Worship on the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
10:00 am September 07, 2025
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalist: Vivian Houg Reader: Maureen Cook
Welcoming Elder: Iris Routledge
We gather to worship God
Music Prelude
Greeting
L: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you
P: and also with you
Lighting of the Christ candle
Welcome and announcements
Preparation for worship
Call to worship:
L: Joy comes to those who follow God’s ways.
P: We will follow the Lord with joyful hearts!
L: Those who follow the Lord are like trees planted by the river, bearing fruit each season.
P: May our lives be fruitful and blessed by God!
L: Worship the Lord who leads us to joy and abundance.
P: Let us worship God now and throughout all our days.
Opening praise: Lord, I need you
Prayers of approach and confession
Our God you are the maser artist. The majestic mountains, the fresh crisp air, the shining stars, clapping waves and the very faces of those we love – all designed by your hand.
In your word, it says that every good and Perfect gift comes from above, and there is no doubt, while things aren’t perfect, you surely give us a lot of perfect gifts.
Lord, as part of your gifts to us, you also give us the ability to share with others and serve you, but sometimes our business gets in the way. We can have short tempers, ignore you, and take things for granted.
It’s easy and it’s common to go about our days without giving thanks, without remembering to share, without looking people in the eyes or treating everyone as equals.
Father, our temptations get the best of us, envy sneaks into our hearts, and we covet what others have.
Forgive us for the wrong choices we have made. Please help us to be humble, honest, and fair. Help us remember how blessed we are and encourage us to share those blessings with others.
The Christian life is not always easy, and we fall short each day in some way. Lord, bring forgiveness to us, help us to know it and allow us to carry the cross wherever it might please you. Amen.
Response: Glory, glory hallelujah
Assurance of God’s pardon
Everybody does wrong. Everyone makes mistakes. But our God asks us to admit our wrongs, to turn from them and look to Him. To all who follow Jesus, the blood that is not your own has taken all your wrongs away and set you free. Thank be to Jesus Christ.
We listen for the voice of God
Song: Lead me, Jesus; I will follow (646)
Scripture: Philemon 1:1-25 (pg#215 NT(NRSV)
Response: Behold the lamb of God
Message: Counting Costs
When Yahaya Wahab’s father suddenly died, it was 2006. Yahaya was devastated. Many of us can imagine that and understand at least to some degree how things went in those first few days. It was all a haze.
Death is never easy to deal with, and there are a lot of other essential things that those of us left behind are often caught up in the moment, coping with. We may not always think of everything as being vital, but we do what must be done because it needs to be done. I have a lot of respect for how people do this when it’s very, very hard to do. People manage when they shouldn’t be able to, but they tend to operate, nonetheless.
Of course, it turns out, sometimes people do things far more important than most might think possible.
In any case, there are a lot of things a person has to deal with (many of them unexpected) when it comes to the death of a loved one.
You are trying to grieve, but other things (many other things) keep popping up.
Yahaya and his family were not particularly unique. Yahaya was hurting. His mind was fuzzy. But he did what he could and what he thought he had to do to take care of things. People can accomplish a lot when they are “up against a wall” like that. It’s incredible how much strength people muster when they don’t have any other options.
Like many of us, Yahaya fell into autopilot and got things done. He remembers little. And yet Yahaya had his father’s phone disconnected and paid the final bill along with many others. Several of you have been through something similar after the loss of a spouse or parent. Things become messy.
Yahaya paid 84 Ringgit (about CAD 25) to Telekom Malaysia for what he assumed would be the final telephone bill. He was then quite surprised to receive another letter in late April with yet another bill attached. In fact, Yahaya was utterly shocked to discover one more bill (though he had assumed it could happen, he believed if it did, it would be a matter of just a few more pennies). Instead, it contained a final bill with outstanding charges for $8 million, 640,000 Malaysian Ringgit. Now that might not mean much, and when I read it, it didn’t mean much to me. However, after conversion to Canadian currency, that amounts to (roughly) 2.6 million dollars Canadian, along with an automatically generated, quite threatening notice, demanding payment within ten business days. If not paid on time, the bill would carry with it an immediate threat of prosecution due to the substantial amount.
