Are You A Partner In This Partnership?

Philemon 1:6
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.

Philemon 1:17
So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.

The book of Philemon is just one chapter. It is a letter by Apostle Paul to Philemon. In this letter, Paul urges Philemon to forgive and take back Onesimus. Onesimus was a slave who belonged to Philemon. Onesimus stole things from Philemon and ran away. A slave who steals and runs away may deserve death. While running away, Onesimus meets Paul and gets converted to Christianity, and reveals his story with Philemon. Paul writes this letter to reconcile Onesimus with Philemon.

In this letter, and in the section we are focusing on today, Paul refers to his relationship with Philemon as a partnership. Paul refers to Philemon as a partner. Paul tells Philemon that he has a partnership with the church. Later on, Paul appeals to Philemon by telling him that if he considers Paul a partner he would forgive and accept back Onesimus.

From this Pauline analogy, Christianity makes all of us partners. We are partners with a common goal to spread the gospel and prepare ourselves and others for eternal life. Paul appeals to Philemon that he should see himself as a partner in faith. Are you a partner in this partnership?

In a partnership, all members are obliged to work in the interest of the partnership. Individual perceptions and wishes are surrendered to the common good. If what you want as an individual contradicts the interests of the entire partnership, you are expected to surrender your position. Therefore Paul tells Philemon that the entire partnership recommends forgiveness of Onesimus. If Philemon is a true partner, he had no option but to agree with the position of the rest of the partners. Are you a partner in this partnership?

The partnership does not decide what is right and wrong using democracy. The partnership uses the interpretation of God’s word as a standard of right and wrong. Once they agree on an interpretation they implement it. You join the Christianity partnership by agreeing with their interpretation of the word of God. That is why we have so many Christian denominations and they are not the same. What distinguishes one Christian denomination from the other is how they interpret the word of God. If you join a certain denomination, it’s because you agree with their interpretation of God’s word. Therefore, you have joined a partnership and you must act as a good partner. Are you a partner in this partnership?

It is, therefore, shallow thinking to assume that all churches are the same. It is therefore dangerous to say you can join any denomination and worship. It is wrong to say that any church is ok. That is as good as saying any interpretation of the Bible is okay. That would bring a serious contradiction in your life. Each and every one of us must assess and decide which community of faith will they join as partners. You join a church as a partner. It is a partnership. Are you a partner in this partnership?

If you do not choose any denomination and you remain neutral or so you think, you would have by that choice rejected that which is true. If your child is among those to be punished and you are asked to save one child, silence and indecision and being neutral is as good as giving up your child to be punished. Failure to choose a partnership is a rejection of the right partnership. Are you a partner in this partnership?

Once you choose a partnership or a community to worship with, you must study its teachings to understand so that your partnership does not depend on others but on your understanding. Once you agree with a partnership you abide by what the partnership dictates to the extent to which it is consistent with the interpretation you subscribed to. Are you a partner in this partnership?

Philemon had joined a partnership that taught love and made forgiving of those who wrong us a compulsory expectation of each partner. Therefore he had to forgive Onesimus as an obligation to his partnership with God’s church. Are you a partner in this partnership?

As a partner in this Christian partnership you should remit tithes and offerings regularly and in a predictable manner. As a partner in this Christian partnership, you must love your enemies. You must consider others better than you. You must confess wrongdoing and repent. You must regularly read the Bible and pray. There many other obligations in this partnership for all partners. Are you a partner in this partnership?

May God give us the wisdom to choose the right partnership. May God enable us to be faithful partners in the partnership that He leads us to, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

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