“I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love.” (Philemon 9)
In this deeply personal letter, Paul does not appeal to Philemon on the basis of his apostleship, ministry success, or any other achievement.
When he refers, in Galatians, to the leaders of the church in Jerusalem, he says, “As for those who were held in high esteem - whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism” (Gal 2:6) His words are not anti-authority. On the contrary, they reflect his own understanding of the nature of Christian spiritual authority, which is always anchored in God’s love demonstrated through Jesus.
Christian maturity is directly related to this understanding of spiritual authority. It is a truth that all of us - especially those called by God to lead - need to learn. I encourage you to share these podcasts with friends. Also, consider starting a Spirtual Growth Group. Small groups on spiritual growth are an excellent way to grow spiritually.
In Christ,
Dan
Check out my podcasts from Church on the Edge and my books on Kindle.
Philemon, Section One: The Old Man and the Cell