“I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers.” (Philemon 1:4)
Philemon is an active, devoted Christian whom the Apostle Paul refers to as a dearly beloved fellow laborer. While he was in prison, Paul met an inmate who was a runaway slave, named Onesimus. He stole some money from his master before he ran away. While in prison Paul leads Onesimus to Christ. As in any true conversion, Onesimus wants to make things right, to return to his master, Philemon, and restore the money he stole.
Paul wrote this letter from prison to Philemon. In it he encourages Philemon to receive and forgive his converted slave and to treat him as a brother. He tells Philemon that if Onesimus owes him anything, “…put that on my account…I will repay it.”
It is with all this in mind that Paul writes this word of thanks in our text regarding Philemon. We should give thanks to God for fellow believers who always attempt to do the right thing.
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