned in his body as he body felt imprisoned in his cell. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Ph,10-25 (14i) Servant >> Ministry of helps >> Helpers are Indirectly in charge of the word >> They minister to God's leaders Ph, 10-22 (61c) Paradox >> Two implied meanings >> Author—Paul / Jesus Christ – Verse 17 says, “If then you regard me a partner, accept him as you would me.” This is like Jesus telling the Church to accept the Holy Spirit as if He were Christ Himself, in the way that Philemon should accept Onesimus as though he were Paul. It is as though Jesus were writing the book of Philemon to the Church, saying that if the Holy Spirit “has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account; I… will repay it (lest I should mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well).” The Holy Spirit would never do anything wrong to us, but there are those who would charge Him with negligence for allowing them to suffer. Jesus went to the cross for us, and now we owe Him our very lives. When we are forced to suffer, many of us blame God, so it is not surprising that many plan to go to heaven and complain to God about all the things they had to endure, telling Him, ‘I became a Christian because I expected things to go smoother for me as a child of God. You were supposed to take care of me, yet I had many trials.’ They think they will go to heaven with these objections, but Jesus will tell them, ‘Do you think the Holy Spirit did you wrong and now you want me to repay you? I went to the cross for you; you owe me your very lives! You were supposed to faithfully endure your circumstances as a token of your gratitude.’ God has every intention of rewarding our endurance, but God is unwilling to endure our attitudes. See also: Jesus sends the Holy Spirit; Ph,10-17; 148f (236e) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Invest in the kingdom >> Invest your strength into the kingdom >> Invest your labors Ph,10-17 (7c) Responsibility >> Protecting the gospel >> Defending the word of God >> Protecting the men who carry the gospel (148f) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >> Natural advantage as an evangelist >> Being youthful – Paul wrote a letter to Philemon, a Colossian believer who looked after Paul while he was in prison, who was also a slaveholder of one, Onesimus. Paul said in this single-chapter book that he had begotten Onesimus in his imprisonment, leading him to salvation. Onesimus was a young boy, while Paul was an old man, and Philemon was probably middle-aged. What the book of Philemon means is exactly what it says, but we could attribute symbolism to flesh out some rather meaningful truths about God. We could say that Christ represents the Father, Paul represents Christ, Onesimus represents the Holy Spirit and Philemon represents the Church. If we read this letter replacing Paul with Christ, what does prison mean for Christ who is currently in heaven? His Prison is the entire age of grace! Jesus is not enjoying Himself in heaven; His ministry toward the Church is still transpiring, and He is still suffering. His physical suffering has ended, but He is suffering with His people as though He were present with us, not only suffering everything we suffer but also suffering our disobedience and rebellion. See also: Jesus sends the Holy Spirit; 228c (228c) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> God working in you >> Comforted >> We are comforted in the presence of God >> Holy Spirit is our comforter – Onesimus is reminiscent of the Holy Spirit, speaking about Him as a lad, one who has authority based only on what Paul has given him. Christ appeals to us as little children through the Holy Spirit. Christians are waiting for a heavy hand to fall upon them and force them to do God’s will, but heavy-handedness never comes. Psalm 32-9 says, “Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, otherwise they will not come near to you.” God is interested in our willing desire to serve Him. He sends a little child to instruct us and to lead us in the way, as verse 12 says, “I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart.” Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to us, sending His very heart, then he said in verse 17, “If then you regard me a partner, accept him as you would me.” If we regard Jesus a partner in our salvation, then we are to follow the Holy Spirit as we would Christ. See also: Jesus sends the Holy Spirit; Ph, 12-14; 124a KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Ph,10-16 (187b) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Die to the flesh >> The ministry of dying to self >> Die to self to minister to people >> Die to self to encourage the strong Ph-10,11 (3o) Responsibility >> Children are accountable to their parents Ph-10 (72m) Authority >> Hierarchy of authority >> Authority makes you accountable >> Children are accountable to their parents – Philemon was Paul’s spiritual son, and Onesimus was Paul’s younger