Category: Biblical People

The focus of Paul’s letter to Philemon is Onesimus, the runaway slave. Ironically, Onesimus means useful. An escaped slave isn’t too useful to his master.

After Onesimus flees, he encounters Jesus through Paul. Paul mentors Onesimus and the two begin working together. However, it isn’t right for Onesimus to remain with Paul—even though what they’re doing is important. To do so would defraud Philemon of Onesimus’s labor.

Paul encourages Onesimus to return to his master, despite the risk it involves. A recaptured slave could be punished. To facilitate a positive reunion, Paul writes a letter to Philemon, pleading for him to offer Onesimus mercy.

While we don’t explicitly know the outcome of this drama, we can reasonably deduce it.

First, Paul’s petition on Onesimus’s behalf is so powerful that it’s hard to imagine anyone not complying.

Second, in the only other mention of Onesimus in the Bible, Paul announces he is sending Tychicus and Onesimus to the people of Colossae. Paul also affirms Onesimus as a faithful and dear brother.

Since this trip could not have reasonably occurred prior to Onesimus returning to Philemon, we can assume that Philemon did as Paul requested, allowing Onesimus to return to Paul to work with him on Philemon’s behalf.

This would put Onesimus in a position to take that trip to Colossae.

At last Onesimus can be useful, to both Paul and Philemon, as well as to the Colossians and to God. This all happens because Onesimus does the right thing, returning to his master despite the risk.

Do we do the right thing regardless of the cost?

[Discover more about Onesimus in Philemon 1:8–21.]

Read more about other biblical characters in The Friends and Foes of Jesus, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

Archippus pops up twice in the Bible, both times in letters from Paul. The first is in Paul’s message to his friend Philemon. In addition to Philemon, Archippus (along with Apphia) is listed as a recipient of the note.

Though the letter is mainly to Philemon, for some reason Archippus is also included. The message must be relevant to him as well. He may be a leader in the church that meets in Philemon’s home.

Regardless of the reason, after listing Archippus, Paul affirms him as a colleague, a fellow soldier in the cause of Jesus.

Then in Paul’s letter to the church in Colossae, he adds a personal message to Archippus. It’s a seemingly random insertion as Paul wraps up his communication.

Paul encourages Archippus to be sure to finish the work God gave him to do. We don’t know what this job is, but we do see that Paul feels it’s important to encourage Archippus to not leave things undone.

Over the years, many people have enthusiastically told me that God called them to do something for him. Yet when I run into them later, I learn they never followed through. Distractions, life, and their preconceived ideas get in the way. They may even question if they correctly heard God. 

When God calls us to a task, we must complete it. We must be faithful to his request.

Inaction is not an option. 

What has God called us to do that we must strive to complete?

[Discover more about Archippus in Colossians 4:17 and Philemon 1:1–3.]

Read more about other biblical characters in The Friends and Foes of Jesus, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

The name Philemon only appears once in the Bible. It’s in the letter from Paul to his friend. We refer to this letter by the name of its recipient: Philemon.

Paul opens his letter affirming Philemon’s actions and character. 

Then Paul gets to the purpose of his letter. It’s a big ask.

It seems Philemon is well-off: the church meets in his home, and he owns slaves. One of his slaves is Onesimus. Onesimus runs away, meets Paul—who tells him about Jesus, and becomes a believer.

Paul desires to see Onesimus and Philemon’s estranged relationship made right—because of Jesus. Paul encourages both to do the right thing: for Onesimus to return to his master regardless of the risk of punishment and for Philemon to welcome him back without penalty. 

Reconciliation is the reason Paul writes his letter to Philemon. In doing so, Paul doesn’t address the issue of slavery. Instead he focuses on the restoration of a relationship.

Paul can assume this role of reconciler because he has a personal connection with both parties. This history gives him a credibility that an outsider would have lacked, allowing him to positively influence them both.

