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"Whom I wished to keep with me..."

Text: Philemon 13

AN EXTRAORDINARY REQUEST

The apostle Paul had made a huge request to Philemon! If we do not fully appreciate the depth of the friendship between the two men, Paul’s request would have seemed almost presumptuous.

1. This was not an ordinary request.

2. This was a request that was truly extraordinary.

a) It went against the Roman law governing slaves.

b) It went against social norms.

c) It stretched the normal boundaries of friendship.

AN EXTRAORDINARY FRIENDSHIP

What was the friendship between Paul and Philemon like? It may indeed be described as extraordinary! Some special features of this friendship are highlighted:-

“Whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf
he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel.”
Philemon 13

1. Philemon’s heart of love

a) This was spoken of in Philemon 4, 7-9.

b) Paul was essentially pleading that this love might prevail.

c) Would Philemon minister to Paul out of a heart of love? Paul believed so!

2. “On your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel”

a) Philemon was well-known for his generous and charitable deeds to many people.

b) He would not have failed to do all he could for his good friend Paul.

i) Paul was in chains for the sake of the gospel.

ii) Onesimus was in jail with Paul.

iii) Onesimus could minister to Paul on Philemon’s behalf.

iv) But Philemon must express this personally.

3. “Whom I wished to keep with me”

a) If Paul could he would have liked to retain Onesimus with him.

b) But he would not be presumptuous; he would not retain Onesimus without first writing to Philemon.

c) Nevertheless he expressed what he felt candidly to Philemon.

d) Paul bared his heart to his dearly beloved friend.