When contacted by reporters, Telecom Malaysia refused to comment, saying only that they were just made aware of the situation and that the automated system needed to be reviewed.
It wasn’t initially clear (reports the BBC) whether the monstrous charge was some crazy mistake or if the father’s phone line had been illegally used somehow after his death. What was immediately clear, however, was that the bill represented a debt that Yahaya would never be able to pay.
…
Congratulations everyone. If you are here today and you read along with today’s readings, you have now read at least one entire book of the bible. We have just all read along with the entire book of Philemon.
Philemon is a little-known book of the New Testament, and it’s only about 335 words. But that doesn’t mean it’s not essential. In fact, famous abolitionist and former Maryland slave, Fredrick Douglass, relied on a tiny copy of this book of the bible as one of his most potent arguments for ending slavery in the United States of America. Similarly, Martin Luther called Philemon “a masterly sweet example of Christian love.”
Paul dictated this short letter through his young protégé and secretary, an 18-year-old man named Timothy (as in the books of Timothy), from Paul’s prison cell in Rome; probably at the same time, he wrote Colossians. Paul wrote it to a man named Philemon.
Philemon was an early convert of Paul’s, living in the hill country of the city of Colossae (as in the book of Colossians) in what is now southern Turkey.
Philemon (it appears) was a reasonably wealthy man and had a substantial home. It is Philemon’s home that houses the congregation in Colossae. And that is where the letter to Colossians was sent. It was sent to the owner of the house where the “church” met – to Philemon.
While the letter to Colossians was sent to Philemon as a community letter for the whole congregation, Paul’s personal letter addressed to Philemon alone follows a particular form of Greek organization. He writes an introduction and an appeal, develops rapport, gives persuasion, and finally offers an emotional portion to his readers as part of his conclusion and then concludes with well wishes. It follows a particular form.
Paul starts,
“from Paul,
a prisoner
AND
from Timothy our brother,
TO Philemon,
our dear friend,
AND ALSO to Apphia, our sister (that’s Philemon’s wife)
AND to Archippus, a leader in the congregation.
I love the sort of sneaky way Paul does this.
This is really important because… this is a private letter for Philemon, but also, it’s not.
See, Paul includes Philemon’s wife and also sneaks in one of the elders of the church. And because of that, it’s a letter to Philemon, but it probably was read to the whole church.
It also makes sure to address Timothy, who was raised in the Colosse church. It’s Timothy’s hometown and the congregation his grandmother took Timothy to as a child.
Through Timothy, Paul says, ‘You are in my prayers. I thank God for you. I hear good things about you all the time. You are always doing the right thing.’ I’m paraphrasing a bit. And then Paul adds, “Your love has given me great joy and encourages me because of you, BROTHER (giving Philemon the same title Paul gives his precious protégé Timothy), have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.”
Paul is “sucking up” a bit. Or more accurately, Paul is “buttering up the bread.”
And then it gets a little odd. Paul adds, ‘While I am the Apostle Paul and the guy who introduced you to salvation in Jesus, and I could just order you to do something, I’m going to appeal to your good nature instead.’ I think it’s fair to call this a full-on guilt trip right here in the scriptures.
Now, remember I said this is a private letter addressed to Philemon. That’s true, and the letter also jumps back and forth with words like “you” and “I” in personal appeals, but it also speaks to the masses. Paul speaks to, but also through, one person, and to the entire congregation. That’s why Paul lists these other church leaders’ names at the front of the letter. He knows that if he includes other people in the address, that even if it’s personal letter and between himself and Philemon, others will also have to be invited to read it. In other words, this letter was likely read out loud during the worship service at Philemon’s house before the whole congregation.
The Jewish New Testament is a commentary series produced by the Jews for Jesus (or Modern-Day “Messianic Jews”). And in a reference to this verse, it states, “… this otherwise throwaway line is the archetypal Jewish guilt trip”. ‘I could make you do it, but instead I’m going to ask you to do something’.
