Reimagining Relationships: Koinonia and the Gospel's Challenge
Summary
In our exploration of the book of Philemon, we delve into the complexities of early Christian relationships and the radical call to live out the gospel in tangible ways. Philemon, a wealthy Roman citizen and leader of a house church in Colossae, receives a letter from Paul, who is imprisoned. This letter is not just a personal correspondence but a public call to action, urging Philemon to reconsider his relationship with Onesimus, a slave who has sought Paul's mediation in a conflict with Philemon. Paul appeals to Philemon to receive Onesimus not as a slave but as a brother in Christ, challenging the very foundations of the Roman social order and the institution of slavery.
Paul's letter is a profound example of koinonia, a Greek term that embodies the essence of Christian fellowship, sharing, and community. It calls for a radical reimagining of relationships, where social hierarchies are dismantled, and all are seen as equals in the family of God. This is not just a theoretical concept but a practical call to action, urging believers to live out their faith in ways that reflect the kingdom of God.
The letter to Philemon also highlights the tension between the existing social order and the transformative power of the gospel. While Paul does not explicitly call for the abolition of slavery, his appeal to Philemon is a subversive act that undermines the legitimacy of slavery within the Christian community. It is a reminder that the gospel calls us to challenge systems of oppression and to live in ways that reflect the values of the kingdom of God.
As we reflect on this letter, we are reminded of the importance of reading Scripture in community, particularly with voices from the margins, to avoid imposing our cultural biases on the text. We are called to examine our own relationships and power dynamics, to live in koinonia, and to be agents of liberation and justice in the world.
Key Takeaways:
- Koinonia and Community: The concept of koinonia is central to understanding Christian community. It calls for a radical sharing and equality among believers, challenging social hierarchies and fostering a sense of chosen family. This is a call to live out our faith in tangible ways, reflecting the values of the kingdom of God. [41:44]
- Reimagining Relationships: Paul's appeal to Philemon to receive Onesimus as a brother rather than a slave challenges the existing social order. It is a call to reimagine relationships in light of the gospel, where all are seen as equals and family in Christ. This challenges us to examine our own relationships and power dynamics. [45:25]
- Scripture and Marginalized Voices: Reading Scripture in community, particularly with voices from the margins, is essential to avoid imposing cultural biases on the text. This approach helps us to see the radical and liberating message of the gospel and to challenge systems of oppression. [55:25]
- The Gospel and Social Order: The letter to Philemon highlights the tension between the existing social order and the transformative power of the gospel. While Paul does not explicitly call for the abolition of slavery, his appeal undermines its legitimacy within the Christian community, reminding us of the gospel's call to challenge systems of oppression. [51:05]
- Empowerment and Action: We are called to be agents of liberation and justice, empowered by the gospel to challenge false hierarchies and live in koinonia. This requires boldness and a commitment to living out our faith in ways that reflect the values of the kingdom of God. [59:07]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:30] - Introduction to the Series
- [02:00] - Overview of Philemon
- [04:15] - Historical Context of Slavery
- [07:30] - Cast of Characters
- [10:45] - Onesimus' Journey
- [13:00] - Paul's Imprisonment
- [15:20] - Philemon's House Church
- [18:00] - Paul's Appeal to Philemon
- [21:30] - The Concept of Koinonia
- [25:00] - Reimagining Relationships
- [28:45] - The Gospel and Social Order
- [32:00] - Reading Scripture in Community
- [35:30] - Empowerment and Action
- [38:00] - Closing Prayer and Blessing
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: Exploring Philemon
Bible Reading:
1. Philemon 1:1-25
2. Deuteronomy 23:15-16
3. Galatians 3:28
---
Observation Questions:
1. What is the main request Paul makes to Philemon regarding Onesimus, and how does he frame this request? [34:11]
2. How does Paul describe his relationship with Onesimus, and what significance does this have in the context of the letter? [34:11]
3. What does the term "koinonia" mean, and how does Paul use it to challenge Philemon's understanding of community? [41:44]
4. How does Paul address the issue of social hierarchies and power dynamics in his letter to Philemon? [51:05]
---
Interpretation Questions:
1. How does Paul's appeal to Philemon to receive Onesimus as a brother rather than a slave challenge the existing social order of the time? [45:25]
2. In what ways does the concept of "koinonia" call for a reimagining of relationships within the Christian community? [41:44]
3. How does the inclusion of marginalized voices in the reading of Scripture help to reveal the radical and liberating message of the gospel? [55:25]
