 Okay. Good morning, everyone. Welcome to the New Testament survey, BC 103. In today's class, we're going to look at the very last letter of Apostle Paul. That's the letter to Philemon, which is the private or the personal letter that Apostle Paul wrote. Even before we could begin to start studying, can I request one of y'all to please lead us in prayer. If I can unmute and pray. Sri Radha, would you like to pray please? Anyone from the class? Nina Rin? Okay, Sri. Go ahead and pray. Anyone from the class? Maybe there's some problem with Sri Radha's phone. Anyone from the class? Jesus, Lord, we thank you for this morning, Lord Father. Thank you for your goodness, your grace, Lord. Thank you for this day, Lord Father, but you have given me knowledge. Lord, are we going to read from your word, Lord Father, let your presence be with us, Lord Father. Give us love, wisdom, Lord Father. Give us your spirit, Lord Father, to understand, Lord. And to grow in your virtues, to give y'all a glory in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Thank you. So I request everyone to please turn to the letter to Philemon. This book has only one chapter. You have taken it. Yeah, this book has one chapter with 25 scripture verses. Let me present the slide. Okay, not much of slide today because it's only one chapter. So the letter to Philemon, it's only one chapter with 25 scripture verses. And in Hebrew, the book of Philemon is again a personal or a private letter written by a friend to a friend. It is a shortest letter, I could say, of Apostle Paul, which consists of about 334 Greek words. 334 Greek words. And the very purpose of this letter is to bring a reconciliation between the two individuals. Between Philemon who was a master and Unesimus who was a slave. So there was a, the letter is between the reconciliation between a master and a slave. So it is a very valuable book that is one of the reason why the canon has decided to add this letter into the New Testament. Where we discover the heart of a leader, Apostle Paul being a leader. He does not take Unesimus for granted or Philemon. He makes sure that there is a reconciliation brought in between these two individuals. We also see a man who takes the example of Jesus who was willing to lay down his life for another person. So knowing Apostle Paul and we covered at least 12 letters of his. We see how Apostle Paul takes every small situation as an opportunity to share the gospel. So even in this simple letter, a letter of reconciliation, we see how Apostle Paul takes an opportunity to share the gospel, bring a right understanding. Why should a master forgive a slave? He shares the gospel in that. And then it brings a true reconciliation between both of them. Ma'am, your voice made a mistake. Okay. I'm sorry by mistake the mute is, am I audible now? Okay. Great. Thank you. Thank you so much. I think by mistake. Okay. So this letter, I'm audible, right? Okay. Okay. Good. Thank you. Yeah. So we see that Apostle Paul takes the example. He shares the gospel between Onesimus and Philemon and he tries to bring a reconciliation. He takes every opportunity to share the gospel. He goes one step beyond. He also puts himself as a sacrifice. He is willing to put his life on the line of a slave with no position, power or resource. And he's writing this letter when Apostle Paul is in the first Roman imprisonment. He's been imprisoned in his own rented house. Okay. So Apostle Paul is in, is chained to a soldier in his own rented house and he was free to receive people to visit him at his house. And that's how we used to preach and teach and write letters and send it across with them. So can I request one of y'all to please turn to Acts chapter 31 verse 30 and 31. Can I request one of y'all to please unmute and read? Prince, can you please unmute and read? Can I request one of y'all to please read and read? Please go ahead. Can you hear me? Please go ahead. This is like there's no 31 in Acts. Oh, I'm sorry. Let me check the scripture. Recheck. Please give me a minute. Yeah, right. Okay. Let me get that scripture right, please. Sorry. Okay. I get that scripture corrected. I'm sorry. So what we say is in the book of Acts, we read that Apostle Paul was imprisoned in the first imprisonment and then he was in the room in his own house, in his own rented house. He was imprisoned, was chained to a soldier and he was ministering to people who was visiting him. So with that, we will move on to this book, okay, the letter to Philemon and this letter to Philemon has 25 scripture verses and it is divided into three portion. So verse four to seven, it talks about, you know, Paul's commendation, Paul is praising. How is he praising? He's looking back and then he's praising, I thank my God always. And then he goes and greetings with the salutation. And then in the middle of the letter, that's a body of the letter from verse eight to 17, we see Paul's request. Paul