Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:
The letter belongs to the gospel's power to change the relation between master and servant, set against Roman slavery as a degrading and often brutally cruel system. The unprofitable one is Onesimus, a pagan slave of Philemon, who was a Christian believer in Colosse. Unprofitable means he had formerly been of no benefit or use to Philemon as a disobedient slave. His unprofitableness took the form of wronging and robbing Philemon and then escaping to Rome.
Profitable means that after his conversion he had become useful to both Philemon and Paul through his changed life and service. The change came through Paul's labors in Rome, where the aged prisoner of Jesus Christ led him to Christ in prison. There he heard the words of life, was brought to confess his sins, and was converted to the faith of Christ, so that Paul calls him his son begotten in his bonds. His new profitableness appeared in becoming pious and sincere, tenderly caring for Paul's comfort, being zealous in promoting the work of the gospel, and possessing traits of character that would make him a useful helper in missionary labor.
His conversion was proved by returning without delay to Philemon to beg forgiveness and plan for the future. Delivering himself up to the master he had wronged was a severe test. Paul promised to hold himself responsible for the sum stolen and sent him with Tychicus carrying letters to churches in Asia Minor. In view of that conversion, Paul does not urge Philemon's Christian duty but entreats him to receive the repentant slave as his own child and as a beloved brother, not merely as a servant but above a servant. He was to be received with such affection that he would choose to dwell with his former master. Paul desired to retain Onesimus to minister to him in his bonds in Philemon's place, yet he would not keep his services unless Philemon of his own accord set the slave free.
The letter belongs to the gospel's power to change the relation between master and servant, set against Roman slavery as a degrading and often brutally cruel system. The unprofitable one is Onesimus, a pagan slave of Philemon, who was a Christian believer in Colosse. Unprofitable means he had formerly been of no benefit or use to Philemon as a disobedient slave. His unprofitableness took the form of wronging and robbing Philemon and then escaping to Rome.
Profitable means that after his conversion he had become useful to both Philemon and Paul through his changed life and service. The change came through Paul's labors in Rome, where the aged prisoner of Jesus Christ led him to Christ in prison. There he heard the words of life, was brought to confess his sins, and was converted to the faith of Christ, so that Paul calls him his son begotten in his bonds. His new profitableness appeared in becoming pious and sincere, tenderly caring for Paul's comfort, being zealous in promoting the work of the gospel, and possessing traits of character that would make him a useful helper in missionary labor.
His conversion was proved by returning without delay to Philemon to beg forgiveness and plan for the future. Delivering himself up to the master he had wronged was a severe test. Paul promised to hold himself responsible for the sum stolen and sent him with Tychicus carrying letters to churches in Asia Minor. In view of that conversion, Paul does not urge Philemon's Christian duty but entreats him to receive the repentant slave as his own child and as a beloved brother, not merely as a servant but above a servant. He was to be received with such affection that he would choose to dwell with his former master. Paul desired to retain Onesimus to minister to him in his bonds in Philemon's place, yet he would not keep his services unless Philemon of his own accord set the slave free.