Philemon 1:17

The plea of Christian fellowship.

The apostle here directly puts his request, "If then thou countest me a partner, receive him as myself" He regards Philemon as a partner in faith and love and life. It is a recurrence to an old argument, "If there be any fellowship of the Spirit … fulfill ye my joy."

I. THE FELLOWSHIP OF BELIEVERS . It subsists in the fellowship with the Father and the Son , and derives all its force therefrom . ( 1 John 1:3 .) That fellowship implies that all saints have a common Father ( Ephesians 4:6 ), a common elder Brother ( Hebrews 2:11 ), a common inheritance ( Ephesians 2:19 ; Revelation 1:9 ), a common grace ( Philippians 1:7 ), a common suffering ( 1 Corinthians 12:26 ; Hebrews 10:33 , Hebrews 10:34 ). The Holy Spirit is the Author and the Power of this fellowship ( 2 Corinthians 13:13 ), as love is the "bond of perfection" ( Colossians 3:14 ). Thus believers become of "one heart and one soul."

II. THE PLEA FOUNDED UPON THIS FELLOWSHIP . "Receive him as myself."

1. It is a genuine plea ; for the apostle elsewhere says, "If there be any fellowship of the Spirit … look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others" ( Philippians 2:4 ). "Love seeketh not her own."

2. Onesimus was now a partner as well as the apostle . Therefore, as the old Puritan says, "Love me, love my partner: one partner receives another, even for a partner's sake." If Philemon loves Christ in the apostle, why not in Onesimus? "Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of these little ones, ye have done it unto me" ( Matthew 25:40 ). We are to love Christ in the meanest of his servants.—T.C.