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3 John 1:3-4

Sinners Saved by Grace

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
June 1, 2023

 It’s all about “truth.” John is writing to those who have it, those who are walking in it, and his joy in hearing about it all. 3 John 1:3-4 says, “For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” John is really interested in the concept of “truth.” Nothing makes John happier than to see the people he loves living in accord with the truth. Truth is mentioned in these two verses three times. The main thing we must understand is what John means when he speaks of “walking in the truth.” What is the “truth?”

John had some major issues with the “Gnostics” during his ministry in Ephesus. They were complicating the simple message of the gospel by arguing that there was a special kind of “knowledge” that one could have which would elevate them in some way above the ordinary people. There are so many varieties of Gnosticism that it isn’t important to explain them all or to understand them all. The Encyclopedia Britannica says, “Consensus on a definition of gnosticism has proved difficult. The groups conventionally classified as gnostic did not constitute a single movement with relatively homogeneous organization, teachings, and rituals. Even the self-designation gnostic is problematic, since it is attested for only some of the traditions conventionally treated as gnostic, and its connotations are ambiguous.”[1] Let it be enough to understand that each brand carries a specific insight into truth that others don’t have. Each of these philosophies, regardless of the specifics, proved to be divisive. It wasn’t a movement that brought people together. It was rather ideas that separated them. The “truth” that John talks about in his Gospel, as well as his three letters, is a truth that brings people together and contributes to the mindset of love for each other.

It seems clear to me that the truth John is excited about is the simple truth of the Gospel that brings people together. That truth, as I’ve often argued, is the truth that each and every one of us is a sinner. We have nothing at all in our characters, behaviors, or knowledge that can elevate us above anyone else. This is the first part of the truth of the Gospel. Without this truth, there is no true fellowship. There is only competition. Recognizing and admitting our sins, as well as our sinfulness, qualifies as repentance. Without this admission, we end up in relationships where each of us has to be declared “right” to make it work. The truth we need to bow to is that we all need to grasp our personal culpability in all situations. In The Handbook for Bible Prayers, we read, “Not only does saying ‘sorry’ remind us who God is, but it also reminds us who we are. We can so easily lose a proper perspective of ourselves and become convinced of our own importance and indispensability. How fortunate the company is to have us working for them! How blessed the church is to have us as a member. But owning up to our sin and saying ‘sorry’ to God has a way of healthily putting things back into perspective again by reminding us who we really are—just sinners saved by grace.”[2] This is the first half of the “truth” that John is speaking of. The second half is the remedy of our sinfulness: Jesus Christ! Stephen Neil explains this well. He writes, “Much popular theology and Christian devotion is based on the idea, not clearly expressed but unmistakably revealed by careful analysis, that someday, perhaps not in this world and only after long purgation, we shall reach a condition in which God will be able to approve of us as we are in ourselves. This is a fatal theological error.… A time will never come when we shall be able to depend on our own righteousness as that which can commend us to God. To the end of all eternity, the highest situation to which we can aspire is that which already we have, that of sinners saved by grace.”[3] This opens the door to genuine Christian fellowship. The ground at the foot of the cross is perfectly level. No one stands taller than anyone else. Jesus, and only Jesus, is our source of righteousness.

[1] Gnosticism | Definition, Texts, Movements, & Influence | Britannica

[2] Manser, Martin, and Mike Beaumont. 2020. Handbook of Bible Prayers. Manser and Beaumont.

[3] Stott, John. 2018. The Preacher’s Notebook: The Collected Quotes, Illustrations, and Prayers of John Stott. Edited by Mark Meynell. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

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2 John 1:4, Various

Walking in the Truth

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
May 31, 2023

John’s second epistle is a very personal one. It’s either written to a particular woman or a particular church that he refers to as “a woman.” Whichever this is, we see that John is extremely delighted with what he has heard about them. In 2 John 1:4, he says, “I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father.” The commentators seem to default to the understanding that “walking in truth” means to live pure, holy lives. It means to follow the ten commandments, take stands against certain practices, engage in other religious practices, give generously, and avoid all appearances of doing wrong. It’s certain that we have a need for this kind of life in our society. Since truth is that which accords to reality, it’s intimately connected with God. God created mankind “male and female.” Only women can have children. God is the one who decided and established this truth. But today, there are even arguments against that. I like what one web blogger says, “In the Bible, truth is closely connected to God. Apart from Him, there is no absolute truth – as many philosophers and scientists have experienced. Apart from God, we can’t get beyond truth as a subjective, cultural construct. Therefore, many consider truth an invalid and outdated concept. And that has huge consequences for ethics, to name just one field, since there is no longer an absolute starting point on which to base our moral decisions. Without absolute truth, there is no absolute right or wrong, good or bad.”[1]

