Faith Under Construction

Philemon 1-25

Roger Lynn

September 8, 2019

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Faith is always an “in process” endeavor. This is true whether we are talking about faith in our personal lives, or faith as we find it revealed within the pages of scripture. We could hang a permanent sign on the entire undertaking that reads, “Under Construction - Pardon Our Mess.” There is always room to grow. There is always room for new insights and new perspectives which bring us into ever closer relationship with God.

Take the book of Philemon for example. It is a wonderful little snapshot into Paul and his “under construction” faith. In many ways it is one of the more peculiar books in the Bible. It is definitely the shortest book (one chapter - 25 verses). It is arguably the most personal – a letter from Paul to an individual names Philemon.

First of all it is helpful to briefly fill in the background. The apostle Paul, in the course of traveling around the world sharing the Good News of the gospel frequently found himself at odds with the local authorities. He would get crosswise with the religious leaders of whatever community he was in and that would sometimes lead to him spending time in jail. During one such period of incarceration (probably house arrest, but we aren’t sure where), he has occasion to get acquainted with a man named Onesimus, who turns out to be a runaway slave. They become very close (Paul describes the relationship as one of father and son), and under Paul’s guidance Onesimus even becomes a Christian. Paul finds both spiritual and physical comfort and support in this relationship. But there is a twist. Paul also has a relationship with Philemon, who is Onesimus’ owner. Philemon is a member of the church in Colossae. So finally, after what must have been some serious soul-searching, Paul and Onesimus decide to have Onesimus return to Philemon (with a letter from Paul), in the hopes that true reconciliation and renewal might be found. The courage Onesimus demonstrates is almost beyond comprehension. The fact that we have the letter of Philemon preserved in our New Testament bears witness that his courage must have paid off.

Part of what makes Philemon interesting is what we don’t find. We don’t find Paul condemning slavery in any kind of definitive way. Such an idea was probably not available to Paul. Slavery was such a part of the “givenness” of his world that calling it into question at a fundamental level would have to wait for another time and another champion. But what we do find is Paul challenging the notion of slavery at the personal, individual level. He doesn’t take up the cause of all slaves everywhere. But he does take up the cause for one particular slave whom he knows and loves. Paul’s faith is prompted to grow when he is confronted with the very personal face of Onesimus.

And the solution which this growing faith leads him to is marvelous. If he had chosen to simply ignore Philemon and keep Onesimus with him, then one slave would have found freedom, but nothing else would have changed. If he had chosen to “order” Philemon to give Onesimus his freedom, it might still have resulted in Onesimus being free but would undoubtedly have also left Philemon feeling angry and resentful. But by appealing to the common faith they shared, and seeking to enlighten Philemon about the ways in which Onesimus could be seen as useful instead of useless, and through the incredible courage of having Onesimus actually return voluntarily, the results were that not only did Onesimus gain his freedom, but Philemon (and perhaps everyone in the church at Colossae) was able to find a new kind of freedom as well. Is this the final, definitive word on faith as it applies to the issue of slavery? Certainly not. When it comes to the ways in which we discover freedom for ourselves and enable freedom for each other, there is still much for us to learn even today. But this small letter of Philemon does offer us a glimpse into one powerful step on the journey of faith as it was being lived out in the lives of Paul and Onesimus and Philemon.

Faith is always an “in process” endeavor. There is always room to grow. There is always more to learn. There is always room for new insights and new perspectives which bring us into ever closer relationship with God. In any given moment we can only do our best. We cannot see where our growing faith will lead or what fruit will come from the seeds we plant. This is illustrated in the story of Philemon as well. As I mentioned, the fact that we have the letter preserved is a strong indication that Philemon’s response to the letter was positive. But there may be even more to the story. Late in the first century and the early part of the second century the leader of the church in Ephesus was a man named Onesimus. We do not know that it was the same man who was once a slave owned by Philemon, but I choose to believe that it is true. And it was at Ephesus at about this same time, that the first known collection of Paul’s letters was gathered together, including a small epistle addressed to Philemon. Paul’s growing faith led him to gently challenge one slave owner to begin looking at the world in a different way. The ripples of that growing faith continue to spread out, through Ephesus and into the rest of the world.

Our faith is always under construction. We cannot say what shape it will take or where it will lead us. But we can say for certain that it is an adventure well worth engaging in. Where is God calling you to go next?