Read: Philemon 1:1-23; Phillipians 1:1-2:11
Paul mentored many young men. Timothy and Onesimus were two of them. They were both with him in Rome and grew under his prison ministry. He wrote to Philemon while he was a prisoner, begging him to accept the new Onesimus who had matured and could now be an asset to the church at large. Onesimus had been a slave of Philemon’s before but Paul is asking Philemon to now accept him as a brother.
Paul also speaks of Epaphras, who was a fellow prisoner that converted under his ministry. He mentions others that co-labor with him in Rome. Paul makes it clear to his audience that everything in his life led him up to this moment in Rome. He was destined to go here and spread the good news. Little did Paul know that he was a type of the end-time church. During Jesus time, the religious headquarters was in Rome. It was corrupt and he came to lay down his life there that life might spring from that place. Paul, as a type of “the Church” was to die in Rome because in the last days, the place of religious apostasy will be in Rome. The Vatican will be where the one world religion will set up its headquarters once Jesus comes for his bride. There will be no true believers to stop them but life will also spring up from that place as unbelievers come to the truth.
Paul realized that his only motivation for living was to further the gospel of Christ. He would choose death but for the goal in his heart. He was convinced that to remain alive would help someone in the Body of Christ grow and experience the joy of their salvation. He prayed that his struggle would encourage them to be thankful.
At the end of his letter he reminded them to remember all Jesus did for them on the cross. He, the son of God, humbled himself and laid down his life for the world. Then God highly exalted him to the highest honor and gave him the highest name on earth. One day, every tongue would declare that he was Lord.
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