Butler, who shares a Navy background with me, writes, “It is not easy to walk a holy life. No one will help you or encourage you. Sometimes even Christians are no help to walking in the truth. Most Christians I met in the Navy were head and shoulder above others in their conduct, but there were some who tried to live a double life. It was no encouragement to a good stand for Jesus Christ.”[2] I’m not sure that this is how John wanted us to understand his phrase about “walking in the truth.” Brannan observes, “Manuscripts are split between ‘walking in the truth’ and ‘walk in truth.’ In the first, the author has a specific truth in mind, while in the second, the truth may be of a general nature.”[3] I would argue that a specific truth is in John’s mind, not the general idea of truth.

John’s truth concerns two important things. First is that we are all sinners. This truth is something we walk in. We don’t walk through it into a sinless life. That never happens. Even the Apostle Paul recognized that when he wanted to do good, he found himself failing. When he tries not to do bad, he finds he has failed in that as well (See Romans 7). We walk into this room of the realization and acknowledgment of our sinfulness, and we stay there! We don’t pass on to the “perfect” room. The other part of John’s truth is that Jesus Christ is the only remedy for that problem. The only way we move from sin to righteousness is for God to attribute Christ’s righteousness to us. We will never attain righteousness on our own. Keeping this truth foremost in our lives, walking in it, makes the ground at the foot of the cross perfectly level. We all stand as sinners saved by grace. I’m no better than others. We are all in the same boat. These truths open the door for real Christian living. The call throughout the bible is to “repent.” That means entering into the room of the truth about our human condition. As Paul told the Philippian jailor who wanted to know how he could be saved, “believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” I think this is the commandment that John was referring to in this short letter. He says it more clearly in 1 John. In 1 John 3:23, John describes the commandment that Jesus gave us. He says, “And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.”

[1] https://www.biblword.net/what-does-it-mean-to-walk-in-the-truth/

[2] Butler, John G. 2014. “Character.” In Sermon Starters, 5:205. Clinton, IA: LBC Publications.

[3] Brannan, Rick, and Israel Loken. 2014. The Lexham Textual Notes on the Bible. Lexham Bible Reference Series. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

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1 John 1:3-4

Complete Joy!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
May 30, 2023

 John is telling us about Jesus, the eternal Son of God, who died on the cross and rose from the dead to pay the penalty for our sins and purchase a place for us in heaven that he offers to us all as a free gift that can only be received through faith. Toward the end of his letter, John explains his purpose for writing. 1 John 5:12-13 says, “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.” At the beginning of this letter, he gives us another reason for writing. It’s not a different reason but rather a result we will experience if we come to grips with the reality of our eternal life through faith in Christ.  In John 1:3-4, he asserts his personal experience and knowledge of Jesus and how he wants to pass it on to us for a particular reason. He says, “That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed, our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.”

Assurance of our eternal life is certainly something that gives us great joy. This is especially true in the face of death. It brings purpose and meaning to life that nothing in this world can satisfy. We might find some happiness in life without Christ, but it’s not the same as the happiness one finds in Christ. David Allen wrote, “Christian joy is far removed from what is commonly construed as happiness, which is dependent upon outward circumstances. It can certainly include such, but Christian joy is much deeper and richer in meaning. Joy describes a reality in life of genuine satisfaction intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. Joy is a spirit of exultation regardless of circumstances. Joy is a sense of supernatural strength that can only come from the Lord: “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). I have seen the joyless eyes of miserable people in many cities around the world. I have observed the joyless faces of people in Third World countries, clawing and scratching to eke out an existence for themselves and their families. Even those fortunate enough to be in decent economic shape along with those who have anything and everything money can buy might sometimes experience happiness, but without God through Christ they can never experience genuine joy. The wisest and richest man who ever lived found that out when he sailed the high seas of life in an effort to find fulfillment. The man on whom the world exhausted itself and for whom the world was not enough discovered the bitter truth that at the end of every paycheck, the bottom of every bottle, and the morning after every one-night stand, there was no joy in Mudville. So, he tells us in his personal memoirs known as Ecclesiastes. Mighty Solomon had struck out. Only God can grant joy to the human soul. “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). The crown of joy can only be worn by those who have been adopted into God’s royal family through his Son, King Jesus. The banner of joy will only fly over the castle of your life when the King is in residence there. Joy is the response of the soul that is rightly related to God through the knowledge of Christ as our Savior and Lord.”[1]