Though we don’t know if Onesimus is restored into right relationship with Philemon, given the strong emotional appeal Paul makes and his logic that supports it, we have good reason to expect a joyous reunion.

Has God put us in a position to reconcile an estranged relationship? What should we do about it?

[Discover more about Philemon in Philemon 1:1–25.]

Read more about other biblical characters in The Friends and Foes of Jesus, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

Onesiphorus is another obscure character in the New Testament. We only hear of him twice, and both times it’s in Paul’s second letter to his protégé Timothy.

In the opening chapter, Paul writes a prayer of blessing for Onesiphorus—asking God to show mercy to his household. There’s a reason Paul makes this request. It’s because Onesiphorus has often encouraged Paul and wasn’t embarrassed to meet with him in prison.

Paul goes on to say that when he was in Rome, likely in jail, Onesiphorus made a diligent search until he found him. That’s dedication and determination.

Then, after another prayer request that God will grant that Onesiphorus find mercy, Paul also affirms the many ways Onesiphorus helped him in Ephesus.

Later, as Paul wraps up his letter to Timothy, Paul tells him to greet Priscilla, Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. This is interesting. Both times we read of Onesiphorus, it’s in conjunction with his household. This would include his family and possibly servants. 

Why does Paul mention Onesiphorus’s household? Perhaps he leads a large, noteworthy clan. Or maybe his family is giving him grief, so Paul knows Onesiphorus needs encouragement. These are conjectures. In truth we don’t know.

What we do know is how Onesiphorus encourages Paul, visits him in jail, and diligently searches for him. As a result, Onesiphorus earns Paul’s appreciation and his prayers, for both him and his household.

When we pray for others, do we also pray for their household? Should we?

[Discover more about Onesiphorus in 2 Timothy 1:16–18 and 2 Timothy 4:19.]

Read more about other biblical characters in The Friends and Foes of Jesus, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

Demas is another associate of Paul. The Bible mentions Demas three times, which gives us some insight into him.

First, we know Demas is with Paul when he writes to the church in Colossae. This is because Demas, along with Luke, sends their greetings to the Colossian church in this letter.

Similarly, in Paul’s letter to his friend Philemon, Demas is among four people who send greetings. In addition to Demas, we have Aristarchus, Mark, and Luke. Paul affirms all four as his fellow workers.

The third mention of Demas is in Paul’s second letter to his protégé Timothy. In this instance, the reference to Demas is sad. Paul is overwhelmed because most of his support group is gone.

He has dispatched Crescens to Galatia and Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke remains. This is because Demas deserted Paul and took off for Thessalonica.

However, we don’t know the chronological order of these three events, and Bible scholars can only speculate as to when Paul wrote each letter.

If Paul writes to Philemon before he writes to Timothy, then we see Demas, who was once a fellow worker of Paul, desert him later.

However, if we consider these in the opposite order, we see Demas leaving Paul and later being reconciled to him, earning the status of being called a fellow worker.

The optimist in me hopes that Demas ends well, as a fellow worker of Paul. The pessimist in me fears that in his last action, Demas lets Paul down and brings about one of Paul’s darkest moments.

Yet regardless of Demas’s actions and our actions, Jesus still loves us, offering us his grace and mercy.

When we mess up, like Demas did, will we allow it to define us or seek God’s grace and mercy to restore us into a right relationship with him?

[Discover more about Demas in Colossians 4:14, 2 Timothy 4:9–10, and Philemon 1:23–24.]

Read more about other biblical characters in The Friends and Foes of Jesus, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

Another associate of Paul’s is Epaphras. We don’t know much about him. His name only appears three times in the Bible, all of which are in two of Paul’s letters: one to the church in Colossae and the other to his friend Philemon.

Yet, packed in these three verses is much insight into the godly character of Epaphras.

We learn that Epaphras is from Colossae. He teaches the people there about Jesus and encourages them to grow in their faith.

