I Owe

Philemon 17-19 “If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself. If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine own account; I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it: albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides.”

The Apostle Paul wrote the book of Philemon to a wealthy slave owner named Philemon. Philemon, a dear brother in Christ, had been wronged by his own slave, Onesimus. From the context, we see that Onesimus owed Philemon some money, possibly because he stole it. Since that time, Onesimus became a believer and was now helping the Apostle Paul. In this letter, Paul urges Philemon to forgive Onesimus of the debt and to receive him as a brother in Christ.

When we think of the story of Philemon, it brings to mind a couple of questions: Can you think of anyone that owes you anything? Can you think of anyone that you owe anything? Which one of these two questions did you automatically dwell upon? Your whole attitude in life is affected by whether you think of yourself as being owed something, or whether you think of yourself as a debtor to someone else.

In the story of Philemon and Onesimus, you would think that one was the debtor and one was the man deserving to receive something. But actually, both men were debtors! Philemon was a rich slave owner, but he owed a great debt, both to Paul and to the Lord. Paul kindly reminds him of this in verse 19 when he says, “Albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides.” He owed his home in heaven to the Lord Jesus who died in his stead, and Paul was the one who showed him the way. Considering this, how could Philemon refuse to forgive Onesimus of an earthly debt, when he himself owed the Lord and Paul so much?

In the sight of God, Philemon and Onesimus were equal debtors. They both owed Him more than they could ever repay, and yet He willingly forgave both of their sin debts for the sake of His Son. H.A. Ironside compared Paul’s plea to Philemon with Jesus Christ’s plea to the Father for our sake. Look at verses 18-19: “If he hath wronged thee or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account….” That is exactly what the Lord did with our sin-He put it to His own account!

Paul goes further and says, “I Paul . . . I will repay it:” What a beautiful picture of what Christ did for each one of us. We did nothing to deserve His love and favor, and yet He willingly took our debt to His account. In light of how much we “owe,” who among us could be unforgiving to a fellow believer who “owes” us?

Here are three quick applications to this truth. First, because we are debtors, we have a reason to give. Giving should never be a drudgery to us. We should be glad to give because we have been given so much. Remember the Lord says in II Corinthians 9:7, “So let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

Secondly, because we are debtors, we have a reason to forgive. Just like Philemon and Onesimus were equal debtors, in the sight of God, we all owe the same. After having been forgiven, how can we withhold forgiveness from someone who asks for it?

Lastly, because we are debtors, we have a reason to restore. Paul urges Philemon to “receive him [Onesimus] as myself.” (verse 17) Treating others with love and respect should not depend on if they deserve it, because we are undeserving, too!

How you see yourself in light of Philemon will determine how you will live today. Do you see yourself as “I am owed,” or do you see yourself as “I owe”?