is making a plea. He's requesting Philemon. He's saying, on the basis of the slaves conversation and verse 12 to 17, when we check, he is actually again, he's addressing on the basis of the slaves owners' friendship. That is a friendship between Apostle Paul and Philemon. He's looking within the relationship that he has with both of them. He's trying to make a plea, make a request. And at the end of this letter, that is verse 18 to 21, we see Paul's promise. He's trying to look beyond. He's trying to look beyond and say Philemon. If there's anything that Onesimus owes to you, definitely use to him. Okay. And I will repay it to you when I'm out of my chains. I will repay it to you. He's giving a promise. He's laying down himself on the place of the slave. And he's saying, I will take the ownership of Onesimus and I will repay it to you. The whole theme in this letter we see is that the thread that runs through the letter is forgiveness and accepting one another as brothers and sisters and Christ is so important. It's so mighty. That is one of the reasons why this letter has been added. Because in those days, the slavery was very evident. That was the actual lifestyle where people were living in master and slavery. There was always a division between them. And here Apostle Paul is writing this letter to Philemon to bring that forgiveness and acceptance between the brother, acceptance between both of them in Christ Jesus. We also see throughout the letter we see that we learn a lot of spiritual lessons. But before that we will go into Onesimus. We'll see who was Onesimus. He was one such person who had encountered with Apostle Paul in Rome when he ran away from his master. So Onesimus was a slave. And he lived with his master in Colossae with Philemon. And the key part is Philemon had a home church there. And that's how when Philemon had a home church, he was ministered by Apostle Paul and he began a church there and he was running. And Onesimus was a slave under Philemon. And we don't know what happened between them but eventually Onesimus takes certain master's goods and he runs away from Colossae from Philemon's home into a large city, Rome to be lost there. When he ran away from there, maybe in Rome, E.E.E. runs into Ephaphorus who was a leader, was trained by Apostle Paul. Now he meets Ephaphorus in Rome and eventually Ephaphorus brings him to Apostle Paul. So when he brings him to Apostle Paul, they get introduced, then Apostle Paul shares the gospel with Onesimus. And as he ministered to him, he learns about Onesimus' background. We get to know about the master of Philemon, of whom he already knew. So knowing and then he gives some time, this change grows in the Lord. The minute he has come to a point where he has accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour and there is a true repentance in Onesimus and he is ready, he is prepared. And this is the point where Apostle Paul brings him, plays Onesimus into a ministry part. He makes sure Onesimus returns to Philemon and asks for an apology. And then Philemon has been prepared in such a way that he is ready to forgive Onesimus who was a slave once a long time. So there is a miraculous conversion or we can say a transformation of heart in Onesimus because the ministry that Apostle Paul carried. Now whoever meets Apostle Paul will encounter Jesus. That is the fact. Whoever met him, have never left him without knowing Jesus. Now Onesimus meets and Apostle Paul starts to minister him. The Holy Spirit brings a transformation into his heart. Who was once called useless? Onesimus was useless and now he has become useful. In fact, you know, Paul makes a statement, bring him back. He has been useful to me in the ministry. I request you all to please, it is a very short letter. In fact, I thought when before I could start this class, we will read through the letter, but then I don't think we would have enough of time to ponder upon the points that this letter carries. So the transformed Onesimus has just been seated in front of Apostle Paul in the prison or house arrest and Paul pens a letter to Philemon. Paul pens it to Philemon. He says, I have seen Onesimus serving faithful to me. In the short period of time, Onesimus tries to serve Apostle Paul and he is behind the chain. He gains Apostle Paul's attention in his heart and he sees that Onesimus has truly been repented and changed from his heart. So Paul writes this letter to Philemon saying that Philemon, be gracious on Onesimus. Forgive him. Actually speaking, under the Roman law, there could be a severe punishment for the slave who runs away from the master taking the master's goods. It can also cost his life. Though the letter does not say what exactly that he robbed from Philemon, but then the very act of taking away something that belongs to the master will cost death for the slave. And here the relationship that Apostle Paul had with Philemon, he