The plea of Christian fellowship.
The apostle here directly puts his request, "If then thou countest me a partner, receive him as myself" He regards Philemon as a partner in faith and love and life. It is a recurrence to an old argument, "If there be any fellowship of the Spirit … fulfill ye my joy."
I. THE FELLOWSHIP OF BELIEVERS. It subsists in the fellowship with the Father and the Son, and derives all its force therefrom. (1 John 1:3.) That fellowship implies that all saints have a common Father (Ephesians 4:6), a common elder Brother (Hebrews 2:11), a common inheritance (Ephesians 2:19; Revelation 1:9), a common grace (Philippians 1:7), a common suffering (1 Corinthians 12:26; Hebrews 10:33, Hebrews 10:34). The Holy Spirit is the Author and the Power of this fellowship (2 Corinthians 13:13), as love is the "bond of perfection" (Colossians 3:14). Thus believers become of "one heart and one soul."
II. THE PLEA FOUNDED UPON THIS FELLOWSHIP. "Receive him as myself."
1. It is a genuine plea; for the apostle elsewhere says, "If there be any fellowship of the Spirit … look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others" (Philippians 2:4). "Love seeketh not her own."
2. Onesimus was now a partner as well as the apostle. Therefore, as the old Puritan says, "Love me, love my partner: one partner receives another, even for a partner's sake." If Philemon loves Christ in the apostle, why not in Onesimus? "Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of these little ones, ye have done it unto me" (Matthew 25:40). We are to love Christ in the meanest of his servants.—T.C.
The apostle's frank acceptance of pecuniary responsibility for Onesimus.
The injured master might plead that it was enough for him to forbear punishing his unfaithful servant, but the injuries he had received put it out of his power to replace him in his household.
I. THERE IS HERE AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE WRONG DONE BY THE NOW PENITENT SLAVE. "If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee aught, put that to mine account." It is evident that Onesimus had frankly confessed his misdeeds to the apostle.
1. Mark the mild language in which the apostle describes them. He does not say that Onesimus robbed his master, as he did not wish either to hurt the feelings of the slave or to irritate the feelings of the master; but simply speaks of a wrong done, of a possible debt incurred. If a sinner is penitent, why should his old sins or follies be thrown in his teeth?
2. Restitution in case of civil injury is a first flying. It is one of the most practical proofs of repentance.
II. THERE IS A RESPONSIBILITY ASSUMED FOR THE DEBT OF ONESIMUS. "Put that to mine account: I Paul write it with mine own hand, I will repay it." The apostle here puts his name, as it were, at the foot of the bond.
1. It was an act of self-sacrificing consideration for Onesimus, as if the apostle would remove every possible obstacle to the restoration of the penitent slave to his Colossian home.
2. Yet it is so put as to imply that Philemon would hardly exact the debt.
III. THERE IS THE STATEMENT OF A MUCH LARGER COUNTER-CLAIM. "Not to say to thee that thou owest to me even thine own self besides."
1. It was a true claim. The apostle had been the instrument of Philemon's conversion.
2. It was an overpowering claim. The blessing that accrues to a man from his conversion cannot be weighed in the balance against all a man's property.
3. There ought to be mercy in the exaction of debts. This is implied in the nature of the apostle's appeal. Onesimus was utterly unable to make restitution, and, if the apostle became his surety, it was with an implied wish that Philemon would take a liberal view of his duty in the matter.—T.C.