For love's sake I rather beseech thee... for my son Onesimus. Onesimus was a slave - one who in past times had been, as was natural, unmoved by any inspiration to good service - and was "unprofitable." He had been begotten again through the ministry of Paul, and now that he sends him back, he tells Philemon that the new Divine life in him will make him faithful, earnest, and "profitable."

I. TRUTH TRIUMPHS IN TIME. Slavery did not fall at once, nor was polygamy destroyed at once. Revolution would have been the cost of any such attempt. Paul left the cross to do its mighty work. The spirit of the gospel made slavery and polygamy alike impossible, because the cross destroys self, teaches us that we are not our own, and emancipates all who are oppressed through a love which gives itself for others instead of holding them in bondage.

II. LOVE IS THE SUPREME COMMAND. He will not enjoin. Men resist orders and commands. They find excuses for inaction, and their pride is hurt. But when love entreats, and when that love is like that of Paul the aged, and Paul a prisoner, and Paul to whom Philemon owed his own self (Ver. 19), we need not wonder that love won the day; so Onesimus would be received back as a servant (a bond-servant), "but above a servant, a brother beloved." - W.M.S.

The apostle has had but short experience of his convert, but he is quite sure that he is a Christian; and, that being the case, he is as sure that all the bad, black past is buried, and that the new leaf now turned over will be covered with fair writing, not in the least like the blots that were on the former page, and have now been dissolved from off it by the touch of Christ's blood. It is a typical instance of the miracles which the gospel wrought as everyday events in its transforming career. Christianity knows nothing of hopeless cases. It professes its ability to take the most crooked stick and bring it straight, to flash a new power into the blackest carbon, which will turn it into a diamond. Every duty will be done better by a man if he have the love and grace of Jesus Christ in his heart. New motives are brought into play, new powers are given, new standards of duty are set up. The small tasks become great, and the unwelcome sweet, and the difficult easy, when done for and by Christ.

(A. Maclaren, D. D.)

St. Paul does not commend Onesimus for being profitable to himself, but to him and Philemon. He that is not good for himself is good for nobody: there our goodness must begin, but it must not stay there; do good to all, so be profitable to all.

(W. Jones, D. D.)

Philemon might object, "I have found him hurtful; why, then, should I receive into my house as a member of my family that servant which will cause more harm than bring profit? I have had experience of the damage that he hath done me; what homage he will do me I know not." To this the apostle maketh a double answer — first, by granting, then by correcting that which he hath granted, and both ways by comparing the time past with the time present — the time before he embraced religion with the time of his conversion; as if he should say: "True it is, and I grant he was once unprofitable to thee, for while he was unfaithful to God he could do no faithful service unto thee; but why dost thou urge the time of his ignorance? And why dost thou consider so much what he bath been? For now he has become a new man; he has tasted of the true religion; he hath learned to know God, to know himself, to know thee, and to know me — to know God, his merciful Creator; to know himself, a wretched sinner; to know thee, his loving master; to know me, his spiritual father; whereas in former times he was ignorant of all these. As he regarded not to know God, so he could not regard thy good, but now thou shalt receive a new Onesimus, a new servant, a new man, the same in substance, but renewed in quality, and altered from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot. He was not before so profitable, but now thou shalt find him as profitable unto thee as I have found him both diligent and dutiful unto me in my bonds and imprisonment."

(W. Attersoll.)

Before he was Onesimus in name, now he is so indeed; before he held the title, now he hath the truth; before thou sawest the shadow, now thou shalt see the substance; thou hast had experience of his unprofitableness, now shalt thou have the benefit of the profit that he bringeth with him; being made a new creature in Christ Jesus. We learn from hence that Christian faith or religion of a man unprofitable maketh him profitable, and of one unfit maketh him fit to every good work. The conversion of men to the true faith worketh the greatest change and alteration that can be, and maketh them good, profitable, and helpful unto others that have been before unjust, injurious, cruel, and hurtful.

(W. Attersoll.)

Where is a right conversion of the heart there is also a true alteration of the life, and where there is an embracing of the true Christian religion there is a change of our conversation.

I. THE REASONS OF THIS DOCTRINE ARE EVIDENT, and shine as clearly as the sun at noonday.

1. If we consider our natural estate and condition, what we were before our conversion, we shall easily be brought to acknowledge both where and what and whence the change is; for naturally we hate the truth and the professors of the truth.

2. When men are truly converted they will make conscience of hurting; they will abstain from wrongs and injuries; they will be ready to do good to others, to profit others, to walk in all the duties of their callings, and to keep a good conscience toward God and man.

3. True conversion worketh in us the love of God and men, and so maketh us fruitful in all good works; it suffereth us not to be barren and unfruitful, and it subdueth the rage and corruption of our sinful nature.

II. Now let us come to the consideration of THE USES, AND TO THE APPLICATION OF THE DOCTRINE TO OURSELVES.

1. We see hereby that they are greatly deceived that think true godliness to be unprofitable, and no gain at all to return to the practiser of it. Great is the benefit of true religion, and much is the profit of our conversion. When once we are truly converted we have gotten Christ; He has become ours; we have Him dwelling in us — Him, I say, in whom dwelleth the fulness of the Godhead bodily, who is the Head of the Church, whom to know is eternal life. By Him our bondage is turned into freedom, our beggary into riches, our thraldom into liberty, our death into life. Who is it, then, can be so simple or ignorant to affirm that profession to be without gain and profit that bringeth Christ Jesus with it, in whom all treasures are hid and had?

