In addition to saying it in front of 8 people and the whole church that Philemon needs to welcome Onesimus, Paul has the temerity to say it in front of the Almighty in public prayer.
Yes, that's right: This prayer in Philemon 4-6 tells us not only what to pray, but how to pray, when a fellow believer needs to grow up and do the right thing. I want you to realize that Paul did not think of this as manipulation, that is, illegitimate communal pressure. He thought of it as an important strategy to help Philemon say no to sin and yes to God. You and I have run into this before. Occasions come when we need a fellow believer to grow up and do the right thing. When they happen, we should pray like this.
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Caleb Nelson grew up in Ft. Collins, CO. Born into a Christian home, where he eventually became the eldest of 11 children, he has been a lifelong Presbyterian. He professed faith at the age of six, and was homeschooled through high school. He then attended Patrick Henry College...