writes a letter of reconciliation. And the letter is carried by Onesimus along with the chicas. They carry this letter to Colossians where the home church of Philemon was there. So in the letter of Paul, he says, I'm not requesting you on any legal grounds because if he addresses anything on legal grounds, slaves need to be punished. Then Apostle Paul is writing. He's writing. Let me turn to the scripture please. Yeah, I'm reading. Let it to Philemon chapter 1 verse 16. No longer a slave, but someone more than a slave has a brother in Christ, especially dear to me. But how much more to you both in flesh as a servant and in the Lord as a fellow believer. So if you consider me as a partner, welcome and accept him as you would me. Now Apostle Paul is putting himself and Onesimus in a place of a slave and he's requesting his pleading Philemon. Forgive him for the relationship what we have on the spiritual grounds. Forgive him. And whatever. He has wronged you in any way or owes you anything. Charge that account to me. I'm reading verse 18. Give it to me. I Paul write with my own hand. I will repay it and fully to you. I will repay it and fully to you. Over to me even. You know he's saying I will be paid fully to you even to me. Let me have. Yeah, I'm in verse. Verse 20. Let me have some benefit and joy from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart and Christ. 21 says I write to you perfectly confident of your obedient. Compliance since I know that you will do even more than what I ask. Look at the trust. Look at the relationship what they both have as a brother in Christ. So with that he requests. Give me a minute please. So Apostle Paul here we see he put some extra pressure on Philemon. When we read point to point like verse 8 to 9 when we read we see that I'm just reading verse 8 to 9. Therefore on the basis of these facts though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is appropriate yet for love sake. I prefer to appeal to you since I am such a person as Paul an old man and now as prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus. I appeal to you for my own spiritual child. So he has accepted him as a son spiritual son whom I have fathered in the faith. So it's not like immediately he met Onesimus is writing notes he has taken some time to nurture him to correct him to help him grow in the Lord. And now the relationship between Apostle Paul and Onesimus is very different. It is like father and son relationship. Okay. And now he's writing that while I'm in captive in these chains once he was useless to you. But now he is indeed useful to you as well as to me. See he is not taking the whole right and he is saying okay give me your sleeve. He is again saying that he is useful to you now and as well as to me. I have sent him back to you in person that is like sending my very heart. You see how precious Onesimus has turned to Apostle Paul and Apostle Paul is giving a very high value. You see that I'm sending my own heart, own self to you just like Jesus. So what we see here by indicating that he would not command filaments but he is making a request. Though Apostle Paul have that right okay as a spiritual father over Philemon as a friend or a fellow worker in Christ. He has all the right to instruct Philemon listen this is how it is I've met Onesimus he has changed except him no. But then he's requesting as a friend he's requesting he's telling and he's playing to Philemon on a reputed good character. In full faith and in love but asking for a personal favor is asking for favor as their partner in Christ. And he's also offering to pay any debt any debt that Onesimus owes you Philemon put it on me I will repay that debt to you. And he's also going and you know personally sympathizing with Philemon saying that listen I am under change right now. And I'm also an old aged man is bringing himself to a place like yes I'm helpless but even then I'm telling you that is changed he's become useful now. And also you see there's a matter of obedience here. He's not taking Philemon for granted but he's saying that yes you were a master as a master Onesimus you need to as a law of the land go set things right with your master and then you can come back. So he sends in with the letter hoping that Philemon will forgive him and accept him not as a slave but as a fellow believer fellow brother in Christ Jesus. So this letter would have rated around 62 to 64 AD. The central theme was forgiveness and reconciliation it has to do with receiving and you know forgiving and reconciling between the master and the slave so the key word in this book is to receive. And we see the gospel message that Apostle Paul takes an opportunity to share the gospel in this letter is the sinner has ran away from God. He's making a picturesque pottery a sinner has ran away from God and the law condemned the sinner and gave him no right to appeal. And the other sinner could never pay