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Philemon 1:18-19
18 If [de] [ei] he hath wronged [adikeo] thee [se], or [e] oweth [opheilo] thee ought [tis], put [ellogeo] that [touto] on [ellogeo] mine account [emoi];
19 I [ego] Paul [Paulos] have written [grapho] it with mine own [emos] hand [cheir], I [ego] will repay [apotino] it: albeit [hina me] I do [lego] not [hina me] say [lego] to thee [soi] how [hoti] thou owest [prosopheilo] unto me [moi] even [kai] thine own self [seautou] besides [prosopheilo]. KJV-Interlinear
18 But if he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account; 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it (lest I should mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well). NASB
The doctrine of imputation is a very real and legitimate spiritual principle. When one person has incurred a debt, and another assumes the obligation for that debt, then the first is released from any further obligation. The creditor has no further recourse against the former debtor.
Imitating that which Christ has done for us all on the Cross, Paul approaches Philemon with a proposal. That he Paul assume any and all obligations that Onesimus has incurred toward Philemon.
With full knowledge of what Onesimus has done and we, again, read between the lines, Paul knows full well the details of Onesimus’ wrongs against his master.
We are not given the details, because they are not even relevant. Suffice to say that Onesimus has done a wrong, or wrongs against Philemon, and now through Paul, has acknowledged his actions in full to Paul, and Onesimus wants the set the record straight once and for all.
As for Philemon, a debt is owed to him. Whether one person pays it or another, should make no difference. No creditor can honestly expect to collect double for what is owed, nor do they have any right to expect more than is owed.
God gave man life. Man sinned, and as such incurred a debt for sin and death. This is a debt that man cannot possibly pay, because the magnitude of it is so great. We can safely assume that Onesimus had such a debt, and as a slave with no resources or means, could not possibly repay his obligation.
Onesimus was trapped in his debt forever, just as humanity is trapped in its debt to sin and death forever.
Luckily, both Onesimus and humanity have a benefactor willing to pay off their debts. Paul for Onesimus, in the temporal sense of the obligation, and Christ for humanity in the spiritual sense.
By signing this letter and stating as such, Paul offers a written guaranty for his offer to Philemon.
Now, Philemon probably knows that Paul has no or very little resources. Philemon probably knows of Pauls present situation, and he probably knows that anyone going before Nero, was not likely to come out of it alive.
But at the same time, Philemon knows that Paul was receiving donations and support from folks all over the region. And whether Paul was going to offer to pay the obligation out of those proceeds, or not, was really irrelevant.
What is relevant is whether Philemon was going to accept the offer. If he did, then Onesimus was free of his obligations, and Paul was bound. And by accepting this obligation, did not make Paul guilty of the wrongs, only obligated to pay them. And by implication, we can assume that he did pay them.
Philemon could deal with Paul in the manner in which Paul reminds him in the second verse of this passage.
Paul taught the gospel and as a result brought a lot of people to Christ and their salvation. Their alternative was the Lake of Fire.
So in a sense, Paul had become a father like figure with respect to their new birth. It is the father who begets new children, with doctrine acting as the mother force, as it were.
Without life a person is not a person, they are nothing. With life then they have every opportunity to live forever in great happiness. That difference between the two, nothing verses eternity, is an infinite difference. And as such anyone who is saved, is in debt to their father communicator, if you are able to follow this idea.
Likewise, once born, a person has to grow up. That takes yet another parent figure to raise up and teach the child. This instructor becomes the parent figure for those who stick it out and grow up in their spiritual lives.
In that way, again, they are deeply in debt to their instructor, for without him or her, they would not have gained the advantages of spiritual maturity, which again are infinitely greater than the blessings of spiritual immaturity.
Therefore, Pauls efforts in bringing the gospel and doctrine to those who heard him become the basis for their indebtedness to him. Anything that he may owe Philemon (Onesimus’ debt) is far less than that which Philemon owes Paul.
In our lifetime, we will all cross paths with many sources of spiritual truth. From the radio, from the television, from our own readings, from the internet, from friends and family and so forth. In a sense we owe a great deal to all believers because of the environment that they have provided (courtesy of the grace of God), which has contributed to our spiritual state.
Whether there is one who contributes more, or not, is not really relevant.
All of our gratitude is owing to Christ for His phenomenal work and provision, in that we as slaves to sin and death, have no other alternative.
In recognizing this obligation, we should voluntarily support each other as mentioned the other day in our study – some through prayer, some through money, some through whatever means is available to each of us.
It is God who ultimately raises up those who will actually assume this obligation. We certainly know that there will be those who will convince themselves that they are excused from it, to their detriment.
If you look around, you will see that the world is slipping ever so slowly into trouble. Back in 1929, it took three years for the nation to hit bottom and there it remained for an entire decade, until WW-II, before relief came along.
Mans plans will never work. Mans money will never work. The crux of our problem is not economics, but disobedience toward Gods mandates. For it is God who makes prosperity and poverty. It is God who provides the means for you to fulfill your obligations, as He did for Paul and Onesimus.
Jesus Christ controls history, not man. But you still have your responsibilities and obligations in life.
