Philemon 1:4-7
Because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints. – Philemon 1:5
Click to read passage
Paul’s letter to Philemon is unique in that it is written to someone that came to Christ because of his ministry. He notes with thanksgiving to God the progress Philemon had made in his spiritual growth, evidenced by his love and faith towards other believers. It suggests that Philemon had become part of the community of faith. And Paul prayed that his faith will continue to grow as he deepens his understanding and experience every good thing there is in Christ.
Those of us who are parents will recall the exuberant joy and gratitude we felt as we watch our children grow up over the years. But we will also remember how challenging the journey was at times and we needed all the help we can find. Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a community of believers to nurture someone to spiritual maturity. And when we succeed not only will we be deeply encouraged but Body of Christ is strengthened. This speaks to the transformative power and the collective responsibilities of communities.
The Greek word commonly translated as fellowship in the New Testament is koinonia, which goes beyond socializing or spending time with fellow believers. Koinonia refers to a shared life among believers, bound together by the love of Christ. A good example of koinonia can be seen in Acts 2 where the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching. They broke bread and prayed together; they shared their possessions with one another while praising God and finding favour with all people (Acts 2:42 – 47).
The redemptive and nurturing power of koinonia can be seen in Philemon’s life as testified by Paul. He writes in Verse 7: “For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you”. We do not know much about Philemon’s past before he came to the Lord. What we do know is that he was a slave owner and back in those days slave owners in general were not known to be kind and charitable. But the phrase “the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you” suggests that Philemon had become a hospitable and generous person since he entered into the Koinonia of believers.
Spiritual growth does not take place in a vacuum. It occurs in a community. Proverbs 27:17 reminds us, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another”. Brothers and sisters in Christ, apart from the help of the Holy Spirit we need one another to grow into Christlikeness. The Christian life becomes much richer when we invest in each other’s lives, building each other up as we “rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15).
Reflection:
Paul tells us that when he prayed for Philemon his heart was full of thanksgiving to God. One useful barometers of how we are contributing to and benefitting from the fellowship of believers is how frequently do we remember our brothers and sisters in Christ in our prayers. Are our prayers for them deep or superficial? To glow together, we need to invest in each other’s lives. Are you prepared?
Prayer:
Father, we thank you that it is for your purpose that you established Foochow Methodist Church 129 years ago. We acknowledge that we did not become a part of this community of faith by chance but by your divine will. Help us to nurture each other and support one another in this journey of faith so that together we can experience the transformative and redemptive power of the koinonia you wish for us to partake in. In Jesus’ Name we pray.
Click to read passage
Paul’s letter to Philemon is unique in that it is written to someone that came to Christ because of his ministry. He notes with thanksgiving to God the progress Philemon had made in his spiritual growth, evidenced by his love and faith towards other believers. It suggests that Philemon had become part of the community of faith. And Paul prayed that his faith will continue to grow as he deepens his understanding and experience every good thing there is in Christ.
Those of us who are parents will recall the exuberant joy and gratitude we felt as we watch our children grow up over the years. But we will also remember how challenging the journey was at times and we needed all the help we can find. Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a community of believers to nurture someone to spiritual maturity. And when we succeed not only will we be deeply encouraged but Body of Christ is strengthened. This speaks to the transformative power and the collective responsibilities of communities.
The Greek word commonly translated as fellowship in the New Testament is koinonia, which goes beyond socializing or spending time with fellow believers. Koinonia refers to a shared life among believers, bound together by the love of Christ. A good example of koinonia can be seen in Acts 2 where the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching. They broke bread and prayed together; they shared their possessions with one another while praising God and finding favour with all people (Acts 2:42 – 47).
The redemptive and nurturing power of koinonia can be seen in Philemon’s life as testified by Paul. He writes in Verse 7: “For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you”. We do not know much about Philemon’s past before he came to the Lord. What we do know is that he was a slave owner and back in those days slave owners in general were not known to be kind and charitable. But the phrase “the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you” suggests that Philemon had become a hospitable and generous person since he entered into the Koinonia of believers.
Spiritual growth does not take place in a vacuum. It occurs in a community. Proverbs 27:17 reminds us, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another”. Brothers and sisters in Christ, apart from the help of the Holy Spirit we need one another to grow into Christlikeness. The Christian life becomes much richer when we invest in each other’s lives, building each other up as we “rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15).
Reflection:
Paul tells us that when he prayed for Philemon his heart was full of thanksgiving to God. One useful barometers of how we are contributing to and benefitting from the fellowship of believers is how frequently do we remember our brothers and sisters in Christ in our prayers. Are our prayers for them deep or superficial? To glow together, we need to invest in each other’s lives. Are you prepared?
Prayer:
Father, we thank you that it is for your purpose that you established Foochow Methodist Church 129 years ago. We acknowledge that we did not become a part of this community of faith by chance but by your divine will. Help us to nurture each other and support one another in this journey of faith so that together we can experience the transformative and redemptive power of the koinonia you wish for us to partake in. In Jesus’ Name we pray.