the debt that he owed that he owes God or the master in this letter. So what happens the sinner flees to the arms of Jesus and then Jesus stepped in to pay the debt of the sinner. So what happens now the sinner turns away from his sinful nature and he brings forth. The gift of the spirit the fruit of the spirit that is the repentance he repents from his heart. There's a transformation that is happening within. We also see through this letter the sinner forgiveness not on the basis of law definitely no because the law will expect a judgment law will expect the punishment for the very act. But then the sinner receives forgiveness on the basis of grace, grace, the grace of God. The sinner becomes a new creature and he's been freed from the bondage he's become a new creation and Christ Jesus all the old things the old nature passed away. Behold he's become new. So this is the picture that Apostle Paul is depicting from this letter. It comes very clear. Even in the letter when he's writing to Philemon he says whatever Onesim is owes put it on me. I owe you and I will rebate you. He's not asking Philemon to forgive him on the basis of our relationship. He's saying no. I will owe you. I will take it upon me. And then he asked for the true repentance, true forgiveness so that they can be a true reconciliation between Philemon and Onesimus. So some of the uni features from this book that we see is look at the sympathy between for the sake of Onesimus. He writes Apostle Paul I'm a prisoner of Christ was aged and I'm a spiritual father button chains. Now my chain is the gospel in the gospel. He also mentions that I have a hope to be released when I release I will come and meet you. So again he's portraying the relationship that he has with Philemon. So whenever Apostle Paul visits Philemon he say I mean from the letter we learn that it is more. They have a very they share a very good relationship where he goes and stays with him in his house. They have a very good rapport. And that was one of the reason why Apostle Paul even without any second thought he writes a letter bleeding to forgive Onesimus. So Paul wrote this personal letter to Onesimus expecting forgiveness. Indeed yes this letter is very powerful many reason because it is the only letter where Apostle Paul does not mention Jesus death and resurrection. And then he does share a gospel message about love about forgiveness about importance of translation treating another person on the ground of Christ like you know on same level crowd. So that may be one of the reason why the Karen had decided to keep into this letter in the New Testament. They never ignored this letter because forgiveness is the vital part in every Christian life. Reading a brother and sister equal in Christ is very important. They should not be any bias between a master and a slave because this was the nature of life sign and back then those days there was always a division between a master and a slave. But here this letter brings a reconciliation. Even though he did not explain or talk more of Jesus, but then he did not mention what the Eos were talking about. And he is also saying that Apostle Paul lived a life as a living example. Maybe that was one of the reason so poorly one of them in made Christ. So what happened? Now Onesimus carries the letter along with it as an Eos and eats five men and shares the letter. I know not much has been shared but I am sure five men who were in the Christ would have received Onesimus as a son. Just like how Apostle Paul saw Onesimus as a spiritual son. I'm sure five men also would have seen Onesimus as a spiritual son and they would have hugged each other, embraced each other, moving beyond that slave and master relationship. They would have been a true forgiveness. It's a great value that letter holds from Apostle Paul. And very likely when we read through the history, when we read through the history in 110 AD, one of the early fathers Ignatius has written a letter to the churches of Asia Minor. And he mentions the name as Bishop of Ephesus was Onesimus. One who was a slave who robbed his master ran away from his master's house to be lost in the huge city of Rome. Bumped into Ephaphorus who was a disciple of Apostle Paul, eventually was led by him to meet Apostle Paul. Now this man of his slave was useless, meets Apostle Paul as an encounter with Lord Jesus and now his life is transformed. His life is transformed. Who was once a slave? You know in those days, you're a slave, you're going to die as a slave. There's no way you have redemption from that. Slave trade was so heavy those days. You can never change from that. You can never come out of that. But then if you have encountered Jesus, you are free in Christ. And that we see in the life of Onesimus that truly he encountered Jesus and Jesus freed him from the slave. He grew to be the Bishop of the church at Ephesus. And this will explain everything that is no