son, and Scripture teaches that the younger shall serve the older, whose services were vital to Paul. Young children during family projects always get the gopher jobs: go-for this and hand-me that; they receive the most rudiment assignments, not old enough to take on bigger jobs. These odd jobs that parents give their children during family projects may be small, but they are still important. When we think of the child performing these small tasks, the depth of the parent’s heart for their child and the care they show is immeasurable, making sure to choose a job that suits his age and is safe, borrowing their little hands to reach into small spaces to perform necessary tasks, whose little fingers are just the right size for the job. Little children are always eager to help; they seek confirmation as vital members of the family and get excited when they succeed. Onesimus was a young boy when Paul reached him with the gospel, and he became a spiritual son and brother to Paul, and he became incredibly useful as a communicator and runner between jailhouse and the Churches, transporting letters, food and clothing and performing other necessary jobs for Paul that nobody else could do, running under the radar of Paul's captors. We think that being young is a disadvantage, but being young is one of the most wonderful experiences of our lives, and Paul made full use of Onesimus. (148i) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >> Obligation to preach the gospel >> Ambassador in chains (238b) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Transferring the kingdom >> The kingdom is transferred to the Church >> Born again >> Born of the Spirit by the will of man Ph-11 (128j) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Bearing fruit >> Living a fruitful life >> Living a continuous life of fruitfulness (197f) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Man withers when he is in control >> Fruitlessness >> Neutral is unfruitful KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Ph, 12-14 (124a) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Love >> Acts of love >> Love takes from the rich and gives to the poor >> Love takes sacrifice – In this short letter to Philemon, Christ represents the Father, Paul represents Christ, Onesimus represents the Holy Spirit and Philemon represents the Church. This letter is an epistle not directed to any particular church but to the Church as a whole. Speaking about Christ's perspective in heaven interceding for the Church, what kind of experience is this for Him? It says that He has sent Onesimus to Philemon, that is, Christ sent the Holy Spirit to the Church, sending the very heart of God. He wished to keep Onesimus with him but thought Onesimus would minister to him better by ministering to Philemon. It was a sacrifice for Christ to send the Holy Spirit to us. The Holy Spirit is what makes heaven heavenly, and He has sent the Holy Spirit to us hoping to make earth heavenly, but it is not going very well, because of disobedience in the Church and lawlessness in the world. If the Church were to obey the Holy Spirit, we could transform the earth into a heavenly paradise, but Christians are more interested in doing their own will instead of obeying the Holy Spirit, which God interprets as sin. See also: Jesus sends the Holy Spirit; Ph-18,19; 4f Ph-12,13 (247e) Priorities >> God’s priorities >> God’s interests >> Concern >> Concerned about your well being – In this short letter to Philemon, if we give Paul the role of Christ, it speaks as though He were a prisoner of heaven in the sense that He is apart from His people. Jesus longs to be with us, but the time has not yet come, and once we are together, we will remain together forever. 2Cor 5-8 says to be “absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord;” those who have gone before us do not have bodies; they are disembodied spirits, whereas Jesus has a body. Still, He is not with His people as He desires; He longs to be with us in body, longing for the Kingdom of God to manifest in the natural realm. Ph-13 (216f) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> God’s will over man >> Compelled by the Spirit >> God forces His bond-servants to do His will -- This verse goes with verse 1 Ph, 14-16 (119e) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Freedom >> Fences of freedom >> Freedom in Christ -- These verses go with verses 7-10. At least temporarily, a person can perform the requirements of the law without God in his heart, but he will also attempt to fit his personal interests into his life. The law did not speak against this; it only spoke against those who broke the law. It commands us to love the Lord with all our heart, but it had no way of helping us do that, nor did it provide incentive to even want to do it, but the new covenant does both, plus much more. Paul was seeking a willing heart in the saints, but in today’s apostasy people who call themselves Christians are like tree