As Solomon relates to us in Ecclesiastes, we are all looking for meaning and purpose in life. We know that without that, there can be no joy in any lasting way. The whole Old Testament might be just one long story of men and women trying to find joy in their lives. Marianne Thompson said, “Biblical writers continually looked for the day when they would know joy, when they would rejoice. But John writes in this epistle that the expected joy of fellowship with God is now available to those who fellowship with God through Jesus. No need to wait any longer—full joy can be ours through Jesus Christ. A long-awaited blessing of the messianic age is here. Joy is not given to us apart from the circumstances of our earthly life, or as a substitute for pain or an escape from sorrow. Joy does not depend upon the elimination of the things that weigh us down or trouble us here. Joy comes from the deep trust of knowing that precisely in this world one is nevertheless in touch with the God who has given us life in the midst of the death that surrounds us.”[2]

[1] Allen, David L. 2013. 1–3 John: Fellowship in God’s Family. Edited by R. Kent Hughes. Preaching the Word. Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

[2] Thompson, Marianne Meye. 1992. 1–3 John. The IVP New Testament Commentary Series. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

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2 Peter 1:3, Various

Because He Lives

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
May 29, 2023

Knowledge is an important subject to Peter. He talks about God’s omniscience in his first epistle and opens his second letter praying that grace and peace would be multiplied to his readers in the knowledge of God and Jesus. He ends that letter with the same thought. Now in 2 Peter 1:3, he continues with the idea of knowledge. He writes, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.”

He has granted us all things that pertain to life and godliness. One might agree that Christ is sufficient with regard to securing my eternal life, but it sounds like Peter is talking about our life in the here and now. I like the way Colin Smith puts it in his sermon, “You will find in Jesus Christ not just everything you need for faith, but everything that you will face in life! Think about what that means for getting through life in middle school or high school–your first experience of discovering that the world is unfair. Peter says Jesus Christ is everything you need to deal with this. Your first experience of rejection of finding yourself outside the group, Christ, is everything you need for that. You will experience struggles with your own moods. Jesus is everything you need. God’s divine power has given you everything you need for life in middle school and high school through your knowledge of Jesus Christ. Everything you need for life in old age. Everything you need for married life. Everything you need for single life. Everything you need for your mid-life crisis. Where you discover that what you have done is less than you thought. You look at how long you have to go and it’s less than you thought too. We are talking about life in all of its fullness here, and Peter is saying to us that Jesus Christ is sufficient, not only for faith, but for all of life. If you can see that He is sufficient, not just for a corner of your life, but for the whole of it, this will change how you follow Jesus Christ.”[1]

The things of life and godliness come to us through the knowledge of Jesus Christ. The Bible speaks of this knowledge frequently in the New Testament. It seems to be particularly pointed at satisfying the warning of the Prophet Hosea, who speaks to his own people, Israel, and says, in 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge.” It’s not only Peter who harps on the need for the knowledge of Jesus. Paul does also. In Philippians 3:7-8, he talks about the value of the knowledge of Jesus in comparison to the things of the world. He says, “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord.” Then in His letter to the Ephesians (Ephesians 1:17-23), he prays that all of his readers will experience the “knowledge” of Jesus. He writes, “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” Knowing Jesus, and having faith in Him, secures our eternal destiny and gives us something worthwhile to live for now. As the songwriter says, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.”

