MAN ON THE RUN - PART 2

In my last blog, we looked at the story of Onesimus, the runaway slave of Philemon. The powerful change that came into Onesimus’ life is captured in Paul’s statement in verse 11, “Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.”

We have to speculate about how Onesimus got with Paul in Rome. In the previous article I raised the question, “Is it possible that Onesimus ran away from his employer, Philemon, because he was attracted to the message of Jesus but for unexplained reasons would not or could not respond in that environment?” The beauty of the story is that he did get to a place where he could respond and the results were dramatic.

Paul’s personal letter to Philemon is affirming and gracious. He calls Philemon his “dear friend and fellow laborer” (v. 1). He assures Philemon of his constant prayers on his behalf and compliments his wonderful testimony of love and faith (vv. 4 and 5). And then in verse 6 Paul makes this somewhat provocative statement:

“I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.”

It seems that as he writes to share the news about Onesimus, Paul also has a corrective word for Philemon. Is it possible that the church in Colosse had become primarily a believers’ fellowship gathering and that little or no evangelism was taking place? Is it possible that Onesimus ran away because no one in the Colossian church had invited him to know the Lord?

Some would say that is just speculation but I don’t think so. I believe Paul was lovingly addressing a problem in the Colossian church. One of the fundamental truths of church life is, “as the head goes, so goes the body.” Philemon was one of the keys leaders of the church that met in his home and if Philemon was not sharing the message of the gospel, and that had become his way of life, you can mark it down that was the way of that church.

Paul appeals to Philemon with a very rational argument. He maintains that as we share our faith, we gain a fuller understanding of all that Christ died to provide for us (see v. 6).

When my wife and I lived in Plano, TX, our home sat on the south side of a small man-made lake, one of four small lakes in a chain. Because they are man-made, it was a struggle to keep them full of water, so the homeowners’ association installed a recirculation system. The water in the lakes flows from east to west and then is pumped back to the eastern end. Problem solved? Well, not quite! In our warmer climate, it is difficult to keep recirculating water fresh. Health and vitality in lakes happens when there is a strong flow of fresh water coming in one end and an outlet on the other; it is the flow of new water that keeps the lake fresh and the water clean and clear. Because of the lack of fresh water in our small lakes, chemical additives had to be put in the lakes to keep them free from unwanted weeds and algae. (Wow, there’s an insight here about what the contemporary church is doing to try and stay fresh without evangelism!)

The same is true with the spiritual man. If life is mostly one of recirculation, then the water is going to become murky and strange things are going to start growing.

Paul’s challenge to Philemon was couched in delicate terms because the Colossian church was not one that he began and, in fact, he had never been there. His challenge, however, was clear: “For you to fully realize who you are in Christ, you must begin sharing your faith with others.” Why would he say this? Because Philemon was not doing this!

The lack of evangelism in the church is a tragedy. When the church stops sharing the gospel to those around it, people pass into eternity without Christ and the blame lies with the church and the people who make it up. Because of the failure to share the gospel, the church grows stagnant and that makes it even more repulsive to the world. Stagnant water is smelly, and germs and disease begin to grow.

The argument that this generation will not hear the gospel in the style in which it was presented forty or fifty years ago is valid— and I agree wholeheartedly. The shouting, sweating, Bible-thumping days are gone—and thank the Lord they are! But the gospel is still as powerful today as it ever was. Has heaven shut off all creativity? Are there no new ideas left? If there are no fresh ideas flowing, it’s because we have shut off the intake valves!

The church of Acts was not a church of big events; it was primarily a church filled with people who made it their lifestyle to share the gospel with their neighbors. Paul did not go around the Mediterranean world holding big crusades. He went to an area, found a few people who responded to the message of Christ, taught them, formed a church, and moved on. Paul lovingly challenged Philemon with this because he knew that the spiritual vitality and future of the Colossian church was in jeopardy.