stumps, unmovable and afraid to do anything for fear of becoming legalistic. Other religions blindly try to serve God doing all kinds of things hoping to find favor with God, but the Bible speaks against a works oriented salvation. The greatest limitation of the law was that its promises terminated at the worshipper's death; it made no mention of eternal life, only that this life should be long and prosperous, and it judged those who rebelled. The new covenant is a better one in that it maintained the promises of the old covenant and appended the new promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. See also: New Covenant is better; Ph-14; 127a Ph-14 (127a) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Kindness >> Be kind like God >> Practice the kindness of God – It was important to Paul that Philemon served God by his own free will, for if he felt coerced to obey, he would no longer be free, but he would have returned full-circle to the law. Those who follow the law must comply or else face the consequences, whereas with the new covenant we we long to please God according to our own free will through the Spirit who dwells in us. We are free in every respect with no strings attached, yet there was another reason Paul wanted Philemon to freely serve the Lord: there was reward in it, which is freedom itself, and that willingness represents our faith (Gal 5-1; Jn 8-32). See also: New Covenant is better; Ph,14-16; 119e (127h) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Goodness >> Rewards for doing good >> Doing good is the will of God Ph-15 (215e) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> God’s timing >> God views time in eternity >> God sees eras as moments – Paul was speaking about Onesimus, who allegorically refers to the Holy Spirit, who was speaking about Jesus Christ being separated from us for a while, "that [we] would have him back forever." We might ask why God takes so long about everything he does? He is eternal; He has been gone only two days (2Pet 3-8), and in that sense it has been only a week since He created man, but for us it has been six thousand years! We will have to get used to God’s lack of concern for time, since it is irrelevant to Him, though it is relevant to us. Fortunately, He takes time into account, otherwise His plan of redemption may have taken longer. Ph-17 (130i) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> Accept one another >> Accepting the great and the small >> Great leaders accept small people KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Ph-18,19 (3m) Responsibility >> Parents for their children >> Paul feels responsible for those he brings to the faith (4f) Responsibility >> Advocate God’s cause >> From him who has shall much be required – Paul said that if Philemon had a problem with Onesimus, he was to address him and not Onesimus, only to remember this, Philemon owed his entire life to Paul, since he was the one who introduced Philemon to Christ. Translating, if we have a problem with the Holy Spirit, we are to voice our complaints to Jesus in reference to suffering and evil, obviously not in this life but in heaven when we get there, as though we would yell at God in His own house, who has scars all over His body from paying the price for us to be there. Many people have complaints about God because He allows so many terrible things to happen without lifting a finger to prevent them. He has required us to remain in the flesh and suffer according to His will for a season, and requests that we not cop an attitude about it, because it is not evil for us to suffer and it is not evil for God to allow it. We are to accept our lot in life and rejoice in the Lord, for He has a plan to make things better in eternity. See also: Jesus sends the Holy Spirit; Ph, 1-25; 252h / Suffering and evil (God put us in this situation); Rom 3-21,22; 51j (58i) Paradox >> Opposites >> Hold me responsible for any inconvenience, while you owe me your entire lives (72l) Authority >> Hierarchy of authority >> Authority makes you accountable >> Parents are responsible for their children Ph-20,21 (139a) Temple >> Building the temple (with hands) >> Encouragement >> Our brothers encourage us in our adversity -- These verses go with verses 6-17. In the world Paul had no authority, but in the Church he was an apostle to those who believed. Paul asked Philemon to let him benefit from his relationship with God, referring to spiritual fellowship, the words of faith and truth we offer one another for the purpose of edification. It isn’t the words themselves that Paul sought but the Spirit of God who dwelt in Philemon. He needed confirmation to refresh his spirit that the word he spent his life sowing in the hearts of men were still alive in them by faith. Paul sought words that originated from heaven, where he longed to go every day. The next best thing to being there was hearing the words that encapsulated that place, spoken in faith. Paul wanted a glimpse of the eternal