4. What does Paul's willingness to risk his relationship with Philemon for the sake of Onesimus reveal about his understanding of the gospel? [39:14]
---
Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your own relationships and power dynamics. Are there areas where you need to reimagine these relationships in light of the gospel's call to equality and community? [45:25]
2. How can you actively practice "koinonia" in your daily life, fostering a sense of chosen family and equality among those around you? [41:44]
3. In what ways can you challenge systems of oppression in your community, inspired by Paul's subversive appeal to Philemon? [51:05]
4. How can you ensure that you are reading Scripture in a way that includes and values marginalized voices, avoiding the imposition of cultural biases? [55:25]
5. Consider a situation where you might need to act as an agent of liberation and justice. What steps can you take to live out your faith in a way that reflects the values of the kingdom of God? [59:07]
6. How can you cultivate the boldness of Paul in your own life, standing up for what is right even when it challenges existing social norms? [59:07]
7. Identify a relationship in your life where you can practice forgiveness and reconciliation, inspired by Paul's call to Philemon to receive Onesimus as a brother. [34:11]
Devotional
Day 1: Radical Fellowship in Christ
The concept of koinonia, or fellowship, is central to understanding the Christian community. It calls for a radical sharing and equality among believers, challenging social hierarchies and fostering a sense of chosen family. This is not just a theoretical idea but a practical call to live out our faith in tangible ways, reflecting the values of the kingdom of God. In the letter to Philemon, Paul exemplifies this by urging Philemon to receive Onesimus not as a slave but as a brother in Christ, thus challenging the very foundations of the Roman social order. This appeal is a profound example of how the gospel calls us to reimagine our relationships and live in true community. [41:44]
"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11, ESV)
Reflection: Who in your community can you reach out to today to encourage and build up in the spirit of koinonia?
Day 2: Reimagining Social Dynamics
Paul's appeal to Philemon to receive Onesimus as a brother rather than a slave challenges the existing social order. It is a call to reimagine relationships in light of the gospel, where all are seen as equals and family in Christ. This challenges us to examine our own relationships and power dynamics, urging us to break down barriers and embrace a new way of relating to one another. By doing so, we reflect the transformative power of the gospel in our lives and communities. [45:25]
"For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:13, ESV)
Reflection: Consider a relationship in your life where power dynamics are at play. How can you approach this relationship with the mindset of equality and brotherhood in Christ?
Day 3: Listening to Marginalized Voices
Reading Scripture in community, particularly with voices from the margins, is essential to avoid imposing cultural biases on the text. This approach helps us to see the radical and liberating message of the gospel and to challenge systems of oppression. By engaging with diverse perspectives, we gain a deeper understanding of Scripture and are better equipped to live out its teachings in our lives. This practice encourages us to be open to learning from those who may have different experiences and insights. [55:25]
"Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy." (Proverbs 31:8-9, ESV)
Reflection: How can you intentionally seek out and listen to the voices of those who are marginalized in your community or church?
Day 4: The Gospel's Challenge to Social Order
The letter to Philemon highlights the tension between the existing social order and the transformative power of the gospel. While Paul does not explicitly call for the abolition of slavery, his appeal undermines its legitimacy within the Christian community, reminding us of the gospel's call to challenge systems of oppression. This serves as a powerful reminder that our faith should lead us to question and confront unjust structures in society, aligning our actions with the values of the kingdom of God. [51:05]
"Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?" (Isaiah 58:6, ESV)
Reflection: Identify a social issue or system of oppression that you feel called to challenge. What steps can you take this week to begin addressing it?
Day 5: Empowered for Liberation and Justice
We are called to be agents of liberation and justice, empowered by the gospel to challenge false hierarchies and live in koinonia. This requires boldness and a commitment to living out our faith in ways that reflect the values of the kingdom of God. By embracing this call, we become active participants in God's work of redemption and transformation in the world, bringing hope and healing to those around us. [59:07]
"But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." (Amos 5:24, ESV)
Reflection: What is one practical way you can act as an agent of justice and liberation in your community this week?