Paul affirms Epaphras as a cherished servant and faithful minister of Jesus, part of Paul’s squad. These are both significant characteristics, but there’s more.

Epaphras is also a prayer warrior for his people. Paul notes that Epaphras wrestles in prayer for them. His prayers aren’t just occasionally or often, but Paul says that Epaphras always prays for them.

He prays to God that the church in Colossae will stand firm, obey God’s will, and be mature and fully assured in their faith.

Not only does Epaphras work hard for the church in Colossae but also for the churches in Laodicea and Hierapolis.

Epaphras is a beloved servant, faithful minister, and committed prayer warrior. May we follow his example.

What would it take for us to be a prayer warrior? And if always being in prayer isn’t our thing, what else can we do to serve God and advance his kingdom?

[Discover more about Epaphras in Colossians 1:6–8, Colossians 4:12–13, and Philemon 1:23–24.]

Read more about other biblical characters in The Friends and Foes of Jesus, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

King Agrippa enters our story to determine the fate of the imprisoned Paul when Festus is unable to comprehend the situation or make an accurate determination. Agrippa takes the lead in this, sitting in on Paul’s hearing and taking part in the follow-up meeting. 

After hearing Paul present his case, the group adjourn to discuss Paul’s situation. Agrippa concludes that Paul hasn’t done anything to deserve the severe penalty his detractors seek. This is the right determination, the wise decision.

Are we doing all we can to make wise decisions? 

[Discover more about King Agrippa in Acts 25:13–26:32.]

Read more about other biblical characters in The Friends and Foes of Jesus, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

After Felix lets Paul languish in jail for two years, he’s replaced as governor by Porcius Festus.

Shortly after he takes over, the Jewish leaders, not content to merely let Paul rot in prison, request that Festus transfer Paul back to Jerusalem. They’re still plotting to ambush him along the way and kill him.

Instead, Festus tells them to come to Caesarea and present their case there. He convenes court and Paul’s enemies accuse him of many serious charges, but they can’t prove a thing. As for his part, Paul persists in claiming his innocence.

Confused by their accusations against Paul, Festus isn’t sure how to proceed, so he asks if Paul will travel to Jerusalem to stand trial before the religious Council. Paul suspects a plot to kill him. To avoid returning to Jerusalem, he appeals his case to Caesar, a right he has as a Roman citizen.

Festus agrees with Paul’s request. However, Festus doesn’t know what charges to list in Paul’s appeal to Caesar. King Agrippa and Bernice, who have a better understanding of the background of this situation, agree to give their input. 

Paul makes his case before the three of them, and they conclude that Paul is innocent and could have been released, had he not appealed his case to Caesar.

How do we react when others face injustice?

[Discover more about Felix in Acts 24:27–26:32.]

Read more about other biblical characters in The Friends and Foes of Jesus, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

Felix is a Roman governor in Caesarea. His jurisdiction is the next stop for Paul and his legal ordeal as a prisoner for telling others about Jesus. 

In response to a threat against Paul’s life, a Roman centurion moves Paul from Jerusalem to the garrison in Caesarea. Felix leaves Paul behind bars until his accusers arrive to present their case.

Five days later Ananias (3) shows up, along with some of the other religious leaders and their attorney, Tertullus. Paul’s trial is convened, and Tertullus presents their case.

He gives misinformation and accuses Paul of various crimes, but he offers no proof, though the Jewish leaders who came with Tertullus agree with everything he says.

Next Paul presents his defense, but he doesn’t dissuade Felix.

He could release Paul—since the charges brought against him have no merit—but instead Felix keeps him in jail, hoping for a bribe. Two years later, when Felix leaves his post as governor, Paul still languishes in prison.

How often does our love for money keep us from doing what is right?

[Discover more about Felix in Acts 23:25–24:27 and Acts 25:14.]

Read more about other biblical characters in The Friends and Foes of Jesus, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.