[1] https://openthebible.org/sermon/everything-you-need-life/

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1 Peter 1:3

Blessed are the Homesick

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
May 28, 2023

This is my favorite Easter verse. I’ve preached many Easter sermons based on this one verse. You will agree! It’s the perfect verse to capture the true meaning of Easter for each of us. 1 Peter 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” The resurrection of the dead gives us all a “living hope” for the cure of living in an alien world. We know we aren’t where we are supposed to be. It’s in the blood of a born-again believer, the “elect” of God. Peter writes his first epistle to those scattered abroad who know they are aliens in the world. Helm explains, “For everyone unfamiliar with Old Testament history, the ‘elect exiles of the dispersion’ were by nature a scattered and conflicted people. As God’s elect, they wrestled with what it meant to be the object of his affections, yet seemingly abandoned to out-of-the-way places. As exiles, they struggled with questions of cultural engagement—of what it meant to conduct themselves as God’s people living under an ungodly rule.”[1] Peter is addressing the alienation of the believer in the world in which he has to live. This is the worst kind of homesickness!

I remember my first year in the Navy aboard the USS WRIGHT, homeported in Norfolk, Virginia. It was far from my home in Omaha, Nebraska. But the Navy first sent me to Treasure Island near San Francisco, California. I was there for a month before getting ultimate duty orders to the ship in Norfolk. I went from one coast to the other. Flying over Nebraska on my way from California to Virginia, I had this overwhelming sense that I might not ever see my home again. The Navy doesn’t treat its recruits well. It’s all “shut up and sit down,” “swab the deck,” or “scrape the paint.” In my case, it was washing the dishes aboard the ship of 2000 men three times a day! I was assigned to the scullery on the Wright. I hadn’t been there a month, and I knew my life was over. I’d never see home again, and there wasn’t anything I wanted more! The parental discipline I received at home was kind and loving, even when it was stern, but not so in the Navy. I just wanted to go home. But that was out of the question, and I had lost all hope of rescue from my plight and just plodded on day after day, washing dishes and getting up early, and going to bed early. The only thing to look forward to was the scullery and the many long hours of washing dishes. I had no hope of anything better for three months. Then a man from the personnel office came down and asked if anyone could type. I couldn’t raise my hand fast enough! I was the only boy in my junior year typing class at Holy Name High School. He interviewed me and promised to consider my reassignment to the personnel office of the ship. All of a sudden, there was hope. The scullery wasn’t so bad anymore. I lived the next week with a “living hope.”  I did my work with a whole new attitude.

Hope does a marvelous thing.  We have been born again to a “Living” hope. The ship’s office, however, didn’t satisfy my craving for home. I was glad for the change of environment, but I still missed the familiar streets, the creaks in the stairs going up to my bedroom, the familiar street signs, the big oak tree in my front yard, and, of course, the people that I loved and that loved me. Tozer told about American soldiers in World War I. He said, “they say that American soldiers are the most homesick boys of all the soldiers known any place. All other soldiers manage somehow to toughen up and take it, but they say Americans are just homesick to the point where they do not care. I was in the First World War, that is, I was in the service, but I never got into combat. After it was over and we knew we were going home but did not know when, one of the fellows working there with me used to sing ‘Home, Sweet Home.’ I thought it was a joke, but it was not—the fellow was so homesick he did not care if they laughed at him. He sang ‘Home, Sweet Home’ off key until he was released.”[2] Arno C. Gaebelein referred to his longing for Jesus’ second coming as “the homesickness of the new life.” Someone else put it this way, “Blessed are the homesick, for they shall be called home.”

[1] Helm, David R. 2008. 1 & 2 Peter and Jude: Sharing Christ’s Sufferings. Preaching the Word. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

[2] Tozer, A. W., and Lyle W. Dorsett. 1998. Tozer Speaks to Students : Chapel Messages Preached at Wheaton College. Camp Hill, PA.: WingSpread.

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James 1:3-4

Better or Bitter?

