Philemon
Letter to a friendverses 1-3
Paul – a prisoner of Jesus Christ and Timothy our brother
unto Philemon our dearly beloved – and fellow laborer
and to our beloved Apphia
and Archippus our fellow soldier
and to the church in your house
grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ
Prayer for a friendverses 4-7
I thank my God – making mention of you always in my prayers
hearing of your love and faith
which you have toward the Lord Jesus
and toward all saints
that the communication of your faith may become effectual
by the acknowledging of every good thing which is
in you in Christ Jesus
FOR we have great joy and consolation in your love
BECAUSE the bowels of the saints are refreshed
by you – brother
Appeal to a friendverses 8-14
WHEREFORE – though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin you
that which is convenient – YET for love’s sake I rather beseech you
being such an one as Paul the aged
and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ
I beseech you for my son Onesimus – whom I have begotten in my bonds
which in time past was to you unprofitable
but now profitable to you and to me
whom I have sent again
you therefore receive him – that is – mine own bowels
whom I would have retained with me
that in your stead he might have ministered
to me in the bonds of the gospel
but without thy mind would I do nothing
that your benefit should not be as it were of necessity
BUT willingly
Desire of a friendverses 15-16
FOR perhaps he therefore departed for a season
that you should receive him forever
not as a servant – BUT above a servant
a brother beloved specially to me
BUT how much more to you
BOTH in the flesh – and in the Lord
Encouragement of a friendverses 17-20
IF you count me therefore a partner – receive him as myself
IF he has wronged you – or owes you aught
put that on mine account
I Paul have written it with mine own hand – I will repay it
ALBEIT I do not say to you how you owe to me
even your own self besides
YEA brother – let me have joy of you in the Lord
refresh my bowels in the Lord
Request of a friendverses 21-22
Having confidence in your obedience I wrote to you
knowing that you will also do more than I say
But withal prepare me also a lodging
for I trust that through your prayers
I shall be given to you
Greeting from other friendsverses 23-25
There salute you Epaphras – my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus
Marcus – Aristarchus – Demas – Lucas – my fellow-laborers
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
AMEN
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellow laborer. (1198 “prisoner” [desmios] means a person who is confined, captive, bound, one under arrest, or imprisonment)
DEVOTION: Notice how they greet one another in the first century. Here is Paul writing a letter to someone he made a disciple in the LORD. This is one person talking to another person about a personal matter in a letter.
Today we would make a phone call. However, Paul was in prison so a phone call would have been expensive. A letter was a lot better. People were used to receiving written letters from personal friends.
The reason Paul was in prison was because he preached the Good News or gospel of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. People didn’t want to hear about HIM. They were afraid of HIM. HE was preached to others as a coming King.
Also note how they greeted one another. They called each other brother and sister. They called each other co-workers for Christ. They called each other fellow soldiers of Jesus Christ.
All these names are true today. We don’t use these terms but we should. We are in a battle for the truth of Jesus Christ in our world. The battle lines are being drawn in the sand deeper every day. Sides have to be made. Those who are true followers of Jesus Christ have to cross the line in the sand and stand up for Jesus.
In many nations, there are no church buildings to worship in because they would be destroyed either by the government or by radical believers of false religions. So we find that at the beginning of the church there were meetings in people’s houses to worship the LORD. We might be going back to that time not only in other nations but in our nation as well.
CHALLENGE: Are we ready to face this type of Christianity?
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 7 For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by you, brother. (4698 “bowels” [splagchnon] means inward parts, affections, desires, one’s inmost self, or seat of affections.)
DEVOTION: This is quite a testimony. Here is a man who has a church in his house. He has been faithful to the LORD. He brings great joy and consolation to other believers. His testimony has not only been spread locally but to the rest of the church in his world.
What is important regarding our testimony even today? We should be ones who are regularly refreshing or encouraging one another. There are so many things in this world that discourage believers.
We had a conversation just last night with an Amish couple regarding the world situation. We talked about the problems with our government and the laws they are passing regarding things that are against the Word of God. We talked about the financial situation in our nation regarding how the government seems to want to take as much money as they can, so that, they can waste it. We talked about how so many things are changing in our families that we need to pray more for them.
Also part of this conversation was a solution. The solution was praying for revival first in our own hearts and then in the hearts of fellow believers. This takes us back to Paul and Philemon.
He wanted Philemon to forgive someone who had hurt him. He wanted to have Philemon put anything Onesimus owed on his account. This was personal. This could bring joy to Paul. This could bring joy to Onesimus. This could bring joy to other believers. It would give hope.
