Strong Persuasion
Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say. Philemon 1:21 NASB
Confidence – If we pay attention of the use of this Greek term (pépoitha) in the LXX, we discover that it often translates the Hebrew root bṭḥ (baṭaḥ). Paul could hardly have used a stronger expression. baṭaḥ is ultimately the idea of absolute reliance on God. You’ll remember that there is really only one forthright example of baṭaḥ in human-to-human relationship, found in Proverbs 31:11, a description of the kind of trust a husband places in his wife. In order to understand the impact of Paul’s Greek choice, we must consider the use of the Hebrew equivalent.
. . . in Hebrew, bāṭaḥ expresses that sense of well-being and security which results from having something or someone in whom to place confidence. It is significant that the LXX never translates this word with πιστευω“believe in” but with ελπιζω “to hope,” in the positive sense “to rely on God” or πειφομαι “to be persuaded,” for the negative notion for relying on what turns out to be deceptive. This would seem to indicate that bāṭaḥ does not connote that full-orbed intellectual and volitional response to revelation which is involved in “faith,” rather stressing the feeling of being safe or secure. Likewise, all the derivatives have the same meaning “to feel secure,” “be unconcerned.”[1]
Paul’s final thought draws a direct connection between trust and obedience. But that’s what we would expect from a Jewish rabbi. “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way” are the lyrics of an old Christian hymn that reflects the basic approach of the Tanakh. In the end, all of Paul’s persuasive argument and all his subtle manipulation means nothing. Well, not quite nothing, of course, but not quite enough either. In the end, Philemon will have to demonstrate trust in God and obey . . . hoping (in active anticipation) that God’s engineering of the Onesimus incident is for the benefit of all, including him. Because the event has not yet occurred, trust is paramount. To do what Paul asks is not ultimately based on some moral grounds or an ethical imperative or even on the basis of personal friendship. In the end, Philemon must simply obey. Hopefully Paul has communicated what it is that God wants of Philemon, but even that isn’t so unambiguous that it demands a certain action. Philemon is really faced with the challenge of baṭaḥ, to rely upon God without a direct edict. Frankly, it’s Moses all over again.
And He said, “Assuredly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall [e]worship God at this mountain” (Exodus 3:12, NASB).
The sign follows the action! “Go do what I ask . . . and then you will know!” In other words, “Trust Me! And when it’s finished, you’ll see what I meant.”
Topical Index: confidence, trust, pépoitha, baṭaḥ, Philemon 1:21
[1] Oswalt, J. N. (1999). 233 בָּטַח. R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., p. 101). Chicago: Moody Press.
