Forgive as We are Forgiven - Philemon

 Philemon 1:19 (ESV)

I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self.

Let’s supposed you had a great debt.   Let’s supposed I was aware of the debt and went to the person holding the debt and told them I was going to pay for it.  Would that person object to me paying your debt?  Probably not.  All they want is the debt paid.   Now let’s supposed that debt was you took something from them.   As long as I paid the debt would they be okay with that?  Probably, as long as I paid the debt equivalent to the value of what you took from them.   But, let’s now supposed the debt is not just that you took something from them, but you broke their trust and injured their relationship with you.  Yet, I still agreed to pay the debt.  Would they be willing to not just forgive the debt, but to also forgive you?   That scenario is the very point of the little book of Philemon.   Philemon was a prominent man in the church and apparently had a church meeting in his home.    He had a slave named Onesimus who not only took something from Philemon, but ran away, as well.   Apparently, in his running, he was caught, put in jail and was chained up next to Paul, who also was in jail, but for preaching the gospel vs stealing from his master.    The book reads that Paul lead Onesimus to Christ and is now sending the released-from-prison-saved-by-grace version of Onesimus back to Philemon.  Paul is asking Philemon to forgive Onesimus for the sin of stealing and telling him that he (Paul) would pay any debt that Onesimus has created in these past actions.   Paul appeals to the fact (in the above verse) that Philemon owes his salvation to Paul’s ministry.  So, Philemon has a debt to pay Paul. 

This is all the point of Christianity.  We all have debts.  Jesus paid for out debts.  We now, because of Christ’s nature in us, are obligated to forgive others, as well.  This is no hidden mystery because Jesus told us to forgive, just as we have been forgiving.  Note:

Matthew 6:12 (ESV)

and forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Philemon could hold the debt over Onesimus head and keep reminding him each day of what he owed.  Yet, that is not what Jesus did for us.  Paul is offering to pay the debt and is asking Philemon to forgive the debt financially and in all ways spiritually.   Philemon was written to tell us about forgiveness and substitutionary atonement.   Jesus substituted Himself for us to the Father so that the Father no longer sees us in debt.   Paul is saying I will pay the debt of Onesimus and asking Philemon to forgive him.  In reality, Paul did not need to do that, but he substituted himself for Onesimus, showing the perfect example of what Christ did for us.   We are to forgive as we have been forgiven.