Quotes
"If you'd like to go back and reread it, I encourage you to do so. If you've got a hard copy of the Bible accessible to you, really encourage you to grab it. We're going to talk about some specific word choices that the author made, and it can be really helpful, especially if you're open to writing in that Bible, so that you can remember it and lock it in to both your brain through that kinetic act in your body of writing down, and also into your Bible, so that you have those notes anytime you might want to revisit this, or the next person who picks up your Bible can see what you've learned." [00:22:51] (35 seconds)
"Slavery was a little bit different in this context. I want to make no bones about it. It was still slavery. I think there are some people who want to split hairs about that and say like, oh, well, slavery in the Bible was different, so it's fine. This was not fine, but instead of being like chattel slavery in the United States or the British Empire, this was sort of indentured servitude where someone would get in an amount of debt that they couldn't pay off, and so they would basically sell themselves into labor and try and pay off their debt that way." [00:24:22] (35 seconds)
"Paul is writing from prison. Now, there are some people who say that he was writing from Ephesus. Some people say he was writing from Rome. Some people say he was writing from Caesarea. The point is, dude was in prison a lot, and we don't really know which prison he was in at the time, but he was incarcerated. So, Paul's in prison. Meanwhile, Philemon is running a house church in Colossae." [00:25:59] (26 seconds)
"And the goal of this letter is that Paul is writing to Phil saying, hey, I know Onesimus is enslaved to you. I want you to, I'm sending him home to you with this letter that is asking you to not only free him from that slavery, but to receive him as a brother, as family, as an equal with rights in your household, which is like a pretty big swing. And one of the things that we should bear in mind during this letter is that Phil is probably way more resourced than Paul." [00:29:55] (38 seconds)
"I think that what Paul is doing here is he's understanding like, this church has it down, this church has the basics, they know the ideas. Now they need to act on it. This letter is a call to action. This letter is saying if you are true believers, then you need to act in solidarity and stop this nonsense immediately and free this man. And so this is a call to action from Paul to Philemon saying, step up and follow Jesus, not just in word, but in deed." [00:31:30] (27 seconds)
"So Paul's coming in hot because that's how he does. But he's basically saying this is a conversation we need to have as a Christian community. I know this technically is about like your property, but that's not how this is going to go down. This is not a personal matter. This is not a private matter. This is a matter of Christian community. So he brings everyone into this public conversation." [00:40:50] (22 seconds)
"When I think of koinonia, what is held in common, what is shared, I think of what I've been taught, which is largely about community and fellowship and relationship and intimacy. And that's absolutely true. Koinonia is about closeness. It's about creating a new sense of family that is chosen. It is about treating one another with a sharing and an intimacy. But it also has material implications." [00:42:43] (29 seconds)
"So if you consider me a brother, you have to consider Onesimus a brother. And what does that mean for your whole institution of slavery? It means it's bullshit. It means it's garbage. It means this is a human institution that defies the household and therefore kingdom economy of God's love. May the grace of God be with you. Paul has asked for Phil to step up and actually live out his faith." [00:45:30] (31 seconds)
"This is the way that Jesus was queer first. This is the way that we choose one another and we create families that are godly and holy, not because of social expectations or blood relationships, but because treating one another as family and choosing one another as family is a holy and good thing to do. It may be fictive, fictional, chosen, but that kinship where we become kin to one another is real." [00:46:34] (30 seconds)
"Paul is saying that these power hierarchies established by the social order are false, are lies. And that the true relationship is dictated by that family, that koinonia that God has called us to. Then Paul does some more flexing and says, you know, I know you'll do what I'm asking of you and even more. And just in case, I'm going to come visit and we're going to find out." [00:51:24] (28 seconds)
"This history shows how easily we impose our cultural and ideological prejudices to turn the Bible into an instrument of torture and violence instead of a proclamation of liberation, justice, and love. This is one of the reasons that we need, we need to be reading Scripture in community, and we need to be reading Scripture led by voices from the margins." [00:53:56] (29 seconds)
"What we understand now or what I understand is that Jesus is bringing the kingdom, but Jesus is bringing that kingdom in and through us, which is why not only are we called to write relationship within Christian fellowship, within koinonia, but we are called to challenge those systems of the world because it's been more than a generation or two since Paul wrote this letter and so many people." [00:57:50] (23 seconds)
Chatbot
-
I'm an AI bot trained specifically on the sermon from Jan 24, 2022. Do you have any questions about it?