You Call Him Brother
Memory verse — Philemon 3: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Lesson objectives
- Recognize the people and relationships Paul names in his greeting.
- Explain how grace and peace should shape our treatment of a brother.
- Identify a responsibility that requires a concrete response.
Thesis: The grace and peace we receive from God must govern how we receive one another as brethren in Christ.
1. Christ governs our life and service
Philemon 1. Paul serves Christ in confinement. Timothy is his brother, and Philemon is a beloved fellow worker. Paul recognizes an existing relationship before making a difficult request.
1. How does Paul continue serving Christ within the limits of imprisonment?
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2. What does Paul recognize in Philemon before asking him to receive Onesimus?
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2. Brotherhood brings real responsibilities
Philemon 2; Colossians 4:17. Apphia is a sister, Archippus is a fellow soldier, and the congregation receives the letter. Paul does not establish their family relationships. Calling someone a brother or sister commits us to real responsibilities toward that person.
3. What responsibility did Archippus have? What should we avoid assuming about him?
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4. Why does loving the church require receiving the particular brother who needs us?
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3. God’s grace and peace must govern our treatment of one another
Philemon 3, 16–19; Ephesians 2:19. Those who share one Father must learn to receive one another. Paul asks Philemon to welcome Onesimus as he would welcome Paul and offers to address possible harm or debt.
5. How is the peace Christians should seek different from simply avoiding one another?
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6. How does Paul address a possible wrong without making it an excuse to withhold a brother’s welcome?
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Application and response
Personal: Examine whether your welcome agrees with the fellowship you confess. Identify the apology, help, patience, or other act of obedience your conduct requires.
Congregational: Fulfill your responsibilities toward the brethren. Receive a penitent brother, encourage faithful service, and attend honestly to any harm you have caused.
Respond to Christ: Hear His word, believe, repent, confess Him, be baptized for forgiveness, and continue faithfully (Romans 10:9–17; Acts 2:38–42; Revelation 2:10). Obedient faith does not earn God’s grace.
Truth to hold: __________________________________________________
Obedience to practice: ___________________________________________
Prayer: ________________________________________________________
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible® (1995 and 2020 Editions), Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org