Philemon 20 20Yes, brother, I wish a benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my deep affections in Christ.
The address of brother connects Paul and Philemon together into the bond of the family of God. Paul appeals to Philemon on the personal level. There is no verb in the first part of the verb, so we have to add something to show Paul’s deep desire for Philemon to act in a positive way once he receives this letter. This verse has strong emotion as Paul mentions his relationship with Philemon as brother and their mutual relationship with the Lord. There may be a play on the word benefit (onaimēn), which is close to Onesimus’ name. What benefit could Paul get from Philemon’s positive response to Onesimus?
What would make the whole situation better is if Philemon heeded Paul’s hopes in this letter and accepted Onesimus back as a Christian brother and not a runaway slave who stole something from his master. Paul mentions again having deep affections (splangchna; see verse 12). Philemon had refreshed the “hearts” of the saints by his love and faith, and now Paul wants him to extend his love and show his faith by welcoming Onesimus back as a brother in Christ. The result will be that Paul’s own “deep inner person” will also be refreshed. The benefit Paul would receive from all this would be a deep relief from the concern for the outcome of Onesimus.
This short letter is a good example of intercession on behalf of another person. Paul deals with what might seem an earthly, human, or legal type matter from a spiritual and theological perspective. He puts everything through the filter of being in the Lord and in Christ. Being in a committed, consecrated, and loving relationship with Christ should give us a different worldview where we no longer see people as objects but as people potentially redeemed by the blood of Christ. Onesimus was a changed person, and Paul appeals to Philemon to trust this assessment and approach the situation with the optimism of God’s transforming grace. A positive response from him would have a profound impact on the life of Onesimus and confirm to him everything Paul had taught him about Jesus. This would also have a profound impact on Philemon’s growth in faith and love.
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