We should be refreshing one another during hard times. Living in jail as Paul was at the writing of this letter. The freedom of Onesimus would have encouraged his heart. It would have shown others that forgiveness is possible even for those who were slaves.
CHALLENGE: Are we encouraging others to the point that we are giving them joy in this corrupt and evil world?
:16 Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord. (1401 “servant” [doulos] means 1 a slave, bondman, man of servile condition. 1a a slave. 1b metaph., one who gives himself up to another’s will those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing His cause among men. 1c devoted to another to the disregard of one’s own interests. 2 a servant, attendant. [Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship])
DEVOTION: Paul and Philemon had an unusual relationship. Evidently, Philemon was a well-to-do land owner in the city of Colossae that Paul had at one point led to Christ. That is why Paul writes Philemon this letter to make an appeal on behalf of a runaway slave Onesimus.
Remember that Paul was in prison in Rome. He has sent a number of letters to this region of Asia Minor (now called Turkey), including the letters to the Ephesians, Colossians, and Galatians, and it is likely that these letters circulated among these churches. So Paul continued to maintain contact with these churches even though he was in captivity.
Evidently, Onesimus (“useful”) was a runaway slave (translated “servant” in the King James) from Philemon. How Onesimus came in contact with Paul is not known. However, this letter makes the point that Paul had also led Onesimus to Christ, and Paul had continued to disciple Onesimus even though Pau was in prison. So they must have developed a close relationship as well. We do not know at what point that Onesimus told Paul that he was a runaway slave from Philemon in Colossae, but we can be sure that he did so with great fear, since the penalty for running away as a slave in the Roman Empire and being caught was capital punishment.
So now Paul confronts Onesimus first and tells him that he needs to right this wrong and go back to Philemon. Then he writes Philemon this letter (probably hand-carried by Onesimus) in which he instructs Philemon to receive Onesimus back as if Onesimus were Paul himself!
There were many slaves in the Roman Empire (some say that 50% of people were slaves at some point), so Paul is not writing to decry the practice of slavery. On the other hand, Paul has already made the point that as Christians we are slaves of Jesus Christ, and also that all Christians were one in Christ, no matter whether they were slave or free. The radical thing in this short postcard letter is that Paul points that slavery between two believers has no meaning. Paul, who was himself a form of slave to the Roman Empire while in prison, recognizes that slavery is only a temporary man-made institution and that in Christ’s kingdom there is no room for anything like this.
Today we do not have slavery in the United States, but we have the economic positions of workers and bosses. It is very easy as a boss to be critical of your workers, and the mantra in business today is “higher productivity.” Yet, Paul points out that the responsibility of bosses was to treat their workers with dignity and respect, as if the relationship was reversed.
CHALLENGE: How do you treat those around you? Like they are your slaves? Instead, we should view all of our relationships (including our work) as an opportunity to serve others. We should view our fellow believers as brothers in Christ, no matter what the differences in our economic or physical situations are. (MW)
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 20 Yea, brother, let me have joy of you in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord. (373 “refresh” [anapauo] means rest, revive, to cause someone to take a break from their activities in order to be refreshed, cause someone to rest, take ease, or to keep quiet)
DEVOTION: Paul is in prison again. While he was in prison, he met a slave that was arrested with him. The slave became a follower of Christ. This slave had been an encouragement to Paul. This slave had made Paul’s stay in prison easier.
However, Paul knew that this slave had run away from his master, Philemon. In the Roman empire slaves were possessions and Philemon could have put the slave to death if he wanted to. Paul was begging Philemon to forgive Onesimus. He had been unprofitable to Philemon in the past but now he was a fellow believer. He had been profitable to Paul and Paul knew that he would be profitable to Philemon now. Paul wanted to keep Onesimus with himself while he was in prison but didn’t want to force the issue.
Paul is writing this letter to the slave’s owner. He wants the slave’s owner to forgive him and start treating him as a fellow believer. This would refresh Paul’s inward affections. Paul reminded Philemon that he was the one who instructed him in salvation. He was a follower of Christ because of the ministry of Paul. Paul wants to return to the church that is in this slave owner’s home. He asked him to prepare a room for him in his house for the visit.
Our heart is where our emotions are found. The Hebrews, thought the emotion of mercy and tender affections were found in the intestines. We say that the heart is the center of our affections but they say bowels. Paul wanted Philemon to have the passion of love toward his former slave, Onesimus.
Are we willing to forgive someone who has mistreated us? Are we willing to help someone that we don’t like if someone we do like asks us? Those who have chosen to follow the LORD are in our family. Some of those in our family are easier to get along with than others. Should we mistreat or be unforgiving to those who are not easy to get along with in our church? Can someone who has in the past been unprofitable to the work of Christ change to become profitable to the LORD’S work?