BUT make no mistake, Paul is going to ask Philemon to do this favour, right in front of Philemon’s whole church with everyone watching.
Next, Paul gets down to the nitty-gritty – The Appeal. The letter reads, “I appeal to you for my son Onesimus (a name that means “useful or full of use”), who became my son, while I was in chains. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me. I am sending him (who is my very heart) back to you. I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. But I did not want to do anything without your consent.
Now here’s the backstory.
In the Roman world, there were three main types of enslaved people. The first group consisted of those whose citizenship belonged elsewhere, serving as permanent subordinates. Most of these were enslaved through warfare. The Spartans were responsible for a massive number of these types of enslaved people. They had few rights but were relatively uncommon.
By far the most common form of enslaved person was a second group made up of indentured servants. These enslaved people worked for masters (usually for around 7 but up to 15 years) to pay off debts. The vast majority of these slaves actually “sold” themselves into slavery to get out of debt, learn a trade or gain an education.
About 1/3 of the Roman world was made up of slaves, though in large cities like Athens, enslaved people may have accounted for up to 80% of the total population.
And then the third group of slaves. These were chattel-slaves and were considered property forever. This group was quite rare.
Onesimus is enslaved, and he is probably a part of this last group of enslaved people for life. He is perhaps the closest to what we might think of slaves today. And it appears that Onesimus has had enough of being a slave. And so, Onesimus decided not to be enslaved anymore. Onesimus chose to run away.
This is not a safe choice. A runaway caught was at the mercy of the owner. Whatever other punishment might be added to them, the most common response was branding on the face with a hot iron so that everyone would always be suspicious of the enslaved person, even if they later earned their freedom. It was also common to add two broken legs to the returned slave to keep them from making a second escape attempt.
While the details of this are somewhat unclear, it seems Onesimus is Philemon’s slave. The slave, Onesimus, has also stolen something of value, possibly money, before making a run for it. Somehow, perhaps on purpose, after running, Onesimus came into contact with the Apostle Paul in prison and began helping take care of Paul and also became a follower of Jesus along the way.
Now you have to understand, slavery is widespread; the whole known world runs on it, and basically nobody could even imagine a world where it didn’t exist. It’s sort of just accepted. It just is. Even in this letter, Paul never actually asks Philemon for manumission. He never says, “Philemon, Set Onesimus Free from slavery: Slavery is evil”. That doesn’t happen. And why would it? Most slaves were working off debt, learning a trade, and were happy to do so, gratefully awaiting the freedom they were later guaranteed to receive. Slavery at this time was very different from the slavery we typically think of.
But while Paul doesn’t entirely reject slavery per se, at the same time, Paul absolutely destroys the whole slavery system by his words.
As Paul speaks, Timothy writes. Timothy records, “I didn’t want to do anything without your consent, so that any favour you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary. And then Paul hints that maybe God was behind this whole runaway slave thing from the beginning. He says, ‘Perhaps the reason Onesimus was SEPARATED from you FOR A LITTLE WHILE was so that you might later have him back forever, but no longer as a slave, but better than that, have him back as a dear (Christian) brother.
Paul lays it on sooooooooo think. Paul writes, ‘He is VERY DEAR TO ME but EVEN DEARER TO YOU’ both as a fellow man, AND AS A BROTHER IN THE LORD.
Can you picture this? Can you picture a congregation meeting in a wealthy, respected man’s house, many of whom are probably also slave holders? You show up for Sunday service, and in the sermon, you hear this letter read out loud. Can you see these otherwise good people who probably never even questioned slavery, just cringing as the sermon goes on?
Timothy scribbles it all down for Paul. ‘So, IF you consider me a partner, WELCOME HIM BACK AS YOU WOULD WELCOME ME [if I were not in prison]!’
And I really love this next part too. Paul signs the letter as a form of payment. It’s essentially a first-century check and an IOU all in one document. This would be legally binding in court.