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
May 27, 2023

James is talking to his readers about the inevitability of trials and temptations coming into the lives of believers. We are not to think that it is unusual that we have hardships. They are part of living in a sinful world. Even the righteous Job had many trials. But, James argues, if we learn to respond to them positively, we will find that they will bring with them significant benefits. This verse helps us understand to some extent, how the presence of pain in our lives could be a cause for joy. How can James encourage us to count our hardships as “all joy?” Verses 3 and 4 give us part of the answer. James says, “For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

I remember my dentist asking me if I want some novocaine before he prepared a tooth for a filling. My thought was, “of course, you idiot, do you think I like pain?”  Thankfully, I just said, “yes, yes, I would.” I don’t know anyone that likes pain. My Dad used to say that some things in life are like beating your head against the curb. It feels so good when you stop. This might be the motive behind the “cutting” phenomenon that happens in certain cases. Sometimes people feel that they need some radical sensual stimulation to shock them out of their present state of mind. That’s kind of like voluntary “shock therapy.” But that, too, is not the usual state of mind. Masochists get a perverted sense of sexual gratification (or emotional high) with pain, but that’s not normal either. No, most normal people don’t like pain. Yes, give me the Novocain. Yes, I believe most of us will go out of our way to avoid pain. That’s normal, yet none of us can live a life free from it.  Life is often full of physical as well as emotional pain, and maturity is facing up to that reality. Holloway says, “Worldly wisdom can see no value in suffering. It says pain is to be avoided at all costs, and only pleasure brings happiness. By contrast, to Christians, even trials are a joy because they lead us to maturity in Christ. Christians judge value quite differently than the world does. To us, the highest value is not freedom from pain but a faith that perseveres. The suffering that life brings, although bad in itself, can be turned by God into pure joy.”[1]

The idea James wants us to understand is that trials and hardships in life give us a complete experience in life. The English translations that use “perfect” for the Greek word “teleios” is unfortunate. He doesn’t want us to think that hardships will make us “perfect” in any way, but rather, well-rounded individuals who can live life amidst the ups and downs and not lose faith in a good God who loves us and always has our best interest foremost in mind. However, maturity is not a passive thing. That’s why James exhorts us to “let steadfastness produce its full effect.”

Osborne says, “God sends the refining process; his people must put that to work in their lives. The literal wording is, ‘let endurance continue to have its perfect work.’ There are two ideas here—the believer’s responsibility to yield to God in the midst of the trials and the effects of these difficulties that are at work in the Christian. In this context, it means to allow the process of learning perseverance to come to ‘completion,’ to let it come to full fruition in one’s life.”[2] There is no Novocain for most pain in our lives. We will have to experience all that comes in our life without recourse to diminishing it. We can’t drink it away or drug it away; we simply must experience it. But James wants us the let the painful experiences in our lives make us better people, not bitter people. That happens when we trust God to work out all things in our lives for our good, even bad things.

[1] Holloway, Gary. 1996. James & Jude. The College Press NIV Commentary. Joplin, MO: College Press Pub.

[2] Osborne, Grant R. 2011. “James.” In Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: James, 1–2 Peter, Jude, Revelation, edited by Philip W. Comfort, 23. Cornerstone Biblical Commentary. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

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Hebrews 1:4, Various

Listen to Jesus, Not Angels!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
May 26, 2023

Hebrews 1:4 ends with a transition from Jesus being far better than the Prophets to Jesus being far better than the angels. It says that Jesus sat down next to the Father in heaven after having made atonement for our sins and “having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.” Names and titles were nearly the same things on the day the author penned this idea. The writers of the United Bible Societies handbook for translators acknowledge this when they comment, “In this type of context greater must be understood in the sense of ‘more important,’ or ‘of higher rank,’ or ‘of greater authority.’” They go on to elaborate: “In a number of languages one must distinguish clearly between a personal name which identifies an individual, and a title indicating rank. In this context, the emphasis is upon the title which was given to Jesus.”[1]

The first part of this Epistle explains that God used to speak through the Prophets but today, He speaks to us through His Son. Jesus’ message to us is superior to the message of the Prophets that foretold Him and His life. Jesus’ message is so important because that’s what Moses and the prophets spoke about, and Jesus is the fulfillment. So Jesus is more important or greater than the Prophets. Many Jews believed that the OT, especially the Law of Moses, was delivered to Moses through angels. So when the writer of Hebrews turns his attention to Jesus’ superiority to the angels, he does so to give even further credence to Jesus and his teachings. This was important because, in the early Church, people were drawn to angel worship at times. Paul warns against that in Colossians 2:18; he writes, “Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels.” Then again, we read in Galatians 1:8, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.”