CHALLENGE: How forgiving are we? Once our mind is made up, what will it take to change it into a forgiving mind?
: 21 Having confidence in your obedience I wrote unto you, knowing that you would also do more than I say. (3981 “confidence” [peithos] means persuasive, convince, trust, be certain, be sure, encourage, to depend on, or yield)
DEVOTION: Paul was persuaded that Philemon would do the right thing concerning the issue of Onesimus. He knew the response that Philemon would have to his request.
From the perspective of Paul Philemon owed him this favor. It is wonderful when believers can have a type of dependence on one another when there is a special need.
Here we have a need for forgiveness. This is something that is hard to ask for forgiveness yourself. In the culture of Paul’s day Philemon could have had Onesimus killed for stealing from him and running away. No one in his day would have blamed him for this reaction.
However, there had been a change in the life of Onesimus. He had become a believer in jail. Now it was time to call in a favor. Paul called in this favor of another believer. He not only expected Philemon to grant him his freedom to come back to him but that he would forgive him all that he had done to him.
Believers should be able to count on one another to help each other all the time. Paul had a special relationship with Philemon. He had led him to Christ. He had helped him become a disciple of Christ. There is probably more to the story that we don’t know.
Is it wrong for someone who has helped another believer grow in the LORD to come to that person’s aid in a time of need? We need to be able to ask one another for prayer and even more at times if there is a special relationship.
Too often we are afraid to ask someone we helped to help us. We sometimes expect them to help without us asking them for something. It could be we don’t want to impose ourselves on anyone. We would rather the Holy Spirit did the talking for us.
Paul didn’t think these thoughts. He wrote with the expectation that Philemon would do what he wanted and MORE!!
We should have the trust in those who have grown under our ministry to help us during times of need. This was a time when Paul had a special need that only Philemon could take care of for him.
CHALLENGE: There are times when there will be such a situation in your life: will your answer be the same?
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Prayer of thanksgivingverse 4
Paul prays alwaysverse 4
Paul wants the church to pray for himverse 22
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Gospelverse 13
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Godverses 3, 4
God our Fatherverse 3
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Jesusverses 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 23, 25
Christverses 1, 3, 6, 8, 9, 23, 25
Jesus Christverses 1, 9
Lord verses 3, 5, 16, 20
Lord Jesus Christverses 3, 25
Lord Jesusverse 5
Christ Jesusverses 6, 23
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Servantverse 16
spiritverse 25
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Unprofitableverse 11
Wrongedverse 18
Owes verse 18
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Graceverses 3, 25
Peaceverse 3
Loveverses 5, 7, 9
Faithverses 5, 6
Saintsverses 5, 7
Good thingverse 6
Joyverses 7, 20
Consolationverse 7
Refreshedverse 7
Boldnessverse 8
Request of another believer: Beseechverses 9, 10
Profitableverse 11
Ministerverse 13
Refreshverse 20
Confidenceverse 21
Obedienceverse 21
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Church (New Testament people of God)
Paul a prisonerverses 1, 9, 17, 19
Aged
Partner
Pay Onesimus’ debt
Timothy: brotherverse 1
Philemon: dearly beloved & fellow laborerverse 1
Apphia: belovedverse 2
Archippus: fellowsoldierverse 2
Church in houseverse 2
Saintsverses 3, 7
Philemon: brother & refresher of saintsverses 7, 20
Paul: boldnessverse 8
Onesimus: begotten in Paul’s prisonverse 10
Onesimus: profitableverse 11
Onesimus: ministered to Paul in prisonverse 13
Gospelverse 13
Paul wants willing benefitverse 14
Onesimus: brother belovedverse 16
Epaphras – fellow prisonerverse 23
Marcus – fellows laborerverse 24
Aristarchus – fellow laborerverse 24
Demas – fellow laborerverse 24
Lucas – fellow laborerverse 24
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
Write (ἐγραψα [egrapsa]). Epistolary aorist. With mine hand (τῃ ἐμῃ χειρι [tēi emēi cheiri]). Instrumental case and a note of hand that can be collected. See 2 Thess. 3:17; 1 Cor. 16:21; Col. 4:18. I will repay it (ἐγω ἀποτισω [egō apotisō]). Future active indicative of ἀποτινω [apotinō] (ἀποτιω [apotiō]) to pay back, to pay off. The more usual word was ἀποδωσω [apodōsō]. This is Paul’s promissory note. Deissmann (Light, etc., p. 331) notes how many of the papyri are concerning debts. That I say not (ἱνα μη λεγω [hina mē legō]). Neat idiom as in 2 Cor. 9:4, delicately reminding Philemon that Paul had led him also to Christ. Thou owest to me even thine own self besides (και σεαυτον μοι προσοφειλεις [kai seauton moi prosopheileis]). Old verb, only here in N. T., Paul using the verb ὀφειλω [opheilō] of verse 18 with προς [pros] added. He used every available argument to bring Philemon to see the higher ground of brotherhood in Christ about Onesimus. (Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (Phm 19). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.)