At this point, just before the letter is sent, Paul takes the scroll away from Timothy, and in his own handwriting, he puts pen to parchment. Verse 19 reads, “If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back…”
It’s like he’s taken Onesimus’ impossible-to-pay 2.6 million dollars Canadian telephone bill and says, PUT IT ON MY TAB while laying down his limitless AMEX Century Black credit card.
And then with a bit more of that Jewish guilt, he adds… “not to mention” (though he mentions it) YOU OWE ME YOUR VERY SOUL”.
How on earth is this guy Philemon EVER going to look anybody in his own church in the eye again if Philemon dares touch a hair on Onesimus’s head?
Paul loves Philemon. He’s not just laying on flattery at the beginning. He loves him. He also needs Philemon to see that there is no caste system in heaven, no list of people who cannot be saved, and no such thing as someone who is just a slave.
Paul writes that he wants to visit Philemon’s home and congregation in Colosse, hoping to see Onesimus, who cared for him in prison, again soon. Paul also asks if he can stay in Philemon’s home with his family if he is ever released from jail. Paul then concludes this portion by expressing his confidence that Philemon will do the right thing (not necessarily in freeing Onesimus, but in something even more significant – treating Onesimus forever as a brother, and precisely the same way Philemon might treat the Apostle Paul himself).
Do you know how Philemon would treat the Apostle as a guest in his house? Philemon would be Paul’s servant. Paul’s asking the owner to serve the slave… The runaway slave!
Paul then ends the letter with more greetings from friends and a blessing. And then Paul hands the letter… to Onesimus.
Imagine that. Paul sends Onesimus back to hand-deliver this letter to Philemon, the master he had run away from.
In the Talmud, it says, “If one teaches his neighbour’s son the Law, that is the same as if he had brought him into the world”. Paul has brought both Philemon and Onesimus to Christ. He is their spiritual father, and they have to see each other as brothers from now on. Even if Onesimus remains a slave, and perhaps Onesimus remained a slave for all his life, his relationship with Philemon and with the church in Colossae would be forever changed. Now let’s see if this letter makes more sense now, than when we heard it earlier.
Philemon 1-21 (p.1106, NRSV)
1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker— 2 also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier—and to the church that meets in your home:
3 Grace and peace to you[a] from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. 6 I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. 7 Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.
8 Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9 yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an older man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— 10 that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus,[b] who became my son while I was in chains. 11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.
12 I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. 13 I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. 14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favour you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary. 15 Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— 16 no longer as an enslaved person, but better than an enslaved person, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.
17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self. 20 I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
22 And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers.
23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings.24 And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.
25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
… … …
I want to conclude with just one more piece of information. We can’t be sure what happened after this letter was read in the church in Colossae, but it’s doubtful that the letter would have been circulated or ended up in our scriptures if Philemon hadn’t done at least what Paul requested, if not more. And again, though we can’t be 100% sure it is the same man, Ignatius of Antioch, a famous leader of the early church, wrote a letter in the year 109 AD to the new Bishop of Ephesus, congratulating him on his new post overseeing a group of Christian congregations in Asia Minor (Turkey). The bishop was a man named Onesimus. Amen.
Song: The clay-stained hands of love (296)
We respond to serve God
Our time of giving
Prayers of thanksgiving and intercession
Good and generous God, in Jesus Christ, you came to us, promising us life in abundance.
We give you thanks today for the abundant gifts we receive in him – assurance of your love day by day; relief of mercy when we recognize our own failings; hope when things seem bleak; peace that comes when we trust in you.
These are the gifts that matter, O God, especially when the future seems uncertain:
Fill our lives with what matters, O God
Fill our lives with you.
Generous God, today we pray for all whose lives seem empty:
For those whose lives are empty of joy because the going is tough and friends seem far away… because sorrow surrounds them… because hearts are filled with disappointment…
Fill our lives with what matters, O God. Fill our lives with you.
Generous God, we remember before you those whose lives are empty of purpose and those who do not know the respect for their neighbours:
because they are without work…
because they face discrimination in their communities…
because they have made poor choices and cannot find a way forward…
Fill our lives with what matters, O God
Fill our lives with you.
