Continuing to look at the book of Philemon, and to see what we can learn from the Bible by just reading it (i.e., without needing a lot of historical and linguistic expertise), let’s consider what the first-century recipients of this letter might have been thinking when they received it. After all, if we read through some of the other letters in the New Testament, some of them contain rebuke and correction (which can be fairly severe, at times, even when it was a part of loving discipline).
Personally, if I were to open a letter from Paul in the first century, I might get a little concerned about what he was going to say, just like I might be nervous about opening a letter from the doctor’s office, an envelope from the IRS, or an unexpected note from a friend. Is it going to be good news, bad news, or just something routine?
Philemon 4-7 is quite complimentary, though, so that was probably pretty refreshing to the original recipients!
I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.
Philemon 1:4-7 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/phm.1.4-7.NIV
This letter pivots to addressing Philemon more specifically, but the tone sounds good so far. In fact, this letter remains fairly positive throughout the remainder of the book, although Paul does include a couple of requests for Philemon later (which were hopefully not burdensome to him).
Before we get to that, though, we find in this passage some things that we can also do ourselves. While Paul is telling the recipients of this letter what he appreciates about them, we learn two things about this good example.
First, we learn more about how to live well as followers of Jesus. Love for others in the church is a good thing, as is faith in Jesus. Hopefully, we already knew that, but for those who are new to the Bible, one can correctly infer certain elements of Christ-like behavior from these verses, especially upon learning that this letter was written by an apostle of Jesus to another member of the church.
Secondly, we learn that it’s appropriate to show appreciation to others for good things that they are doing. We might think that someone has a super-strong prayer life, for instance, or that they really have a heart for serving others in the church. If so, let’s share that with them. Who knows when another Christian might be ready to give up because they feel unnoticed and unappreciated, but you could change their whole trajectory by letting them know that you see the love of Jesus expressed in their behavior. In the same way, Paul was not only praying for his friend here, but he told him that he was doing so. How encouraging it is to know that another believer is going to the God of the Universe and asking Him to help us out!
Now, you probably already knew that love and faith in Jesus are good things. However, continuing the previous articles’ discussion about Bible reading practices, we can use this example as a pattern for reading the whole Bible.
For instance, there are good examples in the Bible and there are bad examples. In each case, we need to determine whether a person’s or group’s behavior is good or bad, and there are usually pretty solid clues about that: Sometimes, God (or a Bible writer, inspired by God) clearly says whether or not we should do something. Other times, when God – or God’s messengers – complimented someone for behaving in a certain way, it’s probably a good pattern to follow. On the other hand, when God had to punish someone for what they did, their behavior is probably the wrong thing for us to copy.
Once we understand whether a behavior described in the Bible is positive or negative, we should then try to understand whether the behavior is a general concept that we should replicate in our own lives, or a specific action that may or may not apply to us. When the Israelites drove idolatrous Canaanites out of the Promised Land, we should follow their example of obeying God and trusting Him to take care of us. In addition, we should seek to keep idols and evil behavior far from our lives and from the church. However, I don’t think that this is a blanket license for us to go and drive out from their land anyone who doesn’t follow God!
So, won’t you try this method out in your own Bible reading today? Wherever you might be reading from the Bible today (and, if you’re not, I suggest the book of Acts as one place to start), observe the behaviors or instructions described there. Then, evaluate from the Bible’s context whether they are righteous or evil, and whether they are general (for all people who wish to obey God) or specific (unique to a particular group, time, and/or place).
If you’re not sure of an answer at first, that’s perfectly OK. Many people have found passages in the Bible that they struggled to understand. Just keep reading more of the Bible to see how things fit together. You can also ask God Himself – the Holy Spirit – to show you the truth, and what He wants you to learn. In addition, you can seek out other reliable followers of Jesus who have read and lived out what the Bible teaches, to learn how they have been led to follow its wise instruction.
Once you have gone through that process, though, don’t stop with just knowledge. Make the right choice on how to act upon that knowledge, too!
From Sunday School lesson prepared for August 17, 2025
References:
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – Philippians, Colossians & Philemon, by Anthony L. Ash. © 1994 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 