V. 19a. Paul stated that he was writing these words with [his] own hand (cf. Gal. 6:11), thus placing himself under legal obligation to carry out his commitment. His ability to pay it back may have come from the gifts sent to him from Philippi (cf. Phil. 4:14–19).
2. philemon to consider his own debt to paul (v. 19b)
V.19b. You owe me your very self hints that Philemon may have been won to the Lord by Paul, and was thus obligated to him spiritually. If so, this was further evidence that Onesimus and Philemon were on the same spiritual plane; they had both been led to the Savior by the apostle. Such a debt could in one sense cover Onesimus’ obligations. And yet Paul chose not to dwell on that fact. (Deibler, E. C. (1985). Philemon. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 774). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
Paul did not suggest that Philemon ignore the slave’s crimes and forget about the debt Onesimus owed. Rather, Paul offered to pay the debt himself. “Put it on my account—I will repay it!” The language in Philemon 19 sounds like a legal promissory note of that time. This was Paul’s assurance to his friend that the debt would be paid.
It takes more than love to solve the problem; love must pay a price. God does not save us by His love, for though He loves the whole world, the whole world is not saved. God saves sinners by His grace (Eph. 2:8–9), and grace is love that pays a price. God in His holiness could not ignore the debt that we owe, for God must be faithful to His own Law. So He paid the debt for us!
Theologians call this “the doctrine of imputation.” (To impute means “to put it on account.”) When Jesus Christ died on the cross, my sins were put on His account; and He was treated the way I should have been treated. When I trusted Him as my Saviour, His righteousness was put on my account; and now God accepts me in Jesus Christ. Jesus said to the Father, “He no longer owes You a debt because I paid it fully on the cross. Receive him as You would receive Me. Let him come into the family circle!”
However, we must keep in mind that there is a difference between being accepted in Christ and acceptable to Christ. Anyone who trusts Jesus Christ for salvation is accepted in Him (Rom. 4:1–4). But the believer must strive with God’s help to be acceptable to the Lord in his daily life (Rom. 12:2; 14:18; 2 Cor. 5:9; Heb. 12:28, niv). The Father wants to look at those who are in His Son and say of them as He said of Jesus, “I am well pleased!”
Philemon 19 suggests that it was Paul who led Philemon to faith in Christ. Paul used this special relationship to encourage his friend to receive Onesimus. Philemon and Onesimus were not only spiritual brothers in the Lord, but they had the same “spiritual father”—Paul! (see Phile. 10 and 1 Cor. 4:15) (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, pp. 271–272). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
19 with my own hand. See notes on Gal 6:11; Col 4:18; cf. 2Th 3:17. even your own self. Philemon owed Paul something far greater than the material debt Paul was offering to repay, since Paul had led him to saving faith, a debt Philemon could never repay. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Phm 19). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
Ver. 19. I Paul have written it, with mine own hand, &c.] Meaning either this epistle, which being short, he used no amanuensis, but wrote it all himself, and which might be taken as an engagement to do what he promised; or else a bill, a promissory note, written with his own hand, which he sent along with Onesimus, by which he laid himself under obligation to give Philemon full satisfaction in every thing, in which he had been injured by his servant; adding, I will repay it: this was not an ironical expression, nor a piece of vanity in the apostle; he spoke seriously, and heartily, and meant what he said; and though his circumstances were often so mean, that he was forced to work with his own hands to minister to his necessities; yet such was his interest in the churches, and such their obligation to him, on account of his personal and useful ministrations to them, that he could easily raise a sum of money among them, upon any emergent occasion; so that Philemon had a good surety and paymaster of the apostle: and this shews his great humility to be a bondsman for a servant, and to make good damages and debts brought on in a scandalous manner; as also that suretyship in some cases is lawful, though it ought to be cautiously, and for very good reasons, entered into: and this engagement of the apostle for Onesimus bears some resemblance with, and may serve to illustrate the suretyship of Christ, for his people, they, and Onesimus, being much in a like condition; as he was an unprofitable and run-away servant, so they are all gone out of the way, and together become unprofitable; and Christ engaged with his father to bring them back again, and set them before him; and by his sufferings and death has brought them nigh, which were afar off: as he had wronged his master and was indebted to him, so they have injured the law of God, affronted his justice, and incurred his displeasure; and having owed to him more than ten thousand talents, and having nothing to pay, Christ engaged to satisfy law and justice, to make reconciliation for. them, and pay all their debts; all which he has accordingly done; their sins have been placed to his account, imputed to him, and charged upon him; and he has bore them, and the punishment due