“Written with Mine own Hand…”
Phm 1:17-21 If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself. 18 If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account; 19 I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it: albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides. 20 Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord. 21 Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say.
Ga 6:11 Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.
Ro 16:22 I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord. (Paul used an amanuensis)
Joh 5:46-47 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. 47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
I. The Personal Touch:
You cannot read through this little book of Philemon with any carefulness and not see the “personal touch” within the book. Paul had a personal friendship with Philemon, He had a personal relationship with Onesimus his son in the faith. He makes a personal appeal and takes personal responsibility to see the will of God be done in a hard (humanly speaking) situation. In my experience the hardest of situations that cause us the most trepidation are often the greatest victories and sweetest of memories when we follow through and do the will of God by faith in obedience! Paul wrote under the inspiration of God, “I Paul have written it with mine own hand.”
2Pe 1:12-21 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. 13 Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; 14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. 15 Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance. 16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
I can’t help but think of the countless times I have heard the objection “The Bible was tainted by men!” This statement is made quite often as a blanket excuse for unbelieving people to justify their complete rejection of the Bible. However the Bible is unlike any other Book, even among religious tomes that claim the same authority of the Bible.
Imagine God used imperfect men, and did not gloss over their imperfections. He did not hide from us the fact that Moses murdered the Egyptian, or Joshua’s failure to pray, the sons of Samuel, or the sins of David. He did not hide the hatred and bigotry of his self-willed prophet Jonah, or Peter’s impetuous nature and tendency to put his foot in his mouth. Paul wrote a large portion of Romans 7 describing his own personal struggle with the old nature. What a wonderful and marvelous book the Bible is. There is no sugar-coating of the men used, they were men “of like passions such as we are” yet used mightily of God.
II. The Powerful Truth:
A. The Character of God’s Work:
Speaking to the greatness of God and the goodness of God, for He is good and desires to communicate with his creatures and yet great enough to provide this with his creatures in spite of their weaknesses!
God used imperfect men to produce His perfect Word!
God used fallible men to produce an infallible Book!
God used weak men to pen his powerful Bible!
“God . . . in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets.” is how God revealed Himself to mankind supernaturally. Little by little God has revealed Himself in many different ways and by many different means throughout the centuries. God’s revelation has come supernaturally in varying detail to varying individuals: to Abraham God spoke face-to-face (Gen. 12:1); to Jacob by dreams (Gen. 28: 12); to Moses face-to-face and by the Law (Ex. 20:1); to the prophets by inspiration and visions (Nah. 1:1); to Daniel by angels and dreams (Dan. 2:19, 10:10-13); to the high priest by Urim and Thummim (Num. 27:21).
God has handed down this revelation to us in book form (Jos. 1:8, II Ki. 22:8, Heb. 10:7), and it is contained in the pages of the Bible. God reaches out to men! God loves mankind! He has, at the greatest of costs to Himself, not only became man’s redeemer, but also reached out to man to reveal the way to Himself and a relationship with Him! God chose the means of a Book to reveal Himself to men of this age. He gave us the confidence that “It is written!”
B. The Character of God’s Word (God’s Book)
2Pe 1:12-21 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. 13 Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; 14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. 15 Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance. 16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
The Word of God is an incredible masterpiece that could have only come from the hand of God. Written by about 40 different human writers over a period of about 1600 years, miraculously the Bible is not contradicted of itself; it is one book! God has so sufficiently given us His Word that there it is absolutely no need for, and even warnings against adding to or taking away from its contents (Deut. 2:2; Rev. 22:18-19). God’s Word is perfect and complete (James 1:25). God’s Word is sure (II Pet. 1:18-19); it is truth and no error (Jn. 17:17; Ps. 119:40). God’s Word cannot be broken (Jn. 10:35).
III. The Present Trust:
Today the prevailing opinion amongst professing Christian peoples is that the Bible was inspired, infallible, and inerrant in the originals. These originals perished long ago with the animal skins and papyrus they were penned upon. There are no surviving originals, what remains is copies and translations. These that hold to original only do not believe that they have the inspired, infallible, inerrant Scriptures!
2Pe 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
A. The Charge of God’s People
2Ti 4:1-5 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
B. The Charge of God’s Men Preach the Word
1. Pressing Matter! “Be instant” (urgent!) In season, out of season…
2. Pointed Manner!
a. Reprove *Reprimanding Error ~ CORRECTION
b. Rebuke Sharp criticism or disapproval ~ CRITICISM
c. Exhort Strong encouragement or urging from the Latin meaning “thorough and encourage” ~ COMPELLING
3. Principled Manner!
a. Longsuffering: ~ Patient endurance
b. Doctrine
