Useless or Useful by Ps Michael Podhaczky

The letter from Paul to Philemon, his friend & brother in Christ, is a short letter but by no means useless(vv1-2). It is a “masterpiece of graceful, tactful, and delicate pleading for a forgiving spirit.”[1] The letter addresses the matter of Onesimus, a runaway slave, who had wronged Philemon (vv15-16,18). Paul appealed to Philemon to exercise grace, not from obligation or coercion, but from freewill; a reflection of the grace shown him (v14). Paul encouraged Philemon to voluntarily show love towards his returning slave Onesimus (vv12,14). He was to receive Onesimus as a brother, as if he was receiving Paul himself, and cancel his debt (vv15-19).

Thus, Onesimus’ testimony was now; “Once I was lost, totally depraved, but now I am sovereignly found.” Onesimus, a common nickname for slaves, meant useful (though, in running away he had become useless and unprofitable to Philemon). Paul used the name of Onesimus as a form of word play when speaking to Philemon, when stating that he “who was once useless to you...is now useful to me,” (v11). Notice that he was not only useful to Philemon now, but also to Paul. Paul knew that Onesimus had to go and put things right with Philemon, and so sent him back. Yet, now he had a great testimony of the work of Jesus Christ in his life.

We were all like Onesimus at some stage in our life; we owed a debt of sin that we could not pay, and God sent His Son Jesus Christ who paid our debt with His own life. We were once useless, but now because of the Father’s great love and Christ’s great obedience we also have this testimony, “Once I was lost, totally depraved, but now I am sovereignly found.”


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[1] Jensen, I.L. Jensen’s Survey of the New Testament. (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1981), 400.