2. Seeing Christian religion, planted in the heart of a man, maketh him good and helpful to others, who before was unjust and unprofitable, let everyone prove his effectual calling and true conversion by earnest seeking after the good of others, and by a careful abstaining from hurting, troubling, and wronging of others. It is to be chosen as a better thing to suffer than to offer wrong, to receive than to require, to take than to give.

3. Seeing it is the turning of us to God that turneth us to the good of men, it serveth as a notable direction unto us, to teach us that whosoever desireth that such as belong unto him should be profitable and faithful unto him, let him labour to plant godliness in their hearts and to sow the seeds of eternal life in their minds.

(W. Attersoll.)

To render us profitable is the design of religion, and it is easy to see that it must be the effect of it. Religion is social and diffusive. According to our Saviour's language the possessors of Divine grace are the salt of the earth to keep it from corruption. They are the lights of the world to keep it from darkness; and this light is not to be concealed "under a bushel," but to be fixed "on a candlestick, that it may give light to all that are in the house." The blessings they enjoy they are to communicate. Divine grace never leaves us as it finds, us. It produces a change the most wonderful and glorious and beneficial. Divine grace destroys those vices by which we are injurious to others. For the best charity I can exercise towards my fellow creatures, says a good man, is to leave off sinning myself. Every company and neighbourhood is the better for us: we are as "a dew from the Lord." And thus the promise is fulfilled in every child of Abraham by faith: "I will bless thee, and thou shalt be blessing." Finally, we remark that our being useful does not depend upon our abilities and station. See Onesimus, a slave, profitable even to such men as Philemon and Paul — profitable to "thee and me." It is with the community as it is with the body (1 Corinthians 12:14-21). Thus we behold, in the world and in the Church, difference of rank, of office, of talents; but there is a connection between the whole, and a dependence arising from it. And from this none are exempted; even "the king is served by the labour of the field." Every man, whatever be his condition and circumstances, is of some importance in society, and we should labour to impress our minds with this reflection, especially in three cases. Let us remember it when we are in danger of pride and disdain with regard to any of our fellow creatures. Perhaps he is more necessary to you than you are to him. Let us remember it when discouraged from exertion. He that is "not faithful in little" has no reason to believe that he would be "faithful in much." We should also remember it when we are tempted to do good in unlawful ways. What I mean is this: some suppose that they can only be useful in such a particular station or office, and hence they are ready to leave their present condition to rush into it. But, says the apostle, "Let every man abide in the calling in which he is called of God." Things are so constituted that if any man wishes to do good he may do it in the circumstances in which he is placed; he has some influence. Let us conclude with two reflections. First, if religion renders people, in all situations, valuable and useful, how deserving is it of encouragement! Let, therefore, all unite to promote it. Secondly, if religion be profitable to others, it is much more so to ourselves. It sanctifies all our mercies. It sweetens all our trials. It teaches us "in whatever state we are therewith to be content."

(W. Jay.)

Being supplied with religious principle and animated with ennobling motives, his life will be pervaded by a new and improved spirit. The man was raised. His service will rise with him. Paul had found it so.

(A. H. Drysdale, M. A.)

Apphia, Archippus, Aristarchus, Demas, Epaphras, Lucas, Luke, Marcus, Mark, Onesimus, Paul, Philemon, Timotheus, TimothyColossaeFormerly, Indeed, Past, Profit, Profitable, Serviceable, Unprofitable, Unserviceable, Useful, Useless1. Paul rejoices to hear of the faith and love of Philemon,
8. whom he desires to forgive his servant Onesimus, and lovingly to receive him again.

Philemon 1:11

     5876   helpfulness
     8348   spiritual growth, nature of

Philemon 1:8-14

     5910   motives, examples

Philemon 1:8-16

     5524   servants, bad

Philemon 1:8-21

     5010   conscience, matters of
     7448   slavery, in NT

Philemon 1:10-11

     8253   faithfulness, examples

Philemon 1:10-21

     6682   mediation

The Epistles of the Captivity.
During his confinement in Rome, from a.d. 61 to 63, while waiting the issue of his trial on the charge of being "a mover of insurrections among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes" (Acts 24:5), the aged apostle composed four Epistles, to the Colossians, Ephesians, Philemon, and Philippians. He thus turned the prison into a pulpit, sent inspiration and comfort to his distant congregations, and rendered a greater service to future ages than he could have …
Philip Schaff—History of the Christian Church, Volume I

Philemon 1:11 NIV
Philemon 1:11 NLT
Philemon 1:11 ESV
Philemon 1:11 NASB
Philemon 1:11 KJV

Philemon 1:11 Bible Apps
Philemon 1:11 Parallel
Philemon 1:11 Biblia Paralela
Philemon 1:11 Chinese Bible
Philemon 1:11 French Bible
Philemon 1:11 German Bible

Philemon 1:11 Commentaries

Bible Hub