Departed to be Received

For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldst receive him forever. Philemon 1:15 These are pretty soft words, it seems, to describe a dastardly sin committed in the house of Philemon! Philemon was a Grecian convert who, together with his wife, Apphia, and his son, Archippus, were close personal friends of the apostle Paul. For years the church of Colosse had met in Philemon's house, and it was during this time that he and Paul had become close to one another. Now Paul,...