Generous God, we remember before you those whose lives are empty of peace & hope:
because they struggle with illness or disability…
because they are powerless in the face of violence…
because old animosities rankle & opportunity for reconciliation is elusive…
Fill our lives with what matters, O God
Fill our lives with you. Amen.
Song: Let there be peace on earth
Passing the Peace
I would invite you all to share the peace of Christ with your neighbours “The peace of “Christ be with you”
“And also with you”
And to sing the words of peace as well.
The Sacrament of Holy Communion
Invitation
This is the joyful feast of the people of God! They will come from east and west, and from north and south, and sit at table in the kingdom of God. According to Luke, when our risen Lord was at table with his disciples, he took the bread, and blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him. This is the Lord’s table. Our Savior invites those who trust him to share the feast which he has prepared.
Song: Lift up your hearts (526: vss 1-4)
The Communion Prayer: The Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give God thanks and praise.
It is right to glorify you, Father, and to give you thanks,
For you alone are God, living and true,
Dwelling in the light
From before time and forever.
Fountain of life and source of all goodness
You made all things
And fill them with blessings
You created them to rejoice in the splendour of your radiance.
Countless throngs of angels stand before you
To serve you night and day
And beholding your presence,
They offer you unceasing praise.
You commanded light to shine out of darkness,
divided the sea and dry land,
created the vast universe and called it good.
You made us in your image
to live with one another in love.
You gave us the breath of life
and freedom to choose our way.
You set forth your purpose
in commandments through Moses,
and called for justice in the cry of prophets.
Through long generations,
you have been patient and kind to all your children.
With a rush of wind and tongues of fire,
You fulfilled the promise of Christ
by sending your Holy Spirit
to form the church.
By that same Spirit you grace us with gifts,
empower us to proclaim your gospel
and to serve you in the world.
How wonderful are your ways, almighty God.
How marvellous is your name, O Holy One.
You alone are God.
Therefore, with apostles and prophets,
and that great cloud of witnesses
who live for you beyond all time and space,
We lift our hearts in joyful praise:
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
We acclaim you, holy Lord, glorious in power;
Your mighty works reveal your wisdom and love.
You formed us in your own image,
Giving the whole world into our care
So that in obedience to you, our creator,
We might rule and serve all your creatures.
When our disobedience took us far from you,
You did not abandon us to the power of death.
In your mercy, you came to our help,
So that in seeking you, we might find you.
Again and again
You called us into a covenant with you
And through the prophets you taught us to hope for salvation.
Father, you loved the world so much
That in the fullness of time
You sent your only Son to be our Saviour.
Incarnate by the Holy Spirit
Born of the Virgin Mary
He lived as one of us, yet without sin.
To the poor
He proclaimed the good news of salvation;
To prisoners, freedom.
To the sorrowful, joy.
To fulfil your purpose, he has himself up to death
And rising from the grave, destroyed death
And made the whole of creation new again.
And that we might live no longer for ourselves alone,
But for Him who died and rose for us,
He sent the Holy Spirit
His own first gift for those who believe,
To complete his work in the world,
And to bring to fulfilment
The sanctification of all.
When the hour had come for him to be glorified
By you, his heavenly Father,
Having loved his own who were in the world,
He loved them to the end.
At supper with them, he took bread;
And when he had given thanks to you
He broke it and gave it to his disciples
And said, “Take, eat:
This is my body given for you
Do this for the remembrance of me.”
After supper, he took the cup of wine.
And when he had given thanks
He gave it to them
And said, “Drink this, all of you
This is my blood of the new covenant
Which is shed for you and for many
And for the forgiveness of sins.
Whenever you drink it
Do this for the remembrance of me.”
Father
We now celebrate the memorial of our redemption.
Recalling Christ’s death
And the descent among the dead,
Proclaiming his resurrection
And ascension to your right hand
Awaiting his coming in glory
And offering to you
From the gifts you have given to us
This bread and this cup
We praise you and we bless you.
And now we proclaim the great mystery of faith.
Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
Father, we pray that in your goodness and mercy, your Holy One
May descend upon us
And upon these gifts,
Sanctifying them and showing them
To be holy gifts for your holy people.