What the author of Hebrews is doing in this Epistle is saying pretty much what God said to those at Jesus’ transfiguration as recorded in mark 9:7, “And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, ‘This is my beloved Son; listen to him.’” I’m arguing that God doesn’t speak to us through prophets anymore! Notice that at the transfiguration, both Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus. When Peter wanted to honor all three by building tents for them, God spoke and singled out Jesus as his beloved son that should be listened to. Anyone claiming the gift of prophecy today is on shaky ground biblically. God doesn’t speak to us through angels today, which would have been a good thing to acknowledge when Joseph Smith met the angel Moroni. Jesus is the message of the whole Bible from beginning to end. True preaching is about Jesus, who he is, what he’s done and what he says. Pay attention to him; listen to him!

[1] Paul Ellingworth and Eugene Albert Nida, A Handbook on the Letter to the Hebrews, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1994), 13.

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Philemon 1:4-5

New Relationships

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
May 25, 2023

Most of Paul’s letters include a prayer that he prays for his readers. In this short letter to Philemon, Paul begins his prayer by thanking God for some specific things demonstrated by Philemon. His love and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and his love for his fellow saints. Philemon 1:4-5 says, “I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints.” Paul had heard about Philemon from others, but most commentators agree that Paul knew him personally from his time in Colossae. It’s possible that Paul had led Philemon to the Lord himself as well.  That Paul is using the present tense for “hearing” implies that this is the continual testimony about Philemon. It’s not just what Paul had heard in the past, but it’s the ongoing character reference for Philemon. When Paul remembers Philemon in his prayers, what comes to his mind is how Philemon loved God and his fellow believers. This was Paul’s reason for giving thanks. Although there seems to be a little disagreement among the commentators, most think that Paul is thanking God for Philemon’s faith in Jesus and Philemon’s love for the saints.

Melick explains, “The statement has two possible interpretations. First, love and faith could be directed to both the Lord and the saints; however, this requires an awkward understanding of ‘faith.’ How could faith be directed toward the saints?” He quotes from Colossians 1:4, where Paul makes clear what he means. Paul says to the Colossians, “We heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints” Melick concludes, “The faith could be toward the Lord and the love toward all the saints. This must be correct.”[1] When one comes to faith in Jesus, there is a sense of love for others who have done the same thing. Jesus is, of course, the most profound demonstration of God’s love for mankind. Thus, when one recognizes and receives God’s love, the natural reaction is to love what God loves as well as those who have also received God’s love. John, in his first letter to the church, suggests this as a test of our fellowship with God. In 1 John 3:14, he writes, “We know that we have passed out of death into life because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.”

Coming to faith in Christ definitely changes the company one keeps as well as the activities one participates in with that company.  I was 32 years old when I became a believer, and at that time, I was a Navy Chief Petty Officer recruiting for the officer programs in Detroit, Michigan. My association with my fellow Navy Chiefs and fellow recruiters consisted of stopping at the bar for a drink on my way home from work, sharing sea stories of our past duty assignments overseas, and talking about all kinds of unsavory activities. When I became a Christian, I was befriended by the believers from a small church. With them, we shared singing together, helping each other whenever needed, getting together to study the bible, talking about edifying and uplifting things, as well as our burdens in life. I grew very close to these fellow believers in a way that would never have happened with my various other connections. I did not “love” my fellow shipmates in the Navy like I “loved” the brothers and sisters in Christ from the church. There was a radical difference. My faith in Christ helped me relate to these fellow believers in a whole new and satisfying way. I don’t want to compare myself to Philemon, but I was “born again” to a new life. I know that I changed for the better in all areas of my life. I like to think I became more like Philemon. I’d like to be thought of the way Black thinks of Philemon. He wrote, “We do not know what Philemon did to express his faith or to show his love for all the saints (v. 5), but from these few details, we picture a warm, openhearted individual who was a great asset to the church at Colossae.”[2]

[1] Melick, Richard R. 1991. Philippians, Colossians, Philemon. Vol. 32. The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

[2] Black, Robert, and Ronald McClung. 2004. 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon: A Commentary for Bible Students. Indianapolis, IN: Wesleyan Publishing House.

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