Philemon 14-16

¹⁴But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do will be spontaneous and not forced. ¹⁵Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back for good-- ¹⁶no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord.

V14-16 reveal Philemon’s interests in this ordeal. In v14, we see that Paul appeals instead of commanding, as he could have done, in order to draw a more valuable response (spontaneous and voluntary rather than considered and coerced, 2 Corinthians 9:7). Paul wanted Philemon’s consent to have Onesimus as a gospel-sharing team member; in so doing, he acknowledges that Onesimus was to blame in the past and affirms through personal knowledge that he is changed. Paul releases Philemon from all potential skepticism and doubt about Onesimus’ genuine repentance.

In v15, Paul points out how God works all things for good (Genesis 45:5; 50:20). If your slave stole from you and ran away, that would appear to be a bad thing. At the very least, you’d be angry about it. But Paul suggests that it happened to Philemon for a good reason. Slaves in that culture were only slaves for seven years. So Onesimus would have gone free anyway. Furthermore, as Calvin points out, “So long as Onesimus was at heart a runaway, Philemon, though he had him in his house, did not actually enjoy him as his property; for he was wicked and unfaithful, and could not be of real advantage.” But now, having become to Philemon a brother, Onesimus will be his forever, as a bondservant of love, which is what we are all called to be to one another. I am yours; I belong to you. Do with me what you will. And you are mine; so be ready and willing to serve me when I am in need. That’s Paul's mentality here.

V16 is a clear appeal from Paul for Philemon to free Onesimus from the yoke of slavery. Onesimus has become a brother in Christ, better by far than a useless slave, and even better than a useful slave. Paul calls Onesimus his dear brother, and then points out that he would be to Philemon not only a useful slave, as opposed to his former uselessness outside of Christ, but also a dear brother in the Lord. Calvin’s comments here are a worthy conclusion: “Onesimus lived in a religious and holy family, and, being banished from it by his own evil actions, he deliberately, as it were, withdraws far from God and from eternal life. Yet God, by hidden providence, wonderfully directs his pernicious flight, so that he meets with Paul. [Thus] proceeds a profitable doctrine, that the elect of God are sometimes brought to salvation by a method that could not have been believed, contrary to general expectation, by circuitous windings, and even by labyrinths.”