He is the bread of life and the cup of salvation
The body and blood of your Son, Jesus Christ.
Grant now that all who share in this bread and this cup
May become one body and one spirit
A living sacrifice in Christ
To the praise of your name.
Remember, Lord
Your one holy apostolic and unified Church
Redeemed by the blood of your Christ.
Reveal its unity
Guard its faith
And present it in peace.
Remember all who minister in your Church
Remember all your people
And those who seek your truth.
Grant that we may find our inheritance
With all the saints
Who have found favour with you in ages past.
We praise you in union with them
And give you glory
Through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
Through Christ, and with Christ and in Christ
All honour and glory are yours
Almighty God and Father
In the unity of the Holy Spirit
Forever and ever.
Bless us, Lord, as we now recall your words to us in prayer,
Singing together your words…
The Lord’s Prayer (sung 469)
Sharing of the Bread and Wine
For I received from the Lord what I also now pass on to you: That on the night Jesus was betrayed he took the bread, blessed it and gave it to his disciples saying Eat This In Remembrance of Me
In the same way after supper Jesus took the cup saying This is a new covenant sealed in my blood, Drink This In Remembrance of Me.
As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lords death, until he comes again.
Song: Behold the lamb
Prayer after Communion
Eternal God, we give you thanks for this holy mystery in which you have given yourself to us.
Grant that we may go into the world in the strength of your Spirit, to give ourselves for others in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Song: I have decided to follow Jesus (570: vss 1, 2, 4)
Sending out with God’s blessing
Romans 8:38-39 – For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Response: Go forth into the world
Music postlude
Notes:
- Philemon is a short letter from Paul (c. AD 60) about Onesimus, a runaway slave who met Paul, became a Christian, and was sent back to his master Philemon with Paul’s plea for forgiveness and reconciliation (Philemon 1:8-21). The letter implies conversion and reconciliation but gives no career history or later life details.
- Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and some Western sources identify Onesimus with a later church leader, said to have become bishop of Ephesus and to have died a martyr. Feast day and veneration: Various traditions commemorate Saint Onesimus (commemorations vary; e.g., some calendars mark him on 15 February or on other dates in Eastern liturgies). The tradition offers a powerful narrative: the once–runaway slave becomes a “brother” and leader, embodying Paul’s teaching about reconciliation and transformation.
- Only the short account in Philemon (no mention of episcopacy, death, or ministry role beyond return). Post-biblical sources: Identification as bishop of Ephesus appears in later martyrologies, liturgical calendars, and ecclesiastical tradition — centuries after Philemon—scholarly consensus: The identification is plausible as a pious tradition but not provable. There is no contemporary, first‑century documentation that confirms Onesimus became bishop of Ephesus. Tradition celebrates the theological message (reconciliation) in a memorable biographical way; historians treat the bishopric claim as an unverified later tradition.
- Philemon powerfully shows gospel change — a slave becomes a brother. That message is secure in Scripture. Present the bishop‑of‑Ephesus story as tradition: “Church tradition holds…,” not as an established historical fact. Use the tradition devotionally: it’s an inspiring example of transformation and leadership possible in the Christian life, while acknowledging the historical uncertainty
- For Further Reading
- T. Wright or Douglas Moo — commentaries on Philemon (for biblical context and theology).
Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church — entry on Onesimus (tradition vs. history).
The Catholic Encyclopedia / Orthodox hymnals — notes on liturgical commemoration and tradition.
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The Communion liturgy is based on the liturgies of the PCC’s 1991 Book of Common Worship. Numbers in brackets after a song/hymn indicate that it is from the 1997 Book of Praise of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Those and other songs are being used in accordance with the specifications of Dayspring’s licensing with One License (3095377) and CLC (A735555).
The Rev. Brad Childs retains the copyright (© 2025) on all original material in this service. As far as Brad Childs is aware, all of the material that has not been attributed to others is his own creation or is in the public domain. Unacknowledged use of copyrighted material is unintentional and will be corrected immediately upon notification being received.
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