joy that was waiting for him on the other side that he was soon to receive. He wanted to hear the words, not for his benefit only, but also for the benefit of Philemon, confirming his own faith when he spoke the oracle of God. Spiritual fellowship confirms our faith and our salvation to one another, and it confirms our status as sons and daughters of the Most High and as brothers and sisters of Christ. Spiritual fellowship is the closest we will get to heaven in this life, second only to our personal time in the word of God and prayer. Fellowshipping with the brethren is the result of our faith, and for this reason many are unable to engage beyond mere socializing, because their faith is lacking. True spiritual fellowship beyond mere socializing is very rare among believers in the Church these days, though it is mentioned in the Bible, nine times to be exact, four of which occur in First John chapter 1. However, the larger scope of this subject has its roots in communion, that whenever we take our meals together we are to remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us. Paul was in prison and he spent long hours alone, possibly becoming overwhelmed and depressed with sadness. Occasionally he needed someone to contribute to his spirit and encourage him in the faith. See also: Spiritual fellowship; Eph 6-21; 102c Ph-21,22 (44i) Judgment >> Transformed >> Fulfill your ministry >> Calling from God >> Complete it KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Ph-21 (34l) Gift of God >> Be generous like your Father >> Give to your brother (87l) Thy kingdom come >> Obedience >> Minister to people through obedience -- This verse goes with verses 4-10 (101k) Thy kingdom come >> Ambitious to promote the Kingdom of God >> Building up the body of Christ -- These verses go with verses 1 (122h) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Confidence in yourself as you die to sin >> Confidence in the Church through your ministry -- This verse goes with verse 8 (142e) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> Having a good reputation >> A reputation of being trustworthy – Paul wrote to Philemon, Apphia and Archippus, saying that he trusts their obedience, knowing they will do even more than he asks, because of the deep love they have for God and for one another. We could say they loved unbelievers too, but love of the brethren is different from loving people in the world, in that light has no fellowship with darkness. It is fellowship of the saints that cements us together to become one Church in Christ, and there is one thing that drives our love for God and one another, and that is zeal. The Church today is full of lazy Christians who repeated the sinner’s prayer, and now they are on a course with heaven, having said the magic words. Now they can go to church and live however they want, and in the end go to heaven, but where is their zeal that drives their love for the brethren? We know that it existed in the First Century, but who has seen it lately? People are zealous for this world, working many hours to bring home a fat paycheck. There is a certain amount of pride we should have in our work, but our busy schedule often gets in the way of our relationship with God. Ph-22 (35f) Gift of God >> God gives Himself to us >> Father sends the Holy Spirit (42a) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >> Blameless before God >> Prepare for His return – Paul being released from prison and allowed to come back to his people is analogous to the second coming of Christ. Jesus is currently separated from his people, and it has turned heaven into a prison cell in His deep longing to be with His people. He very much anticipates bringing them together and finally dwelling among them. We must always be prepared in a state of readiness for His return as Jesus so often reiterated, prepare our heart for Him and not to be caught off guard. (82k) Thy kingdom come >> Power of prayer >> Prayer prepares you to meet Jesus (130g) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> Committed to caring for the needs of the body >> Caring for spiritual needs -- This verse goes with verses 6&7 (245n) Kingdom of God >> Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm >> Literal manifestations >> Spirit realm superimposed upon the natural realm >> The spiritual manifesting into the natural – Paul said to prepare for him a lodging, speaking as Christ, “For I hope that through your prayers I will be given to you,” meaning that He will return from prison to rejoin His friends, symbolic of Christ's second coming. So, Christ's experience in heaven is like being in prison. The First Resurrection and the return of Christ are examples of the spiritual realm superimposing over the natural realm, that is, God imposing His will on this natural creation. When Christ superimposes His kingdom over the earth (Rev 7-15), it will happily submit to Him during Christ’s reign (Rom 8,19-22) and there will be peace for a thousand years.