Philemon 1:2 KJV
And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house:
We frequently see this small epistle as an engagement between two men: Paul and Philemon. This verse makes it clear that Paul addresses his concerns not only to Philemon but to his wife, Apphia, his pastor, Archippus and his church.
Though Onesimus was Philemon's slave, what affected Philemon and Onesimus impacted his house and, now that Onesimus was saved, his church. It was a situation that involved much more than the principle parties and required
The counsel of the preacher,
The comfort of the spouse and
The encouragement of the whole church
Very few pieces of our lives belong solely to us. Seldom is it true that a personal decision only impacts personally.
Every part of our life should involve
Our mate
Our pastor and
Our church
because they in fact are involved in every part of our life.
Philemon 1:2