After getting through his pleasantries and breaking the ice of introduction, Paul quickly gets straight to the point of his postcard to Philemon.

“I’m nothing if not bold,” Paul says in verse eight. “You and I both know I have a gift of speaking boldly. But, I’d rather console you than command you into doing the right thing.”

“So, here I am,” the Passion Translation reads, “an old man and a prisoner, making my loving appeal to you.” And that “appeal” word? It describes encouraging someone and strengthening them with the most comforting words possible. Paul did that here on behalf of Onesimus, his spiritual son, who was re-born with Paul during his imprisonment and who he had fathered in the faith ever since.

Onesimus, whose name means “useful” or “profitable,” proved to be the exact opposite of his name. Philemon knew the man to be entirely useless and wholly unprofitable. Paul knew it and acknowledged it with a play on words tied directly to his former slave’s name, which is only used this one time in the entire Bible. It’s a distinctly negative word that highlights the truth that Onesimus was not only useless, but he was also detrimental, unmanageable, and burdensome (and he remained a burden to Philemon long after he left).

“He’s very profitable now,” Paul wrote in verse 11, “to both of us.” He’s truly Onesimus—the profitable and useful man that God created him to be. “He did you a great disservice. But God flipped him around, and he has been greatly and irreplaceably serviceable to me (and also, by extension, to you).”

“I’m sending my very own heart back to you,” he continued in Philemon 1:12-14 ESV (and we already know how well-known the man is for refreshing hearts). “I’d be more than happy to keep him here with me so that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, but I need your consent.”

“I want you to give help because you were willing,” the New Living Translation of verse 14 reads, “not because you were forced.”

Just like with his use of koinonia (and its financial nuance) in verse six, Paul uses a Greek word for forced giving that he also used in 2 Corinthians 9:7—a passage that also holds a financial connotation surrounding cheerful giving. All of it is rooted in Deuteronomy 15:7, with people cheerfully giving as they have purposed in their hearts (not begrudgingly). It goes hand-in-hand with Numbers 15:3 and voluntary, freewill offerings in worship to God moving in their hearts (and not because a law required it).

“If you consider me a partner,” Paul writes in verse 17, “receive him into your Spirit-rested home with the same kindness you would show if it were me. Welcome him as you would welcome me”.

And then, Paul ups the ante with a significant promise that, on its own, is enough to make Philemon’s acceptance of Onesimus that much easier. But, in light of the cultural insight behind Colossians 2:14, it’s even more staggering—especially if you flip the order of verses 18 and 19.

Remember, in ancient Greek culture, when a person borrowed money, the borrower was the one who wrote out the certificate of debt. It was created by the one entering into that debt, acknowledging, in their own handwriting, that money from another person had either been deposited with them or lent to them and would be repaid at their appointed and mutually agreed-upon time.

The “handwriting” word Paul uses here in Philemon 1:19 is the same writing-word from John 8:6-8 when Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger in front of the group of scribes Pharisees who had caught a woman in adultery and brought her to Him.

As He wrote, each of her accusers left, one by one.

Knowing what we know about the handwritten debt certificates, it’s safe to say that Jesus wasn’t just writing out a list of laws that those men were guilty of breaking. He was writing out His own certificate of debt, knowing that He would absorb their sin as His own and nail it to the cross with Him.

Here, Paul does the same thing with Onesimus’ debt.

“If he has wronged you (he had), put that on my account,” Paul said. “I’ll make it right. If he owes you anything (he did), the debt is now mine, too. I’ll pay it back. I, Paul, am writing this new debt-certificate with my own hand.”

Then, one last note: “You owe me already as much as Onesium’s debt, anyway—plus your very life, saved the same way Onesimus’ was.” It’s a staggeringly gentle truth that Paul teaches Philemon, in the same vein as Luke 11:4, when Jesus taught His disciples how to pray. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.

With a final play on words, Paul wraps up his postcard with a Greek word for “joy,” which means “benefitted” or “profited” and is taken from the root word for Onesimus’ name.

“If you receive him,” Paul says, “you’ll be doing it for Christ, but I will be the one receiving the oninēmi-joy and my heart will be anapauō-refreshed.” Because that’s how the Spirit-hovering works. You don’t have to be in a person’s physical presence to experience the effects of the Holy Spirit resting upon them. But you can absolutely believe that the anapauō-refreshing would be just enough to tide Paul over until he could get out of those chains and beeline straight to Philemon’s house, where he would reunite with Onesimus and linger in his friend’s signature hospitality.

“Get your guest room ready,” he says, tying it all up in one last beautiful act of faith that he would get out of that prison, eventually. “Keep praying for me, and I am absolutely convinced that I’ll get some deep, in-person, anapauō-refreshing soon enough.”

And then, with some final greetings, he signs his name, and you and I sit stunned as it all sinks in. In one fell swoop, Paul showed himself to be the true embodiment of every word that he writes. With this one letter, he has proven that he isn’t just a doctrine-spouting, perfection-seeking, pompous teacher. He was a living, breathing reflection of Colossians 3 and Ephesians 6. He was a man who walked worthy of his Ephesians 4:1 calling, and he had no idea that it would be a world-altering ministry that would affect every single generation after him.

Paul walked worthy, even in prison (especially in prison), all to express, with words and without, the worth of the Lord God Almighty and the worth of the Lamb who was slain. Jesus alone is worthy to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength, honor and glory and blessing. And Paul walked a life worthy enough to give Him that glory.

You are worthy, O Lord. May my life be even a glimmer of the same.