more slave. But he has grown in the Lord, in the ministry. Even when Apostle Paul met Onesimus in their relationship in the early days, Apostle Paul had seen something great in the slave. And he continued to minister to him, continued to share the gospel of Christ to him. And the life of Onesimus changed to be a testament to what God can do to the one who seeks him earnestly. You and I, when we seek God earnestly, how much more God can change our life? What is impossible by God? What seems to be dead and gone and useless? God can give life and bring you to something that can be used greater in God's kingdom. When we surrender ourselves to God, when we give ourselves, when we give our life to God, God can make it very beautiful. In fact, people did mention him in Jesus by saying, what good can come out of Nazareth, isn't it? But what happened? Jesus came from Nazareth. So when a surrendered life in Jesus Christ can become useful anytime. Even if we are a slave, considered to be useless. And if this is true, even God can change our life when we surrender ourselves to him. When we seek his forgiveness, God can change. So in what ways has forgiveness been a struggle for you and I when we accept Jesus Christ? Some of the important spiritual lessons that we can learn from this letter is the important of sympathy for the lowly. The duty of the obedience to the law on one part of the convert, but Onesimus must return to his master. Even before Onesimus can step into the ministry, Apostle Paul makes sure that he meets his master, brings a reconciliation and then get him back into the ministry that he could serve. And we also see that the Christian brotherhood, the love in Christ eliminates all the social and the class distinctions. So Apostle Paul brings in this letter and he encourages the forgiveness in our own life. We need to forgive ourselves. We need to forgive each other because that was one of the reason in the Lord's praise. Jesus teaches us as you forgive others, your sins will be forgiven. So at least for our sake, we need to forgive and lead a life that is peaceful, loving and kind. We need to trust God to foster a renewed life in our heart, in our relationship. Just like how if through the ministry of Apostle Paul, Lord can restore forgiveness and restore the life of Onesimus in Christ, God can do it through each of our lives. No matter whichever area that we lack or we need forgiveness, we can ask God, God, give me the forgiveness, release your forgiveness in me. Just like how Apostle Paul pleads for forgiveness with filaments and I'm sure the Lord would have also prepared the heart of filaments to forgive Onesimus. The same way we can ask God, God, create me a new heart, the heart that forgives, heart that loves, heart that asks for forgiveness, both the ways. So can I request one of you all to pray and ask God, God, through this letter, give us the heart, the heart that asks for forgiveness and also heart that forgives if somebody has wronged us. Anyone from the class can unmute and pray. Samuel, Sean, anyone can unmute and pray. My audible guys, can you all unmute and pray? Ma'am, can you hear me? Yes, Sean, please go ahead. Heavenly Father, thank you very much for bringing us here, Heavenly Father, for class, Heavenly Father and doing us lightly in His new knowledge about your Word, Heavenly Father. On this week, we are mighty to have more class to follow, Heavenly Father, and thank you very much, Heavenly Father, for helping Daniel explain all this, Heavenly Father, thanks, Heavenly Father. And thank you once again for bringing us all here for this class, Heavenly Father. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Amen. Anyone else would like to pray? Am I audible? Yes, yes, please go ahead, Nina. Thank you, dear Father, for this blessed time that you gave us, Master, and for all that you spoke to us, Master, through your Word. We want to thank you, Lord, for the undeniable impact of Paul's life, Master. And may we learn, Lord Jesus, that when we meet with people, we need to carry or let your presence be what is manifest, Lord, in each one of our lives. And we also want to thank you for the wonderful lesson that we learned about the forgiveness, Lord, and accepting everyone, no matter what wrong was done, but that heart to be able to forgive completely and accept the one and the beloved as was in this particular chapter, Lord. Thank you so much for all the lessons that we learned through Philemon, Lord. And maybe imbibe these qualities, Lord, whatever we need to refine and change, we pray that you will enable us to do that, Lord, through the Spirit of God. Thank you for being with each one of us. Thank you for Pastor Diana and each one of us, come into your hands. In Jesus' precious name, we pray. Amen. Amen. Thank you so much for praying. Thank you each one for joining in today's session. God bless you all tomorrow with the next letter. Thank you.