Sermon Notes
1. In verses 1-9, Paul honors Philemon as a brother in Christ.
2. In verses 10-20, Paul brings clarity to the conflict and seeks resolution and reconciliation.
3. Paul asks Philemon to go counter-culture and accept Onesimus back as an equal brother in Christ.
4. In verses 21-25. Paul honors him again and prays for a time to talk about this face-to-face.
Follow-up Questions from Sunday:
Quick Review:
Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or that caught your attention, challenged, or confused you?
Digging Deeper:
1. Conflict between people is common. What do you think is so unique about the conflict between Philemon and Onesimus? What do you think was going through the mind of Paul when he found out that Onesimus was a run-away slave?
2. What risks do you think Onesimus was taking by returning to Philemon? How do you think he felt?
3. When you read Philemon, what are your impressions of Paul’s attempt to bring reconciliation between two believers in Jesus? What do you think we learn about Paul’s personality in this personal letter?
4. In verses 1-9, Paul honors Philemon as a brother in Christ. What qualities in Philemon does Paul commend?
5. In verses 10-20, Paul unpacks the new situation between Philemon and Onesimus as they are both believers and brothers. He asks for forgiveness of Onesimus and to set him free. When you read Paul’s plea what sticks out to you?
6. What do you think was going through Philemon’s mind as he was reading this letter? What do you think he did?
7. How do you think the principles in this letter could be used in helping us deal with our conflicts between believers?
Taking it Home:
Pray and ask God if there is there someone in the body of Christ that you need to make peace with?
If so, ask God how you should go about it in the spirit of a “Philemon letter”.