to them, and so has satisfied for them, and restored that which he took not away. Albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides; having respect to his conversion, which he was the happy instrument of; the apostle was his spiritual father, and he was his son, according to the common faith; he had been the instrument of saving his soul from death; he had been the means of that in the hand of God, which all his riches, and the riches of his friends and relations, could never have procured: the salvation of his soul, his better part, was instrumentally owing to him, and so his whole self; and therefore, what favour might he not ask of him? and what was it he could, or should deny him? this the apostle introduces in a very artificial manner, and does not insist upon it, but suggests, that should he forgive the injuries and debts, he had took upon him to make satisfaction for, it would not be an equivalent to the debt he owed to him. From hence may be observed, how greatly obliged regenerated persons are to those, who have been the means and instruments of their conversion. (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 3, p. 370). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
FROM MY READING:
THE CROSS AND CHRIST’S LOVE
…the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20
Looking at our Lord on the cross, what I see above everything else is the love that made Him do it all. “Love so amazing, so divine.” What does it mean? Let the apostle himself answer the question. This is how he puts it: “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life” (Romans 5:6-10).
It comes to this, my dear friends: He is dying there because of His love for you, His love for me, His love for those who are sinners, those who are rebels, those who are enemies. He died for people who hated Him. As He was dying there, Saul of Tarsus was hating Him, but He was dying for Saul of Tarsus. As Paul (to give his subsequent name) puts it later: “….the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). He did not wait until Paul was converted before He loved him. He loved him even when Saul of Tarsus was blaspheming His holy name, ridiculing His claim that He was the Son of God and the Lord of Glory, ridiculing the idea that He came to teach us and to die for us and to save us, pouring his blasphemous scorn upon Him. While Paul was doing that, Christ was dying for Paul. And He was doing the same for you and for me.
A Thought to Ponder: He died for people who hated Him.
(From The Cross, pp. 59-60, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
After His resurrection, Jesus appears to His disciples.
INSIGHT
Jesus’ message of salvation is the greatest news on earth. He does not leave to chance the need for His message to be taken to all earth’s people.
In Matthew 28, Jesus charges His disciples with that task. If however, you begin the recital of the Great Commission with verse 19, you have the “great omission.” Verse 19 begins with “Go therefore.” But to fully understand the phrase, we must go to verse 18 to see what “therefore” is there for.
On the basis of His authority, we are to go, and to go in confidence that, as we are obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ’s commission, He will accomplish His work through us.
(Quiet Walk)
The Stars Also
“And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.” (Genesis 1:16)
On the fourth day of the creation week, God made the two lights for day and night, and then—almost like an afterthought—“he made the stars also.” Nothing, of course, is an afterthought with God, but this emphasizes the relative importance of these parts of His creation. Whether or not the earth is the geographical center of the universe, Earth is the center of God’s interest in the universe. This is where He created man and woman in His own image, and where He will reign over His creation in the ages to come.
The primary purpose of the stars, as well as the sun and moon, was “to divide the day from the night; and…be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And…to give light upon the earth” (Genesis 1:14-15). They could not fulfill these functions, of course, if their light could not be seen on the earth, so we can be sure that these heavenly bodies and their light rays were created—like Adam and Eve—“full-grown,” in a state of functioning maturity.
All that can be known scientifically about the stars must be determined from their light intensity and spectra. (Their distances can be measured geometrically only to about 300 light-years.) Any other information—any greater distances, size, temperature, etc.—must be derived by inference, based on some theory of stellar evolution.
Although the stars all look alike (even through a telescope, they all appear as mere points of light), these calculations have shown that each one is unique, as revealed long ago in Scripture: “One star differeth from another star in glory” (1 Corinthians 15:41). Those who believe can learn more about them in the ages to come, for “they that be wise shall shine…as the stars for ever and ever” (Daniel 12:3).
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
A humble leader is one who exercises authority in a way that best serves the needs and interests of others rather than themselves. (p. 58)
When men fail to take the spiritual leadership in the home, they seriously handicap their children’s potential for spiritual maturity. (59)
(Developing Leaders for the Small Church by Glenn C. Daman)
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